Broadcasting (Jan - June 1943)

Coca Cola Plans Third Blue Series Local Bottlers to Buy Time For Afternoon Program A THIRD NETWORK program, sponsored by Coca Cola Co., Atlanta, will be launched Feb. 8 on the BLUE when the company presents Songs by Morton Downey Monday through Friday from 3-3:15 p.m. The number of stations on which the program will be aired depends on the number of bottlers who arrange to sponsor the series in their respective cities. Contracts now in their hands will be delivered to the D'Arcy Adv. Co., agency in charge, which in turn will make final arrangements with the BLUE. Prior to the start of the new show, which also will feature Raymond Paige's orchestra, two closed circuit talks were scheduled last week. On Tuesday, Keith Kiggins, vice-president in charge of stations of the BLUE, gave an outline of the future show to BLUE affiliates, explaining to them how Coca Cola was responsible for production and talent, and the bottlers for the time. Bottlers Enlisted The second closed circuit talk, unique in that it was a campaign to enlist the bottlers' support of the program, was held Jan. 20 with bottlers in their home cities invited to preview the show by the sponsor and station managers of BLUE affiliates. Talks were presented by Mark Woods, president of the BLUE ; Harrison Jones, chairman of the board of Coca Cola; Mrs. Alfred J. Mathebat, president of the American Legion Auxiliary in Indianapolis, as well as short messages by representative housewives and rating experts who set forth the necessity for such a new type of afternoon radio show. Coca Cola also sponsors the Sunday afternoon Pause That Refreshes on the Air on CBS, as well as Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands six nights weekly on the full BLUE network. 4,400,000 Radio Sets Sold in 1942 Bringing U. S. Total to 59,340,000 Humphrey's Drive HUMPHREY'S HOMEOPATHIC Medicine Co., New York, which on Jan. 4 started a campaign on five Eastern stations for its drug products, has added three New England outlets. Contract for 24 weeks calls for live announcements from five to seven times weekly on WOR, WNEW WBAL WCAU WBEN WICC WDRC WJAR. Humphrey's schedule is larger this year than last, when five outlets were used. Atherton & Currier, New York, is the agency. WSAP Opens Feb. 1 WSAP, Portsmouth, Va., which has postponed its opening a number of times, due to technical difficulties, expects to start operations Feb. 1. WSAP will operate with 250 watts on 1490 kc, and will be affiliated with Mutual. Portsmouth Radio Corp. is owner. DESPITE the fact that the WarProduction Board ordered the cessation of all radio set production last April when all radio set plants converted to a probable 2 billion dollar military production program, the total number of radio sets in use as of Jan. 1, 1943 rose to 59,340,000, according to estimates by O. H. Caldwell, editor of Radio Retailing Today. During 1942 the number of radio sets sold totaled 4,400,000, including 350,000 auto radios and 500,000 sets exported. Mr. Caldwell estimates that the total bill for radio during 1942 amounted to $280,000,000, which included $203,000,000 in time sales by broadcasters, $40,000,000 talent costs, $225,000,000 for electricity, batteries etc. to operate receivers, $136,500,000 for 3,900,000 radios sold at retail. His year-end statistics follow: Civilian Radio Sales, 1942 Number Retail Value Total sets sold 4,400,000 $154,000,000 Sets exported 500,000 17,500,000 Auto radios 350,000 12,250,000 Home radios, U. S. 3,550,000 124,250,000 Total tubes, U. S. 87,700,000 96,000,000 Tubes, initial equipment 34,700,000 38,000,000 Tubes, replacements 53,000,000 58,000,000 Parts, supplies 70,000,000 Phonograph records 110,000,000 48,000,000 Annual U. S. Radio Bill Sales of time by broadcasters $203,000,000 Talent costs 40,000,000 Electricity, batteries, etc. 225,000,000 3,900,000 radios sold retail 136,500,000 53,000,000 replacement tubes 58,000,000 