Sponsor (1956)

^\ SPONSOR-SCOPE continued 12 Radio time salesmen complain they are getting a blank response from young timehuyers when they talk about the rejuvenation of radio and new techniques for buying it. The salesmen have this explanation: The youngsters came into the business with the television era: they think it's tough enough to conquer the intricacies of that medium without having to master what they consider ancient history, too. Bristol-Myers is going right ahead with its plan to sponsor the News on the Hour series on NBC Radio, starting 14 January. Don Frost, Bristol-Myers products ad manager, told SPONSOR-SCOPE that, as far as he knew, nothing had developed to snag the buy of 4,420 five-minute news periods. After the deal was disclosed, the Station Reps Association complained about the news plan as "further invasion on the part of NBC of affiliated stations' time periods at cut-rate prices — and this at a time when radio sales are showing excellent gains, especially in the national spot field." NBC itself says it doesn't expeet any particular problem in delivering an ample number of markets when the B-M contract takes effect. Net annual take from it would be over $2-million. CBS Radio this week chalked up another $600,000 in new business. Grant Laboratories bought five 7^2 minute daytime periods, starting in February, to promote its fabric cleaners — Wooliene and M-aliene. Pepsi Cola believes that if you're spending $300,000 on a one-time spectacular it's smart to toss in another $25,000 for promotion of the show. That's the ballyhoo budget Pepsi has set aside for Cinderella, which clears over NBC 31 March. Shulton is the co-sponsor. The beverage manufacturer probably will use only half the commercial time (eight minutes) allotted to it, because of its policy of making 'em short and sweet. Its most effective commercial (film) is Polly Bergen in a 30-second stint. It's been a pretty big year for some of the medium-sized agencies, McCann-Erickson notwithstanding. Among the notables are Ted Bates ($7-million from Colgate); Grant (a chunk of Plymouth as well as Dodge, with three one-hour shows on ABC); SSCB (Block Drug); Leo Burnett (Marlboro); and Grey (see page 27 ). NBC, for the first time, expressed this week its apprehension over the flood of feature films coming from the major Hollywood studios. Robert W. Sarnoff, NBC president, made this apprehension a high point of his remarks to NBC affiliates gathered in Miami to join the network in celebrating its 30th anniversary. On the features theme Sarnoff made these comments: • The intensive use of feature programing may be a "short road with a dead end" — a road that in two or three years could find tv "surrendering" itself to Hollywood interests. • The enormous pressures created by the features' "invasion" might lead affiliates temporaril) t<> a "displacement" of network programing. • NBC chooses to move into an entirely different direction: (1) more programing created for the medium itself, with emphasis on color; (2) forging ahead stronger than ever with color and (3) introducing a broad and rich program of educational tv. For other news coverage in this issue, see Newsmaker of the Week, page 5; New and Renew, page 63; Spot Buys, page 64; News and Idea Wrap-up, page 72; Washington Week, page 85; SPONSOR Hears, page 88; and Tv and Radio Newsmakers, page 92. SPONSOR • 15 DECEMBER 1956