San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-29
DECISION LIES
WITH RADIO
AUDIENCE
ALB, Announcer, Will
Don His Tuxedo If
Necessary.
BY A. F. B.
Announcer, Station VICAR.


To talk or not to talk.
That's the question confronting
every radio announcer in the country,
and the announcer of VICAR is no
exception.
It's much simpler, you know, to
stand before the microphOne and drear-
lily drone Double You See A Are. the
Southern Radio Corporation of Texas
and The San Antonio Light, broad
casting program as it is being given
by - and so. The next number will
be-, blah. blah, ETC."
But do the fans want that sort of
thing ad infinitum. ad nauseum?
Shouldn't variety-said to be the
spice Of life-spice up radio programs
as we'll?
~ SILENCE IMPOSSIBLE.
The announcer must say SOME
THING, you know.
Distance listener's-in insist on the
call letters at least after every num-
Der.
And local fans want to know who's
who on the program.
Besides, the artists need brief in
Permission between numbers so that
they may arrange their music. make
necessary changes in the published
program and get breath OF air and
moments rest.
Nothing is more exasperating to the
Ian than to have a period Of absolute
silence during program.
When such silences come he ima-
zines all sorts of things: that some
thing has gone wrong with his receiv-
ing set, or that the broadcasting sta
tion has shut down or that he has
lost the. wave.
Silences are bad; interminable repe-
titlon OF set expressions is worse.
STRIVES FOR PEP.
Therefore, the only course left to the
announcer is to- attempt to "pep things
np a, Bit as one VICAR fan has put
it.
As announcer for 1.-THE Friendly
station | get big "kick" out of try
ing 10 do that very thing
0fcourse ] fail. y,iserably at times,
but then there's the joy OF trying to
make the program more interesting
TO- members Of the Happy Family. and
when once in while fan telephones
his thanks to the announcer, or a word
~ friendly greeting, that's nay enough
for my feeble efforts.
I've got an idea. folks. that when
the average fan sits down to tune in
he has abandoned formality for the
evening.
He's not dressed up in evening
clothes, or rather, he is dressed in
evening clothes. jamas, or
a smoking jacket, or the work clothes
he has been wearing in the garden.
WANTS ENTERTAINMENT.
Supper's over, his pipe or his Gig
arctic is lit, his family (if any) gath
cred in the living room. he has that
peaceful feeling that only the head Of
a happy American family can know.
And when he gets the old set 60
ing. he's not looking for formality.
What he wants is entertainment
that will fit his clothes and his frame
Of mind.
And so I'm trying to meet the de-
mands of my conception Of the aver
age radio fan by commenting now and
then on the tclephoned requests. or the
artists on the program, saving some
time 10 receive new members into the
Happy Family.
Now. since We are all members OF
the big Happy Family, suppose You
write me what you think about it?
After ALL you are the final judges
in the matter, and it is you that we're
trying TO please.
Be brutally frank. Don't stand back
on ceremony. Just address your letters
TO the Radio Editor of the San An
tonic Light, and they'll find their way
TO my desk.
All right fans: let's hear from you.