The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-08-19

sors, and believing that they perform excellent
work we must nevertheless hazard the opinion
that the best radio announcers, like the poets
are born not made This remark is intended IN
no way to detract from the value Of the courses
and training but the student must bring some
thing to his courses If he wants to bring away
with him more than just four university credlts.
There is an instinct about correct radio an
nouncing which is a theatrical quality, enaDing
the speaker to sense the reactions OF his audience
just as clearly the actor knows wiener the
Dit is restless or held tensey in the grip OF ms
words. To state the case more clearly, the radio
announcer must not only be as effective as the
artists broadcasting over the station but IN MS
field he must be an artist himself
Nothing will antagonize an audience more
quickly than the slpshod announcer who mum
bles his words speaks too fast or drones ms
sentences and who fails to enter into the spirit
of the occasion. With announcer OF this type
the station might as well close up shop, for the
sonhisticated radio fan will have nothing to do
with it.
There was reception in progress at Fifth
avenue hotel at which the guest of honor was
world-famous musician. There were several hun
bred guests, among them the principal composers,
concert artists and conductors in the city
One of these guests, not musician, took the
announcer by surprise and pushed him away from
the microphone Taking the stand there himself
he said: ladies and gentlemen of the radio au-
dience among the celebrities here is the actor,
Mr.. b. He is in the play in which Mr. w is
starred. Now, Mr.. w. in reality IS not mucn gooo.
The real star of the play although he is not get
ting the credit is Mr.. B. Don't forget that when
you go to see the play"
Mr. b. who is a gentleman as well as hrst-
rate artist was visibly and extremely embarrassed
by this unsought advertising, which obviously
might have proved boomerang The announcer
had however, regaihed his post and, naming the
yIr had inst
gent tones that the speaker had been slightly
under the weather, whether from cocktails or not
he could not say.
The announcer continued further by remarking
that Mr. w was deservedy the star of the play,
which did not diminish the value of Mr. BIS
acting. and he briefly restored peace in good
natured sentence or two. Mr.. B. regained his
equanimity, the intruder was effectively taught
his lesson and the broadcasting program con
tinued uninterrupted for the balance Of the eve
ming.
This announcer would be worth his weight
in gold. OF the several hundred persons in the
hotel ballroom only the three or four right by the
microphone knew at the time what had transpired
but the incident must have been noted by some
hundreds of thousands Of listeners-in who heard
the words more distinctly than those at the other
end of the dance floor
There is at least one situation in which the
greatest announcer In the world would find him
George Bernard Shaw appeared before the micro
phone. Just what to expect from this modern
voltaire no one could know, and like as not some
such thing would occur as was cabled to the
New York Herald Tribune recently by its London
correspondent
His report read: Universal and critical con
dernnaton--a new experience for George Bernard
Shaw In recent years greeted the first perform
ance Of Shaw play over the radio last night
when a melodramatic skit, The Fatal Gasoline,
was broadcast
1.-THE skit, which has for climax the death O.
the hero through swallowing a plaster which
swells inside was greeted as the worlds wors
play, made worse by radio. Shaw wrote it thrt.
years ago for garden party, and his offering /
to broadcasters was probably another Shavial
hoax"
1t will not be surprising If Mr. Shaw announce
Unexpectedly the writing Of play, in entirely new
dramatic dress, calculated primarily for broad
casting over the radio.