Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1964)

FRIDA.Y AT 5 Nielsen Sample Reduces Youth Factor Just as Do-or-Die Ratings Appear Chicago — More tv-watching children aged 6 to 17 may be "seeing" without being heard from. Reason: Nielsen is revising its national sample (heretofore somewhat youth heavy) just as today's (Monday's) critical ratings appear. Pros informally agree today's listing will play hefty role in determining surviving programs this season, new series for next. Observers predict a close race. Sample-shuffling — a gradual process that goes on for some time and should be "reasonably complete" by the end of 1965 — should equate any extra advantage scored by shows appealing primarily to youngsters. This season's neck-and-nccking between NBC-TV and ABC-TV has raised question of audience age (as well as size) more than once. It should also remove whatever ratings handicap the non-children's program has suffered. Most important is the over-all intent: to achieve a more precisely constructed sample. That's fully in keeping with the Broadcast Rating Council's objectives. Says its executive head. Dr. Kenneth Baker: Nielsen has a stable sample, )| 'but no sample can stay the same. Will NAB Ease Ban On Personal Products? Washington — There's a chance that the NAB Code's frown on the air selling of such products as Preparation H may relax into a smile. A study subcommittee of the Code met in Denver last week to discuss whether some products in previously "delicate" areas might be accepted, in commercial form, by Code subscribers provided those commercials met the general standards of good taste. Although the report of the subcommittee is still under wraps, it could represent a step forward for a number of manufacturers whose products like the hygiene group are "acceptable" for print ads but not for broadcast media. It also forecasts possible new sources of [billings in the broadcast area. unchanged. A sample normally rotates because families drop out, move away or just get 'fed up'." He points out that age, itself, is a continually shifting factor (currently "on way down toward younger side"). "To be representative," Dr. Baker asserts, "a rating service has got to keep changing its sample." The Nielsen sample-shuffling is, actually, just one of a series. Initially, it was sparked by Washington's Harris Committee hearings in 1963, when Nielsen's sample appeared to include more older people than U.S. Census figures indicate is true of over-all population breakdown. To correct that, Nielsen mixed in more families with children. Then, last week (Wednesday), Nielsen's executive vice president Henry Rahmel announced his firm has been revising its sample again — "to eliminate substantial bias" in favor of families with 6 to 17-year-olds. In short they probably overcorrected the first time. U.S. Census Bureau reports number of tv homes with children in that age span is 27,050,000 — or 51 percent of all tv-equipped homes. (The October Nielsen included 58.3 percent of such homes.) Government data indicates the remaining 49 percent of tv homes do not include such children. (October Nielsen included 41.7 percent "childless" homes.) Straightening out discrepancy is "important factor," says Mel Goldberg, research chief for Blair station rep firm and former NAB research director. Major problem is highly technical one — "to find the right families." Goldberg explains importance of today's Nielsen: It's the first after elections, thereby omitting political coverage that necessarily was included earlier this fall. Eliminating such non-normal political programing (and viewing) will, in effect, perform same feat that the sample-change is intended to — refine another element of the survey and thereby hopefully deliver greater accuracy. New Radio Network Aims at Taxi Riders New York — Advertisers may soon have a new mobile captive-audience radio medium in which to place spot ads. It's the Red Carpet Network, of which sportscaster Connie Desmond is executive director, and it has picked as its audience target the 1.5 million taxi passengers daily in New York, with expansion plans blueprinted for other cities like Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Here's how the system will work: In New York, Red Carpet will use an FM subcarrier of WEVD, an existing independent, and hopes to use the call letters WCAB. Cabs — there are more than 12,000 in New York — will be equipped with a single-channel transistorized FM receiver pretuned to the multiplexed frequency Cab operators will receive a gratuity of $2 monthly for the installation. Program service planned is for a 22-hours-daily potpourri of background music, public service and traffic spots, police messages, and the like. Commercials will be sold as radio minutes, for an estimated $50 apiece, with National Time Sales acting as rep. Red Carpet Network hopes to tap a number of ad revenue sources for its operation not particularly active in radio such as hotels, amusements, restaurants, department and specialty stores, guided tours, expositions, etc., in addition to regular national, regional and local clients. Manoff Gains Tussy New York — Lehn & Fink's $1.1 million ad budget for its Tussy cosmetic division will be handled by Richard K. Manoff as of Feb. 28, 1965. The Tussy account, currently held by the Kudner Agency, has been using spot advertising, as well as magazines. "The Tussy account involves a tremendous number of products (about 500) and may take some time to analyze," says Manoff spokesman. Manoff already handles Lehn & Fink's Stri-dex Div., a $750,000 account, mostly in network tv. The acquisition of Tussy marks Manoff's second new account last week — the other being the $500,000 Ronrico Puerto Rican rum account. Manoff now bills about $13.5 million, about $11 million in broadcast. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE Dtcembar 7, 1964