Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

Forty -twc RADIO DOINGS January, 1931 CN KAI IC l i H The Office Boy Sezz Ye office i><>\ was driving along La Brea the other morning and noticed a large billboard which carried this message: BUSINESS IS GOOD FOOL AND SAP REALTORS Is not this the height of asininity. Business is not good, so why "kid" ourselves. We are like a hunch of small boys passing a cemetery on a dark night, whistling as loud as possible so that fear will not (/el the best of them and start them running wildly for home. The whole country is in the grip of fear. Pessimism is mount ed on a big horse and riding rough shod over business. The well-known backbone has become jelly, the intestinal fortitude has faded like a spring snow in the sunshine. The difference between good and bad times, between profits and losses is confidence. Let's all get "old man confidence" back on our side. Use o few of the hoarded dollars for necessary purchases and before you know il Optimism will be in the saddle instead of fearsome Pessimism. Let's go. Who would think that we had a real magician in our radio crowd. Of course some people think that the men who are doing a fair radio business these days are magicians, but then — that's getting away from the original subject. Tom Churchill is not only an old-time radio fan, but an old trouper. He started play ing around in radio back in 1907 when an amateur had to make nearly all his own equipment. He took a large house key, a salt box, a hammer, a couple of feet of bell wire, a few other odds and ends and presto-chango he had a wireless set. This remarkable metamorphosis caused Tom to change his vocation. He reasoned that if he was as good as that he should really let people see his wizardry and pay for the privilege. For many years Tom toured the country demonstrating his skill to large audiences. He should have been contented and happy, but because the radio bug had entered his system years before he always harbored a desire to get back to his first love. Finally "Master Radio" won out and Tom started in pounding "brass." From there he went into retailing parts and sets for one of the big department stores, then into manufacturing radio receivers, then managing a wholesale house and now he is touring around Orange and San Bernardino Counties calling on dealers. Radio now has the former magician firmly in his grasp and we doubt if Tom will ever get away again. * * * Jimmy Dean has the reputation of being a fast, clever salesman. He can make sales where others fail. Bringing in the distant stations through the locals, without interference and with just the right volume and clarity is easy for this master dial spinner. He can carry around this reputation if he wants to, it's O.K. with us, but what we arc interested in is his culinary expertness. This baby from Long Beach is the finest purveyor of trout in the world: bar none! Rainbow trout, done to a turn. Brown and crispy on the outside, virgin white on the inside — so tasty, sweet and tender that it fairly melts in your mouth. Delectable, oh boy; more, more. A chef is good when he can cook a few trout this way, but when he can serve enough for twenty big, husky radio men and have some of them consume five apiece, he is a wizard. Rest assured that in the future Master James Dean will be on every hunting and fishing trip with the gang. * * * Jerry King, the veteran sports announcer and chief impresario of KFWB. His vivid descriptions of football and baseball games have thrilled the radio audiences and partially compensated them for their absence and not seeing all the action. Jerry puts all the youthful enthusiasm of an undergraduate in to his portraiture and tries to have his unseen audience visualize the plays through his forceful description. "He's off, he's away running fast around left end, with beautiful interference — the opponent's right end is cutting in on him forcing him between end and tackle — he's getting through — No, ondary defenses nailed him. Smith, with the ball. Jones' fullback made the tackle. One yard — second down — nine yards to go. Ball is on State's forty-yard line. Now they are in a huddle," etc., until the final whistle. Clear, precise and peppy. A joy to the football enthusiasts who have to stay at home. Keep it up, Jerry. Let's have more. he didn't — the secright halfback, ran