Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05
FTER holding out for seven
years John Philip SouSa
and his famous band are
ni. n,n thu nir fOrnn nrrnyx,

! ~ ana MS famous OAHU are
n going on the air tomorrow
night for the first time.
, The band will make its radio
debut in the General Motors
weekly family party" National
BroadcaSting Co. attraction, COM
ing into Washington over WRC.
Thirty-nine stations will be linked
together for the initial broadcast.
Martha Atwood, prima donna
of the Metropolitan Opera Co,
will share honorS with SouSa. She
has been selected as the guest
soloiSt for the program.
SouSa'S aloofneSS of the micro
phone has been due primarily to
his belief that part of his success
as a band leader was because OF
his personality, which he thought
would be lost over the air.
Il have thought that people
wanted to see me and my band as
we'll as hear u.s." he is quoted as
saying. II cannot, however, ig-
more the demand to hear us on
the air.
st have received at least 10000
letters asking me to broadcast. !
have therefore finally concluded
that the people want to hear us,
and that it would be foolish to fail
to utilize this great, modern inven-
ton. which makes it possible for
millions instead of a few thou
sands to listen to concert. I am
happy in the decision, and am
looking forward with enthusiasm
to what 1 believe will be another
thrilling adventure.
X ~
The booth which housed the
microphone for the first radio
broadcast ever made from the
Senate chamber has been pre-
sented to the Government, and
will be used for any future broad
casts from that location.
Custodians of the building have
stored the movable booth in the
basement of the Capitol, from
which it can be removed on short
notice and erected in the Senate
chamber. It was constructed and
designed to blend with the color
scheme of the room in such a
manner as to be almost unnotice-
able, and used for the first time
March 4, when David Lawrence
described the Inauguration Of Vice
President Curtis over a nation
wide network of National Broad
casting Co. stations.
The acceptance of the booth by
the Government, coupled with its
storage in the Capitol, is taken by
radio officials as an indication
that broadcastS from the chamber
may be permitted more often in
the future.
Two nationwide networks of
broadcaSting stations, those of
the National and Columbia SyS-
TENS, will carry the Memorial day
services at Arlington Cemetery, at
which President Hoover is Sched-
uled as the principal speaker.
According to present arrange
mentS, the ceremonies will be
broadcast in their entirety. In
addition to the President, the
speakers include Senator Dale of
Vermont and DR.. Thomas E.
Green of the Loyal Legion. The
musical portion of the program
will be provided by the United
States Marine Band.
X X 4 4
A new specialist has recently
made his appearance in radio cir
cleS, namely, the antenna doctor
His patients are for the most part
radio broadcasting stations, al
though he occasionally does work
for radio communication COM
panies, with view to improving
their services.
The antenna doctor is a radio
expert who SpecialiZeS in antenna
design. BY looking at the sketch
of an antenna system he can de-
termine the general efficiency CT
the transmission. and with a few
strokes of a pencil and just few
specifications indicate how the
transmission may be increased by
a comfortable percentage.
According to ]. e. Smith, presi-
dent of the National Radio InSti-
tute. antenna doctors have in
~-eaSed the effective power of sew
eral broadcasting stations by
changes in the antenna system
without any change or increase in
power in the transmitter itself.
Sometimes the antenna alteration
takes the form of taller towers or
a change of site, but generally 1t