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The Music Trade Review
DECEMBER 22, 1928
Consolidation of Victor Co. and
Radio Corp. of America Reported
Although No Official Announcement Has Been Made, It Is Understood Merging of
the Two Important Interests Will Be Acted Upon This Week
'T*HE consolidation of the Victor Talking
•• Machine Co. and the Radio Corporation of
America, which has been rumored for several
months past, came to a head this week with
the announcement that the deal had been prac-
tically consummated. Although no official state-
ment has been issued by either party inter-
ested, it is understood that the question of
consolidation will be discussed and acted upon
at the meeting of the directors of both com-
panies to be held on Friday of this week. It
is stated, too, that the merger will be affected
on a basis that will in a large measure preserve
the individuality of both companies and will
place neither one in the position of subsidiary.
Inquiries made at the headquarters of the
Victor Co. in Camden and at the offices of the
Radio Corporation of America in New York
brought forth the information that no official
statement had been issued, or would be issued,
until some definite action had been taken. The
consolidation when, and if, consummated will
result in the merging of the properties of the
Final Awards Made by the
Atwater Kent Foundation
Hazel Cecelia Arth, of Washington, and Donald
Novis, of Pasadena, First Prize Winners in
Second National Radio Audition
At the finals of the second annual Atwater
Kent Foundation National Radio Audition, held
on Sunday night last through station WEAF,
New York, and the nationwide network of the
National Broadcasting Co., Hazel Cecelia Arth
of Washington, D. C, and Donald Novis of
Pasadena, Cal., were selected from among the
final participants as first prize winners. Each
received $5,000 in cash, a gold decoration, and
a two-year scholarship at a leading American
Conservatory.
Prizes were awarded to each of the other
men and women contestants as follows: ,
Second, $2,000 in cash and a one-year scholar-
ship, won by Miss Dove Irene Kilgore, 21 years
old, soprano, of Oakland, Cal., and Kenneth D.
Hines, 22 years old, tenor, of Buffalo.
Third, $1,000 in cash and a one-year scholar-
ship, won by Miss Anna Mae Chandler, 20 years
old, coloratura, of Fayetteville, Ark., and by
Wilfred A. Engleman, 24 years old, baritone, of
Detroit, Mich.
Fourth, $500 in cash, won by Miss Gladys
Morrison Ball, 22 years old, coloratura, of Kan-
sas City, Mo., and Patrick H. Wilson, Jr., 18
years old, baritone, of Galveston, Texas.
Fifth, $250 in cash, won by Miss Carmen
Rosell, 19 years old, soprano, of New Orleans,
La., and by Ernest P. Ferrata, 21 years old,
baritone, also of New Orleans.
The jury consisted of Mme. Louise Homer,
Metropolitan Opera contralto; Dr. Willem
r.
-
two companies, which were valued at the close
of last year at $116,000,000. The market value
of the securities of both companies as of Mon-
day of this week was in excess of $550,000,000,
those of the Radio Corporation having a market
value of $426,345,655, and of Victor $139,771,372.
The Radio Corp., which controls the National
Broadcasting .Co., R. C. A. Photophone, Inc.,
and is allied with the Radio-Keith-Orpheum
Corp., has been in close alliance with Victor
interests for several years, the latter company
being large distributors of R. C. A. radio re-
ceiving apparatus, and in turn making available
the services for broadcasting and for talking
pictures of many of the outstanding artists
under Victor contract.
It is reported that the financing plans for the
consolidation will provide for an exchange of
stock of the two concerns on a basis still to be
announced. In anticipation of this both radio
and Victor stock showed heavy gains on the
New York Stock Exchange during the current
week.
recitals and lectures on music appreciation and
the new Audio-graphic under the auspices of the
Aeolian Co. of Missouri. Mr. Colber gave
several recitals over radio station KNOX
and lectured on the new Audio-graphic in the
new music salon at Aeolian's. Invitations were
sent out by the Aeolian Co. to persons
in all parts of the city to hear Mr. Colber and
the project attracted considerable attention.
The Aeolian Co. also is formally in-
troducing the new Marie Antoinette organ to
the local trade this week. The company has
a special display in its new showrooms and the
new instruments are being viewed by a large
number of people.
Old Piano House Quits
To Enter Radio Field
Lehman Co., St. Louis, Will Take Up Whole-
sale and Retail Distribution After January 1,
Next
ST. LOUIS, MO., December 18.—The Lehman
Piano Co., one of the largest and best-known
piano dealers in the city, will begin the dis-
tribution of radios, wholesale and retail, exclu-
sively, shortly after the first of the year, it was
announced by Phil A. Lehman, president of
the company. The concern is now engaged in
the process of liquidating its piano business
preparatory to entering the radio field.
Mengelberg, conductor of the Philharmonic-
The company hopes, Mr. Lehman said, to
Symphony Orchestra; Giovanni Martinelli, dispose of the last of its pianos shortly after
tenor at the Metropolitan; Dr. T. Tertius Noble, the first of the year. While no agreement has
composer, organist and choir master at St. ?.s yet been entered into with any radio com-
Thomas's Episcopal church; Pierre V. R. Key, pany, Mr. Lehman said he had several leading
editor of the Musical Digest; Yeatman Griffith lines under consideration, and that the com-
and George Fergusson, New York singing pany would wholesale one of them, exclusively,
teachers.
although several will be retailed.
So evenly matched were the five girls' and
The present quarters of the company, at 1101
the five men's voices that the task of judging Olive street, in the heart of the business dis-
between them was difficult. To this fact the trict of the city, will be retained, Mr. Lehman
judges themselves testified in a statement given added. He said that the building will be easily
out at the conclusion of the singing after A. adapted to the radio business, and, due to its
Atwater Kent of Philadelphia, president of the location, it would be ideal for the new busi-
foundation, had expressed his thanks to those ness.
who had helped to make the contest successful.
"What impressed the judges," the statement
declared, "was the improvement in the general
excellence of voices, singing talent and prepara-
tion."
"The competition was extremely close, and
(Continued from page 3)
even the young people who were awarded prizes
No. 5 may fe*el that they achieved splendid organization during the year now closing. They
standards. All in all, the talent for 1928 was have thereby given the most tangible evidence
of their appreciation of the necessity to main-
manifestly superior to that of 1927."
Aside from the vast radio audience listening tain through efficient association work, the place
in over a network of twenty-nine stations, which rightly belongs to our industry in the
there was a small but distinguished musical industrial structure of our country. It is of the
group at the National Broadcasting Studios to utmost importance to all of us that this firm
hear the singing. The judges themselves were co-operation and cohesion be continued in the
deprived of the sight of the singers, listening to great struggle which is on between contending
the voices as they came to them in another and competing industries.
"It is a pleasure to note that the effective
chamber of the studio and mede their decisions
work of the Chamber is beginning to bear visi-
accordingly.
ble fruit, and I feel confident that as the realiza-
tion of this fact becomes more diffused and
widespread the support of the Chamber by our
trade will become even more liberal and in-
ST. LOUIS, MO.,. December 17.—During the past
week Fred Colber, nationally known Duo-Art clusive of all its members than at p r e s e n t -
artist, has been giving a series of comparative large as this is."
Music Chamber President
Reviews Year's Progress
Fred Golber in St. Louis
L^UTER
ESTABLISHED 1882
1
NEWARK, N. J
—-
ONE OF AMERICA'S FINE PIANOS
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GRANDS
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UPRIGHTS
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THE LAUTER-HUMANA
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