Evening star., 1934-02-04
Broadcast Performers
Status N. r. A. Problem
Legitimate Theater Operators Also Charge
Admitting Studio Audiences Is
Unfair Competition.

Stage Employees and Motion Picture
Operators, has been designated by the
legitimate theater code authority to
pursue the matter.
The theory is that people will not
pay to attend the theaters when they
can see the same artists gratis at
the studios. Since the purpose Of the
N. R. A. is to spur business recovery,
the theatrical impresarios say that
this sort Of competition Is contrary to
the N. R. A. spirit and intent.
Within broadcasting's own ranks,
the question of studio audiences now
is being debated, but for vastly
different reason. One group contends
that the outlaws and smokers of the
visible audience detract from the value
OF the presentation to the vast un-
seen listening audience. But the
proponents hold that the artists per-
form better and more naturally in
the stage" atmosphere. Besides. the
sponsors, who really foot the radio
bill, in virtually every case insist upon
the studio audiences and themselves
pass out the Annie Oakleys" for ad-
mission to the performances.
CHADES of Miss JonesI Are women
~ announcers to be barred from
the broadcasting wave lengths
altogether? Yes say lot of radio
impresarios who are convinced that
women announcers simply won't
take" with the audience, and espe-
cially with the great number Of listen
ers of their own sex. No, say a few
others-but they still are few. Recall
ing the popularity of Miss Jones of
KSD, st. Louis, heard regularly in the
olden days of American radio (olden
days being back in the early '20sD,
1t does remain a fact that there are
still SO few women announcers in
American broadcastlng as to be
negligible quantity.
The first woman announcer to win
a staff position on network is Clau-
dine Mcdonald. but she was named to
handle an afternoon program on the
N. B. C. She is, of course, available
to other clients. but somehow very
few clients seem to want women an
nouncers. Recently WJSV, the C.
B. S. key station at Washington,
picked Miss Helen Ault. young ac-
tress, to be a lady announcer" on
its morning Sun Dial" program.
There are few others throughout
the country, but not many.
British radio has long frowned on
women annCuncerS, but on the Eu-
ropean continent there are quite a
number They are highly popular,
too. Women are regularly heard on
the Italian radio, notably the Signo-
rlnaS Boncompagni, Carsini and Culot
from Rome, and Signora Rizzi from
Milan. The fact that the Rome sta
tion authorities recently picked
male announcer to handle news bulle-
tins and market reports led to re-
ports that it was discarding women
announcers, but this was not the case
SenOrita Lola Agullo is a highly
her popularity rests largely on her
daily reading of news bulletins. One
OF Danish radios three official an
nouncers is woman, Miss Crete Otto,
and the 12o,000watt Radio Budapest
employs Miss Lily F1otas.
But the fact remains that prejudice
exists against women on the air, and
audience surveys have frequently
shown that their chief detractors are
women listeners. 1t Is true also that
where women announcers are used,
as in some European studios, they
must know a wide variety of Ian
guages end have voices regarded as
well fitted to radio. Whether the |
female OF the species will ever reach |
the nigh estate enjoyed by the male |
on the American wave lengths is any
body's guess.