Broadcasting (July - Dec 1938)

Exploitation Idea Acquires Sponsors, Publicity at WOPI Food, Auto and Radio Exhibit Proves a Big Success W. A. WILSON General Manager WOPI, Bristol, Tenn. TO PROVIDE something equally interesting and attractive for the fall season, WOPI from Oct. 10 to 15 held the first of what it plans as an annual Food, Auto and Radio show. From the results obtained both for the partici-sponsors and station, it is my belief that many stations in different sections of the United States and Canada will find that such a show not only produces additional revenue but is the means, through wide and favorable publicity, of lur. wnson arousing great interest in and increasing the popularity of the station with all elements in the community. Already several of the merchants who participated have bought time on the station, and others who have not used radio before to any great extent, closed for regular advertising. Under a 150x60-foot tent, rented especially for the occasion, WOPI provided approximately 25 booths, which were used by the participating concerns. These booths were sold for $50, decorated, and $35 undecorated. This chare-e was in addition to the $40 required of the 25 local firms for participation. Ticket Distribution For this participating consideration, WOPI furnished each sponsor with 1,000 tickets weekly, window card displays and three spots weekly over a period of ei°rht weeks. Except on the last night, admission to the show was free of charge upon presentation of tickets obtained from the stores of any of the exhibitors upon the purchase of 50c or more. Each day during the Fair a complete description of the booths and contents were given over the air in addition to music bv a prominent orchestra. On the last nieht of the show a big jamboree was held, the highlight of which was the drawing of the winner of the Chevrolet sedan. GETTING DOWN TO RADIO CASES Central States Employes Dissect Organization And Offer Some Valuable Suggestions TO STUDY and discuss concrete cases and problems connected with the operation of the Central States Broadcasting System, more than 75 members of the staff of KFAB, KOIL and KFOR met in the Omaha general offices of the system for a four-hour clinic in latter October. The clinic was the brain child of Don Searle, CSBS general manager, and Frank Pellegrin, sales manager. With offices and studios located in Omaha and Lincoln, and complete staffs in both cities, Searle and Pellegrin decided to get the two groups together for a conference. The CSBS Clinic developed out of that idea. Staff members in every department were notified several weeks in advance, and department group leaders appointed. Announcers, engineers, salesmen, continuity writers, producers, were told they would have a chance to give constructive criticisms of their department or any other department in the organization ; that they would be given the opportunity to tell what they thought was good and what was bad about themselves or about their fellow workers. When Don Searle called the clinic to order at 2 p. m. Oct. 23, every KFAB, KOIL and KFOR staff member not needed to keep the three stations on the air was in attendance. Guest Experts In his opening remarks, Mr. Searle stressed that the clinic was an experiment. The introductory session included an explanation of the clinic idea; an introduction of "guest experts": Gene Katz and Lowell Jackson of The Katz Agency (CSBS national representatives) ; Don Davis, manager of WHB, Kansas City; Craig Lawrence, commercial manager of KSO-KRNT, Des Moines, and Herb Hollister, manager of KANS, Wichita. The group split into departmental meetings, as follows: Sales clinic, Frank Pellegrin, sales manager, cha rman; engineers' clinic, Mark Bullock, chairman; continuity and service clinic, Jud Woods, Lincoln manager, chairman; announcers' clinic, Earl Williams, chairman; program and traffic clinic, Jim Douglass, program director, chairman; news clinic, Bruce Wallace, chairman; general office clinic, Paul Dodd, chairman. EXCHANGING views at dinner during the recent Central State Broadcasting System's Radio Clinic, held in the Omaha offices of CSBS, are (1 to r) Don Davis, manager of WHB, Kansas City; Gene Katz, The Katz Agency, New York, and Craig Lawrence, commercial manager, KRNT, KSO, Des Moines, Clinic "guest experts". Each group held a general disr cussion of subjects important to that group and then suggestions for the general betterment of other departments were given. A secretary was appointed for each departmental clinic and complete notes kept on everything discussed. For example, the Sales Clinic, under the direction of Frank Pellegrin, had an attendance of 17 salesmen and all the "guest" experts. Pellegrin opened the clinic with a general statement of sales aims and then each salesperson was given five minutes to offer suggestions for the betterment of the department— discuss sales problems and have his say about how other CSBS departments could cooperate for a better, smoother-running system. Guest experts took part in the discussion, and complete notes were kept on every point brought out. At a general meeting the chairman of each group presented a report. For example, the sales clinic report cited specific sales problems, made recommendations for better cooperation