Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-22
RADIO REPLACING
OLD YULE CUSTOM
Christmas Celebration of
Years Ago Gives Way
to Modernism.

Years ago folks went forth in the
stiffness of early morning singing
glorious Christmas carols and shout.
ting TO all they encountered Merry
ChriStmaS!' Today the family groups
itself around the radio and in the quiet
of the happy home listens to greet
fngs, music and addresses which mark
the great holiday.
This will be radios sixth Christmas.
Every year radio has helped Just a
little bit more to carry to thousands
the real message of Christmas. The
first radio Christmas was perhaps a
little dismal. because there weren't
many broadcasting stations just two
or three with a limited range. And
the programs were not of the quality
and the type that will be on the air
for every listener This year
Everything had to have a begin
ming, and those who can remember six
years back will know that radio has
progressed year by year
Radio seems to have brought a new
value into Christmas Day celebrations.
beautiful music, appropriate and
cheerful has been arranged by a
number of studios this year for the
delight and entertainment of their
listeners. Special sermons and ad-
dresses have been prepared by famous
Clergymen.
When Christmas morn arrives and
the family crowds around the old or
: new receiving set there will he "A
greeting waiting to be tapped from
the air. Starting at $50 am, there
will he something to listen to prac-
tically all day, giving the new radio
set owners an opportunity TO test
their gifts.
How radio stations are supported is
an interesting subject, probably be
cause there are so many different ar
rangements. Local conditions. compe-
tition and station ownership have
much to do with it.
1ne large organization which uses
radio merely as a means of building
gooC will for business and service car
ries the great bulk of it's program
without expense other than station
operation. It offers the air to socie-
ties, or ganiZations, individuals, hotels,
reStaura hts or whoever desires pub
ncity, provided only that they furnish
the type of talent the radio audience
desires. Because this station is on
the air a s1reat part of the time and
Is not located in any large city, it finds
1t necessary to engage much special
talent at whatever cost the talent
demands. Fer it's tie-ups with other
broadcaSterS FOR national events. of
course, the situation is quite different
1t was rather surprising to learn
from one municipal station that it
made an actual charge for time al
lotted to the best hotel orchestra in
the city. 1t might seem at first that
the opportunity 10 enjoy the services
of fine orchestra was simply so much
velvet for the station but those
behind the scenes do not figure it
that way. The hotels own announcer
explained, in substance. as follows:
I'VE feel that we should pay for
our time and outbid other local hotels
in order to make the station selfsup
porting. If there were no charge for
the time, all the hotels would expect
equal opportunities on the air and the
programs would he mediocre. There
Is no criticism of us because of our
prominence on the programs. because
we pay our way. AS a result of this
policy, the station was in a position
to spend $4,000 for improvements"
Elsie Janis appearance in the
Eveready Hour last night must have
been keen disappointment to most
radio fans. Perhaps it was the ia
nous American. condolences radio
debut. If that was the case there is
some reason for her failure to fit her
program to the microphone.
Apparently doing whatever her
spirit dictated, Miss Janis achieved
a self-conscious but winning infor-
mality between numbers, but undid
her good chosen works with illchosen
ones. In it's straight version "Unde-
cided Blues was pretty little moth
ing, rejecting nice and light on the
voice of the singer. The hastily add
ed crapshooter's version, however,
was unintelligible, noisy and utterly
devoid of humor and appeal. Thanks
for the Buggy Ride sung as Miss
Ethel Barrymore would do it with
suave throatiness and social sophis
tication, was well worth listening to,
but Miss Janis threw a dud with
Valencia" a Ia Harry Lauder.
Let's hope Miss Janis returns again
soon with a program planned for
1Toadcasting purposes and that will
reflect credit on her known ability.
Broadcast reception hast night was
sniddlin' fair. While there was al
most a total lack of atmospherics,
there seemed to be an increase in in
reference from heterodyning. Espe-
cially was this true in signals orig
mating in the congest2d Midwest
broadcast sector.
The hockey game between the Bos-
TON DTulllS anu Iile ~. Iatf1CkS.
broadcast by WBZ from the Boston
Arena, provided the radio thrill of
the night. Roughly played, accord
ing to the announcpr's description,
the game developed into "a shin-hit
ling bout between two players before
It ended and the spectators joined in
the melee by littering the rink with
papers and other refuse, which de-
1ayed the contest 10 minutes until it
was cleaned.
WltC will have nothing new to offer
tonight in the form of musical enter
tainment. There will be the usual
sponsored features, the Ipana Trouba-
dourS, the Smith Brothers, the Davis
SaXophone Octet and an opera by the
WEAF Light Opera CO. Augmenting
these attractions will be the usual
Wednesday night concert by the
Army Band.
LocalRadio Entertainment
"Wednesday Dec % 1925