March, 1930
25
P R E S T O-T I M E S
R A D I O
TO IMPROVE RADIO PROGRAMS
A petition lias been circulated in Grand Rapids,
Mich., among radio dealers in which the signers ask
that better radio programs be furnished, as proposed
in a drafted city ordinance. If radio programs do not
improve, it is because the listeners do not want
them improved to the extent that they will write a
letter. This seems to be the opinion of the majority
of program directors of the large stations and net-
works. Some of the most interesting programs on
the air have been suggested by listeners, while many
improvements have been made because some listener
suggested such a move. Artists and stations are
always exceedingly glad to get mail from listeners
regarding their programs. If the stations know what
listeners want it is always easier to give it to them.
R.C.A.-VICTOR EXPANSION PROGRAM.
An expansion program involving the expenditure of
more than $7,500,000 during 1930 is being undertaken
by the R.C.A.-Victor company. Edward E. Shumaker,
president of the company, made the announcement.
More than $5,500,000 of this sum will be spent for
tlie construction of a new building and mechanical
equipment which will be used for the manufacture
of radio parts. The factory will occupy the entire
square at Camden, with the exception of the plot
now covered by the R.C.A.-Victor executive offices.
In addition, $2,000,000 of equipment is being taken
to Camden from the General Electric and Westing-
house plants for use in radio production in the R.C.A.-
Victor plant.
SUES PHONOGRAPH COMPANIES.
David George, mountaineer of Gretna, Va., has
brought suit in the Federal Court at Camden, N. J.,
against the Victor Talking Co. and several other
phonograph companies to determine the authorship of
the poem "The Wreck of the Old 97," which Mr.
George contends he wrote twenty-six years ago, only
to have nearly every phonograph company in the
country record and market it as a song hit without
any profit to himself. ,The Victor company esserts
that G. W. Noel a*nd Fred Le Roy of Greensboro,
N. C, combined several poems similar to George's and
that the company purchased the recording rights to
this song.
MAJESTIC TRAINING SCHOOL.
'The Grigsby-Grunow Co, Chicago, manufacturers
of the Majestic radio, had over 2,000 of the company's
salesmen and dealers in attendance at its training
school for salesmen in Chicago from all parts of the
nation at the end of February. The school closed
on March 1. Among those from Greenville, Ohio,
were Samuel J. Knupp, Greenville dealer, and three
of his employes—George Downey, Jack Curtner and
Fred Deem. A feature of the large class' entertain-
ment was the banquet on Friday night, February 28.
RADIO COURSE AT MUSICAL COLLEGE.
A radio course is announced by the Chicago Musical
College, under the direction of Arch Bailey, veteran
artist, teacher and long affiliated with broadcasting.
The course includes microphone technique, studio be-
havior, tone amplitude versus vowel intensity, con-
sonant technique, vowel concepts, investing the tone
with the plastic color and accent, microphone reper-
toire and actual performance.
FONES BROS. TO DISTRIBUTE ZENITH.
The appointment of the Fones Bros. Hardware Co.
of Little Rock, Ark., as exclusive distributors of
Zenith radio in the entire state of Arkansas is an-
RCA-VICTOR FIFTY-STORY BUILDING.
nounced by W. C. Heaton, sales promotion manager
The RCA-Victor Company, Inc., has announced
of the Zenith Radio Corp. The Fones Bros. Co. has
been established in the hardware business since 1865 plans for its new skyscraper home, to rise fifty stories,
and are now engaged in the wholesale distribution of at the southwest corner of Lexington avenue and
Fifty-first street, New York. The building, which
hardware, furniture and radio, boasting of a splendid
dealer organization throughout the state. H. H. will be modified Gothic in style to harmonize with St.
Bartholomew's Church on the same block, will have
Tucker is president and J. R. Fones vice-president
of the company. The radio department is under the a tower surmounted by four stone figures symbolic
management of Paul Martin, Jr. It is expected that of the spirit of radio.
a wide distribution of Zenith products will result
CROSLEY RADIO CO. NINE YEARS OLD
with the addition of this excellent organization to the
Nine years ago on Washington's birthday Powell
Zenith distributor field.
Crosley, J r , stood looking out of a window in his
home studying on how expensive it was going to be
TEMPLE ASSETS SOLD AT AUCTION.
to get his son the latest toy, a radio. It was then
For the second time within a week the assets of the he conceived an idea that led to the establishment
'Temple Radio Corp. were sold at auction on February of one of the leading companies making receivers and
14 in United States District Court at Chicago. The price operating broadcasting stations.
was $276,750. At the same time Federal Judge Lind-
ley fined Addison Brown, former vice-president of
SPECHT AND THE MAJESTIC
the bankrupt company. $1,000 for contempt of court
Paul Specht lias been in New England recently
for failure to make good on his bid of $310,000 made
with his New Fngland Majestic Orchestra. The
the preceding week. A $2,000 bond which Brown
Majestic radio was shown in connection with the
had posted was also ordered forfeited. The firm of performances. Specht's famous radio band appeared
Tauber Sc Winternetz were the new buyers.
on the stage of the Metropolitan Theater in Boston
when Paul Specht and his original orchestra arrived
MAY SIGNAL MOON BY RADIO.
there for one week.