between the sales and program departments; "aired" special sales gripes and formulated new sales policies along certain lines. Gene Katz, Lowell Jackson, Herb Hollister, Don Davis and Craig Lawrence offered suggestions. A banquet wound up the clinic. Mr. Searle presided and introduced Frank Throop, president of the board of directors of the Central States Broadcasting System. Complete written reports from each departmental clinic chairman will contain full details of every subject discussed. Another followup will be a meeting of departmental chairmen to develop ideas. in a novel way, a barrel containing the admission stubs was emptied and four persons selected from the audience drew four tickets each. These 16 tickets were mounted on a large wheel which was spun and shot at while in motion bv a member of the local rifle range. The person whose name apneared on the back of the ticket he struck was the winner of the Chevrolet. To station managers interested in further details required in working out this effective exploitation, I shall be happy to answer all inquiries. PARAMOUNT Pictures, Hollywood, has bought film rights to "The Moral Code", radio play written hv Irving Reis and Maxwell Shane. The play was written for the Edward G. Robinson Big Town program, sponsored on CBS by Lever Bros. Grid Forecasts on 8 HARRY MARTIN ENTERPRISES, Chicago, announces the sale of two 15-minute programs weekly featuring football forecasts by Jimmie Evans on KIRO KRLC KF AM WCFL WLAC WAPI WDNC WMBH. During the six weeks, the forecasts have been 85.5% correct, according to Mr. Martin. Sponsors of the programs are Hemrich Brewing Co., KIRO; Weyerhauser Lumber Co., KRLC; St. Cloud Brewing Co., KFAM; Erie Clothing Co., WCFL; General Electric Supply Corp., WLAC; Crosley Radio, WAPI; Pure Oil Co., WDNC; Zenith Distributors, WMBH. Football schedules and forecast sheets are distributed as a merchandising tie-in. Nutrena to Use 10 NUTRENA MILLS, Kansas City, Kan. (live stock and poultry feeds), on Feb. 15, 1939, will begin a thrice-weekly quarter-hour disc program titled Trail Blazers on 10 stations west of the Mississippi. Simonds & Simonds, Chicago, is agency. Booth Places Series BOOTH FISHERIES Corp., Chicago (fish and sea foods), has started an extensive campaign of spot announcements on an unannounced number of stations to continue through April, 1939. Frank Presbrey Co., Chicago agency, recently received the account. Six Blue Sponsors J Obtain Discounts Expand Their NBC Hookups I To Get Special Blue Rates FOLLOWING the lead of Adam Hat Stores, New York, which added 20 stations to its NBC-Blue network fight broadcasts [Broadcasting, Nov. 1], five other sponsors have increased their coverage on the Blue and thereby gained the discounts now offered to advertisers using one or more supplementary Blue groups in addition to the basic Blue. Sherwin-Williams Co., Cleveland (paints), has added 11 stations to those already carrying its Sunday afternoon Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air, of which KUTA completes the Blue Mountain Group and KTMS and KFSD the Blue Pacific Group, giving this advertiser a 10% discount for both of these groups and the Blue basic as well. Miles Laboratories, Elkhart, Ind. (Alka-Seltzer), has added the Blue Mountain and the Blue Southwestern groups to its National Barn Dance schedule on Saturday nights, thereby gaining a 10% discount on the Blue basic and these two supplementary groups. William R. Warner Co., New York (Sloan's Linament) , has added KTOK to fill out the Blue Southwestern Group and earn a 5% discount for its Criminal Case History Friday eve j ning series. Personnel Changes J. B. Williams Co., Glastonbury, Conn, (shaving cream), increased its station list for True or False Mondav evening series, by two stations, KUTA and KTMS, which fill out the Blue Mountain and Pacific K groups and bring a 10% discount. | Canada Dry Ginger Ale, New York, which begins sponsorship of Information Please on Nov. 15, has added the Blue Southern Group to bring its starting total up to 40 stations and to get a 5% discount. This discount schedule, which NBC is using to attract more extensive use of the Blue network by advertisers, went into effect Nov. 1. Roy C. Witmer, vice-oresident in charge of sales at NBC, has transferred Reynold R. Kraft and Paul M. Massman from the eeneral network sales staff to specialize on ' selling the Blue, working under the direction of Alvin E. Nelson, recently named Blue sales manager. Chicago Baseball GENERAL MILLS, Minneapolis (Wheaties), and Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., New York, will co-sponsor the 1939 and 1940 home games of the Chicago Cubs and White Sox on WBBM, Chicago. Sponsored on alternate days by Wheaties and Mobilgas, the games will be aired by Pat Flanagan and Charlie Grimm, former Cubs manager who recently signed a three-year contract as a baseball announcer on WBBM. During the 1938 season WBBM broadcast 197 major league games including 149 games played in Chicago, 43 out-of-town games reported by wire and five pre-sea a son contests. Knox-Reeves, Minneapolis, is agency for General Mills, I and J. Sterling Getchell, Chicago, handles the Socony-Vacuum ac 0 count. Page 44 • November 15, 1938 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising