Broadcasting (Jan - June 1939)

Holiday Spirit — Jerry's Circus — Phil's Books — Black Flame — Topeka Pastry — ^File Folder Bethlehem Cards KYW, Philadelphia, sent out over a thousand Christmas greetings bearing a Bethlehem, Judea, postmark, the only mail from Bethlehem to reach this country in several weeks. The idea was conceived in November by Lambert Beeuwkes, KYW sales promotion manager. With cooperation of Thomas Cook & Sons, the cards were mailed Nov. 8. They were convoyed in Palestine by British troops. The government there consented to release the official Bethlehem stamp from chancery where it had been placed when the postoffice was fired. Voice of the Lens SOUVENIRS ranging all the way from potatoes to mistletoe were presented to trade friends over the holiday period by broadcasting stations. Among the souvenirs were: WMEX, Boston, letter openers. KIDO, Boise, Idaho potatoes. WGAR, Cleveland, fillers for its memo pads. WCOP, Boston, calendar pad. KWOC, Poplar Bluff, Mo., pencil. WKY, Oklahoma City, mistletoe. WLAW, Lawrence, Mass., plastic ash tray. KPQ, Wenatchee, Wash., apples. KFEL, Denver, Colorado celery. KDYL, Salt Lake City, sent celery at Thanksgiving. George Hollingbery, Chicago rep, Jones Dairy Farm products. WRVA, Richmond, Va., Edgeworth sampler kits and initialed pipe. WBAP, KGKO, Fort Worth, razor blades. Henry J. Kaufman agency, Washington, keyring flashlight. WBBM, Chicago, RCA transcription of its Round-theWorld recording made during Air Mail Week and Winner of the McNinch award. KITE, Indianapolis, giant pencil. KTSA, San Antonio, transcribed greeting. Major Bowes, miniature gong. Western Electric Co. ; package of replicas of humorous trade advertisements. KTAR, Phoenix, Ariz., fresh dates. * * ^ 7 Up in Denton SEVEN UP BOTTLING Co., Denton, Texas, (beverage), as part of its promotional campaign for We, the Jury, transcribed series on KDNT, that city, uses weekly copy in the daily newspapers, three county weeklies and two college publications, as well as 200 window cards and banners on all trucks. Firm awards a case of 7 Up weekly for the best letter and correct verdict sent in by a listener. Supplementary prizes are also awarded. Transcribed series is produced by 20th Century Radio Productions, Hollywood. * * * KSFO Auto Medallions ALL STAFF members of KSFO, San Francisco, are securing medallions with the station insignia for their automobiles. Medallions were designed by Chief Engineer Royal V. Howard and are polished aluminum on a deep blue background. The medallion carries the station's call letters and the CBS initials. * * * Fun With Joe JOE CREAMER, ace promotion director of WOR, Newark, is author of an article titled Let 'Em Have Laughter, recounting the methods he employs in writing human interest advertising copy for WOR's trade promotion, appearing in the December edition of Pickups, Western Electric house organ. * ^ ^ Halifax Nudge CHNS, Halifax, Nova Scotia, publishes Nudge, a merchandising monthly, full of merchandising and radio ideas, and illustrations of CHNS radio stars. Sales That Speak UNDER caption, "Sales Tales", KSTP, St. Paul, has issued a promotion folder telling of the response to a test offer of a post card photograph in connection with the transcribed program Jerry of the Circus, sponsored by Zinsmaster Baking Co., that city. Folder reproduces a letter of recommendation from Harry W. Zinsmaster, president of the firm, and relates that only three spot announcements on this program brought in 2,023 requests from 79 counties in five States. Program is produced by Radio Transcription Co. of America, Hollywood. New "World News" Press JANUARY issue of World News, WBS house organ of news and gossip about World programs, personnel and advertisers, appeared as a 12-page magazine, printed in two colors on coated stock. Publication will henceforth be bi-monthly instead of monthly as heretofore, but will be supplemented with bulletins to keep readers informed of current World events. ^ ^ ^ Their Own Commercials KTRB, Modesto, Cal., has purchased a Presto recorder and takes it to the stores of local advertisers for recording of personalized commercial announcements by owners, managers and salesmen. The recordings in turn are used on the sponsor's program, instead of the announcer on duty making the commercial. ^ ^ =^ Talcum for Corn MINNESOTA Corn Canneries, sponsoring a participation period on KGO Home Forum, San Francisco, is offering a dispenser for face or talcum powder in return for a label from a can of ButterKernel Golden Bantam