Radio digest (1922)

^oice of the Listener Listen to What the Public Wants It is an undeniable Fact— which must be acknowledged by the Radio broadcasting interests— that many sponsors of commercial programs are deserting Radio as an advertising medium or publicity stunt, because they do not receive adequate returns from s-uch a campaign to justify the heavy expenses. The solution to this problem is not hard to find, providing one is analyzing the proposition. No doubt everyone knows that a business man or enterprise advertises to create firsrt of all Good Will. That this is not accomplished by many of the Radio features must be realized, and is re-, alized. if not by the advertiser and Radio company, surely by the Radio audience which constitutes the potential consumers of the advertised product. The Radio powers that be seem to think that the public will accept anything and be thankful for it. The truth is. however, that the public is getting tired of certain aspects now dominating sponsored programs. . . . Let us look the situation over. For instance, take the average sponsored program. Is it fair to the advertiser and sponsor to use up the valuable time by ballyhoing a theme song of some talkie, in which perhaps the Radio financiers are interested?. Do the Radio people think the people are so dumb that they can not see what is going on. and that the Radio company is playing the sponsor for a sucker? A certain Hour is even going one better. The orchestra leader, who is a favorite with the public, is not content to boost his orchestra, but he has to advertise the songs he wrote and claims to have written, he has to advertise the phonograph records he made, and he has to put in a good word for the talkie he participated in, etc. Now the public is getting tired of hearing that stuff week after week, and at the program sponsor's expense. That is one of the reasons why the sponsor does not get the expected results. It is bad enough to have advertising talk of the sponsors, although a reasonable amount will be accepted, but it surely is bad policy to fill up those announcements which do not refer to the sponsors with sub-rosa advertisements in discrimination to the sponsors. That the wishes of the public are considered of no importance is fully proved by the fact that no attention is paid to certain requests. . . . Certain Radio officials say that the selection of program material is under the jurisdiction of the directors, leaders and artists. This makes us belUve that selection of their business policies must be under the jurisdiction of their stenographers, clerks and office boys. Mr. Radio Program Sponsor, you pay good cold cash for your programs and have the absolute right to demand what you want, jnd Mr. Radio Station Operator, you pay good hard cash to your artists and orchestras and therefore have the positive right to demand what you want; and when you boys awaken to these facts then you will be in a position to give to the public what "it" wants, and thus make a genuine success of your programs by securing national good will.— Albert E. Bader, Hachita, N. M. Too Much of Amos 'n* Andy I am a reader of the Digest and it is my favorite Radio book. So wish you would please give us more reading and photos of Gene and Gren, Jake and Lena of YVTAM. They are real artists. We are having too much of Amos 'n' Andy. I have met many people that have said this. Therefore this request.— Margaret Runylow, Hazel Park, Mich. Boys Are Poor Showmen Why is there so much of Amos 'n' Andy — Ani'.s n' Andy? If they are good, I don't know good from bad. Such poor showmen. The only people I ever sec listening to them are some poor farmers that do not know what humor is or some foreigner just arrived in this country. We have wonderful artists on the air. Why not give them some publicity. Gene and Glenn, WTAM. Cleveland: Hundy and Tanner, WGHP, Detroit, or Dr. Baker r.Norman Baker). KJNT, Muscatine, Iowa. If they go in pictures (Amos 'n' Andy) it should be silent ones.— Mrs. T. C. Bragg, Detroit, Micb. Service to Mankind I consider KFKB worthy of much commendation for the wonderful service it is giving the people of the Middle West through the generosity and big heartedness of Dr. J. R. Brinkley. who is the owner of Radio station KFKB. Through his Medical Question Box over the Radio Dr. Brinkley is giving the greatest possible service to mankind — that which relieves pain and suffering, oftentimes both physical and mental, for this splendid doctor not only ministers to the ailments of the body, but to those of the mind as well when troubled with doubts and questions that worry. — Mrs. Louise Wiechelman, Hastings, Neb. Rates First Three Stations Received the March number of Radio Digest. So many interesting pieces in it, lots of spice, too. I think Station WLW of Cincinnati, Ohio, gives the best programs from the first to the last number, or at least I find them so and have heard others say the same. WENR comes in next and next WGN.