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About three years ago, Roy Queen, the Lone Singer, decided that he wasn’t quite satisfied with life in Ironton, Missouri and wanted things to happen. He took a couple of bicycle tires and traded them for a 22 rifle but found that wasn’t quite what he wanted.

Then he traded the rifle for a guitar and his young career began to bud. Of course he didn’t know one string from another nor did he know how to tune it but he did have courage and that of his convictions. He walked three miles to a neighbor’s house through the snow to get him to tune the instrument and then trudged merrily home.

Unfortunately, on the route home, the guitar got out of tune and he was no further along than before. But he set to work to master it and basing his inspiration on his knowledge learned from his mother’s playing an organ when he was a youngster, he learned to play. He learned to sing the songs that his mother had taught him and then he came to KMOX for an audition.

His singing of the plaintive Western laments and hillbilly songs was so effective that he was immediately given a job and he has been there since March 1930. He is now heard on the Early Morning Farm Folks Hour and the weekly County Fair.

Roy has black, curly hair, regular features and is about five feet six inches in height. He is very quiet and apparently unconscious of the fact that he is the object of devotion of feminine admirers. He is twenty years old. His fan mail comes from all over the United States and requests for his favorite song “I Can’t Give Up My Rough and Rowdy Ways” pour in every day. That is the song that he sang for his first audition and that is the primary reason for his preferring it.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 4/1/1933).

Kenneth Crank, one of WIL’s engineers, has taken up golfing. Oh, what an array of clubs!

Now Neil Norman, announcer, will be able to tell Ken just how to play, because Neil is about six lessons ahead. At any rate we are expecting these two to team up and some day win a trophy cup for WIL’s new Penthouse Club.

The Penthouse is cool – big, comfortable chairs and soft rugs make it an ideal place to lounge.

Frank Menges, the cello player, is an excellent painter and plans are being made for Frank to paint a large picture to adorn the walls of this new club.

Even the chief engineer, Chal Stoup and Kenneth Crank are installing a short wave set in the club. Every day something new is planned and executed to make it the pleasant gathering place for the WIL family – I guess I should say “staff,” but it is more like one big family directed by the friendly hand of L.A. Benson, the President of the Missouri Broadcasting Corporation.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 1/27/1932).

By Catherine Snodgrass
“Radio announcers!” What an interesting title. When one hears the suave or peppy voice of a radio announcer, he oft-times wonders just what the owner of the voice is like; so I’m going to give you a little personal insight into the life of WIL’s announcers.

Let us begin with Neil Norman, Program Director. Neil’s full name is Neil Norman Trousdale. He is of medium height, has brown hair, which is inclined to wave, and an every ready smile.

He is the third generation in his family to follow the stage. He not only played leading parts but has enjoyed the privilege of directing his own shows. His mother is still an actress of note on Broadway. He is a talented musician and while conducting an orchestra and acting as Master of Ceremonies in a theatre in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1924, he was offered a job as an announcer, but he turned it down, considering radio a big toy. Four years later he was convinced of the possibilities of radio for entertainment and expressive purposes and accepted a position as announcer at Billings, Montana. He was connected with KSL in Salt Lake City and WMT in Waterloo, Iowa, before coming to WIL.

Neil is very versatile and has a keen sense of fitting the right program at the right hour. He also has a pleasing personality which enables him to handle auditions with the greatest of ease. Neil’s favorite diversion is golf. His chief reason for not playing the game is, “I can’t find a punk enough player to make the game interesting.”

When I asked George Wood about himself, his answer was, “Oh, I am just WIL’s oldest announcer.” Don’t be misled by that statement. George wasn’t referring to his age. He was referring to his length of service at the station. He was with WIL for three years serving as announcer and program director. Then he was seized with a case of wanderlust and nothing would do buy George must see the radio world in other cities, so he left the staff and traveled through Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Kansas and Washington, D.C., inspecting radio stations and doing announcing. He returned to WIL last Fall as announcer.

Before being seized by the radio bug, George saw service in France in the World War. He entered the business field as a newspaper reporter, then editor. Later ambition made him a newspaper owner. This meant he sold advertising, was reporter, printer, distributor and owner all in one – some job.

George came into the radio fold as a singer on KGFJ, then went to KOIL as publicity director and just dropped in on the announcing game. He continued with KOIL until he came to St Louis and finally to WIL.

