Broadcasting (Jan - June 1940)

■ 1^1 When you think of i you think of: with flashing eyes and 50,000 WATTS The greatest selling POWER in the South's greatest city CBS AFFILIATE . . . NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE ... THE KATZ AGENCY, INC. Fletcher Wiley (Continued from page 19) KNX, Wiley was a local commentator only, selling local products to the Los Angeles area audience. When CBS purchased the station from Guy C. Earl and associates in late 1936, Wiley continued on KNX under the new management. With his daily Housewives Protective League a sellout and new sponsors asking for time on the program, he went to Donald W. Thornburgh, CBS Pacific Coast vice-president, and asked for the Sunrise Express, an early morning program of recordings. Wiley got it, and renamed the program Sunrise Salute. Adopting the policy and style of presentation as used on his afternoon show, sponsors stai'ted flocking to Sunrise Salute. Wiley's success with his early morning broadcasts is attributed to the variety show format he introduced when replacing the recorded music that is standard on "get-em-up" programs. At present there are more than a dozen live talent performers on the show. Besides instrumental trios, a novachord, vocal duos and trios, he also includes a small orchestra and often guests. This is all woven together by Wiley's informal commentary. When Star Ascended Wiley really first attracted national attention in April, 1938, through his Sunrise Salute, when National Livestock & Meat Board released results of a 14-station campaign conducted in metropolitan areas. The cooperative organization bought outstanding participation programs. During the brief campaign a free booklet containing information on the purchase and preparation of fresh meats was offered. Stmrise Salute was first in the nation on a cost-per-inquiry basis, drawing 19,469 requests for the booklet. From then on Wiley's star rose in the national firmament with a greater number of national sponsors sharing time with regional and local ones on his programs. His great success with Sunrise Salute gave other advertisers confidence in early morning periods, and Wiley did a good sales job for other sponsors in this period, among them being Farmers Public Market, Los Angeles, which sells produce direct from farm to consumer. On one mention only Wiley sold a carload of peaches for this market. They had to be sold in 48 hours or be a total loss to the market, for the peaches were iust ripe. Wiley, in his own particular style, told the story. There was a sellout. A National Sponsor So successful was this live talent musical format on his morning program that when the Houseivives Protective League, because of the log jam of sponsors, was increased from half to a full hour in the afternoon, Wiley interspersed similar entertainment between his comments. Currently he has Don Roland's orchestra with vocalists, who concentrate on "old favorite" requests. Though Campbell Soup Co. is GROCERY STORES of Southern California stage quarterly Fletcher Wiley Sales, promoting products he advertises on his daily combined Sunrise Salute and Housewives Protective League programs on KNX, Hollywood. Stores are decorated with such banners as pictured. Wiley's first national network sponsor, he has been heard on the CBS Pacific Network for several wellknown advertisers. His first Pacific Coast network sponsorship was in 1937 when a quarter-hour period of the five-weekly sustaining Western Home Hour, afternoon variety show, was sponsored by Table Products Inc., Los Angeles, (Duchess Salad Dressing) for 13 weeks. When CBS discontinued the show shortly afterward, Wiley concentrated on his two local programs— but not for long. In September, 1938, Soil-Off Mfg. Co., Glendale, Cal. (cleanser) , returned him to a seven-station CBS West Coast network with a program built at the sponsor's request. Wiley's success for Soil-Off had been so significant on his two KNX programs, that the firm sponsored him on, the network for 13 weeks under title simply of Fletcher Wiley, which he also uses today for Campbell Soup Co. When CBS began offering his daily quarter-hour network program on a participating basis, California Prune & Apricot Growers Assn. (Sunsweet Prunes & Apricots) : Knox Gelatine Co.; California Fi-uit Growers Exchange (Sunkist oranges and lemons), and other national advertisers sponsored him on a CBS network consisting of KNX KARM KSFO KOIN KVI KIRO KFPY. After several nibbles for prospective transcontinental sponsors, Campbell Soup Co., on Jan. 22 in a 13-weeks test, started sponsoring him five times weekly on nine CBS West Coast stations, extending the series to 36 outlets for 52 weeks, on April 29, Mondavs thru Fridays 2:30-2:45 p. m. (EDST). Why He Succeeds Key to the success of the local programs — Housewives Protective League and Sunrise Salute — lies in the commentator's past experiences in the food industry and his true salesmanship. Wiley's previous training has given him accurate knowledge on all branches of food chemistry and merchandising. In many instances he knows as much about a product and its history as the local broker or distributor. Furthermore he has the ability to sell himself to the advertiser and Page 46 • June 15, 1940 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising