Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

ADVERTISERS & AGENCIES continued General Foods Ready to Sign As Murrow Tv Show Alternate General Foods Corp., White Plains, N. Y., Friday was on the verge of signing as alternate-week sponsor of CBS-TV's Person-toPerson effective next January. Although a verbal order had been placed with the network by Benton & Bowles, agency for GF's Maxwell House coffee and other products, some details remained to be ironed out. The principal problem: how to accommodate Theo. Hamm Brewing Co., Minneapolis, which sponsors the Friday night series in some 40 midwest markets, while American Oil Co. sponsors the Edward R. Murrow interviews in the East. (On the West Coast, Time Inc. picks up some markets on a week-to-week basis while other markets are sold co-op on the Time Inc. "off-weeks.") The commitment by General Foods follows notification by Amoco that it will bow out of the Murrow programs early next year so as to effect a new tv marketing strategy concentrating on spot [Advertisers & Agencies, Nov. 4]. Amoco and Hamm's had been closely allied on both the Personto-Person show and Mr. Murrow's weeknight CBS Radio newscasts. Meanwhile, CBS-TV was caught in the embarrassing position of possibly having to inform a major network advertiser which had sought relief that it might not be able to get it. With crooner Bing Crosby quite decided about not doing the Dec. 11 hourlong special program that would have been sponsored jointly by Shulton Inc. and U. S. Time Corp. (Timex watches) in the 10-11 p.m. slot, CBS-TV was trying to come up with a last-minute substitute program for the two one-shot advertisers. Shulton is a regular CBS-TV client as alternate-week sponsor of the Eve Arden Show (Tues., 8:30-9 p.m.). Armstrong Cork Co., Lancaster, Pa., was to have been relieved of sponsoring the Armstrong Circle Theatre that night, but there was a good chance that if CBS-TV and Shulton (which originally bought the Crosby show, then sold part of it to Timex) failed to come up with a show suitable to both, Armstrong might have to go on after all. WESTERN Airlines' "relaxed little bird" is flying into tv by way of newspaper advertising. The airline ran the above ad on the radio-tv pages of daily newspapers in 11 western markets Nov. 1 to announce the return of the animated character to tv screens during this month. The bird is featured in Western's "20-second Tv Theatre." The spot, third in a series featuring the little bird, was produced by Quartet Films, Hollywood, under supervision of Stan Walsh. Agency: BBDO, Los Angeles. TvB, Using Nielsen Data, Cites 'Striking Gains' in Tv Over Year Proof that television made "striking gains" in the last year was offered Thursday by Dr. Leon Arons, research director of the Television Bureau of Advertising. Dr. Arons, in commenting on the report based on recent A., C. Nielsen Co. findings, said, "Television attracts more homes and more different homes as tv viewing per family rises." Tv viewing per average minute climbed 15% to 30% in all weekly time periods checked, which include 3-, 6-, 1-, 12-, 18 COST-PER-INQUIRY? RATHER HIGH When an advertiser figures it may cost him $9,000 to pay for two 30-second spot tv announcements, that's the hard way to make a profit. This reverse twist on sudden success hit Waldheim's Furniture Store, Milwaukee, last week. Waldheim's had been running spot commercials for seven weeks on late movies over WITI-TV Whitefish Bay, a Milwaukee suburb. To spark up the last week's commercials, an announcer and a model last Tuesday offered a free tv lamp to every customer who came into the store between 9-11 a.m. Wednesday. The retail value of the lamp was $8.95; the store had 50 in stock. The two spots were broadcast between 1011 p.m. When manager Stanley Waldheim Jr. opened the store Wednesday, he took one look at the crowd and called the police. An estimated 6,000 to 8,000 people were crowding the streets. The riot squad and 28 policemen eventually were required, especially after the lamps ran out. The store finally resorted to gift certificates worth the value of the lamp. Mr. Waldheim estimates that 3,000 to 5,000 of these were given away. He figures it may cost the store around $9,000, in the long run, to pay for the two 30-second spots. Store officials and their advertising agency still haven't decided whether the store can afford to continue with television. Page 30 November 11, 1957 and 24-hour breakdowns, the report showed. In terms of different homes reached, tv attracted more families in 11 or 12 time periods, ranging from an increase of 5% to over 15%, it was reported. A 3% dropoff, the only decline registered, was shown in the 6-9 a.m. period. Family viewing of tv increased in all 12 time periods surveyed by A. C. Nielsen with increase ranging from 17 minutes per week between 6 and 9 p.m. to 2 hours and 42 minutes per week on a 24-hour-day basis. The report also showed: the greatest percentage gain in average-minute audience took place between 12 noon and 3 p.m. on weekdays; over 31% more families watched television in March 1957 than in March 1956; the biggest gain was registered between 9 p.m. and 12 midnight, in terms of actual audience increase, with over 20.4 million families viewing tv during the average minute. This, according to the report, is a 3.5 million increase over March 1956. Nielsen reported the top percentage gain in families tuning to television also was credited to the 12 noon-3 p.m. time period. Over 15% more homes viewed tv each week in March 1957 than in 1956. More homes viewed tv between 6 p.m. and 12 midnight than during any other time period, according to the findings. The number of homes viewing tv in an average week shot up from under 34 million to over 38 million families, largest numerical gain in any time period for the year. EWR&R Completes Merger, Realignment in Chicago The physical consolidation of Erwin, Wasey and Ruthrauff & Ryan and personnel alignment of the newly-merged agency in Chicago have been completed at enlarged quarters in the London Guarantee Building (360 N. Michigan Ave.), according to Frederick J. Wachter, vice president and general manager. Consolidation of the New York office was completed last month. After several account and creative staff departures from both agencies, alignment of Erwin Wasey, Ruthrauff & Ryan Inc., Chicago, shapes up like this: Roswell W. Metzger, vice president and executive committee chairman; Haakon B. Groseth and Lorry R. Northrup, executive vice presidents; Kenneth D. Stewart, William D. Watson and Jack E. Fleisch, senior vice presidents. Holly Shively, vice president, continues as business manager of the radio-tv department and timebuyer, with other department heads including George Anderson as vice president and radio-tv director, and John Gwynn, vice president and director of media. Other vice presidents and department chiefs: Al Callies, marketing; Frank Cheeseman, art; George Drake, creative committee chairman; Dr. Harper Boyd, research; Jack Friedman, copy; Elmer Rieck and Jack McComb, product group supervisors. Other vice presidents and account executives: Allen C. Bishop, Waldo Gundlach, Gerald V. Kelleher and Herbert Lund. Mr. Fleisch is account supervisor. Paul Watson, former R&R board chairman and one-time Chicago office manager, serves as consultant. Broadcasting