And now for WIL’s Junior Announcers:
Some three years ago a tall blond boy answering to the name of Russ Walker ambled into the studios of KMOX to listen to a friend broadcast. After the program, in which the friend had acted as announcer for the “Lions’ Club of St. Louis” the visitor exclaimed “Gee, you sounded great. I’d be scared to death if I had to do that!” Subsequent events proved that he was right. He did announce the program the following day and was quite properly scared. It all happened when his friend, Homer Combs, had to drop his announcing duties to accept a teaching position at a county high school and named Russ as his substitute. Russ was allowed to finish the series of broadcasts for the Lions’ Club, and following this was offered a place on the staff at KMOX.

After four months as a staff announcer he heard the call of the great open spaces of Illinois and went to Springfield, Illinois, as Chief Announcer of WCBS. From there he jumped to the windy city as announcer and jack of all studio trades at WBBM, a Columbia outlet, Chicago. He has had the honor of announcing both Paul Whiteman and Ben Bernie’s Orchestra on the network.

Russ returned to St. Louis and was associated with WIL in 1931 but decided to take a whirl at selling for a while, and acted as district representative for a manufacturing concern. He’s now back in the fold at WIL.

His diversion from the hectic atmosphere of radio is tennis. He and his partner won the doubles championship at one of the CMTC Camps once upon a time! Enjoys all sports and is an admirer of C. C. Petersen, the billiard wizard, but would rather be caught watching the ball pass down the sideline than anything else. Russ grinned when asked his age and tossed his hair back from his forehead with “Oh I’m twenty five but no fair asking any more questions and the size of my shoes is an absolute secret.” Well, that’s all the info I could get from him, but I do know he’s a six foot one and one-half athlete and not married.

Hugh Howard, the latest addition to the WIL staff of announcers is still in his early twenties. Until coming to the station, Howard was a radio columnist for RAE and his pert criticisms caused considerable comment.

The Wolverine State, Michigan, was the scene of his first radio work. The show-world also attracted him while a resident of that state and he found himself for some time a unit manager for the Butterfield Michigan Theatres, Inc., who operate over 100 theatres in that district. Hugh was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, March 13, 19—but that would be telling.

Baseball and canoeing monopolize his sport enthusiasm and his pet passions are program production and Walter Winchelling.

Howard took an active part in the Radio Players’ Guild of this city and portrayed important roles in many of the Guild’s productions. He is an earnest worker with a good voice and really enjoys his hours of broadcasting.

Now for that announcer extraordinary – Dave Parks, who is known to the radio audience as “The Old Reporter.” His real name is David Pasternak. It used to be that only girls changed their names but now radio announcers have that privilege. Dave was born in St. Louis slightly less than twenty-five years ago, and attended public schools of this city and Washington University. After leaving school and up to the time he joined the staff of WIL last August, Dave was engaged in the advertising business. He entered radio as the first “Inquiring Reporter” on any radio station.

For the past four months he has been handling sports at WIL, and in doing so has returned to a “first love” for sports writing. He thoroughly enjoys every sport and enjoys discussing the merits of the players.

While in the advertising business, Dave used his evenings in writing and producing musical shows for private organizations.. He did considerable writing of lyrics for Milton Slosser at the Ambassador. He possesses a keen sense of rhythm and a fondness for good music. He was a member of a college dance band for five years and also worked one season in Vaudeville. Dave says his chief enthusiasms are writing lyrics and eating at night. The last “sport” seems to be the universal failing of all. When asked about girls Dave blushed to the roots of his very curly hair and said, “Oh, I am a confirmed bachelor,” and he really doesn’t like girls unless they are blondes, redheads or brunettes.

His favorite sport to play or watch is basketball. His chief ambition in life is to write something that other people will enjoy reading. Here’s trusting that  someday we’ll see “Dave Parks’” name on a popular seller.

Now that I have given you the so-called lowdown on WIL’s announcers, I am sure you will agree with me that they are human, likeable young men with high ideals, enjoying their work and endeavoring to furnish high class entertainment and joy to their listening audience.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 7/8/1933).
 

Rev. Chas. T. Corcoran, S.J., is the new director of Radio Station WEW, St. Louis University, succeeding Rev. Thurber M. Smith, who was recently appointed assistant dean of the Graduate School.

The new director is carrying out the enlarged program initiated by Father Smith at the beginning of the year, and he is trying to maintain the same high standard.

