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The Radio industry in St. Louis has received more impetus by reason of the Radio Show than it could possibly have received in any other way.

It has been no secret that the Radio business in St. Louis has lagged, and while there have been many attempts to analyze the reason, no one seems to have been able to explain this lagging situation, but everyone intimately associated in the Radio business has already recognized the enthusiasm that has been brought about by reason of the Show.

Of course, we are all anticipating an even greater interest with the approaching opening of the new Super-Broadcast station, “The Voice of St. Louis,” and with this addition to the several excellent stations already in operation, there should be no lack of thoroughly satisfactory programs available to the St. Louis trade territory.

It may not be generally known that the St. Louis Radio Trades Association, who promoted and sponsored the Radio Show, also sponsored and promoted this new Super-Broadcast station.

The station proper will be located at Manchester and Denny Roads, Kirkwood, Mo., and the Studio will temporarily be located at the Mayfair Hotel, 8th and St. Charles, but will be permanently located in the New Ambassador Building when completed.

The ground was broken for the station on last Saturday, October 10th, and it is expected to have the station in operation by about December 15th.

Some idea of the magnitude of this development may be gained from the fact the construction and first year’s operation represents an outlay of $150,000.00.

Mr. Thomas P. Convey is the man behind the gun on both the Radio Show and the new station, and it is due entirely to his untiring aggressiveness and energy that he has been able to consolidate the Radio interests of St. Louis as he has done during the past few months.

(Originally published in The Radio Dealer 10/15/1925).

Have you ever wondered as to the personality of WCK, when her voice, smooth and velvety as honey, comes “out of nowhere into the here” of your living room, club room or office, or wherever your radio set may be?

The radio station, WCK, Stix Baer & Fuller of St. Louis, is ever a popular one in Divernon (Illinois) and last Tuesday through the courtesy of Alva B. Jefferis, the editor had the privilege of visiting Station WCK while broadcasting was in progress at the noon hour, and meeting Miss Hatfield, the announcer, whose calm pleasant tones are identified by thousands of invisible listeners as “WCK.”

She’s just a slip of a girl, with an unconscious poise which makes her a perfect mistress of the broadcasting studio of Stix Baer & Fuller.

Opening the glass doors and pushing aside the heavy blue rep curtains with which the studio is enclosed, and rendered more sound proof, Miss Hatfield divested herself of coat and hat, greeted the performers who were to give the noon program, and conferred tactfully with would-be radio artists. Also some shoppers who had wandered into the studio, were gently escorted into the corridor and the glass doors closed upon them. Then the brief “If you are ready?” to Mr. Jefferis who was to open the program with a group of saxophone melodies, Miss Hatfield touched a button which connected that blue draped studio with the universe, struck a gong, approached the microphone, and with a pleasant “Hello folks” to the world in general  the broadcasting of the noon program was on.

Except for the little microphone on its pedestal, there was nothing to betray the onlooker that Mr. Jefferis was playing to the world at large. The studio, aside from its drapings from ceiling to floor with blue rep, contained a grand piano, a few comfortable chairs, and a small table for Miss Hatfield’s convenience. The microphone which looked for all the world like a seven-inch motometer standing on a pedestal, was about six feet from the musicians, and Miss Hatfield approached it not too intimately when speaking in a normal tone of voice. While giving the stock markets and the news of the day, Miss Hatfield was seated. For the announcement of the musical numbers, she sauntered over and simply leaned toward the instrument for the few sentences she wished to say.
From the broadcasting studio on the fourth floor, the program is telephoned to the transmitting set on the twelfth floor, from which point it goes out to the world in general. Our party was guided to the twelfth floor, and there crowded into a corner by various tanks, levers  and machinery pertaining to the elevator system, was the wonderful instrument which connects you and me with all the desirable things which Stix Baer and Fuller see fit to broadcast every day. I wish I could describe it to you, but I can’t. One doesn’t try to explain a miracle. But I can tell the feminine readers just what Miss Hatfield wore! She had on a long-sleeved dress of black velvet with a “fence-row” band of dull black on the slightly full skirt, a string of pearls around her neck and a bar pin at the throat. She wore beige hose with suede shoes of a darker shade, with buttoned straps and military heels, and her hair was bobbed – rather long, and marcelled.

