Broadcasting (Jan - June 1945)

; Toward Victory .'/OR WELL over a decade it has been Broadj ASTiNG's custom to issue a New Year forecast, nboking into the approaching 12 months and 'jeviewing the period just ended. Every year the ^oundup has shown an upward trend both in piusiness volume and quality of service. ' The most stubboni barrier to a broadcasting lOom has been the basic fact that no day can ^lave more than 24 hours. Yet even with radio jiovering near the sellout point for several years the total income has continued steadily upIvavd. The year just ended has been no exception. * With the increased income has come increased '^utgo due to higher operating costs. Even so, he number of stations in financial distress has ropped every year. Natural result of this satisfactory business rend has been improved broadcasting service, 'he closing weeks of 1942 found the matter of ublic sei-vice dominating the thinking of excutives and staff personnel. Such a trend is ealthy, though the means of achieving the oal may involve debate and disagreement. What could be healthier than a controversy ver the method to be used in ridding the air f offensive and overly bizarre spot announcelents. Or the inter-industry discussions that ' receded establishment of the Broadcast Measrement Bureau. While the industry has been striving to imrove its service to the public it has continued 3 develop the all-important technique of furhering the war effort. A check of the Federal gencies involved shows how radio has moved ver forward in its contribution to the cause of reedom. The business survey starting on page 13 • ortends a healthy business year. But each enity in the broadcasting field must take full adantage of this trend to devote all possible . nergy to public service. For only by this leans can broadcasting command the respect lat makes possible its forward movement. Ten to One N THE LAST issue of Broadcasting (page 8) we reported that the NAM plans to place Dmmercial announcements on radio stations, Dordinating the broadcast program with the ewspaper campaign, had hit a snag — the NAB ode's "controversial issue" clause. Broadcasting quoted an announcement al!ged to have been submitted to NAB for its jnsideration in the light of the Code's provions. We reported, as the facts were present1 i to us, that this commercial was looked upon : ith disfavor at NAB and that, although offials there had made no formal suggestions jgarding the copy, they weren't likely to give their blessing. All of this was quite in order, except that • \e commercial presented to Broadcasting and age 38 • January 1, 1945 the one submitted to NAB for review were not one and the same. It develops that the one reprinted in Broadcasting was not objectionable, but the one originally proposed certainly was. Well, probably all of this sounds like a Robin Hood's barn excursion, but it does bring one to the ultimate conclusion that what NAM intends to say over radio is not half so controversial, from the broadcaster's viewpoint, as the schedule established for saying it. NAM proposes to spend $1,000,000 in newspapers forwarding the Association's aims for America. It has earmarked $100,000 for radio. The ratio is 10 for the press to 1 for radio. In 1943 — we won't even guess at 1944 figures — radio's total income was about one-half the income of newspapers. However, in national advertising radio bettered newspapers by about $30,000,000. If NAM is handing out $100,000 to radio as patronage money, there's no better way to demonstrate it than by the lopsided favoritism shown the press. If NAM wants to use radio effectively, it might tear a sheet from the books of those national advertisers who find it profitable to invest over $200,000,000 annually iii the medium. Perhaps the National Assn. of Manufacturers should restudy its advertising budget. Complete the Count A FIVE-POINT program to collect statistical information vital to government and business in planning for reconversion has been formulated— and some of it started — by the Bureau of the Census. Appropriations for the work have been requested by the Bureau of the Budget but were rejected by a lame-duck Congress bent on getting in a few licks before adjournment. When the 79th Congress convenes this week, an effort again will be made to put through the program. The most pressing project, the quinquennial farm census, gets under way today (Jan. 1) as required by statute. An appropriation of $7,250,000 has been made for the enumeration but the necessary $5,500,000 for tabulating and publishing the information gathered was refused by the last Congress. We do not believe Congress will waste funds already provided for a census required by law, but we urge that action be taken soon that the tabulation may go forward on schedule. Two of the remaining four parts of the program have been abandoned by the Census Bureau. These were to provide a special survey of war production covering 1944 operations and a sample census of business. Instead the Bureau will ask to revive the regular biennial Census of Manufactures, abandoned since the war, and proceed with the Census of Business, taken every five years. The other projects desired by the Bureau are a sample survey of consumer income and a sample expanded labor force survey, which, when merged, would also provide an abridged census of population. All of these projects are especially important to radio and of general value to advertisers and marketers. They deserve the support of broadcasters. THOMAS GARLAND TINSLEY II GIVE the people what they want. That's the success formula applied to broadcasting by Tom Tinsley, president of WITH Baltimore. Tom didn't find out overnight what pleases the people. He acquired that knowledge through years of scrutiny, analysis and plenty of hard work. Early in his career he ascertained that to sell time he had to deliver an audience to a client; to get an audience a station had to broadcast programs acceptable not to a select few, but to all. A short time after his birth Feb. 23, 1903, in Nashville, Tom's parents moved to Baltimore. His formal education was acquired at the Hill School, Pottstown, Pa., and Yale, from which he was graduated in 1927 with a B.A. degree and a yen to get into the financial business. He joined Dillon, Read & Co., New York brokers, later taking a job with Chase Securities. He began to hear a lot about radio — how it was growing, of its future as a profession. Tom liked people. This new business of ri.dio seemed to offer an outlet for his likes, so into radio he went. His first job was at WORK York, Pa., owned by the Mason Dixon Group of which his brother-in-law, Col. J. Hale Steinman, is head. That was in 1932. After two months he was made commercial manager of WDEL and WILM Wilmington, Del., also owned by Col. Steinman and his brother, John F. Steinman, who head Lancaster Newspapers Inc. It wasn't long before Tom Tinsley was promoted to general manager of the Wilmington stations. But Tom had been brought up in Baltimore. He wanted to go back home — to work in the larger city. That chance came when WCAO offered him a job as salesman. His next radio post was sales manager of WBAL. There he remained until Hearst bought the station and Tom, with several others, had to make way for new blood. He went to WMCA New York as a salesman, then to WFIL where he met Margaret Patricia McCord. At once Tom knew he was going to marry her, but he had some ideas about first getting into business for himself. So back to Baltimore he went and opened a station representative office. His list included WTBO Cumberland, WFMD Frederick and WJEJ HagerstowTi, comprising the Maryland State Network. As a station representative in Baltimore, Tom accomplished what the profession thought was possible only in New York, Chicago or Hollywood. He made a success of his venture. On March 1, 1941, Maryland Broadcasting Co. (of which Tom Tinsley was and still is (Continued on page 40) ROADCASTING • Broadcast AdvJrtising