The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-01-31
Hello, World! D0gg0ne Yah?
It's Shreveport on the Ain"
'MiStah' viii Henderson
Still Is Railing at Chain
Stores.
BIZ NEA Service

SHREVEPORT, La, Jan. 81
Chains are anathema to William
Kennon Henderson especially
chain stores and chain broadcasters.
Ever since he took over the weak
little 250-watt WGAQ in 1924 and
developed it into the powerful
10,000-watt KWKH, he has been
railing at chains and the federal
radio commission and Hoover and
stations that want to take his
wave-length from him-and now
chain stores.
Hello, world-hello, you common
people-you 80 per cent Of the
population are you listenin' to
me?" he shouts into the micro
phone. I'm gonna tell va some
thin and I want va to listen. Dog
gone! If every one Of us 80 per
cent, every one of us common folks,
would stop buying at the chain
stores, we could drive them out of
the country.
Buy at Home, Plea
"Well, why don't va dc it? Why
don't va buy from the man who's
been helping build up your COM
munity and keep this pusillanimous
parasite from coming in and TAX
ing your money to New York, not
paying any taxes in your commun-
ity, not helping any charities"
And so on, doggone!
Until very recently 1t used to be
damn" and hell" too. But Sen
ator c. c. Dill of Washington got
after him, protested to the federal
radio commission and then to con-
gress itself. And so Henderson has
promised to be a little more diplo-
matte in his language.
The chain store people are getting
the brunt Of his attacks, and any
one who dares wire or write in a
disagreeing word gets his dog
gone you" in addition.
Challenges Listeners
eff you DON'T like me, why do va
listen ia me3 Tune me of, doggone
ya!"
"Mistuh Will," his men call him at
the third f. studio of his spacious
sixteen-room home in the heart of
his 16,O00-acre estate called Ken
norwood. "Mistuh WHIP he is to his
employees in his iron works at
Shreveport, perhaps the largest In
the southwest. But he's "Uncle
Henderson" to many of his radio
admirers.
"Uncle Henderson" has received
many gifts from his fans, strength
ening his conviction that the COM
mon people, "we so per cent" are
all for him.
Most pleasing, however, are the
thousands of letters and kilograms
and long distance calls he gets goad-
ing him on to a more severe battle
against the chain stores, asking him
to play certain popular records-for
record reproduction is his second
favorite pastime on the air.
It's 'HelIo, World"
"Hello, world" has been his salu-
tation ever since Henderson took
over the old station in 1924, and
Hello, world" has almost become a
trademark with him. It goes with
everything he sells through his sta
ton.
"Mistuh WIFI Is only 40, Is mar
ried and has a son and daughter.
He's quite wealthy, as president of
an iron works, but he still gets down
to work sometimes as early as in
the morning.
He works late and doesn't leave
his office at times to address his
folks over the air. A microphone is
at his desk, connected by remote con-
troll to his home studio at Kennon-
wood.
Henderson is just as eccentric in
his daily activities as he is over the
air. He keeps no regular office
hours, and doesn't demand this of
his staff. -Four times day he treats
his employees to cup of coffee.
He wears red rose in his lapel
and he likes perfume, good costly
flower extracts, and he doesn't care
what other men think of this
idiosyncrasy, doggone!
household work.