Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-22
s THIS year, with its record of
tremendous achievement in
broadcaSting, draws to close
i cannot helm cnKa ma ring it will

. 111O year, WIN lCS record OF
~ tremendous achievement in
~ broadcaSting, draws to a close
4 y I cannot help comparing it with
the old dayS-almoSt no time
ago when you stop to think about it
when broadcasting was game that We
were all playing. There was as much
fun to 1t as work. When we put on a
good orchestra and a couple of singers
and could get through an evening with
out an announcer doubling for an alb
sent artist we thought we were grand.
But l doubt If any of us foresaw the
elaborate programs, some of them en-
ploying as many as 125 people, that are
to be heard today. When we broadcast
a program through two stations we were
just plain thrilled. Now we arrange TO
have our programs rebroadcast in Eu-
rope with so little furore that half of
our staff never hears of 1t. When De-
vora Nadworney deserted the Chicago
Civic Opera for radio it was a sensa-
ton. This year Sir Harry Lauder, John
Mccormack and a lot of opera stars
all went on in the same week, and it
was nothing more than everybody ex-
pected.
Eight years ago it was a lark for a
few singers and entertainers to climb to
the tiny room over a Newark factory
to broadcast for the benefit of q few
score radio nuts. Nobody thought 1t
would last. Today the studios are as
large as good sized halls and everybody
wants to double them, both in size and
number. BY the way, there are more
alumni of that little Newark studio
than there are Mayf1ower descendants.
Every seasoned mike star seems to have
made his or her debut over there. They
sang for nothing then, but those who
stuck to 1t and made good are earning
big salaries today. The Revelers are
the highest-priced male quartet in the
world today. Al Bernard saws all those
years of practice taught him how to be
funny in different way week after
week. And that crazy "tomato-can
mike" they had then was so delicate
that Vaughn de Leath learned now to
Groom by trying to keep from blowing
the station of the air.
Can't Kid Microphone.
What is your favorite broadcast of
the year?" friend of mine asked me
the other day. That's easy; it's the last
one did. Whenever I report an event
before the microphone I am sincerely
convinced when it is over that it was
the most interesting thing I ever COW
cred. 1t is my business to be en-
thusiastic about it, but it can't be any
sham enthusiasm. If it were. the lis
teners would spot 1t in minute. There
Is only one thing in the world that
can't be ktdded at some time, and that's
microphone. 1t catches up all your
mannerisms, your tricks of speech and
all those shadings OF the voice that tell
an observant listener when you don't
quite mean what you say, and magnifies
them dozen times.
The announcer's success, If any. be-
gins when he is thoroughly interested
in the Job he is going to do. Then it
always helps to learn as much as you
can before you get on the ground. When
you get there you must be in a recep-
tive frame of mind. l always expect to
like my jobs, and can't remember that
/ have ever been badly disappointed I
remember one time, though, when had
my doubts. was asked to announce
a basket ball game in the northern part
of New York State. Now, when 1 was
younger basket ball was a girls game
and, anyway, I spent most Of my Win