WORLD'S FIRST ANNOUNCER

Evening Star, Issue 22328, 2 May 1936, Page 4

WORLD'S FIRST ANNOUNCER

NEARLY TWENTY YEARS' EXPERIENCE Probably llio only man who can claim announcing experience elating as tar back as 1907 is Eduard vou Scherz, who whs until oompiirativcly recently the chief announcer of Radio Budapest.

It will probably come as a surprise to many readers to learn that Budapest was tho first_ city in the world to own a broadcasting service. It was opened in 1893 On the payment of a small fee a man living m Budapest could be connected with the broadcasting system, much as he becomes a telephone subscriber to-day. Every halfhour lie could listen in on a head-phone to the latest news, and a few years later he was given relays from the Royal Hungarian Opera House and from other concert halls. In fact, right up till 1925 the Royal Opera House in Budapest was wired up with not less than 32 microphones for relaying operas to subscribers of tho telephonic newspaper, the ‘ Telefon Hirtnondo.” This first broadcasting system knew many announcers, hut the only one who has survived the march of time is Eduard von Scherz, now librarian of tho Hungarian Broadcasting Company. Born in' Budapest, that beautiful city on the Danube, two hours’ tram journey from Vienna, Presshurg to give it the German name, Bratislava to tho Czechs, and Poszhony to the Hungarians, Scherz learnt to speak languages as a child. His father was a wealthy landowner, and young Eduard was given an excellent education, learning French and German next to his native Hungarian. A honeymoon to tho Riviera and Monto Carlo was well within his means, but this was to prove disastrous. At Monte Carlo ho fell beneath the spell of the Casino, played till he had lost all his money; wrote home for more; used up all his fortune, and after what, no doubt, was a very hectic year, was .absolutely penniless. Young Eduard did not dare return home and live on the merciful bounty of his family; he was too ashamed. So he went straight to tho capital, Budapest, and looked for something to do. Luckily, he soon found a job as lecturer and public reader to tho Urania, a cultural society. From here it was but a step across the street to the ‘ Telefon Hirmondo,’ especially at the urgent request of a director in search of a good voice. His knowledge of French and German greatly helped. So from 1907 Eduard von Scherz was installed at the microphone of the Hungarian spoken newspaper, switching 1 on every half-hour, and reading the latest news, and in the evenings announcing the relays from the Royal Hungarian Opera House. To an interviewer who recently asked Herr Scherz what had been the greatest moment in his life as an announcer, he smiled and said that although his most strenuous moments had been the days in tho winter of 1911 or 1912 when a storm had blown down the wires of the telephone system (he and some workmen had themselves clambered up on to the roofs and repaired tho damage within a week, greatly to pleasant surprise of the directors), his greatest moment had been on a certain day of June. 1914. A friend of his living in Sarajevo had sent him news of the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince. In his excitement he had broadcast this news without waiting for verification. Officials from the Ministries, together with tho police, promptly called on Scherz, and he was questioned where ho had got .that news. If it were correct, well then he could expect high recognition, but if not . . . well, the deepest dungeon would not be deep enough for him. One hour of suspense followed until official confirmation arrived. And then—well, the world was bright and sunny and the ‘ Telefon Hirmondo ” had had tho greatest scoop in history. Scherz saw active service during the war to the very end, and then returned to the services of the “ Hirmondo,” where he was transferred to the bookkeeping department. But this was only until the advent of Hungarian wireless broadcasting in 1925. He was rediscovered for the microphone, and took over announcing again. His voice became famous again, and as Scherz baezi (“ uncle ” Scherz) he was the “ star ” of the children’s hour. Recently Herr Scherz had to undergo an operation on his throat, and unfortunately lost his voice. He was succeeded by a charming young girl, Miss Lily Filotaa. Such is the march of time. Son of a nobleman, wealthy, and then penniless, lecturer and reader, radio announcer in 1907. war. bookkeeper, wireless announcer and star of the children’s hour, an operation, and now, out of the public eye (or ear), librarian of the Hungarian Broadcasting Company. But there is one tiling which helps von Scherz over the tragic face of a lost voice—he still gets an average of 20 love-letters a day, as most listeners cannot, will not, or do not believe that “ Scherz baezi ” has left the microphone for good!