Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1964)

SPONSOR WEEK Broadcaster Predicts Congressional Curb on Spots WHP'S Sansbury tells AWRT audience that "bad apples" will spark congressional action Philadelphia — Blaming the "bad apples in the industry basicet," Cecil M. Sansbury. executive vice president of WHP Harrisburg, Pa., foresees the day when Congress will move in and set limitations on how many commercials a station can air similar to those in NAB's Radio and Tv Codes. Sansbury declared that the Rogers Bill, aimed at prohibiting the FCC from restricting or limiting commercials, was no "real manifestation of love and affection from the Congress. I personally consider this just another instance where Congress suddenly decided that a regulatory agency had gone too far and was in fact getting into a sacred province of the lawmakers," he added in his keynote speech before the mid-eastern conference of the American Women in Radio and Television. Citing the wide difference of opinion as to the proper legal function of regulatory agencies, the FCC in particular, Sansbury declared: "Suffice it to say, the end result has been a great deal of confusion as to not only the real authority of the FCC, but the intent of the commission in many, many areas. And we might add that judging from the frequent dissents there is a division in the thinking of the seven august commissioners. Sansbury cited a case in point. "If you think everything is black and white," he said, "consider this situation: Radio station A says in its renewal application it will run 900 spot announcements per week; station B says it will run 2000. Now, supposing that three years later station A admits it ran 1000 spots, 100 more than promised, while station B did as promised, running 2000 spots. In the eyes of the commission, station A is in trouble by the 'promise versus performance' yardstick, even though it still was 50 percent under station B. The broadcaster continued: "Now, how would you jind, ladies of the jury? Would you penalize station A for being a bit more successful than anticipated, holding up its license? Or would you finally decide that the real offender was Elizabeth Bain, AWRT national president, congratulates Cecil Sansbury, executive vice president of WHP-AM-FM-TV Harrisburg, Pa., keynote speaker at AWRT's recent mid-eastern area conference. Pictured, from left, are Patti Sealright, area vice president; Marion Granger, conference chairman, WIBF Jenkintown, Pa.; Miss Bain; Sansbury; Doris Graham, "Tv Guide" and president of AWRT's Philadelphia chapter. Station B, a radio facility guilty of ovcrcommercializing." With the Rogers Bill preventing the FCC from calling the 2000 spot station on the carpet, Sansbury said, "and with the 'promise versus performance' requirement, it goes without saying that station A alone will be nailed. But, considering the premise of operating in the public interest, which decision would be right?" Sansbury said that his "hunch is that one of these days there will be guidelines for commercials, specific limitations a la the NAB Radio and Television Codes, and not voluntary either, but rather via a bill passed by Congress and the request of the commission. Why? Simply because there are just enough bad apples in the industry basket to justify, to the commission, such absolute controls." i New Sales Forecast Tool Is Based on Predictions Washington, D. C. — Lessons learned in forecasting election winners via the computer have been applied by C-E-I-R, Inc., to development of a new sales and profit forecasting technique for use by the D.C. -based research company's clients. According to C-E-I-R, the new "method permits companies to forecast more accurately sales, both by product and by regions, several months, and in some instances, years, in advance." The firm also notes that profits, to the extent they are dependent on sales may also be projected through the technique. It was also pointed out that fluctuations in the economy as a whole are taken into account by the technique, and that forecasts made by the technique have "surpassed previous methods in accuracy by as much as 100 percent in some cases. A major benefit cited is that the new system enables sales executives to discern very early sales territories and product lines that are slipping and need corrective action. 20 SPONSOR