Evening star., 1924-03-14
Is Radio Thinning Theater Crowds?
Differing Opinions Bring Neao Var
100000 Listeners-in Worrying Broad,oay Mana
gers, Who Are Placing Tighter Restrictions
on Members Of Pr0tessi0n.

the crowds are safely in and then
starts up for the tay-at homes, The
station advertises all the acts and
actors that are appearing at the Loew
| theaters, all that have appeared and
all that hope to appear.
other managers believe that so long
as the brcadcasting stations continue
10 send free entertainment through
the air thousands of would be theater
patrons are going to sit by the re-
csiVlns apparatus and wear that smile
oL contentment which comes only
With the sense of getting something
for nothing.
Mediocre shows Hit.
The theatrical pabers are taking
part IN the discussion and at least
one or them has told the manaEsrs
;.tal al TOO many persons are becom-
,hs alienated from the theaters by
SHOWS: This paper does not believe
mat the radio will hurt the theater.
PROVIDED the theaters wake up 10 the
TACT that they have one more rival in
sncordiu3 @ rgiu ana improve their offerings
accordingly At least one manager is
guoted as saying that the broadcast
ing or his show brought many pa
irons 70 the theater who frankly said
they mad been attracted by what they
heard and now wanted to see what il
was all about -
It is estimated that today there are
betWeen 100000 and 4, 4,0oo, 900 radio
rrecelslng sets in use. in the United
that there are lo,00o,00o potentiai
theatergoers to be appealed to every
DAY. They say it is foolish to over
look the fact that many of the latter
are today putting their money into
Iaoio apparatus and are getting their
money back in the way of free enter
tafnment at home.
Eject OF Big Might In Air.
II is not alone the 1000 ono ar
100000 owners Of the sets that
worry the theater felix, but all Of the
radio owners have friends and invite
When particularly big feature is
advertised ION the air" the theater
men say they suffer accordingly.
members OF the actors union say
that while the broadcasting stations
are depehdent to large degree upon
prof essional entertainers II they are
to vary their programs in an attrac-
tive manner. they propose to con-
tribute nothing to the sources which
provide the essential raw materials
the professional entertainer, the mu-
Sician. the composer. author and pub
Usher.
The latter--the composers and pub
lshers-also are waging tight
against the radio and have announced
that in the very near future they are
going to take steps TO see that none
of their copyrighted songs and COM
poSiIiohs are pFoaocASt without the
payment of a fixed royalty. But even
in this artistic camp there are dis
senters, those who feel it is fine ad-
vertising to get your songs sent
broadcast over the nation.
All Mt Sea.
There is no question. but that the
radio has been very upsetting in many
quarters and no one, in the business
or out, seems at the moment to know
lust where he is 'sat,n
1t Is hinted, however, that the thea
trical people and the song writers
might take a hint from; the news
papers Radio once was hailed as TAX
ing the place of the newspaper in
the home. No representation could
have been more erroneous The news
papers joined hands with the radio
and now the two are inseparable. No
one would know what was what In
the radio without the. newspapers-