Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1949)

Record Details:

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SPONSOR'S BREAD AIR FAX: Disc jockey show with a couple of ingenious twists in commercial announcements sells a lot of bread for baking company sponsor. First Broadcast: September 2, 1947 Broadcast Schedule: Mondav through Friday, 4:30 to 5 P. M. Preceded by: "Hint Hunt" Followed by: "School of the Air" Sponsor: Adams Baking Company Station: WPAY, Portsmouth, Ohio Power: 250 watts Population: 40,466 A musical platter show served up by a nimble "head waiter" disc jockey is selling greater quantities of bread for its sponsor, the Adams Baking Company. Setting for the broadcast is the "1400 Club" aired over WPAY in Portsmouth, Ohio, Monday through Friday from 4:30 to 5 P. M. Sponsored by the Adams Baking Company^ since September, 1947, as only a fifteen minute segment of the musical show aimed at teen-agers, the sponsor found sales climbing so that in November of 1947 they purchased the entire halfhour of the show. When the sponsor first bought the "1400 Club" they were just a little doubtful about how successful results would be. Since inception of sponsorship, however, they could not be more pleased. Their Pan Dandy Bread is chalking up an admirable sales record with increases steadily mounting. Pan Dandy Bread is the only product ever advertised on the show and it has been proved that the teen-age youngsters are the listening audience who carry the advertising message to the family kitchen and to the thrift and quality seeking homemaker. Commercial messages used on'the "1400 Club" are unique. They are part of the formula which makes this dish of entertainment such a treat for sponsor and listener alike. It all began when WPAY's "1400 Club" tried to think up an advertising stunt unusual enough to stir up some more participation among its teen-age audience. Bill Dawson, "head waiter," disc man, created the stunt that grew to such gigantic and promotionworthy proportions. He started out simply, by letting one of the members of the studio audience — which usually numbers around fifty teen-agers each day — read a commercial message on the program. 8. Originally, teen-agers read prepared commercials by the Continuity Department at WPAY. This was later changed and the members themselves submitted continuity written by themselves for station approval. The accepted continuity was then aired by the person who scripted it. This, undoubtedly, has caused more participation by the members than any other single thing. As the situation developed, the kids in the audience began fighting "tooth and nail" for the honor of reading the commercial announcements. The stunt ran into an advantageous detour when the teen-agers who belonged to the "1400 Club" began writing commercials themselves. Competition mounted and Pan Dandy Bread sales increased. 18 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP