Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1955)

'BIG SALE' IS THEME OF RAB CLINICS Radio's sales promotion group opens this year's sales clinic series in Miami, with 63 meetings scheduled for first six months. RADIO ADVERTISING Bureau last Monday launched its 1955 sales clinic series in Miami, signaling the first of 63 meetings that will be held in the first six months of the year around the theme of "Six Small Steps to the BIG Sale." An additional 39 clinics built around another theme will be conducted throughout the country in the last half of the year. The meeting in Miami set the pattern for other clinics on succeeding days last week in Jacksonville, Birmingham, Atlanta and Augusta. They were conducted by Kevin Sweeney, RAB president, and Arch L. Madsen. director of member services, who emphasized to station sales executives that "The big sale — the one that sells out the station, the one that pulls in a flock of other advertisers anxious to imitate the big advertiser . . . takes longer, but in the long run it's far easier to make." The six steps listed were: "Believe in your product — and know it; prepare your story — the whole story; plan the right selling approach and 'close'; make your presentation with showmanship; trigger your sale with the right idea and copy technique; put your client on the air and keep him there." Messrs. Sweeney and Madsen told the clinics that RAB had used "the six small steps" formula successfully to sell many of the largest retail and regional advertisers on the use of radio, pointing out it had been accomplished by RAB executives working together with local station sales personnel. The RAB clinics this year will make wider use of visual and tape presentations than ever before, with a sizable amount of the entire "six steps" story on tape. It is believed that the tape presentation will be particularly effective, since it will reproduce the actual sales messages and techniques used in developing business by stations and the RAB staff. The RAB clinics will recess this week, before resuming again in Chattanooga, Tenn., Jan. 24. The schedule of RAB clinics, revising the slate announced last month [B»T, Dec. 6, 1954], is as follows (location of meeting within city shown in parentheses): Jan. 24, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Jan. 25, Nashville, Tenn. (WLAC): Jan. 26. Columbia, S. C. (WIS); Jan. 27, Charlotte, N. C. (WBT); Jan. 28. Raleigh, N. C. (Auditorium of Carolina Power & Light Company). Feb. 7, Phoenix (KOY); Feb. 8, Los Angeles (KNX); Feb. 9, Fresno, Calif. (KMJ); Feb. 10, San Francisco (KCBS); Feb. 11, Sacramento, Calif. (KFBK); Feb. 21, Washington, D. C. RETMA Tax Unit NEW Tax Advisory Committee was formed Thursday by Max F. Balcom, chairman of the board, Radio-ElectronicsTv Mfrs. Assn., to carry on the RETMA fight against a 10% excise tax on radio and tv sets. Chairman is Gerard M. Ungaro, Magnavox Co. RETMA contends the tax is discriminatory and it will ask Congress to rectify the damage caused the industry when the tax on other appliances was cut to 5%. (WTOP); Feb. 23, Richmond, Va. (WRVA); Feb. 24, Roanoke (WROV); Feb. 25, Baltimore (WBAL). March 7, New Orleans (WDSU): March 8 Shreveport (KWKH); March 9, Dallas (WFAA) ; March 10, San Antonio (KENS); March 11, Corpus Christi (KRIS); March 21, Albuquerque, N. M.; March 22. Amarillo, Tex. (KGNC) ; March 23, Oklahoma City (KOMA); March 24, Tulsa, Okla. (KVOO); March 25, Little Rock, Ark. (KTHS). April 4, Billings, Mont.; April 5, Boise, Idaho; April 6, Portland, Ore.; April 7, Spokane, Wash.; April 8, Seattle; April 18, Milwaukee: April 19, Grand Rapids, Mich.; April 20, Detroit; April 21, Cleveland; April 22, Cincinnati. May 2, Chicago; May 3, Peoria, 111.; May 4, Louisville; May 5. Indianapolis, Ind.; May 6, Fort Wayne; May 16, Trenton. N. J.: May 17, Philadelphia; May 18, Pittsburgh; May 19, Buffalo; May 20. Syracuse; May 31. St. Louis. June 1, Wichita, Kan.; June 2, Denver; June 3, Salt Lake City; June 13, New York; June 14, Hartford. Conn.; June 15, Boston; June 16, Manchester. N. H.; June 17. Bangor, Me.; June 27 Bismarck, N. D.; June 28, Minneapolis; June 29, Omaha; June 30, Des Moines. July 1, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. TvB Names Murphy Chairman Of Membership Unit in N.E. JOHN T. MURPHY of Crosley Broadcast tions, last week was Television Bureau of MR. MURPHY served as temporary tinue as a member of vice president in charge ing Corp.'s television stanamed chairman of the Advertising's membership committee for the Northeast. Mr. Murphy, whose appointment was announced by Clair R. McCollough of the Steinm a n Stations and Richard A. Moore of KTTV (TV) Los Angeles, co-chairmen of the TvB Board, replaces Kenneth L. Carter of WAAM (TV) Baltimore, who had chairman and will conthe board. Members of Mr. Murphy's committee are Paul Adanti. WHEN-TV Syracuse; John H. Bone, WNEM-TV Bay City, Mich.; Gordon Gray, WORTV New York; Robert Lemon, WTTV (TV) Bloomington, Ind.; William H. Rines. WCSH-TV Portland, Me.; Frank Schreiber. WGN-TV Chicago, and Frank Snyder, WXEL (TV) Cleveland. The Northeast committee's jurisdiction in the membership drive includes Maine. New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana. Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Norman E. (Pete) Cash, TvB director of station relations, last week made his first field trip since joining the organization the first of the year — he conferred with broadcasters in Syracuse for an organizational meeting of the New York Broadcasters Assn. 12 Students Named Finalists In 8th Annual VOD Contest EIGHT boys and four girls were named finalists in the eighth annual Voice of Democracy Contest, sponsored jointly by Radio-ElectronicsTv Mfrs. Assn., NARTB and U. S. Junior Chamber of Commerce. The four national winners will be selected from this group and receive $500 scholarships and tv sets at the annual awards luncheon to be held Feb. 23 at the Shoreham Hotel. Washington. Three foreign students were among state winners this year. Two were exchange students— Catherine Esther Styles of Auckland, New Zealand, who represents Minnesota, and Elizabeth Davies of Suffolk, England, winner in Wisconsin. South Carolina was represented by Billy Kim of Korea, student at Bob Jones Academy. The 12 finalists are: Judy Abramson, Yuba City Calif.; Robert H. Hale, Sterling, Colo.; Norman Tolk. Twin Falls. Idaho; Martin John Flynn, Lafayette, Ind.; Dwight David Walker, Oskaloosa, Iowa; Ramona Waugespack. Vacherie, La.; Miss Styles; Gerald S. Wolfe, Carlsbad, N. M.; Avron Joseph Maletsky, Schenectady, N. Y.; Philip Arthur Diehl, Charlotte. N. C; Gracie Beers, Wooster, Ohio: Richard E. Frieberg, Beresford, S. D. VOD announced the contest set a new record in the number of students participating. The students voiced five-minute broadcast scripts on the subject, "I Speak for Democracy." The contest is endorsed by the U. S. Office of Education. News Ad Men to Get How-to-Sell Plan THE Bureau of Advertising of the American Newspaper Publishers Assn. will outline a program on how space salesmen can best peddle their papers against the threat of radio-tv and other media when its executives make their sales pitch in Chicago this week. The occasion will be the 45th annual convention of the National Advertising Executives Assn. at the Edgewater Beach Hotel starting today (Monday). While no actual broadcast media sessions have been scheduled as such, radio-tv competition— particularly as it has been reflected in the past year's fight for the automotive and other, dollars — is certain to creep into the three-day convention. Theme of the conclave is better selling by spacemen. As usual, the battle for the advertisers' dollar will command attention at both national and local levels. Last year, it is recalled, newspaper executives were admonished to take a leaf from the auralvisual media and seek to establish a closer liaison with advertisers and their editorial personalities. Space salesmen were urged to look to their laurels and resell automotive interests. U. S. auto powers subsequently responded, last fall, with a record $64.5 million commitment for the twin electronic media during the 195455 season. At the same convention, it was predicted that color in newspapers held the same promise as for tv. Harold S. Barnes, director of ANPA's Bureau of Advertising, will head a battery of speakers who will address newspaper executives at an afternoon session today (Monday). An agency reception and dinner will follow. Among featured speakers will be A. G. Ensrud. media representative. J. Walter Thompson Co.. and Richard Whidden, product advertising manager for General Foods Corp. The panels will be dominated by newspaper executives. A leading retailer is promised for Tuesday's luncheon address, preceded by election of officers. Donald Bernard, Washington Post & Times-Herald, will preside over the meetings and deliver the keynote talk. SCBA Plans 4 Sales Meetings SERIES of four district meetings, designed to help outlying Southern California Broadcasters Assn. member stations in "Selling Radio Today," are being planned for early this year, Robert J. McAndrews, SCBA president, announced last week. Stan Spero, general sales manager of KMPC Hollywood, will head a panel of sales managers to discuss latest sales methods at the luncheon or dinner sessions. District directors, elected for each of four districts outside metropolitan Los Angeles, will preside at the meetings. Page 68 • January 17, 1955 Broadcasting • Telecasting