Broadcasting Telecasting (Jul-Sep 1953)

ONOPOLY ROGRAMMING: new THE Nielsen Report shows the NBC Network Circulation and the NBC, Station Circulation to be identical to the percentage point in markets where there is no overlap of NBC signals. First impression is that the network recruits its stations' circulations. If that's the case, how much or how little does a station itself generate with its own programming? Radio programming can be divided between "monopoly" and "non-monopoly" programming. There is ample evidence that the two categories do not generate the same "circulation," and that the difference between their circulations is a significant factor to spot advertisers. A station can have two circulations. There are three types of monopoly programming: (1) NETWORK, SYNDICATED PROGRAMS. If you want to hear Bob Hope in an area where there are no overlapping NBC signals, you must turn to the only NBC signal in your area. (2) LOCAL PERSONALITY, PATENTED FORMAT PROGRAMS. If you want to hear Grady Cole every morning, you must tune WBT; you must dial WNOE for Happiness Exchange. (3) PLAY-BY-PLAY SPORTSCASTS. If you want the Yankees, you want WINS. Non-monopoly programming, on the other hand, is represented by the disc shows and news-weather reports, the bulk of station programming of staff-presented material equally available to all. In circulation discussions, the term monoply programming is most generally applied to the first category. Network, because of the great body of network programming comprising the big variety and dramatic show, the "soaps", and the great comedy personalities. The other two categories are substantial, however; Mr. Godfrey belonged to Type #2 as a local station monopoly in Washington before he developed into a network monopoly, while the annual investments made in baseball play-byplays bear ample witness to the stature of Type #3. "Desirability" is as essential as exclusivity in a definition of monopoly. There must be an envied attraction to create a sense of "exclusion of others to the advantage of the monopoly-owner." There is no such thing as a monopoly that nobody wants. The increase in the number of stations from less than 1,000 before the war to more than 2,000 since then has knocked out the old contour figures we once bought on. The increase in the number of listening surveys of secondary markets within large contour areas made it even clearer that the new stations were tearing big holes in the audience fabric of the established big power stations. It became obvious that the contour was useless and a national simultaneous study was necessary. • The first BMB came into being. In its essence it was a measure of network popularity. It was invaluable to network buyers, and almost equally useful to spot buyers, for almost all spot sales at that time were breaks adjacent to network shows. A measure of a network's popularity, then, was a pretty sound basis for a measure of a spot schedule's "popularity." Changes In Spot By 1949, however, radio spot buying had largely changed due to TV and to a general swing from breaks to minutes. TV knocked out most night-time buying and some afternoon activity. One national advertiser established a 9 a.m. curfew for radio in TV markets. The swing to minutes knocked out most network adjacencies, reduced them to a handful soon sequestered by the 52-week advertisers. The hour from 7-8 a.m. became the most sought-after hour in radio. Thus the typical spot campaign came to be two or three hours removed from the nearest network show, but spot advertisers couldn't afford to discard BMB. There was nothing else. BMB's second study of network popularity continued, therefore, with one interpretation or another, to supply a station "coverage" figure upon which phone zone or metropolitan ratings of non-monopoly programs were projected across neighboring counties, even across neighboring states, at any hour of the day or night. Now again important money has been invested in a brace of national surveys, in spired and backed by two networks. All the energy and money expended still does not answer the spot advertisers' major problem. Network stations draw on high budget network shows in addition to their power (coverage), which they lump into one overall "circulation" story, even when only a "local" program is in consideration. What is a station's non-monopoly, selfearned circulation? How great is the circulation differential between monopoly and non-monopoly programming? Does carry-over, loyalty, or apathy retain any of this monopoly-recruited differential for a station's non-monopoly programming? If the differential is substantial, the investment to get this information in future studies would pay off in better buying. Here are four examples, typical of many others, which appear to indicate that the differential is a great deal larger than generally presumed. First is the hour from 7-8 a.m. Every station can spin the same discs. In fact, the recording companies throw heavy promotions behind their new releases to influence disc jockeys to do just that. Very few d.j.'s ever build a following outside of their own bailiwick, and all too frequently we've seen leading ones switch stations and not bring over enough of their "following" within their rated area to influence the ratings or switch national spot accounts. Aping each other makes them as undistinguished as the music they play. News and weather are important from 7-8 a.m. The national news from the wire services is the same for great and small. The local news is a plus for the hometown station over the power station. The hometowner can afford to particularize the immediate for his compact audience; the power station must keep it general, because ^ his audience is dispersed. Weather is the hometowner's second plus. This important feature of get-up time is extremely local. The weather where you< are dressing is the weather that counts. The "musical clock" may eliminate the differential of one station, exemplify the disparity in others. It seems amply indicated that most "musical clocks" will not recruit Page 98 • August 17, 1953 Broadcasting • Telecasting