Broadcasting (Jul - Dec 1944)

McKesson Budget Largest in History ^^"'^f ~ O J Hanm tor Hear Heavy Share Is Slated To Go to Radio Next Year McKESSON & ROBBINS advertising appropriation for 1945 will be the largest in the company's history, something more than $2,500,000, of which a very sizable proportion vdll be devoted to radio, L. M. Van Riper, vice-president in charge of advertising, said last week. Addressing a laboratory clinic on wartime development and distribution of drug products, held Tuesday and Wednesday at the company's manufacturing laboratories in Bridgeport, Conn., for executives and merchandising representatives, Mr. Van Riper reviewed the history of McKesson & Robbins use of radio advertising, which began more than 10 years ago with an institutional program, Musical Magazine, broadcast Sunday evenings on CBS to help druggists promote their profession to the public. 'Amazing Success' For several years the company used little radio, except for an occasional spot campaign, until January 1942 when it began sponsoring a noontime news program on the Yankee Network for Bexel, B-Complex vitamin product. The "amazing success" of this test campaign led to nationwide expansion, Mr. Van Riper said, adding that by mid-summer of 1943 the company had quarter-hour news programs, one-minute announcements or chain breaks on the air in almost every area in the country, advertising Calox toothpowder, Albolene cleansing cream and Yodora, as well as Bexel. In March of this year, the company reentered network radio with Stop or Go, starring Joe E. Brown on 166 stations of the Blue network for Bexel, Calox and Yodora. Bax, a multiple-vitamin product, has been extensively advertised with one-minute spots, which have been placed in accordance with the product's distribution, starting last September on the Pacific Coast and moving east as Bax was introduced in each new ai'ea. By this fall distribution will be nationwide, Mr. Van Riper said, and the spot radio coverage will also be nationwide, with stations on the East Coast and in some parts of the South added to the present schedule. Spots are also used for Soretone, he said, bringing the McKesson & Robbins station list for spot coverage to about 150. Bax is the largest user of spot advertising among the company's products, using about 100 stations. In addition transcribed announcements are furnished by the company to retail druggists for local stations, Mr. Van Riper said, which are widely used, judging from the number of requests received. Many of these Page 10 o July 17, 1944 discs were made by Arthur Godfrey, he added. In addition to radio, McKesson & Robbins advertising appears in newspapers, magazines, professional publications and drug trade journals, he stated, and the company also distributes booklets to help retailers increase sales, such as "Key to Selling Success" and "Your New Job as a Di'ug Clerk". J. D. Tarcher, president of J. D. Tarcher & Co., New York agency handling advertising for Bexel, Calox, Albolene, Soretone and Yodora, told the meeting that results of a questionnaire sent to the company's men indicated retail druggists predominantly favoring Stop or Go and that it is producing results. Ted Strong, vice-president of Ivey & Ellington, New York, in charge of Bax advertising, reported that "Back Bax Month" will be sold to retailers during August as a September promotion, with special transcribed announcements and newspaper mats supplied free to dealers for local use in addition to the company's regular public and radio advertising for this vitamin product. Development of health uses for Amino acids in the McKesson laboratories was discussed by Dr. A. L. Omohundro, vice-president and technical director, who described them as "the basic building blocks of the body" and declared they would eventually equal or exceed vitamins in commercial importance." Dr. Abram White, of the Yale School of Medicine, reported that recent experiments gave "clear-cut evidence that Amino acids are essential to human beings". Product's based on combinations of the 23 known Amino acids are already appearing on the market, he said, stating that the chief laboratory problem is to obtain a complete mixture which can be taken orally, pleasantly and without toxic effects. The solution to the problem will probably expand the company's advertising even beyond its present total. Ban on Middle Commercials Is Imposed by WJR Detroit A BAN on middle commercials in sponsored news broadcasts will be invoked on WJR Detroit beginning Sept. 1, Leo J. Fitzpatrick, vice-president and general manager, announced last Thursday in the first formal action in that direction. Mr. Fitzpatrick, operating head of the stations in the George A. Richards group (WJR, WGAR Cleveland, KMPC Los Angeles), said he believed the elimination of the middle commercial will benefit both the station and its advertisers by increasing public goodwill. He urged a nationwide drive by stations to add dignity to news broadcasts. Mr. Fitzpatrick did not state whether WGAR and KMPC would follow the WJR lead. "The war has brought a new importance to newscasts," he said. "We must remember that practically all listeners have relatives or close friends in the armed services and that their interest in newscasts is quite personal, quite emotional and sometimes becomes terribly tragic as they hear the names and stories of loved ones in the news. Reaction on Public ''Public today listens to radio news with reverence and solemnity. The details of individual victories may be gladdening but as a whole our newscasters tell a sad, tense story of killing, of maiming or of a world at war. The morale of the entire nation is in the balance. "The recent reporting of news direct from the battlefronts certainly has made history and added to the prestige of radio news handling. Radio is providing service that is genuinely appreciated by listeners. We must do all we can to continue and to cement that trust by presenting all newscasts in good taste and with all the dignity we can manage. Suddenly the newscast has become one of the most important show-windows of radio. We must remember th^t the public judges an entire business to a large extent by what's in the show vsdndow and how it is displayed. More Harm Than Good "One step in the right direction is the cutting out of the middle commercials and holding to open ing and closing announcements. Too many times, newscasters have teased an anxious public by interrupting their accounts of important happenings with the reading of commercials. "I am convinced that the time has come when the middle newscast commercial does more damage than good to advertisers. People loudly condemn some advertisers who have been indiscreet not only in timing the commercial, but in the subject matter as well. Naturally, radio stations get their share of criticism and justly so. "A general step by the entire radio industry adding more dignity to new programs certainly would be to the advantage of all concerned." Radio for Hear Maj. Stoer Continues W Group in Executive Post REORGANIZATION of Hea Radio Inc. management, wher. Leonard Kapner, general mana:: of WCAE Pittsburgh, will becc general manager of the Hea stations, was reported last w in New York. Maj. E. M. Stoer c ' tinues in an executive capacity the Hearst Radio organization. While no formal announcem was made, it is understood '.■ Maj. Stoer Mr. Kapnei Kapner, a veteran of a dozen yr in the Hearst Radio organizat will take over active direction. ' the present, it is understood, he ' contitnue to manage WCAE, censed to a separate corporatioi In addition to WCAE, Hei stations are WBAL Baltim 50,000 w NBC outlet, WISN I waukee, CBS outlet, and WI New York independent. WCAI a Mutual outlet. Mr. Kapner, 41, joined WC in 1932 at the time the station purchased by Hearst from G bels. Prior to that he was in an ' vertising capacity with local pu cations in Pittsburgh. Maj. S is a veteran of the Hearst ovg ization. He served in the last in France with the British wears the Military Cross. WOODRUFF ENTER] ARMY AS PRIVA'A JAMES Vv^. WOODRUFF general manager of the Geoil Broadcasting System, compris I WRBL Columbus, WATL lanta and WC| Albany, Thursday w inducted into : Army as a vate. He ente] Ft. McPher;! Ga. Widely kn' in broadcas c i.r c 1 e s. Woodruff is Mr. Woodruff director of NAB and resigned that post ]| paratory to entering the ser\\ The vacancy will be filled byl election by the Board of Direc at a meeting to be held during NAB Executive War Confercl in Chicago Aug. 28-31. Executive management of Georgia stations has been assu: by Mr. Woodruff's father, J. Woodruff Sr. The junior Wruff was elected a directoi I large of the NAB in 1940 district director in 1943. BROADCASTING • Broadcast Adverti