Kilocycles

Dr. Nevil Monroe Hopkins, research engineer, is reported to have designed a “radiovoting” device for determining the likes and dislikes of the unseen audience. According to this announcement (about which a radio engineer I know said “nerts”), a system of push-buttons on radio sets, marked “present”, “no”, and “yes” would register at the power house, the count being determined by the current load.

Several weeks ago I posed the question: “How large is a radio audience?” Well, if this device works, we could finally arrive at a suitable answer, but for the moment I am thinking of the innumerable straw votes which would be held on every conceivable topic. A speed-up of radio successes and failures would result. Some very useful educational and cultural programs might get a real boost if my guess that a large, intelligent and inarticulate audience is available for this type of program, proves to be true.

EDDIE CANTOR AND RUDY YALLEE DISCOVER NEW STAR

A story about “the little girl who made good” is going the rounds. About three years ago Rudy Vallee discovered Frances Langford in Florida, and introduced her during one of his programs on a nationwide book-up. She also met Eddie Cantor, who predicted she would go far. Today she is on her way, with a season in musical comedy, three weekly network broadcasts, as well as headline vaudeville appearances. Now she is starting in a new radio show scheduled for Saturday evenings at 8 P. M. over the WEAF network.

WEVD UNIVERSITY OF THE AIR

The Dance, like the Theatre, has its own loyal and considerable following. Now, for the first time on the air, a significant series has been launched by the WEVD University of the Air, on “The Dance and our Changing Times”. Last week John Martin, dance critic of the New York Times, inaugurated this series, and on Wednesday, March 28, at 8.45 P. M., Martha Graham, one of America’s leading dancers, will be heard. The famous dancers and teachers who will follow on these WEVD programs reads like a “Who’s Who” of the dance world.

JOSEPH LHEVINNE, GUEST STAR ON VOICE OF AMERICA

America has many voices. Last week it was Helen Morgan, whose favorite seat is the piano, and who does manage to get her personality across. On Thursday, March 29, at 8.30 P. M., over WABC and the Columbia network, the famous master of the piano, Joseph Lhevinne will play Liszt’s lovely “Liebestraum” and Chopin’s “Butterfly Etude”. Other “voices” in this program are Alexander Gray, baritone, Mary Eastman, soprano, and Nicholas Kempner’s orchestra. This program races on at a fast pace and crowds a world of good material into a half hour. My favorite voice of the air, Alexander Woollcott, has abandoned his Town Crier program over WABC for a vacation from the microphone until the Fall. The playwright, actor, author, critic and man-about-town last Thursday delivered a humorous address to an intimate circle of men at the Advertising Club in New York. He had just finished telling a few rather risque stories when he was informed that his address had been broadcast over station WOR. Mr. Woollcott mistook the microphone for a room amplifier and remarked that he would not have gone so far if he had known. Incidentally, Grover Whalen, who presided, also overlooked the microphone when Woollcott asked him how far he could go.

‘WHAT NEXT IN RADIO?’

Norman Thomas, national leader of the Socialist Party, will talk from the studios of WEVD Thursday, March 29, at 10:15 P. M., in a series devoted to “What Next in Radio?” In the past few weeks the speakers on this program have included H. V. Kaltenborn. Sigmund Spaeth, Michael Strange and Levering Tyson.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

Tuesday: Herman Bernstein, editor of the Jewish Daily Bulletin over WEVD at 8:15. Paul Lemay, assistant conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony orchestra, will direct this organization over WABC at 9:30. Ray Perkins, comedian, holds forth with Gale Page and his orchestra over the WJZ network at 10:00. A. L. Wirin, who was kidnapped as a result of his fight for civil rights in Imperial Valley, California, will discuss: “The National Labor Board Enters Imperial Valley” over WEVD at 10:15.

Wednesday: A special concert by the choir of Guilford College, 65 mixed voices, directed by Max Noah, will be heard over WEAF at 11:15 A. M. The National Radiotorial Board presents Arthur Garfield Hays and Elmer Davis on WEVD at 8:00. Albert Spalding, violinist, is on WABC at 8:30. Joseph Rumshinsky directs a special Passover program of Hebrew melodies by an ensemble of well known cantors with Cantor B. Levite as solist from WEVD’s studios at 9:00. John Charles Thomas, baritone, over WJZ, and Burns and Allen, comedians, over WABC, share the spotlight at 9:30. Dick Powell, movie star, will be master of ceremonies for The Debutantes program over WABC at 10:00.

Thursday: From Czechoslovakia, the Prague Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra over WJZ at 2:00. Oskar Shumsky, gifted seventeen-year-old violinist, will be heard in the Curtis Institute recital over WABC at 3:45. Rudy Vallee’s Variety Hour over WEAF at 8:00.

Friday: George F. Zook, United States Commissioner of Education, speaks on “Education in the New Era” over WEAF at 3:30. Dr. John Lovejoy Elliota, leader of the Ethical Culture Society, will discuss: “Adult and Adolescent Education” over WEVD at 8:00. “The March of Time” over WABC at 8:30.

Weekend: Rabbi Stepnen S. Wise, speaking direct from Carnegie Hall, over WNEW, on Sunday, 11:45 A. M. The entire opera “Manon” by Jules Massenet will be broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera House over a combined WEAF and WJZ network on Saturday at 1:00 P. M. Over WJZ at 10:00 P. M. Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt talks on “National and State Parks.”

Two interesting musical programs on Sunday are the Philharmonic Symphony Society concert with Arturo Toscanini conducting Beethoven’s “Eroica” at 3:00; and Lily Pons with the Cadillac Symphony orchestra over WJZ at 6:00 P. M.