Kxtremely short radio waves, ten meters or less in
MAJESTIC HOUR FEATURES WIMBROW.
length, may provide a possible means of sending a
signal to the moon. Dr. A. Hoyt Taylor, chief of the
Dale Wimbrow, popular radio and recording artist,
radio division of the naval research laboratory at whose interpretations of Negro character songs i?
Washington, D. C , has suggested that the experi- invariably the high-light of any program on which he
ment be made. Not all the astronomers believe that appears, was the featured guest artist on the Majestic
the moon is a dead planet, while the craziest of the Hour of February 16, presented over the international
novelists believe that the inhabitants of the moon are network of the Columbia Broadcasting System.
of a much higher type than human beings; that their
civilization is without wars, jails or crooks.
RADIO BOOMING IN SOUTH AMERICA.
Carlos de Dominicis, member of the firm of H. J.
MAJESTIC OFFERS NEW MODEL.
Chilibroste & Co., distributors of Crosley radio sets
Every Majestic radio receiver is now equipped with in the Argentine, says South America has been given
the new Majestic Coloratura Dynamic Speaker. The a radio boom this year as a result of the action of the
new 1930 Majestic Prosperity Models give the color- Argentine government in taking over control of broad-
casting.
ful tone that is built into every Majestic.
WHEN
IN
DOUBT
RADIO RECEIVING SETS
RADIO PARTS
RADIO—PHONOGRAPHS
SELLING OFF THE SURPLUS RADIO.
Radio manufacturers have probably been making
stronger efforts to get rid of their surplus "stock"
than piano manufacturers or any others in the musical
instrument line. For instance, for the past two or
three weeks Mandel Bros., Chicago, have been send-
ing out imploring letters, one of which states that
"down in Indiana there is a radio factory—a factory
that makes as fine a radio as I have ever heard. This
factory was just a little too ambitious, and made too
many of these fine machines. As a result we secured
a limited number of Star-Raider radios which we are
able to ofrer at the price of an ordinary radio."
RADIO WANTS BILLION-DOLLAR TRADE.
The live hundred leaders of the radio business who
met in Cleveland, Ohio, last month as the fourth
annual convention of the National Federation of Radio
Associations, declared they were making plans to put
themselves in the billion-dollar class in 1930 for the
first time. Last year the radio business amounted to
$850,000,000 and this year will see it in the $1,000,000,-
000 class, H. G. Erstrom, executive secretary of the
federation, predicted.
The Earl Model 41.
Mandel Brothers' department store, Chicago, an-
nounces: "Model 41 Earl radio, famous for its mar-
velous tone and selectivity, in a beautiful walnut fin-
ish cabinet remarkably priced, $112.50. And what's
more, this radio is guaranteed by Mandel Brothers,
known for seventy-five years of faithful service to the
public."
RADIO NOTES
The Mercoid Corp., makers of electrical apparatus,
has leased the building at 4201 Belmont avenue, Chi-
cago, from the All-American Mohawk Corp. The les-
sors are concentrating the manufacture of their radio
in an eastern plant.
There are now some twenty-five steamers provided
with short-wave radio equipment, some in transoceanic
service and others employed on coastwise routes.
Television sets capable of being attached to any
receiver will soon be on the market for less than $100,
a radio expert predicts.
The police radio station at Youngstown, Ohio, is
scheduled to go on the air at the last of March.
R. C. Pollock of Middle Point, Ohio, and John Ash-
baugh, of Van Wert, Ohio, have opened a store in
Van Wert under the name Radio Electric Service.
An elaborate wireless station, alleged by state
authorities to have been the nerve-center of a large
rum-running ring, was seized by Nassau county police
at In wood, L. I., on February 13.
Another large industry for Toledo, Ohio, was seen
in the announcement recently of the incorporation of
the Save Lamp Co., with capital of 250 shares of no
par value common stock, to manufacture and deal in
radios, radio tubes, incandescent lamps, wire, ma-
chinery, tools and factory equipment.
Walter Pierce, of Pierce Radio Shop, Evanston, 111.,
was unanimously elected president of the Midwest
Radio Trades Association at the recent meeting of
the board of directors. He succeeds Harry Alter, of
Chicago, who had been president since last June.
The Williams Radio Store at 40 West Ninth street,
Anderson, Ind., is making a special display of Philco
radio sets. Robert Williams is proprietor.
Dr. J. H. Rogers, pioneer inventor in under-water
radio communication, aged 79 years, died at Hyatts-
ville, Md., December 12.
Floyd Mattice, attorney, was appointed receiver on
January 21 for the Nite and Day Radio Service, Inc.,
605 North Illinois street, Indianapolis, by Judge James
M. Leathers of the Superior Court.
REFER
TO
Presto Buyers' Guide
1930 EDITION NOW IN PREPARATION
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