Radio parts, supplies, etc. 70,000,000 Servicing radio sets 70,000,000 TOTAL $802,500,000 Radio Sets in Use Jan. 1, 19 US U. S. homes with radios 30,800,000 Secondary sets in homes 16,660,000 Battery portables 3,130,000 Auto radios 8,750,000 Total sets in use, U. S. 59,340,000 Pillsbury Spots PILLSBURY FLOUR MILLS Co., Minneapolis (flour) has placed participating announcements, two to six weekly, starting Jan. 18 on WCAO WEEI WBEN WGAR KRLD KXYZ KCMO WTMJ WCCO KSTP WCAU WRC WBBM. Agency is Mcann-Erickson, Chicago. Everglo Extends Spots EVERGLO VITAMIN Co., New York, which entered radio a few months ago with a spot campaign on WLIB, Brooklyn has extended the announcements for its vitamin product to 15 stations in the Eastern area on a basis of 10-295 times weekly. Agency is Director & Lane, New York. FETED BY NBC officials with a luncheon at the 21 Club, Jan. 15 was Capt. Amilcar Dutra, head of the radio division of the Brazilian department of press and propaganda, in America for a visit at the invitation of the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs [Broadcasting, Jan. 11]. Among luncheoners were (1 to r) : John F. Royal, NBC vice-president in charge of international broadcasting; Capt. Dutra; Don Francisco, head of the radio division of the CIAA; Frank E. Mullen, NBC vice-president and general manager. BLUE BILLINGS UP 22% DURING 1 942 GROSS TIME sales for the BLUE during 1942, its first full year of operation as an independent network, totaled $15,782,493, representing a 22.74% increase over BLUE billings in 1941 which totaled $12,858,169. Six agencies placing business of $1,000,000 or more on the BLUE for their accounts during 1942 are: Blackett-Sample-Hummert, $2,454,298; Young & Rubicam, $1,423,288; Wade Adv. Agency, $1,277,917; J. Walter Thompson, $1,168,219; Maxon Inc., $1,030,288 and Roche Williams & Cunnyngham, $1,015,598. The ten leading advertisers last year on the BLUE were: Sterling Drug Inc., $1,710,654 American Home Products, $1,453,832 Miles Lab., $1,277,917 Ford Motor Co., $1,012,626 General Mills, $843,352 Coca Cola Co., $822,874 Sun Oil Co., $786,928 Carter Products, $578,191 Andrew Jergens Co., $541,488 Swift & Co., $504,205 Brisacher in N. Y. R. T. VAN NORDEN, vice-president of Brisacher, Davis & Staff, San Francisco, has been placed in charge of a New York office for the agency, which will be set up in the near future at an unnamed location. The agency will hereafter be known as Brisacher, Davis & Van Norden, it was announced. According to Mr. Brisacher, the New York office is being opened to facilitate service to the growing number of Pacific Coast manufacturers who are already conducting market research in anticipation of national distribution after the war. Spots for Shreddies NATIONAL BISCUIT Co., Los Angeles (Shreddies), in a 10-week campaign which starts Jan. 25 will, use a total of 55 dramatized oneminute transcribed announcements weekly on 11 western stations. List includes KNX KFI KHJ KPO KQW KJBS KOIN KIRO KJR KTAR KERN. Agency is Botsford Constantine & Gardner, Los An geles. KPAS Boosts Power KPAS, Pasadena, Cal., on Jan. 14 increased its power from 5,000 to 10,000 watts fulltime on 1110 kc Western Electric-equipped studios are located in the Huntington Hotel. J. Frank Burke is president of Pacific Coast Broadcasting Co. operating KPAS. Loyal K. King and John L. Akerman are general and commercial managers, respec tively. ANPA Meets April 20 AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Pub lishers Assn., will hold its 57th annual convention April 20-22 at the, Hotel Waldorf-Astoria, New York preceded, as usual, by a one-day meeting of the Associated Press April 19. . . Pabst to Place PABST SALES Corp., Chicago (beer) will sponsor a half-hom' variety program on NBC. Starting date and time period have not beeri decided. Agency is Warwick & Leg-i ler, New York. Page 12 • January 25, 1943 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising