Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-17
Behind the Microphone
BY THE RADIO EDITOR.

tainment was presented during
the month. Twenty-Seven of Chi
cago'S so programs were lectures
on livestock and agriculture, while
$40 broadcaStS from New York in
cluded 212 lectures on subjects
ranging from household matters
to politics and the automotive in
duStry. Nearly every variety of
music from jazz and vocal Selec-
tionS to light and grand opera was
contained in the 233 musical pro-
grams. In addition, there were %
plays and sketches and SO special
announcements of news events
and the like. Fourteen entirely
new programs were introduced.
Bert Lytell's comment in the
Keith Orpheum hour Tuesday
night on the thrill he got in the
South Sea Islands four years ago
hearing an announcement over
radio of the results of a base ball
game between Salt Lake City and
Sacramento teams inspired Dean
o. Gable of Lyon Village, Va, to
write of his first experience with
radio.
Back in the early days of radio
when crystal set composed OF a
coil Of wire wound around an oat-
meal box and cats whiSker rest
ing on a piece of mineral was the
last word in radio" he said, II got
a bigger thrill listening to the old
naval station NOF in Anacostia
than I do now tuning in KGO, XII
and other distant stations.
''The first program ever heard
over radio was the United States
Navy Band playing in AnacoStia.
Remote control was unknown and
the band had to travel to the
broadcaSting station. The studio
acoustics were poor, but what diff
ference did that make? Radio
was a plaything then and not an
instrument for entertainment"
4
whittier radio?" asks Hugo
GernSback, noted authority on
radio.
mo one can foretell at the pres
ent time" he said, whether the
advertising tie-up' broadcaSting
scheme of today is the final one,
or that something entirely new
may not be evolved in the future.
"The entire broadcaSting indus
| try is in constant fiuX and there Is
really nothing very much settled
about 1t today; it is too young and
too new for that. 1t is also to be
doubted that, 10 years from now,
broadcaSting will be done in the
channels between 200 to 545
meters now used. 1t is frequently
predicted that, sooner or later,
there will be a stampede down to
the lower wave lengths, where
there are more channels and other
advantages, as well as certain dis
advantages.
so far, large radio manufac-
turers have turned out no radio
set, which can be sold to the pub
! lie, capable of being tuned as
readily on the short waves as 1t
can be on the high waves. But 1t
| is safe to say that most of the
large manufacturers are keeping a
weather eye on the Short-wave
situation and, If one or more break
the ice and good set that makes
tuning on the short waves easy Is
developed, we will have another
silent revolution in radio. Then
the old prevailing sets will be
strapped in favor of new models,
Just as the battery sets are now
being strapped for A. G. electric
sets.
"The good thing about all of
these radio revolutions is that
they are orderly and that they do
not come overnight. Indeed, 1t
has been found that sets built
even as far back as 1923 still give
good service in 1929. The same
probably will be found the case
with the present-day alternating
current sets when the broadcast
stations take to lower wave lengths.
Most probably, in that case, at
tachments for present-day sets
will be available to make possible
tuning them to the short-wave
bands"