Broadcasting (Apr - June 1950)

By ED JAMES ALL-RADIO promotion film, "Lightning that Talks," has been tested by Schwerin Research Corp. before an audience that was representative of the general public. The results of the audience reaction analysis are being used as a guide in the production of new versions of the film, Broadcasting learned last week. One significant discovery turned up by the Schwerin test was that the audience, after seeing the film, was overwhelmingly affirmative in answering the question: "Do you believe that radio advertising sells more goods than newspaper advertising." Majority Affirmative In response to that question, 71% said yes, only 14% no. The other 15% expressed no opinion. The Schwerin firm showed the film at one of its regular screening sessions a fortnight ago at New York's Museum of Modern Art. The some 300 members of the testing audience were described by the Schwerin company as "fairly rep AWB CHAIRMEN Elected for 8 Districts ELECTION of eight women broadcasters as district chairmen of the Assn. of Women Broadcasters was announced last Tuesday by NAB, parent AWB organization. New chairmen, comprising even-numbered NAB-AWB Districts 2 through 16, will take office following AWB's annual convention in Cleveland June 1-3. Balloting for the chairmen was conducted by mail. Committee of three active AWB members — Mary Pauline Perry, publicity director, and Ruth Crane, women's director, WMAL-AM-TV Washington, and Nancy Osgood, women's director, WRC Washington — met with NAB President Justin Miller and AWB Secretary Bette Doolittle to canvass ballots and elect the chairmen. (Other district chairmen are elected during odd-numbered years.) Chairmen elected were: District 2 (N. Y. and N. J.) : Doris Corwith, director of talks and religious broadcasts, WNBC New York; District 4 (D. C, Va., W. Va., N. C, S. C.),: Alice Brewer White, women's director, WTAR-AM-TV Norfolk, Va.; District 6 (Ark., Miss., La., Tenn.): Elizabeth Alford, program director and continuity editor, KRMD Shreveport, La.; District 8 (Mich., Ind.) : Edythe Fern Melrose, WXYZ-AM-TV Detroit, Mich.; District 10 (Iowa, Mo., Neb.) : Doris Murphy, women's program director, KMA Shenandoah, Iowa; District 12 (Kan., Okla.) : Ethel Jane King, women's director, KFH Wichita, Kan.; District 14 (Col., Idaho, Mont., Utah, Wyo., N. M., part of S. D.) : Evadna Hammersley, program editor, KOA Denver, Col.; District 16 (Ariz., Southern Calif.) : Anita Chester, administrative assistant, public affairs department, KNX Los Angeles, Calif. Page 44 • April 17, 1950 Schwerin Tests Public Reaction resentative" as a cross-section of the general public. Schwerin used the same fundamental techniques in analyzing the film that it uses in charting audience reaction to other films and radio and television programs. At numerous points throughout the screening of "Lightning" the audience was asked to express its liking or dislike for that particular part of the film. At the end of the screening additional questions were asked. On the whole, the audience was not enthusiastic about the entertainment value of the film, a result that was to be expected in the view of the Schwerin company. The film shown to the test audience was the full 38-minute version that was produced for presentation within the advertising trade, and much of] it was too esoteric to be appealing to a more general audience. The profile of the audience reac tion to various parts of the film is, being used, however, as a guide in] the production of two different 20minute versions of the picture novunderway. One of these versions is intended to be confined to the sales stories in the full-length picture, and it will be presented only within advertising circles. The other version, to be aimed at more general presentation, will contain elements from the original picture that are of broader appeal. ft T: THESE executives from New York, Boston and Worcester, Mass., were among those who attended the dinner in Worcester on March 30 when George F. Booth, president of WTAG-AM-FM Worcester, received the first annual Isaah Thomas Award "for distinguished community service." L to r: Seated, Harold E. Fellows, WEEI Boston, manager of New England operations for CBS; Joseph H. Ream, New York, CBS executive vice president; Herbert V. Akerberg, New York, CBS vice president in charge of station relations; Paul H. Raymer, New York, president, Paul H. Raymer Co., WTAG's national sales representative; standing, Herbert L. Krueger, WTAG commercial manager, and Robert W. Booth, general manager of WTAG. Audience Response Questions asked after the screening, and the responses were: Did this picture hold your interest? — yes, 37%; no, 58%; no opinion, 5%. Would you like to see this picture shown in your local movie theatre?— yes, 18%; no, 75%; no opinion, 7%. Did you like the acting? — -yes, 32%; no, 58%; no opinion, 10%. Did you think this picture was true to life? — yes, 56%; no, 23%; no opinion, 21%). The two 20-minute versions of "Lightning," like the full-length film, are being produced by IMPS — International Movie Producers' Service, New York, under the supervision of Victor M. Ratner. The first of the two — the one concentrating on sales elements — is scheduled for release soon. A new sound track is said to have been produced to overcome objections to the quality of the sound on the original film, and general technical improvements are said to have been made. The Schwerin Corp. conducted the test without fee, as a service to the All-Radio Presentation Committee. LIGHTNING' VALUE ■** * ■w-H RADIO'S celluloid salesman "Lightning That Talks," can be and will be used as a "foot in the door." Of course it is not a panacea — it's a sales tool. That's the opinion of a broadcaster who has been instrumental in bringing the trade's motion picture to the advertiser salesman's contract anteroom. In an interview with Broadcasting last week, Gordon Gray, WIP Philadelphia vice president and chairman of the All-Radio Presentation Committee, reviewed the film's reception in the cities where it has been shown and mulled "Lightning's" future. The broadcaster who makes "intelligent" use of the film, Mr. Gray said, "will undoubtedly capitalize on it." It is important for industry people to realize that the motion picture "was very much oversold" as an idea and "regarded as a Mr. Gray panacea, which, of course, nothing ever is," he pointed out. In recent weeks, Mr. Gray observed, reports of satisfactory reaction in viewing have been coming in to the committee from retailers and regional advertisers, rather than broadcasters. In light of this, he continued, it is necessary for the latter to approach the film "not as broadcasters but as retailers and regional advertisers, for apparently through their eyes the film does impress on them the great power of broadcast advertising." Presentation Important With this understanding of the film's role, Mr. Gray believes "if the subscribers will use it (the film) and then follow through intelligently, they will get a good return on their investment." Intelligent use of the film, he said, takes in a few pointers in presenting the motion picture to viewers. First, the subscriber needs to understand that a 16mm film is never as good as a 35mm film, he explained. "Therefore, when show ing the 16mm there should by all means be a rehearsal of the film.'l Enlarging on this important! factor, Mr. Gray gave this illus-| tration: In the showing before theff Radio Executives Club at the Hotel Roosevelt in New York, the filr technician failed to run it througl rehearsal. The lighting was badj and the sound mushy. But when! seeing the same film in better cir-j cumstances, he said, it was perfectl "Anyone who is showing it should be sure to run the film off first toi see that conditions for showing are| proper," Mr. Gray said. After Philadelphia subscribers [ looked at the film under good showing conditions, Mr. Gray found! they decided to rent a theatref rather than use a dining room to j permit favorable viewing conditions and to permit more people at the showing. "I think that wherever possible the film should be shown in a theatre and I think that subscribers will find that that^. is as economical a way of showing U it ad it as any," Mr. Gray emphasized. Second, there is no doubt that (Continued on page 58) BROADCASTING • Telecasting