Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24
T WHILE the half hour on the
~ air has supplanted the
" former favorite broad

cast period of an hour,
the time devoted to rehearsal and
production OF radio presentation
has steadily increased, according
| to program executives.
There was a time when an
hours rehearsal was thought SUI
f1cient for a musical program.
RehearSalS now take up eight and
ten hours. Actors who once read
their lines three or four times be-
fore the show went on, now spend
10 or 90 minutes in rehearsal for
every minute on the air.
The Westinghouse Salute, new
production which goes out over
the N. B. c. network, may be taken
as an example Of the time devoted
| to rehearsal and production. For
every minute heard on the air in
this pretentiouS feature there is
20 minutes of rehearsal. And
every line Of dialogue is rehearsed
at least 10 times before the dra-
matte sketches in the production
are considered ready for broad
casting.
The rehearsal for the Westing-
house production sets new high
record for time devoted to prepa-
ration for broadcasting. Actual
work on the program begins four
weeks ahead of the date Of the
broadcast, when the continuity is
written and the special arrange
mentS Of the musical numbers
started. Five days before the
broadcast rehearsal of the COM
pletely assembled program is be-
gun. The instrumental section of
the symphony rehearses for four
hours alone and the wordleSS
+, choir devoteS the same time to re-
hearsal. Another four hours is
devoted to rehearsal of the 90
musicians and the 40 human
voices.
The dramatic cast deyotes three
hours to rehearsal, which means
80 minutes rehearsal for a sketch
that takes approximately Ave
minutes Of the half hour on the
air. Each production has two
sketches.
Then when all units of the pro-
duction have mastered their parts,
! two hours or more is devoted to
dress rehearsal and the entire
production is gone through four
times. AT this time the various
sections of the program are blend
ed together, the production is
timed and the sound effects re-
hearSed.
Contrary to popular practice,
there is no rehearsal before GO
ing on the air. The last rehearsal
usually comes during the after
noon preceding the broadcast and
then the musicians and actors re-
lax until time to go on the air.
y && 4
Thirteen may be hoodoo num-
Der to many people, but not to
George F. Hicks, WRC announcer,
who goes to New York tomorrow to
handle the big time" chain fea-
lures.
After IL temporary jobs-none
of which he liked-Since leaving
high school in Tacoma, Wash,
Hicks thirteenth job was an an
nouncer. And announcing he
likes tremendously.
Hicks entered radio by chance
Told he had a good voice, he visit
ed one washington radio station.
Turned down, he decided to for
get it.
Several days later, however,
while visiting the National Press
Building, Hicks happened to pass
the WRC studios. On q bunch he
decided to go in and ask for a
job. Much to his surprise, he was
/ put to work the next day.
That was in September, 1928.
Since that time Hicks has become
WRCS star announcer, and Is
| heard in the N. B. C. network fea-
| lures at least twice week.
When Hicks came to Washing
ton he originally planned to enter
Georgetown University's foreign
service school to prepare for the
consular service. He was mildly
interested in radio announcing,
and then only as means to earn
money enough to go to school.
Now he. has given up all idea OF
entering the foreign service.
X **
Fan letters, radios cross section
of public opinion, have undergone
la radical change in the few
years that broadcasting has ex-
listed.
| Once listeners wrote something
like this: IT got your station on
my one-tuber.. It was coming in
fine"
without the statement coming
in fine" no letter seemed COM
plete. That, by the way, was the
era Of the mere thrill Of listening
Nowadays most of the letters re-
fer exclusively to the type Of pro-
gram being presented. Either
| they request certain number or
ask for something offered by Ger
tain sponsors. However, some still
write eulogies and some pen COM
plants. For instance, WBAL
Baltimore, which has been max
ing a survey of its letters, makes
this observation:
zone notes now far more dignity
in the letters and much more bal
ance than formerly. Judging from
the fan mail, radios emotional
age has passed and in its place is
calm, studied listening"
~ ~
In addition to keeping weather
eye on the Nations middle third,