Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1946)

Five-point system evolved for W Fit's Roger W. Clipp by radio management consultant, Paul F. Peter, includes (1) type (commercial or sustaining); (2) source (netzvork, recorded, wire, local-live); (3) time and length; (4) content (music, drama, speech, variety, news, sports and special events), and (5) intent (entertainment, educational, religious, agricultural, civic interest and government). Roger W. Clipp Program Audit Report to the Nation by PAUL F|PETER, frailer % Peter, Radio Marya^emer^t Cot^sultants WITH radio stations across the country striving to achieve program balance, WFIL and WFIL-FM, Philadelphia, Pa., are among the few that can readily determine the current balance of their programs, and thus maintain such a balance on a day-to-day basis. The secret of this ready answer to a usually perplexing research problem lies in a concise and comprehensive program analysis and audit system that requires only part of one employee's time. 1 he history of the system dates back to March 6, 1946, when Roger W. Clipp, general manager of the stations, decided it was time that something was done to furnish a radio station with cuirent reports that wotdd reveal the balance of its programs, as to commercial and sustaining; as to network, recorded, and locally }:)roduced; as to music, drama, speech, sports, etc., and as to entertainment, education, religious, agriculttiral, civic, and governmental. Mr. (^lipp (onsultcd the writer on tliat date, and on the following day he laid l)efore the radio (onsuhanl firm of FraziER 'k Peter the problem of evolving such an analysis system to be operated with minimum personnel. The subject was not new to the writer, who studied it as research director for the National Broadcasting Company in 1930. At that time, the assignment of network program analysis had been the first of such efforts in American radio. Unknown to Mr. Clipp or the writer, the FCC Public Sei~vice Responsibility of Broadcast Licensees report, dated March 7, was to be made available at the FCC Press Room March 8. This coincidence is mentioned because it is important to understand that the so-called Blue Book recjuirements did not motivate Mr. Clipp's action to do something about program analysis. Rather, it was his own foresight in recognizing one of radio's most pressing needs. /\\ immediate analysis of the program ()}3eration of \\ FIL and \\TIL-FM was latinched. At the same time, a thorough clarification of radio definitions was required to set up specific classifications that would be of use in maintaining program analysis records. Ihus, Type became the classification that woidd cover whether a program was sustaining or commercial, whether a spot announcement was conmiercial or noncommercial. Source, was selected to determine whether programs were network, 346 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP