Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1949)

NETWORK BILUNGS GROSS BILLINGS of the four nationwide AM networks in August totaled $12,164,974, according to figures released last week to Broadcasting by Publishers Information Bureau. Figure is 14.5% below the combined network gross time sales of $14,231,502 in August 1948. Combined network gross for the first eight months of this year, according to PIB data, is $125,027,864. This total is 3.5% below the $129,616,607 for the same period of last year. Procter & Gamble Co. was the leading network advertiser in August, from the standpoint of time purchased, using $1,075,631 worth of network time, before discount. Sterling Drug Co. was second, with gross network time purchases of $600,029 during the month. General Mills ranked fourth, with a gross of $531,398, just edging out Miles Labs whose gross was $531,166. Liggett & Myers was fifth with $492,354. (For the ten leading network clients, see Table I.) Food Leads Analysis by class of advertiser (Table II) shows food advertising as the leading user of network time during August, accounting for $2,689,605 worth of network time, or 22.1% of the total used by all types of advertisers. Toiletries ranked second in August, with $1,935,220, or 16.0%; smoking materials (cigarettes, etc.) third, with $1,738,362, or 14.3%; drugs fourth, with $1,610,752, or 13.2%; soaps and cleansers fifth, with $1,254,985, or 10.3%. The same rank order obtains for the first eight months of 1949. 5!^ * * TABLE I TOP TEN NETWORK ADVERTISERS IN AUGUST 1949 1. Procter & Gamble 1,075,631 2. Sterling Drug Co. 600,029 3. General Mills 531,393 4. Miles labs 531,166 5. Liggett & Myers 492,354 6. General Foods 402,627 7. Philip Morris 364,606 8. American Home Products 352,063 9. Lever Bros. 317,377 10. Colgate-Palmollve-Peet 284,880 AT opening meeting of the season of Radio Executives Club of New York Oct. 6 are H. M. Shackleford (I), vice president of Johns-Manville Corp., and John J. Karol, CBS sales manager and REC president. Last year, however, the order was somewhat different. Foods were first and toiletries second as this year, but in August 1948 drugs ranked third, soaps fourth and tobacco products fifth. For the P&G Top in Aug. first eight months of 1948, the order was foods, toiletries, drugs, smoking materials and soaps. Table III lists the advertisers using the most network time in each product group. TABLE II GROSS NETWORK TIME SALES Agriculture & Farming Apparel, Footwear & Access. Automotive, Automotive Equip. & Supplies Aviation, Aviation Equip. & Supplies Beer, Wine & Liquor BIdg. Materials, Equip. & Fixtures Confectionery & Soft Drinks Consumer Services Drugs & Remedies 1, Entertainment & Amusements Food & Food Products 2, Gasoline, Lubricants & Other Fuels Horticulture Household Equip. & Supplies Household Furnishings Industrial Materials Insurance Jewelry, Optical Goods & Cameras Office Equip., Stationery & Writing Supplies Publishing & Media Radios, TV Sets, Phonographs, Musical Instruments & Access. Retail Stores Smoking Materials 1 Soaps, Cleansers & Polishes 1 Sporting Goods & Toys Toiletries & Toilet Goods 1 Transportation, Travel & Resorts Miscellaneous Aug. 1949 77,735 70,858 335,050 106,884 108,167 382,971 206,639 ,610,752 ,689,605 376,017 273,676 37,054 123,845 279,202 141,142 44,407 ,738,362 254,985 62,774 935,220 89,010 220,619 Jan.-Aug. 1949 753,989 860,282 4,918,751 664,875 873,685 4,486,429 1,226,369 13,641,100 29,271,412 3,978,699 91,968 4,905,825 733,112 1,430,031 2,608,739 1,429,298 862,380 577,066 731,545 38,472 15,434,010 13,121,792 62,774 19,681,506 783,428 1,860,327 Aug. 1948 134,257 80,125 425,115 70,020 30,667 595,616 137,633 1,789,512 3,238,099 453,440 760,352 97,145 352,027 104,307 211,738 130,398 60,125 1,556,058 1,630,374 59,089 2,104,020 211,385 Jan.