A Radio Day - 1927

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cArtie note: the column is faded a bit so a few words are missing but you can probably follow what he's saying. The writer doesn't have a byline but I'm guessing it's Charlie Defieux. I've deleted a boring part dealing with the Vancouver Radio club that he wrote about regularly, but have left in the Christmas Day programming, including local listings. In this era, the Province had better listings but no column.

Tuning In
[Vancouver Sun, Dec. 24, 1927, pg. 2]
It has been suggested that the writer give a peep behind the scenes in big broadcasting. The subject is a lengthy and interesting one. For the past six weeks, the writer has been on the staff of KOMO and is now back in Vancouver on leave of absence. Before presenting a few interesting facts concerning broadcasting as one by KOMO might it be said that the station is acknowledged as one of the finest in the country and operating in a highly systematic manner with a large staff
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Perhaps the most interesting way to handle the subject would be to describe a day at the studios located in the Cobb Building, Metropolitan Centre, Seattle.
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Mr. Birt Fisher, business manager, and a large office staff come down to work at 9 a.m. like everybody else. The most active place at the moment, however, is the program department. Here the announcer’s copy for the day is being double-checked before being placed on the announcer’s file in the main studio. That is soon completed and the department turns to its regular task of getting out programs five days in advance, These advance programs are complete, down to the actual numbers to be rendered by the artists and orchestra. The department is in charge of Montgomery Lanch [?] as general director and Grace Bridenstein. In the other business departments there is also a hum of activity with the start of the day. The accounting department and general office have plenty to do and too there is the mass of fan mail that comes in four times a day. This is all carefully read and filed and request numbers noted. Suggestions are carefully noted.
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Now let us turn to the main studio. The studio director has complete charge of broadcasting and is responsible for the manner in which programs go on the air. At a few minutes to ten the monitor operator takes his post and the announcer on duty makes his appearance. George Nelson and Bob Nichols are the announcers, the former being senior. They work on a three-day alternating schedule. The announcer and studio director bring the minister and orchestra into the main studio and promptly at 10 the devotions’ period begins. This is followed by the usual morning health exercises. The popularity of this feature can be seen when a letter was received from Innisfail, Alberta, asking that a chart be sent immediately as a listener there received the exercises every morning regularly.
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While on this point it might be said that announcers must be decidedly versatile. While they are not generally programmed to entertain it is often their lot for it is a rigid rule that there must be no waits on KOMO. It is only natural that occasionally the minister takes sick at the last minute and cannot appear and the Y.M.C.A. physical director has even known to be late. On such occasions Mr. Announcer steps into the breach without any ceremony and the schedule remaining unbroken.
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Following the exercises comes the usual morning broadcast of household hints, etc., by remote control and at 11 o’clock the studio staff comes into its own. The six-piece orchestra, if on the early shift, starts its day and soloists fill out the program. At noon, the relief announcer comes in and fills in for an hour. This period embraces the noon farm flashes so anxiously [line missing] announcer comes back on at 1 o’clock and so the program continues. Orchestra selections, solos by staff artists, instrumental solos by members of the orchestra and offerings by the Totem Novelty Trio, Totem Male Quartet, Totem Mixed Quartet and others. At 5 o’clock the day shift ends and there is a 15-minute silent period observed. Starting at 5:15 is the kiddies’ program which runs until 5:45. News flashes and market reports take another half hour and the work of the night staff begins in earnest. There is a new staff of artists ready to take up the work of entertainment.
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The chats generally take about three hours of broadcasting and is handled in the studio with uch detail. Sometime prior to the start of the network broadcast all announcers set stop watches together all along the chain. Two minutes prior to the starting time the local program is signed off and the connection with the chain is announced. Through the split second timing the listener is not forced to endure a wait. Prior to the program the time of the intermediate announcements has also been given to all announcers by the NBC and they are ready to give the station call and announcements on the words “please stand by.” Local announcements are limited to 30 seconds and are so timed to perfection. It might also interest listeners to know that should wire trouble develop on the network there would be no waits from KOMO. Staff artists are standing by at all times on remote control or network programs and not 15 seconds would be lost is something unforeseen develop. With the signing off of the network the audio and remote control programs round out the night until 12:30 midnight when the station sends out its cheery signing off message.
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In concluding just a hasty sketch of the day’s activities might the writer remind the radions that KOMO in the past 12 months has been on [broadcasting for] 1230 [?] hours, a world record. One-third of the time a concert orchestra, ranging from 7 to 12 pieces, has been broadcast. The station has also given every [unreadable] by the Pacific Coast Network. KOMO will have a [unreadable] and many treats have been arranged for the fans the [unreadable] special knowledge. The anniversary program will be well worth listening to.
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Many interesting things happen around the big broadcasting stations and the writer will endeavor to entertain on the subject at some later date, also telling something of the artists so well known on the air.
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KOIN will broadcast a municipal concert from the public auditorium from 3 to 4:30 Christmas afternoon.
Walter Kraugsgrill’s dance orchestra will be on the air from 9 to 10 o’clock tonight over KFRC.
From midnight to 1 a.m. KOMO will give a Christmas frolic of musical numbers.
“The First Christmas Story” presented from scripture with the most famous of Christmas carols as incidental music, will be broadcast from KFRC from 8 to 9 o’clock.
KGO artists will congregate before the microphone at 7 o’clock Christmas morning to utter felicitations in verse and music.
CFCT offers an organ recital of Christmas music for Christmas day, at 7 p.m.
Earl Grey’s Hotel Vancouver orchestra, in the Oval room, will broadcast over CFYC a program from 10:30 to 11:30 o’clock tonight, sponsored by Evans, Coleman and Evans, Ltd.
The Christmas Eve program at KFI will be opened at 7 p.m. by Edward Jardon, tenor, and Verne Arvey, concert pianist, with a group of Yuletide songs.
A sacred concert will be broadcast from KJR from 9 to 10 o’clock Christmas morning.
A two-hour program of program of dance music will be broadcast over the network from 10 to 12 o’clock tonight.
[Christmas Day programming, 1927]
CFCQ (410M)
1:30 to 2:30 p.m.—studio program
9:00 to 10:00 p.m.—Studio program
12:00 to 1:30 a.m.—Dance music
CJOR (291M)
11:00 to 12 a.m.—Church service
7:30 to 8:30 p.m.—Church service
9:00 to 10:00 p.m.—Organ recital
CFYC (410M)
10:00 to 11:00 a.m.—Bible talk and music
2:30 to 3:30 p.m.—Lectures and music
6:30 to 7:30 p.m.—Lectures and music
CKWX (410M)
4:30 to 5:30 p.m.—Concert orchestra
10:00 to 11:00 p.m.—Organ recital
CNRV (291M)
silent