Evening star., 1925-10-04
H|GH-RANK ARTISTS
|. IN BROADCAST LIST.
Recent Announcement of At.
water Kent Held of Impor-
i lance to Infant Industry.
BY SIGMUND SPAETH,
Noted Music Critic.

The recent announcement or Az
water Kent concerning radio pro-
grams to be broadcast under the aus
piceS of his company has real sig
nificance for the overgroWn infant
industry a. well as the underfed, ma
ture public. 1t is made quite clear
for the first time in radio history that
artists of the highest rank will &C
tually broadcast their performances
regularly, and on a sound CONNER
cial basis.
Heretofore it has become inCreas-
fngly evident that the whole radio
situation was economically unsound.
This was because the consumer was
sold something which could be valu-
able to him only according to cir
cumstances over which he had no
control. His radio set was of no
earthly use to him if he could not
tune in on an adequate program.
The broadcasting stations hereto
fore held the key to the situation.
Obviously they could not afford to
engage the type of talent that would
be consistently satisfactory to their
clients. They had to depend largely
on volunteer offerings, or such per-
formances as We're frankly tied up
with some form of advertising.
Air Filled With Dull Talks.
The patient radio listener became
more and more dissatisfied. He had
paid for his set, but the air was filled
with dull talks on the value of any
and every commercial article, the
earnest endeavors of young musical
students and the sprightly stalling
of professional announcers.
The recognized artists Of the con-
cert and operate field held them
selves aloof, and wisely. Radio was
cutting in on the sales Of phono-
graph records and keeping people
away from the recital halls.
A few spasmodic attempts were
made by the leading photograph
companies. to bring the public back
to the enjoyment of records by freely
Offering their artists on the air, and
thus drawing attention to the greater
and more permanent possibilities Of
the whirling disks. But while the
broadcasting of Mccormack and a
few other celebrities created tenn
porary sensation, it proved only a
flash in the pan.
The Atwater Kent plan seems to
have more solidity and a better
chance of practical success Every
one knows by this time that Some.
thing must be done for the radio pro-
grams" They are dying Of dry rot.
ARTISTS, however, are available In
plenty. quite willing to work for an
audience at the loud speaker and the
ear phones if only they are properly
recompensed for their services.
Mr.. Atwater Kent can afford to
pay these artists a satisfactory fee,
for he has radio sets to advertise, and
he hopes that through these the audi.
ence for his concerts will grow into
the millions. 1t is a practical idea,
and one which will appeal to the prac.
teal radio fan.
Radio as a force in America today
is no stronger than it's best program.
Without a dependable and enjoyable
succession of musical and otherwise
entertaining features, easily accessi-
BILE on the air. the average radio set
degenerates into pile of junk as soon
as the novelty of scientific experiment
has worn off
The Atwater Kent programs should
not only solve this difficulty, but con-
tribute appreciably to the musical ad-
vancement of our country. 1t is log
1cal to suppose that radio listeners,
exposed regularly to the best Of music,
will gradually work out the salvation
of their own esthetic tastes, no
longer contentfng themselves with the
cheapest and most obvious appeal to
the ear. Perhaps also they will be
the more inclined to attend the con-
certS of great artists with whom they
have formed a distant acquaintance
Via the microphone. And in that case
the musical profession will look with
distinct favor upon Mr.. Atwater Kent,