Radio showmanship (Sept 1940-May 1941)

LONG RUNS Time will tell! The stories of radio programs with a past. Gasoline WADHAMS' FOOTBALL BROADCASTS "Sponsored by Wadhams, as usual." This phrase tells the story of Wadhams Oil Company's twelve (12) years of football broadcasting. Since 1929, the Green Bay Packers and the University of Wisconsin gridiron games have been reported by Wadhams; in 1936, Marquette contests were added to the list. Ace sports announcer Russ Winnie probably holds the U. S. record for consecutive seasons of football broadcasting under the same sponsorship. Although no effort has been made to encourage mail, thousands of fans have written in expressing appreciation for the broadcasts. Extra promotions include an attractive football schedule produced each year, showing the dates of games played by the three teams and the stations which will carry the broadcasts. These schedules are distributed at all Wadhams' stations throughout Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Other promotions: A booklet showing pictures of Green Bay players with a short history about each offered on the broadcast without charge; from time to time a football used in a Packer game has been offered to the listener writing in from the farthest distance. A contest was staged revolving around the topic, "What I Look for in a Filling Station When \ Am on the Highway and in Need of (iasoline." AIR FAX: Broadcast Schedule: Saturday, Sunday, approximately, 2:00-4:30 P.M. and 1:00-3:30 P.M. /'receded By: (Wisconsin game) Bulletin Board: (Packer game) Hot Off the Gridiron. followed By: (Wisconsin >:.une) NBC show; (Packer game) Parade of the Years. Competition i (Wisconsin gam*) Music of Masters, Club Sixty; (Packer game) Bethlehem Church, Music for Sunday. Sptitmn: Wadhams Oil Co. si.,i„>„: NX IMJ, Milwaukee. Wis. (Basic station feeding ti\r otlu-r outlet* in Wisconsin and lippajl Michigan. ) Powmrt 5,ooo watts. I'opulj/mn: '>-H COMMENT: Tin lUOCCtl oi WADHAMfl Oti the in is bj no means unique. Parallel e\ amples can be found in every city, town, hamlet, in every possible place where football has captured the imagination of the American public. No other game can be so effectively dramatized on the air. Many sponsors like Wadhams started football broadcasts in the twenties and have gained the benefit of cumulative results over the years. By now, whenever listeners in the Wisconsin area think of football, they also think of Wadhams. Home Furnishings LES, THE YODELING BRONCBUSTER and COWBOY JAKE After Les and Jake had familiarized themselves to St. Louis listeners through their yodeling in Roy Shaffer's WEW hillbilly gang, astute sponsor Carson Furniture Company stepped in to solo them on alternate Sunday mornings. The boys are self-sufficient on the programs, playing their own guitar accompaniment and announcing their own selections. Evidently their melodizing brings profitable returns, for Les' and Jake's solo programs have been on the air consistently for four (4) years. Sponsor began using station WEW in 1937 with three quarter-hours daily. Present schedule consists of two and one-quarter hours time plus eight spot announcements. AIR FAX: Broadcast Schedule: Sunday, 8:00-8:15 A.M. Preceded By: Ave Maria Hour. Followed By: Popular recordings. Competition: Church of the Air, Highlights of the Bible. Sponsor: Carson Furniture Co. Station: WEW, St. Louis, Mo. Power: 1,000 watts. Population: 821,960. COMMENT: Psychologists have often pointed out that a friendly and well-liked personality on a radio program sets up a friendly reception for the sponsor's product. As the familiarity of that radio personality increases ovei a period of time, so proportionately increases his selling power on behalf of his sponsor. Beverages TEN PIN TIME What could be more natu ral than a refreshing bottle ot heer between rounds ot bowling? And so sponsor Hyde Park Breweries for the past three (3) years has sought to accomplish a double purpose: Sell the consumer on Hydi 1'\rk beer and create good will with bowling alle\ proprie tors. The method consists of two 20-minute programs ever} Sunda] one devoted to the bowling activities of the ladies, the other to the men. Result is threefold: (I) More pro 70 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP