Evening star., 1929-06-28
HIT WRONG NOTE
IN WISE CRACKS
Burlesque of Coolidge and Al
JoIson'S "Gags" Re-
Sented in West.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

SAN FRANCISCO Calf, June 28.--
wise cracking from Broadway isn't
always popular with the Pacific Coast
radio audience. nor does the West like
to listen to burlesques originating in
the East upon rural life-otherwise the
tastes of Western and Eastern audi
ences are quite similar. according to
Dan Gilman, vice president Of the Ma
tional Broadcastipg Co. in charge of
its Pacific Coast network.
There was generally an unfavorable
reaction out here, for example. t. Al
Jolson's last two national broadcasts
and the one of Will Rogers initiating
former President Coolidge. Jolson S
songs went well, but his gags we're re-
mistake in his second radio appearance
Of Raging his audience for criticizing
his first
Will Rogers was roundly criticized in
some quarters for imposing upon the
dignity Of the presidential Office. al
though it is known that Mr.. Coolidge
himself took no offense.
Strikes Wrong Note.
Now and again an artist. usually
from vaudeville, strikes wrong note
on the national chains. Radios prob
lem is like vaudeville to some extent
AOT the programs IHuSb DS bOIleQ ana
varied to suit all sectional tastes. This
is relatively easy on the regional hook
ups. but extreme care must be taken
In national programs to strike a COM
mon denominator.
Mr.. Gilman thinks that Los Angeles,
with its diverse population, drawn
from practically every part of the
country, has about as truly repre-
sentative radio audience as can be
found anywhere in the country. If a
program will take" in Los Angeles,
he says, it is very likely to appeal to
the rest of the Nation. The Los
Angeles audience and that of the rest
of the West has complained against
some of the broadcaStS about farm
and small-town life. saying that they
were making fun of the real things
They want the rural programs as
realistic as the radio can make them.
Line huns" and the storm king all
too frequently play havoc with radio
reception via the long telephone reaches
from the East otherwise, the national
ization of chain broadcasting continues
apace with the demand for the highest
grade of program wherever it may
be obtained.
Furnishes Hours a Day.
Without owning any of the six sta
tions 1t serves along the coast, the
National Broadcasting Co. is furnish
ing them an average Of five hours of
programs a day. Three of these hours
originate In the San Francisco studios
and two are brought in from the East.
Two programs a week. the Pacific
Vagabonds and the Pacific Little Sym
phony, are sent into the Middle West
and East as sustaining features, spon-
sored by the chain itself.
San Francisco regularly stages Spe-
cial programs for kSL, Salt Lake City,
and KOA, Denver. One of the new
est programs being arranged by the
Pacific Coast network is an hour of
pipe organ in the tabernacle of the
Mormon Church at Salt Lake City, a
feature that may be offered nationally
later.
The four-hour difference in time
Between the East and West Coasts pre-
sents a problem to the chain The
Zine huns" picked up on the long
telephone line hauls across plains, des-
ert and mountains, frequently disturb
the quality of reception. Now and
then, storm conditions throw the re-
lays OF for q few moments at time,
or altogether, real annoyance during
the national broadcasting of big events.
The length of the relay to the Pacific
Coast stations may be appreciated from
the fact that KFQ, Spokane, does not
get its program until 1t has been car
ried from New York to San Francisco,
thence to Seattle and thence to
Spokane.
tCopyrisht, 1929. by North American News
paper Aliance)