Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1949)

i Farm Radio '; (Continued from page 22) I search paper on the measurement j of audience impact. Roy Battles of WLW Cincinnati was elected NARFD president at a business meeting Sunday morning. He succeeds Wallace Kadderly of KGW Portland, Ore. Phil Alampi of WJZ New York, retiri ing secretary-treasurer, was elected vice president. His former post I was taken over by Chris Mack of WNAX Yankton, S. D. Retiring vice president is Gordon Louden of the Agricultural Extension Service at Louisiana State U. Mr. Battles moderated a panel > on "Selling Farm Programs," I pointing out "(1) if the farm dei partment is in the black, you are on much firmer ground in the station, (2) sponsored programs are usually much better than sustainers, (3) TV's spectacular growth, and doubling of AM sta i tions in four years, add up to possible financial problems in the station, (4) now is the time to attract desirable sponsors, before the heat is on financially, (5) the economic pulse of the nation is good, but what would a recession mean to your department? (6) is your show good enough to attract listeners and sponsors?" Seeks Farm Audiences "We buy stations that have a good farm audience and a good farm editor," said Leo Olsen, advertising manager of the DeKalb, ni., Agricultural Assn. This is "difficult to do," he added, because there "is only one good farm listening survey." Because big stations often do not key shows to farmers and offer air serials instead of farm shows at noon, "we use small stations for better and beamed coverage," he said. "There's still novelty in radio, although I've been in it 25 years," i Joseph G. Bumgarner, account executive at E. H. Brown agency, Chicago, told the group. He finds sponsors are more critical of radio than black-and-white advertising, that distribution must fit the coverage pattern if radio is to be used, that mechanical items are hard to sell on AM but that "there's nothing better than radio to build up prestige and service a trade name." Farm shows are sold easily in Iowa and at WMT Cedar Rapids because "we have a good farm director and good facilities," in the opinion of WMT's sales manager. Lew Van Nostrand. His rules for developing a serviceable, commercial farm program : Know the area served and the people in it, give specific service, work closely with the sales department. Serve Audience First Lowell Watts of KLZ Denver believes in serving the audience first and then the sponsor. "People must believe you and be with you, and entertainment is supplementary to factual information and guidance," he said. Charles Worcester, farm director of WMT, was chairman of a discussion group on "Servicing the Farm Program and Keeping it Sold." Appearing with him were Charles N. Karr, sales promotion manager of Allis-Chalmers' Tractor Div., Milwaukee; Ross Wallace of ! Wallace Advertising Agency, Des Moines; Don Sullivan, commercial manager of WNAX Yankton, S. D., and John C. Drake, sales promotion and publicity director at WLS Chicago. "The battle starts after the program is sold," according to Mr. Sullivan. His recommendations : Guard against misunderstandings with the agency and the client ; salesmen should go into the field with the farm men; tie in work with the promotion and merchandising departments, and promote "sponsor conservation." Ross Wallace said the most im j portant agency factor is buying ( the correct time slot. Publicizing the show is secondary, he believes. Living with the client is more important than getting the contract, in the opinion of Mr. Karr of Allis-Chalmers. "Make the honeymoon last by building and holding a solid farm audience, by promoting network and recorded shows as strongly as local originations, and by letting sponsors know just what you are doing by forwarding them lists of plugs you've | given. Get acquainted with the sponsor's 'family', his local sales j representatives," he added. ' ! Promotion Ideas Outlining the ideal relationship between a farm director and the || promotion manager of any station, ; Mr. Drake of WLS said servicing i varies little between big and small stations. "Farm people are just j people." The best promotion is a cooperative enterprise, with promotion of all farm accounts' with large, institutional campaigns, he said. Primary purposes are to keep j the show sold to the listener and to ' the sponsor, and "both are of equal value." Mr. Drake suggested distribution of a farm service bulletin : to agencies, advertisers and poten i tial clients with explanations of ' exactly what the farm department does. Most important, promotion men should know farm people just as farm directors do, he concluded. The program for the sixth annual meeting was planned by Paul Visser, director of agriculture at , NBC Chicago. " At the concluding i session, Sam Schneider of KVOO Tulsa directed summation and gen j eral discussion. Buchanan Named TENNESSEE Valley Chemical Corp. has appointed Buchanan & Co., New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, to handle the advertising for two new products, Tev plastic starch and Tev wick deodorizer. Radio will be used. SOUTH BEND IS A MARKETNOT JUST A CITYAND WSBT COVERS IT ALL South Bend is one of the biggest, richest, and most responsive markets in America. Its heart is two adjoining cities — South Bend and Mishawaka — with a combined population of 157,000. The entire South Bend market contains more than half-a-million people. In 1948, retail sales were over half-a-^////o« dollars! WSBT — and only WSBT — gives you thorough coverage of this great market. Plus this, the rest of WSBT's primary area gives you an additional million people whose retail purchases last year amounted to $911 million. You need the South Bend market. You get it — all of it — only with WSBT. \ ml S 0 U I H BEND WSBT duplicates its entire schedule on WSBT-PM—at no extra cost to advertisers. 5000 WATTS • 960 KC • CBS PAUL H. RAYMER COMPANY • NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE Page 30 • December 5, 1949 BROADCASTING • Telecasting