Corn, plus ten cents. Recipe leaflets also are being sent on request of the listeners. ^ ❖ ❖ Shotgun Message WADDED in a shotgun shell, WRCWMAL, Washington, have distributed a combination cartoon merchandising strip with a "doublebarreled" hunting theme. Cook's Books for Shut-ins NEARLY 18,000 books arrived at CBS headquarters in New York as a result of Phil Cook's plea on behalf of hospitals and shut-ins during his Morning Almanac program on WABC, New York. Listeners from Dec. 5 to Dec. 16 were invited to send or bring books to the offices of CBS, where they were forwarded to members of the United Hospital Fund and the Shut-In Society. The program, which is also transmitted by shortwave on W2XE, brought books from as far west as California, and one from a listener in Lancashire, England. * * * A Baby's Fate TIED IN with its show for Medaglia d'Oro coffee on WBIL, New York, S. A. Schronbrunn & Co. is conducting a letter-writing contest among listeners to determine whether a baby, found by the show's characters in the story, should be kept or turned over to an institution. The best letter and solution to the problem wins a 17jewel wrist watch, and other prizes include a radio, an electric chime clock and nine imported Italian percolators. WLW, Sponsor Are Hosts ASA goodwill gesture toward Cincinnati dairymen, WLW, Cincinnati, and the Dari-Rich Co. were hosts at a party for local dairy executives Dec. 15 in Hotel Netherland Plaza. Guest of honor was Milton Caniff, author-artist of Terry & the Pirates, which is broadcast over WLW and other stations for the Dari-Rich Co. Caniff was introduced by Don Bowey, president of Dari-Rich. ^ ^ ^ WEEN Auditorium W P E N , Philadelphia, recently opened its 650-seat auditorium to sponsors, allowing them to place window displays and other promotional copy in various section of the hall as an added merchandising service. The auditorium is also used by Mabel Love and her Women's Club program, in addition to other shows, and hundreds of potential customers see the sponsors' display, WPEN reports. ^ ^ ^ Sam's Third Renewal KSFO, San Francisco, has mailed 2,000 letters to retail grocers in Northern California to announce the third consecutive renewal of the Coca Cola Singin' Sam series. The letters are in the form of bulletins to be posted in stores for information of sales staffs. WEEKLY show on WBBM, Chicago, titled The Camera Talks is sponsored by Candid Camera Corp. of America, Chicago, and offers weekly prizes of two Perfex cameras. Winners submit pictures of events that have played important i or unusual parts in the fan's lives, f accompanied by 500-word stories. Further merchandising tie-in lies in the judges named : Charles Bass, president of Bass Camera Co.; M. Reigan, camera buyer for Fair Store; L. Kaufman, buyer for Central Camera Co. ^ ^ ^ Amazon Explorers HICKOK OIL Corp., Toledo, (gasoline), sponsoring the five-weekly quarter-hour transcribed Black Flame of the Amazon on 11 Michigan and Ohio stations, reports that in three weeks 450,000 juveniles joined its Hi-Speed Junior Explorers Club in response to the program. Club is named after the sponsor's gasoline, and application is made through Hi-Speed gasoline stations. Transcribed series is produced and cut by Aerogram Corp., Hollywood. * * * Fruit for Charity AT Boone County Jamboree on| WLW, Cincinnati, Dec. 23, admission was granted for fruits, vegetables or any other foodstuffs, and no member of the cast was permitted on stage without making a similar contribution at the door. Receipts were turned over to local charity and Christmas organizations for distribution among needy families. * H= * New WLS Album WLS, Chicago, has published the 1939 edition of the WLS Family Album, picturing WLS artists, personnel and studio facilities. During the last eight years, WLS reports, listeners have bought 410,000 copies of the Album as it appeared each year. * * * Cake From Topeka PROOF of the pudding is in the eating, says WIBW, Topeka, as it distributes to prospects a chunk of cellophane-wrapped fruit cake. Cake and merchandising message, printed in holiday colors, are sent in a gilt-covered box. ^ ^ ^ Folder in File WGAR, Cleveland, has published a promotional brochure designed as a business file, with the station's story on letterhead-size paper in a blue correspondence folder. WORL, BOSTON, built its exhibit for the Boston World's Fair around copies of Broadcasting, sponsors' products and photographs of the staff. Page 74 • January 1, 1939 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising