Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1950)

1932 (Continued from page 76) British authority on transmitting antennas, who superintended its construction with the aid of T. A. M. Craven, consulting engineer. The lapel microphone was introduced by Radio Telephone Industries Corp. and RCA brought out a velocity microphone, without a diaphragm, designed for increased directionalism and better fidelity. Broadcasters spent some $570,000 for frequency control equipment to comply with the 50-cycle frequency tolerance requirement which became effective in June. Charles J. Young, son of Owen B. Young, and Dr. E. F. W. Albertson were at work in the RCA Labs on a facsimile system for the radio transmission of pictures and printed material. Canada Adopts New Radio Plan In Canada, after the British Privy Council had upheld federal control of radio, dismissing an appeal of the Province of Quebec, the government adopted a radio plan which restricted advertising to 5% of program content and levied a receiver tax of $2 per set. Although the 1931 census had reported 770,436 radio homes, only •592,896 set owners paid the new tax in 1932. Broadcasting early in the year retained a correspondent for regular coverage of news of the Dominion's broadcasters and their government regulators. Radio was becoming, even in 1932, a favorite field for market researchers. Lee Bristol, vice president of Bristol-Myers Co. and president of the Assn. of National Advertisers, told the ANA convention that during the year 145,000 calls would be made on set owners asking what they had listened to for the previous several hours, in a "cooperative analysis" of program audiences ANA was conducting for advertisers and agencies. John Shepard 3rd, Yankee Network president, tried out a new kind of survey, developed by Walter Mann & Staff, to measure program perferences on "facts of the present rather than opinions of the past" by using the telephone to ask people what station or program they were listening to at the time the telephone rang. Hettinger Surveys Summer Listening Herman Hettinger of the Wharton School of Finance, U. of Pennsylvania, reported on a summer survey of the Philadelphia area that showed the number of summer listeners averaged nearly 90% of the wintertime audience, never falling below 85.5%. Another Wharton survey showed that 95% of housewives listened to the radio at some time during the evening, that Monday was the best and Saturday the poorest weekday evening for radio listening, that afternoons were about equal and Saturday the poorest morning; 61.8% of the Page 78 • October 16, 1950 women intei-viewed said they had bought something because it was radio-advertised, confirming a California survey which found 66% of the women interviewed to be buyers of radio-advertised merchandise. Radio Tells Story to Listeners Also in 1932: KSTP and WCCO Minneapolis-St. Paul on New Year's Day put on a joint broadcast to tell listeners how American radio operates and the advantages to the public of competition among stations and advertisers which provides the best program service in the world and at no expense to the tax-payers. Radio drew plaudits for its excellent job of reporting the political conventions, NBC serving 88 stations, CBS 96 with the detailed minute-by-minute story. The Eastern College Conference decided to ban all football broadcasts but, after the Pacific Coast Conference had agreed to broadcasts as usual and the Big Ten had left the decision up to each college individually, the Eastern Conference decided to go along and rescinded the ban. Scott Howe Bowen, vehement upholder of general station representation against exclusive representatives, nonetheless agreed to serve as exclusive representative of the Yankee Network and its ten affiliated stations. Samuel Clyde, advertising director of General Mills, urged radio to stay on standard time the year round as railroads do, avoiding the semi-annual mix-up due to some cities going on daylight time, others not. Lord & Thomas installed RCA equipment to record the Lucky Strike broadcasts so as to have a file of the programs exactly as they went on the air. Father Coughlin's Golden Hour of the Little Flower was broadcast over a 26-station hookup, largest special network arranged up to that time. General Foods Corp. started a comic strip in 90 newspapers featuring characters from the company's Tompkins Coryiers radio program. Newton Coal Co. bought five hours to broadcast 13 programs over WCAU Philadelphia on Oct. 2, dedication day of WCAU's new 50 kw transmitter, WMCA New York extended its hours of operation to 3 a.m., reporting increased interest by advertisers of luxury products in people who can afford to stay up that late. Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt, wife of the President-elect, in December went on the air for Ponds Extract Co. in an NBC series, her talent fees going to charity. Chronology continues on page 82 INDIVIDUAL pictures used in this section are contemporary photographs showing the individuals at about the time mentioned in the text. New England money to spe h as Get your share through the YANKEE NETWORK IVTEW ENGLAND leads the country in per ^ ^ capita purchasing power. It has 8.0% of the country's total wealth, the total income. It earns 8.4% of New England consumes nearly 10% of all food sold in the United States. According to the New England Council, it is spending more per capita for new cars, gasoline, department store merchandise, life insurance and building materials than any other section of the country. Concentrate your sales effort on this rich market. The voice of the Yankee Network reaches every densely populated New England trading area . . . 8-station coverage that assures the largest possible listener audience. SHEPARD BROADCASTING SERVICE, Inc., BOSTON Business Office: One Winter Place Exclusive National Sales Representative SCOTT HOWE BOWEN, INC. New York Chicago Detroit Kansas City San Francisco Omaha WXANKEE NETWORK M ii.-W"fflVM Wnltn Ntfr tNQL/KNU ntAKS 113 KAVIV^^M BROADCASTING • Telecasting