Radio mirror (Nov 1936-Apr 1937)

WHEELER RACKETEERS In radio? Scora ol them, elusive, •ii i.niilv mi the alert to mare the unsuspe g penny 01 dime or five-dollar bill. i hi v I... i in ii" obi k> 'i tation, among the clients ,,i , ..t.,1,1, h in "radio dramatic and nit |i J hool ' i hey are here today and gone tomorrow, ippi H in i« >■ place and under a new guise l"he) .inj i In \ use them all. .,, the ii tener, oi youi time and your money I'hey victimize inexperienced youngsters who are trying to gi i a tart on the aii I hi y i hi al men hants who arc taking theii firel experimental fliei in aii advertising. Il'i time i"i radio to i lean house Bui ii the job is to be done right, and d non you, the listening audience, inn. i iiilp I In Federal Comm cationi Commission .it Washington has the powei to license nations or remove i in in from the air, and it also has trained investigators who do what the) ci imi ol fraud, but these in erj whi ii and heai ever) program , ,i on the .hi Even the station officials themselves, mi mattei how well Intentioned the) ma) be, often cannot keep theii kilocycles entire!) free ol fraud, because they ,l,, imi realize that fraud is being pra< liced When you've read this article you'll know about the slick irried on ovei the aii \ ■ hi 1 1 recognise them on youi own loud li you are trying to carve .i radio , areei foi youi «ll | ou'll be forewarned ol the wa) ) mi., rupulous promoters have hi getting ] money from you \n,i ii you are -i business man who 1 1 advertised on the air, bul would like iii. you'll be more apt to spot the kind ol radio salesman to keep awa) from Whethet you are .i listener, an aspiring performei oi .> prospective advertiser, you ,.in rendei a great service to the future of radio b) reporting instancea ol fraud eithei i.i the editoi ol this maga: ine oi to the l edimmunications ( ommission in V ! I ( Suppose first ol all, you want to radio star, and are willing to work desperatel) hard foi youi big chance I lux ambition • •! voins makes you ,i i,,, 'he smi gentlemen who are «tep' i nili.'i people's mone) immon trick i to send you to ■' "hro hool " Now, not .ill foi teaching you microphom nique are fakes but enough ol them make it worth youi while to investigate be14 fore you invest your money in hopes of an air career Perhaps the racketeer first inserts an advertisement in a local newspaper: "Talent wanted for sponsored radio program. Experience unnecessary." You go to the station, take an audition, and are then told that you have talent but need more training. The man in charge of auditions hands you a card to Mich and such a school — in sonic cases it's just across the hall from the studio — and practically prom,ii employment after you've taken a few months' course Al the school itself the same line of polite palaver is handed out to you, you enroll and pay your tuition fee, and the school and the, man at the studio split the proceeds. I he prize racket in connection with schools, however, is that which came to light out on the West Coast. Schooh were calling themselves the "Chautauqua Broadcasting Studios," or the "Natural Broadcasting Class," and using microphones with the letters CBS and NBC on them. A pupil of one of these schools, for a few dollars, was n i couple of voice tests, a sample recording of his voice, and ,i glossy picture showing him at a "CBS" or an "NBC." mike Then, if he was that kind of person he could take his picture to the program manager ol some station and pretend he really had worked on network programs. Not that anyone ever benefitted from such a procedure except the lake schools it didn't take program mana lf you're a housewife or a fledgling itar trying to start a career, be on your guard. Read how to help broadcaiting clean its houie of thii ever increasing crime menace. NOW IT CAN BE TOLD. THE BALD TRUTH ABOUT THESE MEN WHO ROB YOU WHETHER YOU'RE AN ADVERTISER. A PERFORMER OR A LISTENER