U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1960)

SRA Single-Rate Policy Brings Industry Reaction Negro Radio Assosiation To Engage in Research RAB Study Shows How Radio Reaches Building Supply Market Plymouth, Valiant to Get First 52-Week Radio Schedule KYA to Try New Commercial Format, Will Report to Industry U. S. Station Records Powers Trial on Moscow Radio Signal Station Representatives Association is hard at work evaluating heavy response it received to single-rate proclamation. Many stations stated they intend to switch to the single rate, while others explained the success they have had with the one-rate policy. Still others defended dual standard. Because of the problems involved in changing from a double to single standard, many operators asked the SRA for advice (see Optimism Grows for Fourth Quarter, p. 21). Members of the recently organized Negro Radio Association are drawing up plans designed to focus more advertiser and agency attention on the multi-million dollar Negro market. The 29 charter radio station members of the trade association indicated that the group will engage in research and gather statistics and other facts about the market for use by members. Francis Fitzgerald, WGIV Charlotte, N.C., who was elected chairman of the board of directors, explains that membership in the association is open to all stations engaged primarily in progiamming to Negro people. Advertisers and station representatives will be eligible for association memberships. A study of the building supply industry conducted by the Radio Adveitising Bureau reveals that farmers, who are heavy radio listeners, account for 14 percent of annual sales in the kmiber and building supply field. To support its claim for radio's effectiveness in reaching this market, the RAB report states that four out of five farm families listen to radio on an average day, and spend 26 hours and 40 minutes with radio during an average week. The report, aimed at building-supply dealers, also points to the potential of the suburban market and says that radio reaches 72 percent more suburban families on the average day than metropolitan newspapers. Competition among Detroit's auto makers, tough going into the new model season, may become tougher through the model year. N. W. Ayer & Son, Philadelphia, is setting up a 52-W'eek radio schedule, the client's first, for the Plymouth and Valiant divisions of Chrysler Corp. The compact Valiant will get a 50-50 share of the schedule. The agency says it wants to make maximum use of radio's persuasive characteristics to produce a hard-selling campaign. Chief among them, the agency says, is the emotional impact that the dramatic delivery of the human voice can have vipon a listener. In a move to embrace what it considers to be the most proper commercial practices, KYA San Francisco reports it has adopted a new 16point jarogiam. Beginning September 15, the station says it will fix these policies: One sales message between musical selections; a maximum of 18 commercial units hourly (14 minutes, two lO's, two 30's or 20's) ; 20-minute protection; no per inquiry, percentage or barter business; no "call right now" continuity, among other items. Effective December 15, station will also go to one rate card. Results of program will be reported to industry. A glimpse of radio's globe-circling ability was given last month during the Powers trial in Moscow. WBT Charlotte reports it taped the MoscowRadio broadcast of the trial, and ran portions the following day. A Radio Liberation news staffer heard WBT's broadcast and asked to borrow^ the station's tape. He explained that Radio Liberation's receiving monitors in New York were unable to tape the trial at the time of the Moscow broadcast. U. S. RADIO September 1960