Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-01-08
NCE call letters, and not for
NAL names, must be used by
radio stations under inter

/ II
NAL names, must be used by
~ radio stations under inter-
national treaty, American
broadcasters are extending them
SelveS-Sometimes in far-fetched
and amusing faShion-to make
their call letters give them indi-
viduality or else to make their
slogans correspond to the letters
of their calls.
AS a matter of fact, most sets
of call letters are allotted to sta
tions arbitrarily by the Govern
ment, although the radio author
tiles in Washington were rather
lenient in the old days in parcel
ling out combinations requested
by station owners when those
combinations were not already in
use.
1t was after getting their call
assignments, in most cases, that
the broadcasters hit upon slogans
to correSpond-SloganS that range
from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Under the international radio
treaty sets of three or four call
letters are assigned American sta
lions through the whole range of
the alphabet, provided only they
begin with "W' or tx" Other ma
tons were given other opening
letters, viz, Canada got &c" and
Mexico "X."
After broadcaSting Sprang into
popularity an effort was made by
the authorities, for the sake of
convenience, to have all the "W''
calls East of the Mississippi and
all the TX" calls West of that
boundary. There are a few ex-
ceptions, such as KDKA, Pitts
burgh, one of the oldest American
stations, whose call was selected
only because the letters have a
staccato ring that was clearly
diScernible in the old days of I'M
developed radio.
The American radio log reveals
a KOIN, KALE, KNOW, KROW,
KORE, KICK, KID, KIT, KOB,
KOY, KUT, KOMA, WHAT,
WHAM, WHO, WHOM, WORK,
WOOD, WASH, WINS, WILL,
WELL and WREN. And we have
WACO at Waco, Tex; KSTP at
ST. Paul, WCKY at Covington,
KY; WRVA at Richmond, Va;
VIVA at Lynchburg, Va; WILM
at Wilmington, Del; WSYR at
Syracuse, N. Y, and VIVA at
Wheeling, w. Va.
WRUF, Gainesville, Fla, is pro-
nounced like the famous roar of
Leo, the movie lion, and we learn
from KEEL, Denver, that its call
letters might stand for KANT
Find Enough Liquor" Wholly I'M
solicited was the designation ap-
piled to WJSV, Alexandria, Va, by
a colored revivalist preacher, who
is heard over it daily and who
bids his congregation to follow
him in dedicating that station
to Willingly Jesus Suffered for
Victory"
4 X
Out of 25,OOOO00 votes cast for
~ favorite radio stars and pro-
grams in Nation wide poll con-
Quoted by a leading radio set
manufacturer, the American pub
lie has picked the following as the
most popular in various classes:
Singers (men), Morton Downey;
singers (women) JesSica Dragon
cite; actors Sherlock Holiness -,
Richard Gordon; orchestra lead
erS, Rudy Vallee; instrumentalists
Rubinoff; comedians, Ed Wynn;
announcers, John S. Young, and
Miscellaneous, A. g. P. Gypsies.
While many fans may dispute
these choices, the fact remains
that these secured the highest
number of votes in their reSpec-
tive classes. Presented their gold
cup awards at National Press
Club luncheon, at least one of the
artists, Rudy Vallee, was first to
acknowledge his conviction that
Paul Whiteman, and not he,
should have won the award in his
class
Runners up in the women sing
erS class were Kate Smith. Ruth
Etting, Pickens Sisters, Boswell
Sisters, Jane Pickens, Ethel
Shutta, Alice Joy, Irene Taylor
and Mildred Bailey. Men singers:
Frank Parker, Lanny Ross, Ralph
Kirberry, Bing Crosby, Jack Ar
thur, Mills Brothers, Arthur
Tracey, Donald Novis and Jimmy
Briefly. Actors: Raymond knight,
Phillips Lord, Joe Bell, Elsie Hitz.
Pat Barnes, Aldred Corn Sammy
Goldberg, Charles Webster.
Betty Webb and Johnny Hart.
Orchestra leaders: Guy Lombardo.
Ted WeemS, George Olsen, Vincent
Lopez, Ben Bernie, Paul White
man, Cab Galloway, Abe Lyman
and Leon Belasco. Instrumental
lists: Harry Reser, Ann Leaf, Err
nest Hutchinson, Little Jack
Little, Lee Sims, Eddie Brown,
Ohman & Arden, Harry Brewer