Radio Digest (June 1932-Mar 1933)

28 Broadcasting from The Editor's Chair K EVAMP. "You are sitting on top of the world NOW; but Old Debbil Depression is gwine get you just the same as it has everyone else," counseled a Midwestern editor to some high executives of one of the chief broadcasting chains a few months ago. They may not have paid this outsider's comment much attention. But his prediction has come true. They may remember he said further, "you will have to go into the advertising field in direct competition with the printed publications — and do some real selling." That time has come. Time on the air usually is booked for many months in advance. At the end of May one chain didn't have a single account in sight for August. What can be done about it? For one thing, program production can be taken out of its present chaotic condition. Broadcasting is a mechanical job. Advertising is a merchandising job operating through all publicity mediums. The Program, which is a show, should also be considered as a highly specialized job in itself. At present it seems to be a side line both for broadcasting and the advertising agencies. Let us have programs produced by specially created program production corporations. Let us have great periodicals of the air — daily, weekly, monthly. Suppose we have a company to produce The Homecircle Weekly, "issued" every Wednesday from 7 to 11 P. M. The broadcaster sells a franchise on that period to a well financed corporation for a long period of years, say ten to fifty years. The Homecircle Weekly Production company has a top notch staff to mould that four hours into a perfect entity with proper balance and unity from end to end. At well considered interludes would come appropriate "pages" for advertising lines. But the "copy" would conform to The Homecircle standards. Advertisers would have the service and facilities of the production company talent and direction. Credit and Trade names could be introduced without detracting from dominating features. IT IS POSSIBLE TO TAKE THE BORE OUT OF BLURBS. Entertainment for the Homecircle would have something for each member of the family, and no repetitions. When Dad's period ended he would hear about tobacco or shaving cream. Mother would hear about those breakfast foods after her section ; Sister the cosmetics and Bud the athletic goods. PERHAPS as the Homecircle Production company prospered it would branch out into other productions, and negotiate other blocks of time on the Coastocoast System— certain types of production to interest certain classes of our great public. At any rate, this thought might be one helpful step toward keeping the advertiser interested, because first you must make sure you have your listener. Getting the listener's ear requires a highly specialized technique — and the very best of them do not always succeed. It is no job for amateur producers even if they do carry a pot of gold to spend on talent. While the majority of listeners have come to understand that advertising with programs is absolutely essential, there are some who find ready ways and means of venting their spleen against it. They seem to feel, and sometimes actually argue, that inasmuch as they have spent money for a receiver they are by that investment entitled to have all their programs free. It is useless to point out to them that they have bought an instrument for a price — value for value; or that it would be as logical to expect the phonograph record makers to supply free copies of all their records to every owner of a phonograph. One man wrote to a New York newspaper recently that he made it a point not to buy any product that he heard advertised on the air, in spite of the fact that he enjoyed listening to the programs until the advertising came in. Of course this pernicious type is a rare specimen or we would not have any of the fine programs (even with credits) for which America is famous throughout all the other nations of the world. Reasonable and inoffensive advertising certainly does produce astounding results. With experts to produce good entertainment and control the advertising blurbs radio broadcasters will quickly find their way out of the troubled waters and Old Debbil Depression will have to go scratch himself so far as they are concerned. 8 there all over following 1ISTENERS VOTE. On the morning of June appeared on the front pages of newspapers •^ the United States an article of which the leading paragraph in the New York Times was typical: Des Moines, Iowa, June 7. — Senator Smith W. Brookhart, running for renomination for the Senate in yesterday's Republican primary, appeared tonight to have been decisively defeated by Henry Field, 61 -year-old seed merchant of Shenandoah. You Gentlemen of Congress, there is your answer. You who have been pushing radio around as your political plaything should give the matter heed. Mr. Field is unequivocally and distinctly the radio listeners' candidate. Henry Field is owner, manager, and chief announcer of Station KFNF, Shenandoah. Furthermore, he enjoys the distinction of brazenly using his station to advertise the goods he has to sell. Four years after he installed KFNF his annual turnover jumped from $600,000 to $2,500,000. And if you think people don't like his selling on the air how do you account for that?. He now conducts a big mail order business and broadcasts prices. "Why, that's the most important part of my story," he tells interviewers. "The price is the climax. It's what they all want to hear. What would a mail order catalog be without publishing its prices for goods?" He has had all kinds of advice on how to run his station. He has been told how terrible it is to brag about his bargains in prunes and overalls. Desperate efforts have been made to try and force him to see reason. But he stuck right to the job of giving his listeners the kind of broadcasting he knew they wanted, and somehow or other he has managed to keep on going. You may infer he wouldn't rate so high in a big city. But don't be too sure. Humans are only human wherever they are and Field's appeal is something below the surface of jingo and jazz. The teeming millions love sincerity in their leaders, whether it be a Henry Field or a Calvin Coolidge. Look out for your listener back home, Mr. Congressman, he's a touchy fellow. Be careful he doesn't put you with Mr. Brookhart — on the outside looking in. Ray Bill <k :©