Sponsor (Jan-June 1952)

SPONSOR SPEAKS Farm radio and the sponsor There are said to he about 1.100 radio stations in the I .S. which regularK broadcast programs designed for fanners. About one-third of these maintain farm departments headed in each case bj a farm director. The remarkable impact that farm programs and faun directors make on their audiences must he seen to be appreciated. ^ et onl) a relatively small percentage of national advertisers are really aware of the advertising opportunities that await them via farm radio. For this oversight, radio has only itself to blame. In contrast to national, regional, and statewide farm papers like the Prairie Farmer, rami Journal. \ebraska Farmer, Wallace's Farmer which have promoted and sold their space professionally, the farm radio sales and promotion effort has been sparse and spotty. How sparse was revealed in a comparison of farm paper and farm radio national advertising schedules undertaken recently bj SPONSOR (see page 2"> i . The farm papers carried scores of big campaigns by consumer and farm equipment advertisers beamed point-blank at farm markets; although stations like WDAY, \\\\\ \. Will. WLS, WHO. WLW, KRNT, WW I.. WOW and W (X'.O receive main a schedule because of their huge rural follow ings we could find few examples of consumer campaigns specificallj designed for the farm purchaser. This situation may be remedied to some extent during 1952. for the International Association of Radio Farm Directors heads its list of current objectives with the following: to give consumer as well as farm industry advertisers an understanding of the unusual values of farm radio. Sam Schneider, KVOO, Tulsa farm director and newly elected president of the IARFD, is convinced that such an understanding is long overdue. He hopes to stimulate the BAB and station reps into concerted action on behalf of advertising campaigns pinpointed at the farm audience. Probably the best way for an advertiser or agency to check the efficacy of farm market advertising, before starting his campaign, is to look in on some farm-type stations and talk to a few farm directors. You'll quickly note, via letters that daily flood such stations, that a deep sense of loyalty and appreciation permeates the rural listener. You'll deled a warm kinship with the listener's favorite station and its personalities. You'll hear the weather reports, numerous market reports (livestock markets, vegetable markets, butter and egg markets, grain markets, etc.), news reports that guides the farmer in his daily work. Watch the farm director at his daily chores and you'll discover he's the farmer's instructor, consultant I without pay), information clearing house, and friend. He's more than welcome at dinner wherever he chooses to stop. Since the farm radio is generally glued to one spot on the dial personal appearances of a farm station's talent are greeted with great enthusiasm and genuine affection. It has often been said that radio is the farmer's best friend. Farm radio may yet be many an unindoctrinated advertiser's best friend, too. A coffee, shoe, or automobile advertiser who finds merit in farm papers has every reason to become as specialized in his approach to radio. Either service programs or entertainment programs, as well as participations and other announcement types, are available on hundreds of stations programing to the fHrm. SPONSOR will gladly provide additional information on farm results and farm stations to interested readers. Applause When the freeze ends Agencies and advertisers aren't waiting for the freeze to end before planning theii oexl television moves. They are carefully charting the non-TV markets, one-station markets, multiple station markets in relation to their late'52 and '53 operations. Almost before we had our feet wet on the article that appears in this issue (When the Freeze Lifts: a report la sponsors, see pane 32) we received a call from J. Walter Thompson. They had caught wind of our project and wanted to know whether proofs would he available prior to publication date. Said an alert J. Walter Thompson timebuyer: "If you don't think there's breathless interest in this subject among big advertisers you're wrong as hell." While most observers doubt many stations will be on the air in 1952, progress may defy the pessimists. A handful of confident applicants have already bought and warehoused their transmitter and studio equipment: man) more have bought land for TV transmitter sites and planned studio facilities to accommodate the video stations. In the face of this optimism there are big question marks — notably the availability of transmitting towers in \ iew of steel priorities; the role of I HI-TV and its effect on the existing 15,000,000 or more TV receivers. From the advertiser's standpoint, the big facts to remember are these: | I | the FCC willing, there will be a "gold rush" during late '52 to get stations on the air, (2) the first stations to be granted and go on the air probably will be in such TV-less areas as Denver, Portland, Des Moines, Spokane, El Paso, Shreveport, and will give TV more of a truly national character, (3) TV set manufacturers and hopeful applicants are building a pent-up demand for TV sets that should result in converting present non-TV markets into sponsorable TV markets earlier than might be otherwise expected. Many advertisers (some prompted by their advertising agencies) are alert to this impending revolution in TV and preparing to turn it to their advantage. 84 SPONSOR