Radio digest (1922)

New Schedule of WJSV THE broadcasting schedule of Station WJSV, Washington, D. C, these last few weeks has undergone radical changes. This station's entire broadcast now emanates from their new studio suite located in the Doniphen Building, King and Columbus streets, Alexandria, Virginia, that quaint and historical old city just a few miles out from the national capital. For lo! these many years Alexandria has been a mecca for tourists. Much of the younger life of George Washington was spent in the old city's quiet precincts. The placid Potomac in which he lished and went swimming washes the shores of Alexandria. A very short distance away is Arlington Cemetery and the historic Lee mansion. But, says J. P. McGrath, manager of Station fWJSV, the bulk of the visitors these latter days seem to be coming to see the new studio quarters of his station. "Our new schedule," says Mr. McGrath, "calls for the opening of the morning program Monday through Saturday at 9 a. m., concluding at 1 p. m. Then we resume our broadcasting at % p. m. and continue straight through until the sign-off at 11 E. S. T. A Glimpse Into the Radio of Tomorrow OBSERVERS of broadcasting say that the day is not far distant when countries will be exchanging microphone artists in much the same way that institutions of learning are opening the doors for students of other nationalities. They point out that the extended and intensive Study of short waves is but an indication of the efforts of a desire to further international good will. | New Yorkers, they declare, are fortunate, because the metropolis is the mecca of every ambitious artist: that real talent always rinds its way to that city, and that it never lets go of them until their usefulness is gone. Listening to metropolitan artists adds fuel to the flames of every novice's ambition as well as that of the more mature broadcaster. Fabulous tales are being told in the hinterland of the compensation paid to Radio stars. This is partly responsible for the rush. Fame is another agent and so is the desire to study under internationally known teachers with studios in the big town. W'OR gets its share of the incursion. Among the latest arrivals is Hilda Boyd, who for three years was the staff mezzosoprano of WFAA, Dallas, Texas. Famous Conductor of Atwater Kent Hour WILLEM MENGELBERG, director of the Philharmonic orchestra of New York, the oldest symphony in America and one of the oldest musical organizations in the world with a continuous history, is another of the internationally famous conductors to be heard on the Atwater Kent hour. A native of Holland. Mengelberg displayed such musical genius at the age of six that he was entered as a music student in the Cathedral school of his native city of Utrecht. He wanted to be a pianist but this ambition was submerged when he became, at the age of twenty-one, musical director of the City of Lucerne, Switzerland. In Lucerne he conducted orchestras and choruses, taught music, composed and did all sorts of municipal musical chores. He returned to Holland to become conductor of the Amsterdam Concertgebuow orchestra which he soon developed into one of the outstanding symphonic organizations of the world. After service in Hamburg, London, Paris and other European music centers, and as a guest conductor of the Philharmonic of New York, he came to America as director of the National Symphony orchestra. When that organization merged with the Philharmonic he became one of the conductors and later its principal director. Visitors Entertained ^ at N B C Studios Special to Radio Digest NEARLY everyone who visits the New York studios of the National Broadcasting company for the first time, is amazed at the number of people actually present within the studios to witness important broadcasts. Those familiar with Radio at all have come to regard a studio that is "on the air" as a double-barred, sacrosanct chamber where even angels fear to tread. "How is it then," they ask, "that witnesses are permitted inside while some of the biggest programs are being staged for networks from coast to coast?" The answer is simple — as usual. Scientific preparation. Individual stations, as a rule, do not permit visitors to penetrate within the actual broadcasting studio even during purely local programs. In most cases they provide comfortable reception rooms for the friends of the broadcasters, and sometimes even install soundproof windows so that visitors may look in without disturbing the artists. But their studios do not compare either in size or equipment with the soundproof chambers in NBC's New York headquarters. Here provisions had to be made for commercial sponsors of big programs to witness the entertainment they were paying for. And with the sponsor, some of his directors and even a few friends must also be accommodated. So there was nothing for it but to work out a method of accomplishing this without sacrifice of quality on the air. First, a lavish reception floor was fitted out just for visitors, and doubleplate windows with air space between looked down into the studio without permitting a sound to penetrate inside. But this only provided for casual visitors and friends, and did nothing to solve the more important problems of arranging for witnesses inside without danger to the program. IN DESIGNING the studios, plenty of space had been allowed beyond actual requirements, thus making physical allowance for "supercargo." Still, the engineering problem remained. So acoustical engineers went to work. Theirs was the task of plotting soundcharacteristics of the rooms, and attempting to discover which parts of each studio might be used to seat an audience without danger of quiet rustlings or scraping of feet reaching the sensitive "ears" of the microphone. The sound expert's succeeded. They felt the acoustic "pulse" of every inch of floorspace inside the studios, and marked those portions which had best be reserved for performers and orchestra, and chose parts of the room which were relatively "dead" to seat an audience, if audience there must be. Then special drapes were hung around the audience space to make these sections still more sound-absorbent, and the experiment was made. A party of sponsors was admitted, and by the exercise of ordinary care, did not cause an extraneous sound to reach the microphone. Gradually the practice was extended, tc admit the chosen few who had access to those who could secure them the prized cards of admission. Now an audience is present at nearly every big broadcast, and special steps have been taken to regulate the impossible number of weekly applications for room inside. It is not uncommon to seat as many as 400 people in the studio during the broadcast of the Palm Olive Hour and programs of that nature. But all temporal dimensions of space have their physical limits, and the size of the studios after all automatically regulates the number of those to be admitted. Comes to WTAM Direct from University WHEN it comes to playing music for Radio broadcasting, Emerson Gill, who is now heard regularly on the air from the Hotel Hollenden Show Boat through WTAM, should be in a position to speak with authority. For there are few dance bands which have put in more hours in front of a microphone, or have been heard by more Radio listeners than Gill's. Beginning way back in 1924 when Radio was looked upon by most people as the mystery of mysteries, and when chain broadcasting was yet unheard of, Gill has been playing regularly, season after season through Cleveland stations. He came to Cleveland direct from Ohio State university with one of those collegiate bands. Gill is an outstanding example of the modern successful dance band leader. A few years ago it wasn't necessary for dance musicians to know much about music. Jazz was a sort of haphazard affair that depended largely on its novelty to go over. Gill himself when seventeen was a member of the Toledo Symphony orchestra. Virtually all of his men could today step into symphony organizations without any difficulty. He does all of this in first rate fashion. The backbone of the Show Boat orchestra has been together for nearly five years. One man. Pinkie Hunter, baritone and guitar player, and Gill recently celebrated their fifth anniversary together. Five other members of the orchestra have been with Gill more than three years, and the rest of them for two years. The winners of the Amos and Andy Radio Digest Contest which has attracted much attention these last two or three months, will be announced in the August issue. Be sure to get your copy and read the results of this most interesting matching of ideas on what the two colored buddies would say to another under various circumstances. Amos and Andy — read about 'em in the August Radio Digest.