— Mrs Ada M. Hunter. Moline, 111. Votes for Pictures, Not Fiction I enjoy your magazine very much. I hope you will have pictures and writeups of the entire studio staff of WENR. I am certainly going to try not to miss a copy of Radio Digest, and please have plenty of pictures as we can get plenty of fiction from any magazine. — Mrs. L. L. Stoneking, Have you ever wondered who the artist is that does the cartooning and caricaturing for Radio Digest? You see him here Xavier Cugat. The lady is Mrs. Cugat. WENR Broadcasts Personality When one listens to music or entertainment ot any kind and can't see the actors one at least likes to visualize them as real honest-to-goodness people — not mere automatons. While other stations have good programs you have to hand it to WENR for being ahead of any of the rest when it comes to putting real personality on the air.— Mrs. W. W. Flinn, Terre Haute, Ind. 50,000 Watts for Popular Stations Nine out of ten stations bang away with this popular dance music and it really gets monotonous day in and day out. Practically every station on the air has it, but only one station has ole man Henderson, KWKH. Most chain stations are cursed and damned in this community because of their classical, "high brow" features. I think all of the ten most popular stations should be given 50,000 watts power if they want it and permit no other station to use that much. This would give stations something to strive for.— Gerald D. Bettelon, Dayton, Ohio. New Member of V. O. L. Club I have been a reader of Radio Digest for a long time and please put my name as a member of the V. O. L. club, as announced in April number. WRUA and WJSV are my favorite stations. These two stations are, I think, the best two on the air.— Anthony Arsenault, Prince Edward Island. W. K. Henderson Had the Nerve I regard Station KWKH, Shreveport, of which . W. K. Henderson is announcer, as by far the most popular station in the world. His fearless stand « against the chain store and his station dedicated for the cause of humanity is something no other station had the nerve to attempt.— Mrs. E. M. Offutt, La Monte, Mo. Many Years of Value Lost Have always been a hot Radio fan, but until I heard of Radio Digest over KMOX I never had taken much interest in Radio newspapers. After obtaining a copy of your wonderful paper, feel rather ashamed to think that I allowed so long a time to elapse before buying it, as now I am able, with the help of your paper, to arrange my programs ahead of time, and feel that I have been introduced to the Radio artists, which makes the air concerts much more interesting.— Charles H. Foley, St. Louis, Mo. Always Depends on KOA KOA, Denver, is the one station we can depend upon at practically all times. I say "all times," that means any time after 5:30 as we cannot get any of the American stations till about that time. Occasionally we can get them in the morning till 9 a. m., but very seldom. KOA is one of the few stations that does not do too much advertising. Advertising before and after a program is alright, but this everlasting advertising between numbers is more than the average person can stand. When a person tunes in a station of that nature they generally tune out directly they find out what it is all about.— Margaret Harrison, Glenleush. Sask., Can. Your Favorites Are Promised I am a constant reader of the Radio Digest and enjoy it heaps. I understood that we wer« to write and tell what it was we enjoyed most 1 enjoy more pictures and less stories. I hav< been making a scrap book, and find Radio Digesi affords me heaps of pictures for my book, as well as reading about the different Radio artists I have made it rather broad in stating my likes and dislikes. Hoping you won't be offended ir my being too personal. Of course, everyone cannot be choosers. But I really find it mucJ more interesting to have more pictures of Radk artists. I read in the Digest where you wanted us tf write in what we enjoyed in the Digest, and tc express our ideas. Hoping others will have hac ideas perhaps similar to mine. Wishing you th« best of luck and success in the future.— Miss Madalyn Weaver, Bethany, 111. Finds Log Indispensable I have been a subscriber to Radio Digest foi five years, and find it as indispensable as ever; It has kept pace with the improvements in broadcasting. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish the call letters of a station, but, by referring ti the Official Call Book and Log and noting th< frequency the station broadcasts on, it can b( identified. The pictures of Radio artists and short accounts of their accomplishments helps to mak< reception more interesting and gives it a mori personal "touch." When television comes in* general use it may change this feature to wmi extent. In order to get the most out of Radic I cannot get along without Radio Digest, "Th< National Broadcast Authority."— Harry Nisely Edgar, Neb. We'll Talk to WTAM Chief In January I purchased our first Radio Digest, and to say we enjoyed it would be rather a shallow statement. Through it I have found many interesting artists and announcers that I did not know of before. It also gives us many pictures of our friends of the air. WTAM, at Cleveland, to us is the great. station on the dial; not only is it the most powerful, tut always has the finest programs from its home studios as well as those it brings from NBC network. I certainly would enjoy some phrtos of some of WTAM's announcers in Radio Digest. They surely have carved a place in our hearts and home that time shall not erase. In closing, may I extend my best wishes to Radio Digest and its staff.— Mrs. J. Davis, 1130 E. Pershing St., Salem, Ohio. Another Call for WTAM Pix How about a glimpse into the studios of WTAM with a few pictures, for instance, those of Gene