In pursuance of this policy, plans are now under way, under the direction of professor Walter von Kalinowski, to eliminate jazz and to cater exclusively to listeners who have a taste or desire for the best in music.

Another point of the present policy is to emphasize educational features. Since radio entertainment is sufficiently provided by other stations, it will be the aim of WEW to devote itself more and more, as circumstances permit, to popular education. With this in view Fr. Corcoran is endeavoring to enlist the cooperation of faculty members in inaugurating a University faculty hour which will be devoted exclusively to talks by various instructors. Several of the departments have already given to this project their hearty cooperation, and others, no doubt will join them.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 1/16/1932).

The “real” pioneers of radio – those people who used to fall asleep with a pair of ear phones clamped to their heads – will remember those early days  and a station answering to the call letters – if that’s what they were – 9YK, before Department of Commerce officials assigned the letters now familiar to most radio listeners.

For quite some time prior to 1921, WEW was experimenting in radio transmission, the outcome of these experiments being the present station. The period of experiment might be termed the “pre-historic” period of WEW’s existence, inasmuch as officials have chosen to date its official life from April 26, 1921, when the station inaugurated the first regular broadcasts it presented at regular, stated periods, twice a day. These reports are still being broadcast and have been for the twelve years of its history. Incidentally, the time for these releases has not changed in the twelve years except in one detail – the night broadcasts were discontinued because the station’s present license allows only daytime transmission.

Contemporary reports of this inaugural program are interesting, if not amazing, in the light of present day radio reception. A reporter for the Belleville Advocate stated in a news story of the reception in Belleville: “Eventually the government hopes that wireless receiving sets will be established in the farm houses of the land so wireless communications may be established throughout the country.” Recent census reports have indicated that the “hopes” have been realized far beyond the expectations of the most optimistic prophets of that time.

Scattered reports on reception indicated that an almost identical procedure was followed in each of the receiving points. First there was a distinct whistle; then the whistle changed to a “cat concert,” presumably of the back fence variety. Rumbling noises followed with occasional outbursts of staccato, sharp interruptions, after which a human voice became audible. Quoting again from a newspaper account of this epoch making broadcast: “Whoever did that talking had some voice and knew how to make even a prosaic weather report sound real impressive.” This was the first official weather report sent out over radio in the United States, and Rev. William H. Robison, S.J., President of St. Louis University at that time was the one who read the report. The words may be likened, by comparing later developments, to the shot fired at Fort Sumpter [sic] which was “heard ‘round the world.”

The years slipped by speedily, with WEW constantly keeping abreast of the developments as each was introduced. Still under the science division of the University, the radio station became a vehicle for experiment by members of the meteorological department, notably Brother George E. Rueppel, S.J., who more than any other single person, is responsible for the progress of WEW from the weak, dot-dash transmitter into the present modern, telephone broadcasting with an enviable record for fulfilling its purpose – existing for the “interest, convenience and necessity of the public.”

In November of 1926, a new transmitter was installed and was universally acclaimed as one of the most efficient transmitting stations in the country. A short time later, the transmitter and studios were relocated – this time in the Law School of St. Louis University, its present location.

During the middle of the year of 1932, a comprehensive expansion program was begun, shortly after the appointment of Rev. Charles T. Corcoran, S.J., as director of the station. From that time until the present day, the expansion plans were carried out slowly but effectively, and the result has been the attainment of an enviable reputation among radio listeners in St. Louis and the surrounding territory.

WEW is perhaps the only non-commercial station broadcasting regular entertainment features during most of the time its license allows. This fact, in itself, has caused much comment among people who have appreciated the efforts made by the station without capital or material aid from advertising sponsors.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 5/6/1933).

William H. West, who resigned last week as Director of Operations of KMOX, has become General Manager of station KSD. The station is undergoing a period of expansion and reorganization and Mr. West is in charge of all operations.

Mr. West was appointed Director of KMOX last year by Nelson Darragh, president of the Voice of St. Louis and he has been with the station since it was first organized in 1925. He came to St. Louis from Springfield and is one of the best examples of youth at the helm of radio.

He was associated with Colin B. Kennedy in radio work and then came to St. Louis as Chief Operator.

Mr. West was influential in the obtaining of 50,000 watt power for KMOX and actively engaged in the selection of equipment.

(Originally published in Radio and Records 2/11/1933).