Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-24
AIR FANS DESIRE
TIMED PROGRAMS
Suggestion Is Made That
Major Features Start
Right on the Hour.

A majority OF radio fans are like
the person who comes into theater
late, laundering his way into the pro-
gram and wondering what it's all
about. 1t is believed that this sort of
thing could he eliminated by starting
programs at certain definite times.
allowing standby" periods to fill in
the intervals between the end OF one
feature and the beginning of the next.
Major programs could start on the
hour, while features Of lesser impor-
tance might begin on the quarter hour.
Borrowing the we'll known railroad
phrashe, the radio listener would know
that every hour on the hour" he
could expect something special. He
then would be in time TO hear the
announcement and know just what
he was going to hear.
Question of Clocks.
With public utility companies de-
veloping the electric clock idea. it will
not be long before every household
will know exactly and precisely what
time it is. Slow timepieces will be
no excuse for being late for a program.
The way things are handled at pres
ent, the average fan looks at his
watch when he desires 10 hear a GER
tain feature he sees listeS in the news
paper and finds tina: he is late or
perhaps early. If late he has to re-
main at sea regarding the name of
the selection he is hearing, or guess
as to what the speaker said in his
opening remarks, depending upon the
nature Of the program.
Radio Like Theater.
Continuous programs are not par
ticularly satisfactory. The public
likes to go to it's entertainments at
definite times. The continuous picture
or vaudeville show is never quite as
enjoyable as the performance that has
a definite beginning and a definite
END. The latter always is more Of an
event.
The same thing applies to radio.
Fans are cutting in and cutting out
In such way that poor programs
often gain more patronage than good
ones.
Paul A. Greene and Arthur Aims
worth, announcers of WSAI, Cincin-
natl, have introduced the perfect con-
tinuity announcement. Where form
erly Greene, at, the stations studios
in the plant of the owner, would an
nounce that the Hotel Sinton dance
music would follow, and another an
nouncement would be made from the
hotel by AinSworth Immediately after
ward, the announcement is now made
thus:
Green lat WSAI1You will next
hear the dance music of Henry
Ainsworth lat hotell-Theis from the
Club Chatterbox at the Hotel Sinten.
It's worked this way. Ainsworth
wears headphones at the hotel and at
the word Henry" the control op-
orator in flash turns the program
from wSAI to the Sinton. and Aims
worth continues the sentence with
'Theis," and unless the listener is
especially alert he will not notice that
two men have made the announce
ment.
Static, that bugaboo of radio recep-
ton, played havoc last night with the
offerings of the out-of-town broad
casters. Nantes to a slight degree
early Ia the evening, the atmos-
pherics increased in intensity and
frequency as the night wore on.
Coupled with the usual interference
on the crowded wave lengths we shall
record December % on our log as
Just another had radio night, and
hope that Santa Claus will use his in
fuence to clear the ether channels
for the new fans who will join us to-
morrow night in the dial.twisting
tests
Christmas music will have the
right-of-way on the programs Of vir-
tualfy all broadcasting stations to-
night. WRC will offer a program pre-
dominately favored with carols and
other appropriate music. The big fea-
ture, however, will be the national
concert and songfest. which WRC will
broadcast locally. The largest chain
OF radio stations ever connected will
take part in this novel event.
The concert here will be broadcast
under the auspices of The Evening
Star. In its issue today The Star
carries the program and the words
and music for all OF the carols to
enable those desiring to take part to
Join their voices with the huge radio
choir under the direction of DR.. s.
ParkeS Cadman and DIR. Henry Rowe
Shelley