Radio Digest (Jan-Oct 1926)

RADIO DIGES T— Illustrated TOUCHDOWN SHOUTS SOON TO FILL ETHER IMPORTANT GRIDIRON CONTESTS ON MANY MIKES Big Three, Army-Navy and Big Ten Games Take Limelight as October 2 Dawns Gridiron contests of importance will fill to capacity the appetites of "touchdown" listeners beginning Saturday. October 2, when the 3 02G football season gets under way at most colleges and universities. In the East J. E. "Jim" Hurley, former sports writer and present press representative of WBZ, who handled the games last year, will again broadcast all games picked up by WBZ. These include five FOOTBALL BROADCASTS Saturday, October 2 Chicago-Florida at Chicago, WMAQ (447.5m-670kc). Harvard-Geneva at Cambridge, WBZ (333.1m-900kc). Mississippi-Arkansas at Favetteville, KUOA (299.8m-1000kc). Northwestern-South Dakota at Evanston, WGN (302.Sm-990kc). Princeton-Amherst at Princeton, WJZ (454.3m-660kc). Saturday, October 9 Chicago-Maryland at Chicago, WMAQ (447.5m-670kc). El Paso Junior-New Mexico at State College, KOB (348.6m-860kc). Harvard-Holy Cross at Cambridge, WBZ (333.1m-900kc). Iowa State-Okla. Aggies at Ames, WOI (270m-1110kc). Yale-Georgia at New Haven, WJZ (4.jl.3m-660kc). (Oct. 16, 23 and 30 Games Next Issue.) Harvard games played at the famous Harvard bowl, and the Dartmouth-Yale, Yale-Army and Holy Cross-Boston College contests. WBZ will also tie in with WJZ and WGY for the Yale-Harvard game, which, however, will not be announced by Murley. Big Three Well Broadcast From WJZ will emanate seven of the Big Three games beginning October 2. Two other contests, between the Navy and Michigan and Pennsylvania and Cornell, will come through WJZ. WGY, Schenectady, will be tied in with WJZ for six of t lie games, WBZ two, and WRC one. Tlie Harvard-Princeton clash at Cambridge will be the most broadcast game on either the WJZ or WBZ schedules. Four stations, WJZ, WBZ, WGY and WRC, will handle it. Jim Murley will announce. Although definite announcement has not been made who the football announcer for the WJZ pickups will be. Major J. Andrew White, through his long experience as sports announcer, will more than likely be the announcer chosen. Midwestern Games on Air "Harry and Hal," Beardslcy and Totten respectively, the famous team of WMAQ sports announcers, will handle the Chicago Daily News' participation in football broadcasting, which opens October 2 with the Florida-Chicago game at Chicago. In addition to all University of Chicago home games and the Army-Navy contest at Soldiers' Field. Chicago, Harry and Hal will travel to Philadelphia for the ChicagoPennsylvania game October 16. WGN has announced tentatively five games on its microphone calendar, with tlv promise that seven very important Big Ten and other contests will be listed very soon. The season will be opened by the Northwestern-South Dakota game October 2. Quinn Ryan will announce. KYW, pioneer sport reporting station of Chicago, with its versatile and famous gridiron announcer, "Shorty" H. A. Fall, at the mike, will give all University of Chicago games played in Chicago, beginning with the Florida contest October 2. On November 27 KYW will pick up the Army-Navy game, the Eastern football classic that, is being played this year in •"hicago for the first time in history. HAPPY MARY LEWIS IS ON FRONT COVER SEE her smile, broadly, beautifully, exposing a gnat big dimple? You would tor,, if you had just finished doing what she did. She has just entertainer] fifteen million Radio listeners Radio Industries banquet at New York City and broadcast by forty hading stations. Who is she, you ask? Why this rover girl is our own famous American soprano, Mary Lewis, Metropolitan Opera star, maker of Victor records and known internationally. Despite all her laurels, Mary is just herself — a beautiful, happy, "glad-tomeet-you" American girl without a trace of snobbishness or meanness in her character. Important Fall and Winter Features Are Booked by Leading Broadcasters Atwater Kent Hour Full Again — Famous Boston Symphony to Be Heard in Twenty-Four Saturday Night Concerts from WBZ — WMAQ Announces Talks by Prominent Governors GREAT symphony, opera and concert celebrities are booked for the greatest and most cultural season Radio broadcasting has ever known, according to announcements now being received by Radio Digest from broadcast stations throughout the United States. A. Atwater Kent, whose concerts by famous stars over the WEAF chain, brought so many converts to Radio last year announces the new fall series to begin next Sunday night, 9:15 to 10:15 E. S. T. Among the artists already scheduled for an early appearance are Frances Alda, Lucrezia Bori, Madame Schumann-Heink, Frieda Hempel, Josef Hofmann, Edward Johnson, Albert Spalding, Maria Kurenko, Louise Homer, Reinald Werrenrath, Margaret Matzenauer, Mary Lewis, Rosa Ponselle and Charles Hackett. Mr. Kent has established an unprecedented