Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31
D. c. RADIO STATION
J IS4 YEARS OLD
1MRC Has Proved Popular
;Nith Fans From
Outset.

Four years ago tomorrow. August
!. 1923, Radio Station WRC made It's
debut to the public of Washington.
Only a handful of listeners heard this
program, but when WRC goes on the
air tomorrow night, celebrating its
fourth birthday anniversary. it will
he serving a potential audience in
Washington. Maryland and Virginia
of more than 200. 900 persons
The progress of WRC in the four
wears of its brief existence, the change
in broadcastiuS methods. the change
in the attitude of the general public
toward broadcasting is pictured vivid
" in the mind of Ralph Edmunds.
manager of WRC. 1t was Mr.. Ed.
munds who opened WRC and today
he continues to direct its operation.
Radio Was Novelty.
"In the first year of our broadcast
ing in Washington" Mr.. Edmunds de-
Clared, radio was as much of a nov
city to us as it was to the few peo-
pie who heard WRC's opening pro-
gram. / remember the compliments
W. received; letters came by the thou
ga ads.
For the first few months, our radio
audience continually indicated appre-
Cld(IOll VI OuI pIpSidiiiS. Ip IidtbSl
what their nature. 1t seems to me
that four years ago the small radio
public was satisfied Just to hear voice
and music over the air. The idea
that a person could install an appara-
tus in his or her house and get voice
and music out of the air. was thrill
ing. to say the least.
when we first opened we used
local talent almost exclusively. And
we tried hard to make our programs
j vary. However, almost everything
we did seemed to please. But later
when we tied up with Station WIZ
and took programs from New York,
there was a gradual change in the
attitude of the radio audience. No
longer were the radio fans satisfied
with everything we put out. In the
second year, we received letters which
differed materially than those we re-
ceived in the first year. And the third
year the letters again changed. In
the past year another change has
taken place.
why? you might ask. Radio soon
graduated from the novelty class and
became accepted in the same manner
as the telephone is accepted. 1t is no
longer new or marvellous. 1t has be-
come part of the life of the general
public. And when radio got out of
the novelty class the radio audience
became discriminating. OF course, we
continued to receive complimentary
letters, but a good deal of our mail
came from fans who were making crit
icisms, many of them just. They also
gave constructive suggestions. They
told us what they wanted. In fact,
they demanded what they wanted.
nj, foo
one, was tremendously pleased. We
do not like criticism particularly. No
one does for that matter. But when
these criticisms began to come in we
realized that radio had been accepted
seriously by radio fans. No longer
were we complimented merely because
we were broadcasting. The radio pub
Lie has changed.
Letters Appreciated.
There is nothing more welcome
here at the station than the letters
we have received from the radio pub.
lie. We are at last beginning to learn
just what the public wants. Here at
WRC we do not accept an arbitrary
view of radio programs. We do not
believe that because we like a certain
program that the public will like it.
And in these days of broadcastings,
we get quick reaction from our audi.
ence. We can very soon tell whether
or not certain program is liked.
I'm four years the technical side of
radio broadcasting has changed ire
mendously. We no longer have diff
f1culty in sending out our programs
and being assured that the radio aud
fence can get 100 per cent reception.
Our engineers have done a wonderful
job here at WRC. We still get COM
plants about our programs but sell
dom do we hear a kick about recep-
ton.
There is one thing we want to
hear and get. That's criticism. We
at the station want to know whether
our various programs are liked. If
the radio fans will let lis know, it will
help us to improve our programs.
"A radio station is maintained to
please the public. Our programs are
arranged and planned with that in
mind. If we do not please, we are
failing in our jobs. But we can only
be guided by the views expressed by
the radio audience. A radio fan
should never hesitate to criticize any
program. And likewise suggestions
most welcome