Evening star., 1932-09-04

~ Is still q debated one, not
only in America, but in va
rious foreign countries.
Now and then on the American
ether waves we hear woman's
voice announcing commercial
program-viz., most recently, the
cases Of q certain popular ciga1-
ette program and certain cos
metic program on the rival net
works. But hardly ever are
women assigned to sustaining
programs like news event broad
casts (which no advertiser pays
for). Why hasn't America pro-
duced q woman Graham McNamee
or Ted Husing?
The answer, judging from care
full inquiries made among those
who ought to know, Is two fold
First, there is an apparently un-
shakable prejudice among the
broadcast irnpresarios against
women announcers; they are con-
! vinced that women's voices do
not have the proper appealing
quality-and a recent survey by
college professor revealed that
women listeners seem to share
the prejudice against women
announcers.
Secondly, the radio bosses say
it Is impossible to send a woman
out on an assignment like cover
ing a base ball game or foot ball
| game or political convention or
suchlike news events. They simply
are not physically or by expert
ence and temperament suited to
the Job, we are told.
SO in spite of the infrequent
appearance of women ar1nouncers
before network and station micro
phones, usually only when ordered
by the person or company paying
for the program, 1t appears that
the announcing profession is not
for the fairer sex in America.
That some woman will some day
appear to dispel the arguments
against women anf1ouncers Is the
confident belief among some radio
people. Yet no less an authority
than Miss Vida Ravenscroft Sut-
ton, who teaches diction and
usage to N. B. c. anrlour1cers, ex-
presses the belief that mems
voices in general register better
on the radio than women'S.
There have been and are a few
exceptions, of course. Who does
not remember the voice of miss
Jones" from KSD of the st. Louis
Post-Dispatch back in the old
DX-ing days of radio? Bertha
Brainard, now program manager
of N. B. G. in New York, was her
self one of the first women ever
to announce q radio program,
although she is never heard on
the ait these days. She thinks
many radio actresses have voices
that would 60 well in straight an
nouncing, but every time 1t was
tried, she says, the reaction was
unfavorable.
| A few months ago Station
kDKA, Pittsburgh, pioneer Ameri-
can broadcaster, added q woman
announcer, Miss Elizabeth Drake
a drama student at Carnegie
Tech, who also appears with the
stations dramatic group. She
was given the task at first of an
nouncing an All-Girl Review.
The prejudice against the
female radio species has cropped
up in Europe, too, though Euro
pean broadcasters appear to have
utilized women on radio an
founcing jobs more frequently
than American. When "Eiyar
Radio Roma" was heard last year
for the first time In America III
an international relay program
from Rome's new high power sta
ton the voice Of greeting was that
of Signera Boncofnpasna, q reso-
nant and pleasing voice, to say
| the least. She was at one time
chief announcer for 1taly's whole
network of stations, but later
women announcers we're with
drawn In that country because, as
the radio authorities opined. they
! detracted too much attention
from the program and attracted
too much to themselves, with the
result that their mash mall was
| greater than the fan mail" the
programs were supposed to draw.
|
|n0UBLE speakers to improve
Il quality of reception, new
tubes and the appeal Of the auto
mobile radio set feature the COM
| ing Fall radio season, according
to Bond P. Geddes, executive Sec
retary Of the Radio Manufac-
turers' Association.
| Already, according to Mr.. Ged-
des, who is well known in WASH
ington as former member Of the
washington Bureau of the Asso-
ciated Press, business has begun
to pick up in the radio industry,
even above the seasonal level.
| Details Of the new double speak
ers and new tubes were not dis
closed by Mr.. Geddes, who feels,
however, that these features will
provide substantial improvement
to reception.
The radio set for automobiles
Is the so-called "hot number" to-
day in the radio business, accord
/ ing to Mr.. Geddes, who reports
the buying wave for this article
Is much stronger In the Middle
West and the Far West than IN
| the East.
, The short-wave receiver, espe-
! cially when used in connection
with set for regular reception,
is growing in favor, Geddes re-
ports, especially as 1t becomes
more generally known among the
public that these short waves pick
up the police broadcasting sta
tions.
EOUR new voices, and faces, have
L joined the cast of "Myrt and
Marge." Cornelia Osgood Is play
ing the part Of Dixie Lane, who
fofffa Arlx eatarad inta TIA snriat