Evening star., 1933-05-28
Behind the Microphone
BY THE RADIO EDITOR.

that at cannot possibly fail" AS
a start 1t proposes to connect Sta
tions WMET, New York ca COM
bination of three small New York
stations that share time on the
same wave length); WTNJ. Tren-
ton; WPEN, Philadelphia, WDEL,
Wilmington; WBCM, Baltimore.
and VOL, Washington.
Wynn himself is president OF
the company and it's sole hacker.
Ota Gygi, former violinist who
is reputed to have been at one
time concert master to the Span
ish court, is vice president and
commercial manager. Frank
Orth. formerly an engineer with
the Columbia BroadcaSting Sys-
tenn. is chief engineer. Mr.. Wynn
is reported to have purchased the
New York and Trenton stations
from the WhetSton interests. The
other stations are Independently
owned, and will subscribe to the
chain programs as do other net
work stations, but none is known
to be under contract.
The comedian has gathered
around him many unemployed
stage and radio artists, but these,
too, are not supposed to be under
contract. Wynn'S future plans
embrace the addition of other
stations gradually, probably add
ing WWSW, Pittsburgh, after the
30-day test period scheduled to
start June and then adding the
Michigan State network of five
stations.
Seven studios are under con-
struction and elaborate offices
have been established at sol Madi-
son avenue, New York. The plan
is to furnish 16 hours of programs
daily to member stations. with
commercial announcements only
at the beginning and end OF each
program. Where programs have
not been "sold" to national spon-
Sors, it is proposed to permit the
local stations to "sell" them
locally and pay a pro rata share
of the line costs. Wires connect
ing the stations are to be leased
from Western Union.
y \ y
A MID the ever present contro-
IA versy on the types of music
most popular with radio listeners,
two outstanding conductors arise
to give their views on the better
popular music and the future Of
musical programs on the air.
William DAILY, conductor OF a
popular network program, con-
tends that orchestras such as
those of Paul Whiteman, Guy
Lombardo, George Olsen and
Jack Denny are doing a great
deal to improve the musical
tastes of the mass of radio lis
teners.
B. A. Rolfe, veteran maestro,
predicts change in popular mu-
Sical tastes, however, and trend
toward original musical comedies
for the radio.
Radio listeners are ready for
new music and fresh entertain
ment," Rolfe says, defining orig
inal music as combination of
the music of Friml with elements
Of the old-time melodrama,
clothed in 1888 sophistication. Mr..
Rolfe wrote show, Tracked
Around the World" which was
built along these lines. Written
in SO half-hour episodes, it boasts
a beautiful heroine, a desperate
villain and a versatile hero. The
show required 81 persons, includ-
ing the orchestra, for production
of one episode.
Conductor DAILY, former editor
of Everybody's Magazine, admits
that Americas music taste is not
fixed yet. 'The radio audiences
capacity to listen to music, as well
as its taste, Is still in the ele-
mentary stage" he said. Conse-
quently, he adds, popular music,
by reason of it's use of rhythm, is
more easily appreciated. This is
often but development and fire.
quently leads to an understand
ing of the more serious forms of
music.
Close association with George
Gershwin has convinced Mr.. DAILY
that the jazz idiom is something
to be taken seriously. Through
it, he points out, new uses in
counter-rhythm and new tricks
of orchestral coloring have been
introduced. He criticized con-
ductors and concert singers who
keep within the same groove year
after year, preferring to present
mediocre works of traditional
composers rather than such meri-
torious and popular compositions
as Without a Song" "Ol Man
River" and Man I Love-"