arrangement with the Metropolitan Grand Opera company whereby their artists, including many never before available, will be on call for his broadcasting concerts. WBZ Gives Boston Symphony Another artistic triumph is announced by WBZ, the Westinghouse station at Boston, which states that it has captured the world-renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra for its entire series of twenty-four Saturday night (not consecutive) concerts. The first will be a grand broadcast for the entire Atlantic seaboard and comes October 9. This initial concert will be rebroadcast through WGY, Schenectady, WJZ, New York and WRC, Washington, D. C. The other concerts via WBZ will follow on October 16, 23, 30; November 13, 20; December 4, 11, 18, 25; January 1, 15, 22, 29; February 12, 19, 26; March 5, 19, 26; April 2, 16, 23 and 30. W. S. Quinby is credited for bringing the Boston Symphony to the air audiences. The Aleppo Drum Corps, internationally famous 218-piece Shriner's band, returned to WBZ for its third season of broadcasting with a concert Monday evening, September 20. The band is under the leadership of Louis and Lewis A. Harlow, father and son. The instruments for this unique organization were especially designed by their leader. Famous Governors on Mike at WMAQ WMAQ of the Chicago Daily News will make a bid for national attention with a series of governor's talks each Saturday night from October until June. Governor Alfred W. Smith will be the first speaker and is scheduled to open the series tomorrow (October 2) night. He will be followed by Governor Pinchot of Pennsylvania. Governors of Maryland, South Dakota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Massachussets, Main, New Jersey, Washington, Iowa, Florida, Arkansas and Minnesota already have accepted invitations to speak. (Continued on page 12) CONTENTS Radio Digest, Illustrated, Volume XVIII, Number 6. published Chicago, Illinois, October 1, 1926. Published semi-monthly on the first and fifteenth of each month by Radio Digest Publishing Co. Hncorporated), 510 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago. Illinois. Subscription rates yaarly. Three Dollars; Foreign Postage One Dollar additional; single copies Fifteen Cents. Entered as second class matter May 3, 1926. at the post office at Chicago, Illinois, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Title Reg. U. S. Patent Office and Dominion of Canada. Copyright 1926 by Jfadio Digest Publishing Co. •' All rights reserved. "Short Waves," by Marcella 2 1926 Gold Cup Award Winners 3 WAAM Caters to Entire Family; The Story of a Pioneer 4 "Miss America" Is on the Air; WPG Reports Great Range 5 The Parade of B Eliminators; Pictures of 1927 Models 7 "Family Radio Trouble Tree," by Milo Gurney , 9 "Goody Goody Girl," the Thrilling Romance and Adventure Story of a Young Girl in a Strange Big City, by Merlin Moore Taylor 11 An Evening at Home with the Listener In, a Chart in Central Time Telling When. to Listen for Favorite Stations < 12 "Around the Broadcast Studios," by Mike 13 Editorials; Indi-Gest; "Condensed," by Dielectric 14 Women's Page; Women's Program Index 15 Advance Programs for the Larger Stations, October 1 to 14 ,...16 to 26 Directory of Radiophone Broadcasting Stations; Part V (Revised) 31 Looking Ahead Remember "A Step on the Stairs?" Well, you're going to hear about the great broadcast game of "WHOZIT" in our next issue. Radio Digest is sponsor again — and it's going to be a hit. Honorable Mention Awards for the Fifteen Winning Announcers in the big championship Gold Cup contest, just concluded by Radio Digest, will be published in the issue of October 15. See their pictures and how they ran in this great national classic. Little Jack Little, Claimed by Many to Be the Most Popular Troubadour on the Air, is off for his swing around the South and far West stations. Just before lie packed away bis music roll and his vest pocket piano he was visited by a Radio Digest writer. Watch for and read what happened. Coming soon. Don't Miss the Parade of the Loud Speakers! It's going to be conducted by pictures and descriptions in our next issue. See the latest models and the improvements that are making Radio the most enjoyable ever. The parade of B eliminators is now passing by on page seven. One of the Newest and Most Distinguished Dixie Broadcasters Is WRVA, of Richmond, Va. This station is a beehive of enthusiasm, and the story of its success has been prepared for Radio Digest. Meet WRVA in a forthcoming issue. Special articles about broadcasting stations and artists, with photographs, and NON-RADIO fiction 5,000, 10,000 and 30,000 words in length are desired. No manuscripts accepted unless typewritten and prepaid, or returned without return postage being inclosed. All manuscripts are sent at own«r's risk. Newsstands Don't Always Have One Left WHEN YOU WANT Radio Digest YOU WANT IT! BE SURE