Evening star., 1934-12-09

snow, ana aoOuC CAIce years ago
several times a week became tn
shows, and even one-minute "sp'
IN recent months, however, the, tide
seems to have turned again. Sponsors
are going In for longer shows-shows
that have real identity in the days
program menu. The shorter shows are
regarded as too ephemeral and fieeting.
Two large automobile manufacturers
have started one-hour symphony con-
certs. heard the same Sunday night
on opposite networks, and another
now has followed with an unprece-
dented three-hour show. A baking
company. too, aligned an N. B, c. net
work for q three-hour dance program
late each Saturday night. Numerous
other programs running one-hour, and
In several instances As minutes, have
shifted from quarter-hour and half
hour programs.
Like most program trends, listener
reaction Is the mottvating cause here
In hundred different ways program
sponsors and station executives plumb
the likes and dislikes Of the audience,
but they rely mostly on fan mail and
so-called listener surveys.
= Coupled with the longer program
trend Is the status Of the radio artist.
It does not cost the sponsor much
more to hire an artist or an orchestra
for an hours performance than 1t
does for half an hour. In addition.
radio time rates for both networks
and stations are appreciably lower,
proportionately, for q one-hour show
than for q half hour or less. The
hourly rate for the basic Columbia
System network Of ~ stations Is
$500, while the rate for the basic
N. B. c. red network Of . score Of
stations Is $3.50.
The artist Is generally favorable to
the longer radio show. It gives him
an opportunity to warm up" to his
Best and it also gives him q chance
TO appear on more than one program
ahd on more than one network or
station. In the shorter shows, featur-
ing so-called big names" and pre-
scented several times q week, the artist
must rehearse constantly, and he has
little time to do anything but that
single show. BY appearing once 4
week on q given show Of longer dura-
ton. he can also appear in a different
program on another network or sta.
ton without undue hardship.
That may be the reason for the
Increasingly large number Of radio
artists who now appear on several
different network programs. Instead
Of the exclusive" radio contracts Of
other days, many prominent artists
now are operating under non
exclusive contracts and are Diversity
ing their radio appearances.
&++
WHEN another White House we'd
w ding occurs, 1t is not unlikely
that 1t will be broadcast to 4
listening world just as the royal
wedding Of the Duke Of Kent and
Princess Marina Of Greece was
broadcast Thanksgiving day. For
the American people, like the British,
love the pomp and pageantry Of the
boft Of ceremonial that was heard by
people In all parts Of the world the
other day. Certainly, with their
own lair for the microphone, the
Roosevelts will interpose no objec-
tions to the microphone If such an
event occurs during their regime-and,
OF course, the decision whether or not
to broadcast will be up to the master
aud mistress Of the White House and
the principals.
The royal wedding broadcast from
London was the first In history. A
broadcast Of . wedding in the White
House would also be the nrst, for
there have been no weddings there
since the second Wilson administra-
tton when President Wilson'S niece
was q principal in the Wilson -McEl-
roy nuptials. At that time broadcast
ing as we know 1t today was non-ex-
1Stent. -.
American listeners who arose at
.E:45 an. in the East on Thanksgiving
day heard the ceremonies from West
minister Abbey over the networks with
unusual clarity, including the intro
duction by Howard Marshall, the Brit
5sa announcer, the description Of roy
atty entering the church and the
cheers Of the crowd, the description
Of the interior and the choir music;
and then the royal brides and BRIDE
Groom's II do" as the ceremony was
read.
Reception was 30 clear that some
listeners thought they detected the
note Of nervousness In the voices Of
the royal pair. While Mr.. Marshall
was describing the scene outside, the
ringing Of the bells and even the clat-