Broadcasting is an old story to Mr. Jefferis. He and his pianist mulled over a pile of music on the piano, choosing this, rejecting that, and finally pulled out something they had never seen, and opened the program with that.

Mr. Jefferis signed a contract that day to play from WCK from 3 to 9 o’clock on Monday evenings, from March 3 to May 1. The performance will be broadcasted as a Freed Elsemann program, yet Mr. Jefferis, with (garbled) members of his orchestra whom he may select, will direct the music.

(Originally published in the Divernon (Illinois) News  2/27/1925)

The following editorial appeared in the St. Louis Times October 28th [1929] and their praise of WIL efforts is appreciated:

“Children and the Radio

“Have you ever tuned in on the Saturday morning programs of Station WIL in which children of the St. Louis grade schools are the guest artists? The artistic ability of our youthful home talent will undoubtedly prove a revelation.

“The programs are conducted each Saturday morning beginning at 11:30, under the auspices of the St. Louis Police Department, and are possessed of value other than vehicles of entertainment. The plan originated several years ago with the unselfish enterprise and civic vision of Patrolman Richard L. Palmer who still acts as master of ceremonies. He voluntarily gave liberally of his time and effort to properly organize the school children for this purpose, and the results were so successful that Chief Gerk, quick to realize the full value of the undertaking, officially ordered the programs to be continued.

“Foremost among the benefits of this splendid activity are a truer and closer understanding and friendship between the school children and the members of the police force, with a resultant spirit of cooperation, and a marked increase in interest and improvement on the part of the grade school pupils in their musical and literary endeavor. Loyal, law-abiding, beneficial citizenship in the rising generation must inevitably spring from such effort.

“Enthusiastic commendation is due Chief Gerk, Patrolman Palmer. Station WIL and all others identified with the movement for the public service they are rendering and the results they are attaining.” 

(WIL Newsletter 11/15/1929)

Baseball fans comprise what percentage of the radio audience? That is the question Radio Station WIL is trying to determine at this time, and the early replies will be surprising to many who are of the opinion that a large majority is prevalent in the radio audience. Out of the first one hundred and four letters received at the station commenting on the baseball situation, only five request the play-by-play in preference to a musical program – a percentage of approximately 5.01 per cent.

WIL is now broadcasting a musical program in the afternoons during the time that other local stations are on the air with play-by-play descriptions. It is interesting to read some excerpts from the letters now on file.

“Please play us music in the afternoon. We are not all baseball dizzy.”

“Your musical program is an antidote for baseball. By all means continue your musical program and keep part of the population of St. Louis sane for a period of two or three hours in the afternoon.”

In checking the results of the new policy to broadcast musical programs during the baseball games, WIL has found that radio dealers find that the musical demonstration of radios is much better than the baseball broadcasts, it was said.

(WIL Newsletter 5/3/1929)

The Summer Season coming again opens the WIL Roof Garden for the convenience of the many visitors who visit the Station from day to day.

The lighting system is being arranged, and all the porch furniture has been decorated with a new coat of paint.

Last year the roof garden proved a very popular spot in St. Louis because visitors to the Friendly Station could be comfortably seated far above the noise and heat of the city streets and enjoy the musical entertainment from the studios.

The fact that there is no charge and nothing to sell, but that the service was merely another courtesy of WIL, has been appreciated by the friends of the station.

(WIL Newsletter 4/19/1929)

KXOK’s Field Car is now equipped with the new radio telephone, enabling KXOK to give listeners faster and greater coverage of spot news and special features. With the radio telephone, the Field Car can keep in constant communications with the studio from any point in the St. Louis area.

KXOK is the first station in the St. Louis area to add both the field car and the radio telephone to its already considerable facilities. The Field Car, a new station wagon, is also being equipped with portable and wire recorders and additional power sources to enable field coverage of programs of interest to listeners. At some future date it is probable that a mobile transmitter will be added.

KXOK established a precedent in the field of radio broadcasting three months ago during the coverage of a spectacular million-dollar warehouse fire. Bruce Barrington, KXOK news editor repeated over the air a report by radio telephone of an on-the-spot description of the fire. This aroused so much favorable comment that KXOK lost no time in securing the service of a radio telephone available 24 hours daily to the station.

(Originally published in KXOK newsletter 4/1947).