OF YOUR REGULAR COPY BY SUBSCRIBING NOW SEND IN THE BLANK TODAY Publisher Radio Digest, 510 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, Illinois. Please find enclosed check M. O. for Three Dollars (Four. Foreign) for One Year's Subscription to Radio Digest, Illustrated. SHORT WAVES By Marcella — — — How to Be Announcer or ..'Studio Director; Ray-O-Vac Twins' Route; Hired Hand and Sunflower Girl; Address of Gene Rouse; "Hal" Totten; Ralph Waldo Emerson; Lee Sims Argument; Jack Little News; Coon Sanders at WGN; Sallie Menkes, Kay Ronayne and Autos; Jack Nelson, Jr.; Marriage of Glenn Rice; Earl Haubrich and George Getsey; Louis J. Johnen; Ralph Patt, Jr.; Wilfred Glenn Abroad; Lewis Reid. HERE it is, the Springtime of Radio again, and serenaders are dusting off their banjo-mandolins, popular and classical pianists are practicing new numbers, songsters and songstresses are making ready to capture the multitudes with increased repertoires and the mail man is taking an unusual interest in Marcella. The first letter I pick up is one from a gentleman in Iowa who desires to know the requisites of a Radio announcer and studio director. From my experience, I should say that he should be single and handsome, have captivating mannerisms, a pleasant baritone voice, and a personality that fairly exudes through the microphone. Or, of course, he might keep his marriage a secret. Then he is qualified to be an announcer. To be a studio director he should have knowledge of showmanship and the simple technicalities of good broadcasting arrangement, such as placing the microphone, much tact in handling people, a willingness to submerge his own ability in order not to star himself above his artists, and a large number of friends among the performer and artist group from which he can draw when necessary to build programs. The latter requisite is not really so important, for it falls within the requirements of the program director, and, besides, paid artists are becoming more and more the rule. * * The Ray-O-Vac Twins are at it again, and traveling the Radio shows for the moment. Having appeared at South Bend, Kansas City, Cleveland and Milwaukee during September, their October schedule is as follows: September. 30 to October 3 at Dayton, Ohio, Radio show; October 4 to 9 at Cincinnati Radio show; October 11 to 17 at Chicago Radio show; October 18 to 23 at St. Louis Radio show; October 25 to 30 at Indianapolis Radio show. Of course, they will be on the air from stations at these points. I'll try to keep you informed as to their future itinerary. * * "Madam Zita": If you think the Hired Hand is married to the Sunflower Girl, you've been misinformed. He is married and she is married, but not to him. They are related by marriage but not by blood. Now, figure that out. She made records in Chicago this spring, but don't know that she has done any recording in New York. No, Gene Rouse is not at KOIL — someone has a voice like Gene's, I suppose. If you really want to correspond with Gene, write care of me and I promise to see that he gets your mail, and that "Little BumBum" receives your gifts. * * Mrs. M. F. M.: So you like Harold or "Hal" Totten, sports announcer for WMAQ. I do too. He's about 28 years old, plain but wholesome looking, short of stature, of medium weight, has a dimple on his chin, parts his hair 'way over on one side, and wears glasses with frames 'specified by opticians as "military." He is a graduate of Northwestern university and has had lots of experience in newspaper work with the attendant thrilling tales. When not announcing sports he is either rewriting for the Chicago Daily News, writing or rehearsing a new play, or making fervid love to his very charming brunette wife. Yes, they are very happy and have been married for about two years. They have known and loved one another since childhood. More about Ralph Waldo Emerson, the hard-working WLS organist? All right, here goes. Ralph is about 30 years old and single. His weight is 185 pounds, height 5 feet 9% inches, eyes blue, hair light brown. The reason for his irregularity in broadcasting is that he is just starting a new organ school in the Masonic Tgmple building, Chicago, composed of fourteen organs, and at the same time he is teaching an extension course in organ playing by way of correspondence. These projects keep him so busy, and will for some time to come, that his broadcasting has to be secondary, unfortunately, for the present. His hobby is his school work, and he claims sincerely that he would rather give a lesson than eat a meal. In moments of relaxation he enjoys swimming, and he confesses that he swims "fluently" the year 'round. I certainly shall use my good offices with Radio Digest to see that you are given Ralph's picture. , t R. E. W.: You are right — go collect the money. Lee Sims has never been a member of the Coon Sanders orchestra. Since (Continued on page 15)