-Aug. 1948 993,634 912,180 4,815,042 784,664 592,381 4,980,073 1,615,421 15,210,307 31,161,893 3,890,033 98,946 5,676,105 872,531 1,028,762 2,874,417 547,846 1,747,539 1,087,470 1,074,283 13,431,583 13,034,937 59,089 21,370,238 1,754,938 TOTAL 12,164,974 125,027,864 14,231,502 129,616,607 TABLE III TOP NETWORK ADVERTISERS FOR EACH PRODUCT GROUP IN AUGUST 1949 Agriculture & Farming Apparel, Footwear & Accessories Automotive, Automotive Access. & Equip. Aviation, Aviation Access. & Equip. Beer, Wine & Liquor BIdg. Materials, Equip. & Fixtures Confectionery & Soft Drinks Consumer Services Drugs & Remedies Entertainment & Amusements Food & Food Products Gasoline, Lubricants & Other Fuels Horticulture Household Equip. & Supplies Household Furnishings Industrial Materials Insurance Jewelry, Optical Goods & Cameras Office Equip., Writing Supplies & Stationery Publishing & Media Radios, TV Sets, Phonographs, Musical Instruments & Access. Retail Stores Smoking Materials Soaps, Cleansers & Polishes Sporting Goods & Toys Toiletries & Toilet Goods Transportation, Travel & Resorts Miscellaneous Ralston Purina Co. Frank H. Lee Co. Chrysler Corp. Pabst Sales Co. Johns Manville Corp. Pepsi-Cola Co. Bell Telephone System Sterling Drug Co. General Mills Sun Oil Co. Phiico Corp. Armstrong Cork Co. U. S. Steel Corp. Prudential Ins. Co. of America Longines-Wittnauer Watch Co. Christian Science Pub. Society Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. Procter & Gamble Wilson & Co. Procter & Gamble Assn. of American Railroack Gospel Broadcasting Assn. 37,160 33,124 86,628 58,308 108,167 158,616 81,405 600,029 531,398 92,896 142,098 34,516 107,690 166,911 75,504 31,196 492,354 668,473 62,774 268,565 87,378 48,752 Mr. FRANCO CARLOS FRANCO Takes Kudner Executive Post CARLOS A. FRANCO, formerly with Young & Rubicam, New York, and a veteran in the radio business for the past 25 years, will join Kudner Agency [Closed Circuit, Oct. 17] as general executive on Oct. 31. Mr. Franco was with Y&R for the past 13 years as associate director of radio and chief timebuyer. Prior to his association with the agency he was with NBC as a salesman. During the war he was general consultant to the oflSce of the Co-ordinator of Inter-American Affairs besides his duties at Y&R. He has been chairman of the broadcasting and telecasting committee of the AAAA since its inception, and a BMB director. Brewer Joins PC&H WILLIAM BREWER, national spot salesman at NBC Chicago for the past year, Nov. 1 joins Potts, Calkins & Holder Agency, Kansas City, Mo., as radio and television director. He was former manager of an Armed Forces Radio Network in Italy. BANK RADIO Financial PR Group Discusses RADIO will continue to be an important advertising and entertainment factor for several years, "despite TV's phenomenal inroads," W. W. Delamater, assistant vice president. Land Title and Trust Co., Philadelphia, said Thursday at a radio clinic of the Financial Public Relations Assn. in Chicago. The FRA, with members in the U. S. and Canada, met in annual convention at the Edgewater Beach Hotel. Among the 99 clinics conducted Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for 700 association members were two on radio and one on TV. Mr. Delamater was panel chief for the Thursday radio session, outlining "The Future of Radio." Predicting continued effectiveness of daytime radio, Mr. Delamater anticipates a three-to-sixyear period before video will have enough circulation to be a "serious threat" to nighttime radio. "While it is probable that AM station rates will increase, TV ad rates unquestionably will be pushed upwards to a much greater degree. This disparity will grow greater," he asserted. "TV probably will be limited ultimately almost entirely to network and large national advertisers, with local stations tailoring shows and commercials to suit local advertisers budgets." Because banks are acquiring a "sharpened sense of advertising values," they are using radio in increasing amounts, in the opinion of Frank R. Warden, vice president, Central National Bank and Trust Co., Des Moines, Iowa. Mr. Warden, who opened the radio clinic Wednesday afternoon, pointed out that a reason for the increased use of radio by banks is the greater newspaper production costs. "It's doubtful that the same multiplicity of costs faces radio stations. "Astute timebuying enables a modest advertiser to reach a maxi( Continued on page SU) BROADCASTING • Telecasting October 24, 1949 • Page 27