Broadcasting (Apr - June 1950)

RMA Realigns (Continued from page 27) with acceptance of five companies. Mr. Geddes joined RMA Nov. 1, 1927, as executive vice president and general manager. In his career at the association he has been active in the development of the auto radio, shortwave sets and TV and FM. During the war he took part in conversion of the manufacturing industry to military production and the subsequent reconversion to peacetime manufacturing. Since 1932 he has been secretary of RMA in addition to his other duties. Aged 68, he requested retirement last winter under a plan set up two years ago. During his regime RMA has had 12 presidents. Before joining RMA Mr. Geddes was active in Washington journalism, traveling with several presidential and vice presidential candir dates in their campaigns. He managed the United Press Bureau in Washington and was later chief of the Associated Press capital staff. His pre-Washington experience included newspapers in Omaha and Los Angeles. Mr. Geddes is a member of the federal bar in Washington and the I FCC bar, having been graduated in law from Columbian College, now George Washington U. Katz New Offices EFFECTIVE April 29, the Katz agency moved into new quarters at 488 Madison Ave., New York, on the 20th floor. The telephone number is Plaza 9-4460. RADIO DAY Marks Seattle Awards AWARDS were presented last Tuesday to two advertisers, four programs, and three agencies for excellence in radio advertising at the Radio Day presentations of the Seattle Advertising and Sales Club's third annual advertising competition. Keynote speaker at the meeting was Rogan Jones, president of KVOS Bellingham and KPQ Wenatchee (see separate story). Presented in five categories, the awards were as follows: Best live announcement copy broadcast and designed to sell merchandise and/or service in the Seattle-Puget Sound area — Washington State Fruit Commission (Pacific National Advertising Agency). This award was based on an aircheck recording of announcements via Housewives Protective League on KIRO Seattle. Best transcribed announcements designed to sell merchandise and/or service in the Seattle-Puget Sound area — -Sicks' Seattle Brewing Co. for Rainier Extra Pale Beer (Western Agency). The transcriptions were produced by KJR Seattle. Best program designed to sell merchandise and/or service in the SeattlePuget Sound area — ■ Scandia Barn Dance, aired Saturday, 6-6:30 p.m. on KOMO Seattle. Co-sponsors of the show are Old Yankee Foods, Williams Potato Chips, Meadow Brook Butter, Red Arrow Crackers, Krusteaz Pie Crust, and Northwest Blueberry Growers' Assn., all through Taskett Advertising Agency. Best transcribed announcements promoting public relations and/or community service campaigns — the "Sell Optimism" campaign developed by KOMO last August. Best program or programs promoting public relations and/or community service campaigns — The Seattle Chamber of Commerce's weekly The Seattle Story, KOMO. This was the only award recipient to be so honored for the second successive year. Honorable mention in the final category was presented to Quizdown, the Saturday afternoon half-hour program presented jointly by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Seattle Public School System, and KOMO. Chairman of the radio awards committee for the Ad Club was Bill Hubbach, KOMO account executive. Serving with him were John Heverly, account executive with Botsford, Constantine & Gardner, and Lincoln Miller, executive vice president of KXA Seattle. The judges were Gordon Bennett of Strang & Prosser Adv. Agency; Frank Swearingen, advertising director of Puget Sound Power & Light Co.; and Mrs. Herbert E. Vedder of the Seattle Council of Parent Teacher Assns. New Research Plan (Continued from page 30) Jones referred to as "a stinger": "But you don't sell merchandise!" He expressed the belief that the findings of the new research technique would change advertisers' attitudes in this respect. Prefacing his description of the new technique and its results, Mr. Jones told his Ad Club audience: "We at KVOS believe a lot of things not generally believed by other radio stations. Our odd beliefs briefly are: "1. Bellingham is the most competitive town in the state's radio industry, audience-wise. "2. Our newspaper, businesswise is the toughest competition in any small market. This is offered as a compliment. "3. Radio performs the same fundamental service as a newspaper. They differ technologically, but not philosophically. "4. A radio station should grow and prosper on its own merits. Not because it is alone in a market, or because of its network or because it buys monopoly rights to various events, etc., but because it does a better job than other radio stations and other media." CBS' Carlborg Promoted HERBERT A. CARLBORG, eastern sales manager of Radio Sales for CBS, last week was appointed manager of sales development for AM and TV at the network. Thomas Dawson succeeds Mr. Carlborg as eastern sales manager and Fred J. Mahlstedt, manager of research and promotion for Radio Sales, was named general service manager in charge of the research, promotion, program, traffic, clearance and contract departments. WBMS MUSIC Drops Classical Policy WBMS Boston has abandoned its ( three-year-old policy for classical music and is returning to a formula of popular music today (Monday), according to George Lasker, vice president of The Friendly Group, operator of a I chain of stations including WBMS. In announcing the decision, Mr. J. Lasker said that if Boston is a city of culture where good music, the classics and semi-classics are i better appreciated than anywhere h else in the country, the hard, cold facts do not show it. "Apprecia Q| tion for good music in Boston is gj so limited that the only station [j broadcasting it here exclusively for the past three years, has been compelled to abandon its daily output of Brahms, Beethoven, Bach and the masters of the ages, to adopt the more popular type of entertainment." It was found, Mr. Lasker pointed out, that although a limited au >_ i dience enjoyed and applauded the j music, it resented the sponsorship and commercials that helped to make the broadcasting possible to such an extent that listeners would not patronize the advertisers . . . f "and sponsors therefore would not support the station." SARNOFF PLAN Urges 'Voice' That Roars BRIG. GEN. DAVID SARNOFF, RCA chairman of the board, said last week that the Voice of America i must be strengthened as part of a vigorous effort by the U. S. to meet the world crisis. Speaking before the American Society of Naval Engineers in Washington last Thursday, Gen. Sarnoff proposed six ways "to wage world peace and to prevent another j war." He outlined the six ways to peace 1 as adequate military preparation, r removal of tensions that arise from mutual fears and suspicions, a strong policy against piecemeal aggression, a vigorous domestic economy, U. S. leadership in restoring the economy of other nations of the free world, and spreading the message of America to both sides of the iron curtain. With respect to the last, Gen. Sarnoff said that the Voice of America, which is now a "whisper," must be "amplified to a road that will override manmade interference." Mystery Award to MBS WINNER of the best mystery radio program award given by the Mystery Writers of America Inc., at its annual dinner April 20, was MBS' Murder By Experts. Robert Arthur and Dave Kogan, producers-writers of the program, ; were given "Edgar" statuettes — busts of Edgar Allan Poe — as was the network. FIRST in the QUAD CITIES In Davenport, Rock Island, Moline and East Moline is the richest concentration of diversified industry between Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Omaha. The Quad Cities are the trading center for a prosperous two-state agricultural area. Recail sales, total buying and per capita income rate higher than the national average, according to Sales Management. WOC-AM^'WOC-FW,^ WOC delivers this rich market to NBC Network, national spot and local advertisers . . . with 70 to 100% BMB penetration in the two-county Quad City area ... 10 to 100% in adjacent counties. W0C-TV Channel 5 22.9 Kw. Video • 12.5 Kw. Audio On the Quad Cities' first TV station NBC Network (non-interconnected), local and film programs reach over 9,000 Quad Cities" sets . . . hundreds more in a 75 air-mile radius. Basic NBC Affiliate Col. B. J. Palmer, President Ernest Sanders, General Manager DAVENPORT, IOWA FREE A PETERS, Inc. Exclusive National Representatives Page 44 • May 1, 1950 BROADCASTING • Telecasting