Broadcasting (Jan - Mar 1949)

Open Mike We're Picking Money Off Trees . . We're way out front in the fruit marketnumber one, to put it boastfully. But we're not letting it turn our heads. We find it's more fruitful to turn it into nice, fresh, crisp, green dollars. For instance— from the land, farmers in the WSPA-Piedmont area draw out some 220 million dollars a year. But the wealth of the Piedmont stems from more than our top-of-the-crop market basket. Industry flourishes in this fertile land— one-fourth of the nation's cotton goods come from Spartanburg and Spartan textile industry. Wood processing and plastics are part of this ever-blooming market. Rural end urban wealth combine healthily to make up the billion dollar WSPA-Piedmont economy. Ifs refreshing to keep in mind that when Piedmont people go out to spend, they're drawing on a $1,054,811,000 stockpile. ^ --^ And for the past nineteen years, they've taken WSPA's advice on where to spend it. WSPA is South Carolina's oldest station— dominant in 17 counties of the Carolina Piedmont. John Bloir & Compony, Notional Representative Horry E. Cummings, Southeastern Representative Roger A. Shaffer, Managing Director Guy Voughon, Jr., Soles Monager CBS Stotion for the Spartanburg-Greenville Market (Continued from page 10) program. They have asked us to supply them with a detailed summary of our activities in connection with the planning and staging of "Forum for '49," including advertising and publicity exhibits. This material will be presented at the AFA annual convention at Houston, Tex., this spring with the suggestion that other advertising clubs use it as a pattern for staging similar meetings. Briggs Beurmann Advertising Club of Grand Rapids Publicity Committee Grand Rapids, Mich. [EDITOR'S NOTE: The success of the Grand Rapids Advertising Club's "Forum for '49" should prove a challenge to stations, agencies and advertisers throughout the nation to provide similar sales incentives in their areas.] * * * Freedom of Speech? EDITOR, Broadcasting: Here at WCCP Savannah, Ga., in our own old-fashioned audio way, we, for the past year, have been more authentic than any staged drama could be. With the consent of the Recorder of the Savannah Police Court, we set one of our WCCP mikes up, and made tape recordings of the daily morning proceedings, which were, of course, edited to delete anything in poor taste, or that would injure an innocent person, then rebroadcast in the early afternoon. Got an extremely satisfactory audience response. And WCCP felt that it was doing a good job of public service by letting the home folks actually hear what happened to them if they landed in court. The Police Court programs were never commercialized, but carried as straight P.S., and did yeoman service in making Savannahians realize that justice is obtainable in our courts, at least on a local level. Yep, we HAD a great show. Then the new state legislature comes along up in Atlanta, the House and Senate pass, and Gov. Herman Eugene Talmadge approves a bill which made it illegal. The program was taken off the air. To add the proper touch of irony, the local newspapers (which only recently started printing daily program schedules) still publish the results of the proceedings at the Police Court — after editing. Just like we did without tape. Shows we've still got Freedom of the Press. Hey, but what about Freedom of Speech ? McDowell K. Starkey Continuity Editor WCCP Savannah, Ga. Cynical or Accurate? EDITOR, Broadcasting: . . . perhaps others in the industry might find a bit of pathetic humor in the cartoon. And so it is sent to you for your approval. Lyle Warrick Assistant Manager WSUA Bloomington, Ind. This IS Radio Top to bottom: (a) Bolt of lightning — this represents electricity which makes the equipment hum . . . which lights up the radios . . . which carries the sounds of voice and music . . . and the same bolt which should strike many announcers. (b) The record or transcription. (c) The announcer's face — wondering what is going on . . . disgust . . . . and bags under eyes from lack of sleep (not necessarily because of station business.) (d) The microphone. (e) Continuity — love them commercials. At left hand side: (f) Transmission cable — mike cords— etc. (g) The radio tubes. (h) The antenna. As for the flower pot — well, the industry is blooming and you have to be at least partly potted to be in it. Confession EDITOR, Broadcasting: The item reporting Montgomery! Ward's decision to close its radio department which appeared in the Feb. 21 edition of Broadcasting speaks more eloquently of broadcasters' failure to sell the medium than anything I have seen in a long time. For instance, here is what I myself have failed to do: I have failed to keep sales manager John Martin's mail box full of promotional literature; I have failed to impress upon Mr. Martin's department that WSWN can reach rurally more people over a wider area than any other medium he is using at only fraction of the cost; I have faik 1 to use the thumb screws on the 1< cal Montgomery Ward manage and most of all I have fail* i to keep Montgomery Ward formed of the progress of our cai paign for Sears & Roebuck. They can't be expected to hit 'e i if they can't see 'em. Tom Watson Jr. General Manager WSWN Belle Glade, Fla. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Anyone else suffering conscience qualms?] Page 20 • March 7, 1949 BROADCASTING • Telecasting