Broadcasting (July - Dec 1936)

BROADCAST DINKS arvd Broadcast Advertising* Vol. 11 No. 3 WASHINGTON, D. C, AUGUST 1, 1936 $3.00 A YEAR — 15c A COPY Radio Bears Brunt of Political Campaigns Major Parties Buy Network Time, Some Through Agencies; Spot Plans Pend; Avoiding Disruption of Schedules PARTY RADIO CHIEFS Hi Mr. Dolph Mr. Blackett Party Radio Headquarters WITH radio definitely scheduled to carry the brunt of the 1936 political campaign, the major parties were busy during the last fortnight perfecting their organizations, buying network time and laying plans for the most extensive commercial use of broadcasting stations and networks in the history of American radio. While party leaders for policy reasons were disposed to scoff publicly at the idea that they will spend as much as $1,000,000 each for radio time, the pace already being set indicates that this figure, which compares with approximately $500,000 each spent by the Democratic and Rei publican national committees in the 1932 campaign, more than likely errs on the side of conservatism when national, state and local time buying plans already under way are taken into consideration. The radio campaign rivalry of the Democrats and Republicans, so far as paid time is concerned, actually dates from July 23 when the combined networks carried the Landon notification ceremonies from Topeka — the last "time-giveaway" (except for the Knox notijfication on July 30) scheduled for politics. Thenceforth all political time went on a pay basis by mutual agreement, and with even the party leaders raising no objections. Stations generally, according to the reports reaching Broadcasting, were going along with the networks in charging regular commercial rates for political time, being under the legal injunction only that they must provide equal opportunity to the rival candidates and their spokesmen to use their facilities. There were a few exceptions to -his rule, but very few, and even WGN, the Chicago Tribune sta:ion, which in previous campaigns would not sell time but donated lit to the parties within certain program limits, has informed the Jarty radio directors that its time .vill be sold at card x*ates this year, though only if paid for in idvance and sponsored by the na:ional committees of the major parties. In a few instances, largey to discourage the disruption of Regular program schedules, stations have announced their intenion of charging premium rates to he politicians just as newspapers :harge higher rates for political advertising. As the situation sized up Aug. 1 : DEMOCRATIC radio headquarters were established in Democratic National Committee offices on the fourth floor of the Biltmore Hotel, New York, with Bob Berger in charge, while William B. Dolph, Democratic director of radio, operated from Washington where he is manager of WOL. With Burke Boyce, formerly continuity editor of NBC and now working on the WPA Federal Radio Workshop Project, engaged to help in program building, and with Stanley High, former NBC talks director who joined the Democratic committee as a general utility man last winter, assisting in program plans, the Democratic radio organization was more or less complete. There may be a few staff additions but there are no plans to open Chicago or West Coast offices, which means that all time will be bought out of New York. Republican radio headquarters were established last month at 80 Jackson Blvd., Chicago, with Hill Blackett, president of the BlackettSample-Hummert agency, as "public relations director" in charge of radio, billboards, magazines and other paid advertising media. In Chicago Mr. Blackett's aides are Tom Sabin, formerly an NBC salesman in Boston, who was Republican National Committee radio director until Mr. Blackett's appointment, and John W. Elwood, former NBC vice president. Sabin and Elwood were transferred from New York, where radio offices at 1 E. 57th St. have been closed down, while Ted Allen, another former NBC employe, was kept in New York as contact man there with offices in committee headquarters in the Liggett Bldg. at 41 E. 42d St. Mr. Allen will work with Joseph Martin, G.O.P. Eastern division campaign chief. Mr. Blackett also announced the appointment of Fred Kerman, of San Francisco, formerly publicity director of the Bank of America and later publicity chief of the Republican Western division, to work on his staff. More personnel is planned but organization was still under way as Broadcasting went to press. Both the American Liberty League, with headquarters in Washington, and the Union Party, with headquarters in Chicago, were contemplating radio time purchases but their plans are still nebulous. It was also anticipated that the Socialists and Communists would also ask for time cleai-ances according to their ability to buy, but up to a late hour they had not asked or secured any definite commitments. Agency Placements EAGER to save the 15c/( commissions ordinarily going to agencies handling radio accounts, the Republicans broached the subject of commission rebates on direct placements to both NBC and CBS at an informal hotel meeting in New York in mid-July attended by Mr. Blackett; Lenox R. Lohr, * NBC president; Edward Klauber, CBS executive vice president; Bruce Barton, chairman of Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn Inc., who is working with the Republican National Committee; William B. Benton, chairman of Benton & Bowles Inc.; Paul L. Cornell, president of Geyer-Cornell Inc.; Frederick C. Gamble, executive secretary of the AAAA, and others. Despite the fact that the 15% rebates were given both parties by the networks in the 1932 campaign, the proposal was met with a flat rejection by the network ex ecutives, who insisted upon agency placements if commissions are to be paid, leaving only the alternative that the political accounts would be placed direct. It was intimated that the Republicans might seek to place their time through various agencies, or even through big industrial concerns that regularly sponsor programs on the radio, and secure from them a "kickback" of the commissions, but this was regarded as rather unlikely. The first regular radio account placed by the Republicans, William Hard's Republican Reporter broadcasts five days weekly on the NBC-Blue Network, was placed direct but Republican Chairman John D. M. Hamilton's half-hour talk over the Yankee Network July 17, ending his New England tour, was placed through Dowd & Ostreicher, Boston. Agency Policy Undetermined MR. BLACKETT'S office told the Chicago correspondent of Broadcasting that agency policy had not yet been determined and it was made clear by Mr. Blackett himself in an official statement that BlackettSampleHummert would in no wise participate in any political business. On the Democratic side, most of the time thus far purchased has been placed through agencies, with U. S. Advertising Corp., William H. Rankin Co. and Metropolitan Advertising Co., all of New York, getting the business. The agencies have been informed by the networks that they must guarantee payments, but the Democratic radio division has declined either to give the agencies any guarantees or to put up any cash with them. Thus the general attitude of most agencies was to shy clear of political accounts in view of the risks involved, especially recalling that it took nearly four years for both the Republicans and the Democrats to clear up their radio debts carried over from the 1932 campaign. Campaign Budgets DEMOCRATIC radio headquarters, already committed to the purchase of around $70,000 worth of network time, not counting plans still in the formative stages for the use of transcriptions and local time for national speakers, estimated that its radio budget will run at least $750,000, and probably more. Republican headquarters declined to make any estimate, asserting it was impossible to calculate the division of appropriations as among BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising August 2, 1936 • Page 7