Radio showmanship (Sept 1940-May 1941)

Influential in U. S. banking developments the past 18 years is Allen C. Knowles, executive vice president-general manager of Cleveland's South Side Federal Savings & Loan Assn. To initiates, the savings and loan industry has undergone a marked progressive change, especially in the last decade. Depression brought out in bold relief the pitfalls of the industry. New vehicles to prevent recurrence were born: Federal Home Loan Bank System, Federal Savings and Loan System, Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation. Assisting in planning their practical operation, Knowles commuted frequently to Washington, gave special attention to the machinery of the Federal Savings and Loan System. He's a member of the Committee of Federal Housing Administration, United States Savings and Loan League, and editor of the radio section of the Financial Advertisers Association Bulletin. for optimum results. Dramatized spot announcements are coming into greater use daily. These utilize the voices of two or three people in a very brief sketch illustrating the need for the service offered, and showing how the advertiser fills the need. This same idea has been carried over into short programs, five minutes or more in length. A successful five-minute program actually builds an audience, but to do so it must be presented at fixed times to create a dialing habit. And a good degree of artistry is required in the writing, to make the program attractive. Another very popular and effective fiveminute program idea among financial advertisers is the talk or interview. Either may be institutional or pointed toward specific results. The interview is especially good where the testimonial type of advertising is effective. I he talk works best where the audience must be informed or educated in a direct manner. Here, it possible, rlie program should be built around a personality, preferably an officer of flu sponsoring institution. October 23, 1939, I have been on the air tor im bank, the South Side Federal Sa\ i in ( !o. here in Cleveland on Station Wilk with a pro-ram called Act tin Desk Chat. It\ a live minute, daily inti mate chat dealing with the human angle o\ the hank's lervices. The title is no misnomer, I broadcast In means of remote control from m\ ofln e .if the hank. I tell how a moil gage loan made it possible for the head of a family to keep his home, how a young man was enabled to get a college education through one of the bank's loan plans, how the bank performs many similar valuable services in the community. Because the talks are built around the bank's services, I omit all commercial material as such. Black and white facts prove the success of this policy. Since the bank has used radio, our total resources have increased one million dollars; in a highly competitive market, we have made two and one-half millions in mortgage loans ; opened a thousand new savings accounts; and taken in a million dollars in savings. In the broader program field new possibilities are being revealed every day. News broadcasts, today commanding the greatest audiences in radio history, have proven excellent for financial advertisers because of the splendid commercial tie-in possibilities. An intrepid trust company in New York City has decided to experiment, and has gone into the radio sports field. First reports indicate the experiment is clicking. Music, which in one form or another has universal appeal, is being used in a number of interesting ways, A neighborhood bank, located in a section of a large citv where the population is predominantly Polish, presents a halt hour program of popular Polish music. 138 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP