Sponsor (Nov 1946-Oct 1947)

SONGS BY SINATRA CBS. Wednesdays 9 9:30 pm est Program: Taking Frank Sinatra's third airing of the new season as a sample. Old Gold has hit the jackpot. Sinatra hasn't lust any of the appeal that has endeared linn to tin hobby soxers but he's added a touch of nostalgia without reaching for greyed temples. He turns over to the Pied Pipers songs that the listener wants to hear, but which in his style might be a bid for the kid trade. Sandra Gould serves as an ideal foil for the Sinatra "boy meets girl" interlude and Andre Previn. 16-yearold pianist, also fences with The Voice delightfully. It's given to Previn to lead Sinatra into reminiscence routine and that "s swell. It's okay for a 16-year-old to kid Frankie by tagging him "old man" and it's okay for Frankie to fake having been part of the "turn of the century." The half hour, despite its appeal which now runs the 16 to 60 span, passes like 10 minutes. It's that smooth. Two things were less than good on the program caught. First . a gagged routine that led into the Pied Pipers singing "Doing What Comes Naturally" went sour and was sour. Second, the orchestral interludes under the baton of Alex Stordahl were stage waits. Stordahl is neither hot nor sweet, smooth nor jump. He's been lost somewhere in between the old and the new Sinatra. That's a never never land. Commercial: There's a lesson in the way I. (imen and Mitchell, ad agency on the account, handles the selling on this program. Opening and closing are simply sponsor credits. The first advertising came at 6 minutes after the opening. It was handled smoothly by Martin Mueller, with an assist from Sinatra and without too much of an "artist plug." The second commercial is eased in at about 20 minutes and while there's plenty of selling, it mgs, and since it's in the middle of the program it isn't tuned out while the audience is waiting for the next airing. What has becoi hnoxious on the Red Barbel sportcasting becomes top advertising on this show. When Sinatra thinks something ■•'I it's a "treat instead of a treatment " When he signs oil lie asks his listeners to "Old Gold with us, next Wednesday " Credit the ad-handling on this tra show as beinj id as the program, which is very near tops Time: Wednesday night is set to be the battle ground for listening. Frankie is on, however, before the going gets too rough. His competition is Duffy's Tavern NBC which is nothing to sniff at, but which has yet to hit a top rating. Promotion: Sinatra usually breaks into the news somewhere or another. The agency's planned showcards. which presented F. S. as a happy family man with his wife and two children, had to be shelved for obvious reasons. CBS will do a little extra on the show this year since it also is in there battling for its share of Wednesday night listening. Credits: Mann Holiner produced for the agency, Lennen and Mitchell. Frank Wilson is credited with doing the scribbling. Marvin Mueller announces, and Alex Stordahl handles the musical responsibilities. LITTLE WOMEN KCMO, daily 5:45 6 pm, est Program: There isn't a single daytime 15 minutes on the networks which compares with the simplicity and honesty of this quarter hour conversationally spent with Martha Hull and her two daughters. Niki. age 8 and Joy, age 12. They kick around everything and everybody and do it with a zest that holds the ear. Daddy got the works on this episode. Commercial: The moppets do a grand ad lib selling job, without missing a sales point. Mother has to keep their commercials from going overboard every once in a while, which makes the kids' enthusiasm for the products more contagious. They can give Martin Block and Art Godfrey selling points. Time: There's nothing like Little Women <m the air. As a matter of fact it's a type of program that's without competition. However. Mutual has Tom Mix on KCKN with plenty of kid pull and Boh Trout (CBS hits the area on KMBC There's local news August Vogt onWDAFandon WREN Max Falkenstein Despite these four shows ., [., i,, .; js :, ^,„,tl -lot for this Monday-through-Friday children's quarter hour. There's a question, however, as to its logical audience. It listens better for adults than for kids. The 'atter may swing towards it as the little ladies get going with subjects on which the younger generation has ideas of its own. Promotion: Although this series only started on August 5th, it has built quickly. Front page readers two lines of copy at the bottom of newspaper front pages-, regular onecolumn-by-3-inch ads. and on-the-air bulletin board announcements, have been used frequently. The clients on their part use snipes on their billboards and window streamers. Credits: The program is a KCMO package. The material is ad-libbed by Martha Hull and her two daughters Niki and Joy, but it's transcribed so that questionable ' wordage doesn't get on the air. Freshnut Peanut Butter sponsors the program Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Arctic lee C ream on Tuesday and Thursday. Agency Beaumont & Hohman. TIME FOR TEENWTAG, Thursdays 4:30 .', /mi. est Program: The formula of this package is good. The program is broadcast from the teen shop of the sponsoring department store, Denholm & McKay. The features Teener's Bulletin Board, For Men Only. For Girls Only, Personality of the Week. Teen Problem Clinic, and the Miniature Drama enacted by boys and girls from the local high schools are all good teen draws. What's missing is ease. Nora Antoun. m.c carries a teacher quality in her voice and the entire session is too set. Even the musical selections lack bounce and while it's understandable that the department Store wouldn't want bobby s,,X' is tearing down the place, one solid swing number should tear the gloom from the atmosphere. Time: Four-thirty Thursday afternoon, at first flush, doesn't sound like good broadeast teen time. However since the broadcast naturally has to come from the store. such things as closing hours and other factors forced this choice. It permits time enough for the cast to arrive from school and have a run-through before going on mike. Competition is mostly soap operas and that means Time For Teens should get its audience. Commeicial: Like the program itself the selling was too stodgy. The teen-age girls were oh-so-correct m their choice of words of approbation. There wasn't a "super" in the car load. Again the formula was there but kids recognize, even quicker than adults, the false selling note Promotion: Iiie station, having its tie-up with the Worcester Telegram-Gazette, used advertising aplenty for the show. Courtesy announcements following shows with a teen-age following were employed frequently. Denholm & McKay used window and store cards generously, and the natural device of cards on the high 46 SPONSOR