Evening star., 1936-12-06
ONS LIKELY WITH BROADCk
By Dorothy Maffison.

The business of broadcasting being
primarily commercial affair, 1t isn't
an altogether magnanimous Santa
Claus who is arranging to fill the lis
tener's stocking with benevolence. But
any way you look at it, some Of the
plans the broadcasters have in process
right now are going to blossom forth
as gifts to the listeners just about the
time Of the merry Yuletide season.
The most spectacular gift of all is
promised in the return Of the Metro
politan Opera Company performances
to the air late this month-under-
written by r. C. A. and thus, for the
first time, getting away from the
purely sustaining basis on which N.
B. c. has hitherto aired the Saturday
matinee performances.
1t will probably be shortly after the
holidays that Amos n Andy will
make their new Friday night minstrel
show and guest-star formula a reg
ular part of their broadcast schedule,
which was unchanged for 10 years,
until the first guest artist stepped up
to their microphone this season. The
new year may bring the listeners op-
portunity to hear Gertrude Berg reg
ularly again. although as yet it is un-
decided whether she will revive the
Goldbergs or her House of Glass char
acters. There's also a possibility that
comedy bill may replace Andre Kos
telanetz's Friday night musicales, al
though his orchestra and an operatic
singer would continue on his Wednes-
day night spot.
Stars Can Get Vacation.
Going back to Charles Correll and
Freeman Gosden for a moment, their
new show will allow them a vacation
Of sorts. Now that their Amos n
Andy bills are undergoing revision
that pair won't have to do all the
script-writing themselves, as they in
sisted upon doing so long as they were
entirely pre-occupied with dramatic
comedy
Jack Kofoed, sports writer, and COL
umnist Stlla Unger are the script
writers responsible for the delightful
Ring Lardner-ish flavor of the new
series starring Jimmy Braddock in a
dramatic saga of his climb to the
heavyweight championship these
Tuesday nights on the N. B. C. blue
network. Frank Parker's new pro-
gram which bows January will be
titled Romance and Rhythm" Fred
Allen plans a change in the set-up of
the amateur portion Of his Town
Hall Tonight" programs. The Satur-
day night Chateau" show will resolve
into straight variety bill when Joe
Cook takes over the master of cere-
monies job when the show moves to
New York January 2. The rumors
which have been prophesying that cof-
fee merchants shift away from the
Good Will Court" took a setback, for
the moment at least, in view of 49,
week renewal which will take the
court" into March.
Expansion of the Singing Lady's Fri
day show will precede a big build-up
previous to its removal to another
broadcast spot. Tim Ryan and Irene
kNOUlCIUE uIdy tColH up Will 0AiCP
Fields when his show moves into the
Paul Whiteman spot.
Rose Bowl Game to Be on Air.
N. B. c. will help the foot ball fans
wind up the season by bringing the
Pasadena Rose Bowl game to coast-to-
coast listeners on New Year day, while
Mutual will air the Eest-West game
from San Francisco. Announcer Don
Wilson has the microphone assign
ment for N. B. c.
Isabelle Manning Hewson has
landed q sponsor and Mutual broad
cast spot for her news commentary
these Tuesday mornings Connie
Miles is due to take over the master
of ceremonies post for new soap
show Abe Lyman is swinging 1t
on his two new C. B. S. sustaining
bills, in nice contrast to the slow
tempo of his "Melodiana" series.
incidentally. his vocalists, Tiny Wolf
and Rose Blaine, are having screen
tests Horace Heidi and his or
chestra will land in New York next
week IN air from that citv for the first