Radio Broadcast (Nov 1926-Apr 1927)

APRIL, 1927 \ SOME REPLIES TO THE PROGRAM QUESTIONNAIRE 567 Our local station is used only when their programs are of a greater merit than we can get from a distance. DX in itself is not sought except when experimenting on a new hook-up or new parts. There is still a thrill in DX and occasionally when coming in late from a party I sit at the dials for 15 to 50 minutes listening to the west. Waiting up for the furnace to draw properly is a good excuse for sitting up late when one knows he ought to go to bed. POUGHKEEPSIE, New YORK. Sir: We usually start the radio at 6 p. m. and keep it going while we carry on our other activities. Of course we follow the programs and pick out the numbers which we like best, changing from station to station. It usually takes a concert like the VictorConcert last evening to make us stop our bridge game and give our whole attention to the music. However we seem to hear everything that's going on even while we're concentrating on something else. A jazz concert, however, always means that we tune-in on another station or turn off the radio entirely. Some dance music is all right but most of it sounds like — well, I could make better music by dumping the kitchen utensils on the floor. We enjoy popular music as long as it is music. You may think we are inconsistent but we do enjoy banjo and Hawaiian music. Now as to popular music, it's all right but I wouldn't give up the others for it; and as for radio plays, there are still theaters where we can see the actors act and anything else which is supposed to be seen. So radio plays will have to wait until television is a success. I believe just as you do about speeches. However we do enjoy hearing Vice-President Dawes trying to shatter the filaments in the tubes. As for education, we have had considerable. Besides a lot of static comes along at the wrong time and ruins the most important points of the talk. The miscellaneous novelties aren't worth bothering about. The Rising Tide of Radio Stations is the subject of a large group of letters. F'rinstance: Bisbee, Arizona Sir: Now that you have given your readers an opportunity to tell what they do with their radio receivers, through the medium of your questionnaire, I would like to suggest that you give us another questionnaire to find out what the sentiment is about elimination or muzzling about ninety per cent, of the broadcast stations of the country. I refer particularly to the broadcasters who are dishing out direct advertising and grinding out the most mediocre of programs. Radio is doomed as a source of entertainment unless something is done quickly to remedy the heterodyning nuisance. It is impossible to listen fifteen minutes to a satisfactory program without having the program ruined by some interfering station. With the many thousands of "better, cost less" bloopers, and the heterodyning of interfering stations, radio reception is nothing more than a horrible experience just now. As a partial remedy to the heterodyning trouble why not put all the broadcasters who do direct advertising on one wavelength, reducing their power, and then let them advertise and heterodyne each other to their hearts' content. It would try the patience of Job to try to tune-in a program these nights that did not have its infernal jazz background, or some advertiser dishing out the "dope" on the wares he has to sell. The radio advertiser is a worse offender of decency than the billboard advertiser, whose only offense is to spoil part of the scenery. It is high time for some drastic action to curb these nuisances, and cut out some of the "tank town" broadcasting stations whose only excuse for being on the air is to sell something, or radio is going to pass out as a family entertainer. Radio Broadcast, being the outstanding radio publication of the Western Hemisphere, should "take the bull by the horns" and build a good sized fire under him. Otherwise our radio receivers are only fit to look at. Personally, 1 am just about through with MYRNA LOY Who has utterly no connection with radio other than that she acted as guest announcer at kfwb recently. However we liked her picture so you'll have to humor us. It seems she acts in the movies mine if this messy situation is going to be a regular diet. Further bits about the superabundance of broadcasters: Ashtabula, Ohio. Sir: We want to see the total number of stations cut down to about 200 (for the IS. S. proper,) these stations to be divided up according to population of territory and allowing, say, two or three apiece for the largest cities, and not over one apiece for states with smaller populations. These few stations to be maintained at the highest possible standards from both the point of entertainers and latest, most efficient equipment. Cawker City, Kansas. Sir: A good way to remedy the radio business so the DX hound can get a look in, is to limit all the small stations to about one or two hours a week in the evenings between 6 and 10 p. m. And the large station run about two hours every other night. This chain station stuff is all right but it monoplizes too much air; it should all be on one wavelength. It looks as if they were trying to force the listeners to listen to them or go to bed. The little stations should be left to run as much as they want in the day time especially those located in the middle west in the agriculture country, as some of them are doing a service that is of great value. In the summer time they can all run as old man static will regulate all of them. And more about the DX hounds: Detroit, Michigan. Sir: Anent your query about DX— the writer has built quite a number of sets for friends, who wanted "only to listen to the local programs, which are plenty good enough, "etc. You know it! Probably you know the rest; every last one of them has been fishing for DX as soon as he learned how to push the switch. I have about twenty friends who have purchased various manufactured receivers recently. Without even one exception they have all come to me to find out how to get kfi, etc., and find out why they couldn't get every station in the United States every night in the week. Friends with receivers a year and more old are still trying to get DX — though usually more reasonable in expectations. Cathlamet, Washington. Sir. Every radio fan likes to fish for DX. If he does not do this for the sake of the program, he does it so he can log the station, and tell his friends about it. On the Pacific Coast, there is yet another angle to the DX proposition. There are few broadcasting stations in this locality that broadcast good programs night after night. This is principally due to the lack of financial backing, I believe. There are many more stations in the East that are run by large corporations, etc., which can afford better musical talent, better speakers, and the like. Also, in the East, there are many more stations to choose from. For these reasons, the western fan often tries to get Eastern stations. The following excerpts, having to do with any and all subjects are gleaned from marginal notes on the questionnaire replies: Radio plays are never tolerated. It is some FORD AND GLENN Formerly of wls, now of wlw, seeking recreation between times. It's Ford's next move. Thank the powers that be, that no one has taken to broadcasting checker matches!