Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

Proper Use of Data Emphasized By Rating Services Executives There is too much "blind buying" of radio-tv availabilities on the basis of ratings alone, James Seiler, president of Advertising Research Bureau, said Thursday in New York before the media discussion group of the American Marketing Assn. He explained that ratings are intended to serve as a guidepost, but admitted agency timebuyers today are too rushed to "follow all the rules for proper use." He emphasized a 0.5 rating might actually be a better buy for a given product than a 20.0 rating if the right audience for the product were involved. Mr. Seiler was the first of six rating service executives who participated on the luncheon panel. The meeting was moderated by Dr. E. L. Deckinger, vice president and media director of Grey Adv. Other panelists including Edward Hynes Jr., president, Tren dex Inc.; Allen V. Jay, manager, New York office, Videodex Inc.; W. Bruce McEwen, vice president, C. E. Hooper Inc.; Dr. Sidney Roslow, president, The Pulse Inc., and T. Rodney Shearer, vice president, A. C. Nielsen Co. Mr. McEwen emphasized agency media research directors must take a stand against acceptance of rating material on stations who "hypoed" their audience during rating week by deliberate promotions designed to pad the ratings. This would help stamp out the practice, he indicated. He pointed out that timebuyers are not research specialists and that research directors at the agencies must help in proper evaluation of data. He said this would apply also to the practice by stations of submitting only the favorable ratings of one rating firm where another firm might rate them less favorably. Dr. Roslow felt the rating services are the "whipping boys" in most explanations for "dumping of tv programs" when the backers do not wish to divulge the many other reasons possibly involved. He and Messrs. Shearer and Hynes discussed various facets of the "bad press" that ratings receive principally in newspaper columns through faulty information. Dr. Roslow said, "So long as ratings are fed to the consumer press there will be misunderstandings." Mr. Shearer said Nielsen has a client service staff to aid in proper use and interpretation of data. Mr. Hynes explained that the frequent release of overnight figures to the press is done by his clients and not by Trendex itself. Mr. Shearer said accuracy and representative sample weight are stronger than sample size itself. But it was Mr. Seiler who answered the critics of rating service sampling techniques — those who question the validity of sampling at all. He suggested the critics be reminded: "Next time you see your doctor for a blood test, just tell him to take it all." BUSINESS BRIEFLY WHO'S BUYING WHAT, WHERE IMPORT BUSINESS • Continental Distributing Co., N. Y., distributor of foreignmade motion pictures, has allocated roughly $26,000 for radio promotion for new film, "Gervaise," starring Maria Schell. Amount is said to be largest ever set aside for onemarket introduction of foreign film. Agency, Monroe Greenthal Co., N. Y., will buy saturation schedules on WQXR, WRCA, WCBS, WNEW, all New York, and WPAT Paterson, N. J. Unusual aspect of heavy allocation: Baronet Theatre, where "Gervaise" will premiere later this month, seats maximum of 500. WESTERN NEWS • Bristol-Myers Co. (Bufferin), N. Y., beginning today (Monday) will sponsor Frank Goss News (Mon.-Sat. 7:30-7:45 a.m. PST), on CBS Radio Pacific Network. Agency: Young & Rubicam, N. Y. BAKERY BUY • Kitchens of Sara Lee Inc. (bakery products), Chicago, has bought quarter hour segment of Tex and Jinx (Mon.-Fri. 1-1:30 p.m.) on these NBC-TV o&o stations for 8 weeks starting Nov. 18: WRCA-TV New York, WNBQ (TV) Chicago, KRCA-TV Los Angeles, WRCVTV Philadelphia and WRC-TV Washington. Agency: Cunningham & Walsh, Chicago. RENEWED 'FURY' • General Foods, N. Y., has renewed Fury (NBC-TV 1111:30 a.m.). Benton & Bowles, N. Y., is agency. TEE-OFF • Easy Laundry Appliances Div. of Murray Corp. of America, Chicago, will sponsor hour-long telecast of Bing Crosby pro-amateur golf tournament as "golf spectacular" on CBS-TV, Jan. 12, 1958 (6-7 p.m. EST), from Peeble Beach, Calif. DESSERT TIME • Penick & Ford, (MyT-Fine desserts), N. Y., will return to network radio for first time in three years Dec. 22 when firm will sponsor Dickens' A Christmas Carol on CBS Radio (Sun. 6:30-7 p.m.). Sir Cedric Hardwicke will do commercials for dessert firm, which will offer box top premium for records of A Christmas Carol album. Agency: BBDO, N. Y. ON PARADE • Chrysler Corp., for fourth consecutive year, will sponsor ABC-TVs telecast of Detroit's 31st annual J. L. Hudson Thanksgiving Day children's parade (Nov. 28, 10:15-11 a.m.). Parade will be produced by and originated through ABCowned WXYZ-TV Detroit. Agency: McCann-Erickson, Detroit. DOUBLE 'IMPACT' • Vick Chemical Co., N. Y., has ordered 42 additional CBS Radio "Impact" segments to bolster its winter campaign. Studebaker-Packard Corp., South Bend, Ind., is in second week of contract for 14 weekly "Impact" segments on CBS Radio. ("Impact" is CBS' sales plan for selling five-minute segments in specified day and nighttime programming.) LIGHT YEAR • General Electric Co. (lamp div.), Schenectady, N. Y., through BBDO, N. Y., has purchased weekly quarter hour of CBS Radio's Arthur Godfrey Time (Mon.Fri. 10-11:30), effective Jan. 13 for 52 weeks. HOW PEOPLE SPEND THEIR TIME There were 123,574,000 people in the U. S. over 12 years of age during the week Oct. 27-Nov. 2. This is how they spent their time: 67.1% ( 82,918,000) spent 1,874.2 million hours watching television 55.1% ( 68,089,000) spent 996.1 million hours listening to radio 82.2% (101,556,000) spent 414.5 million hours reading newspapers 29.4% ( 36,323,000) spent 170.6 million hours reading magazines 25.0% ( 30,928,000) spent 389.7 million hours watching movies on tv 25.7% ( 31,731,000) spent 132.2 million hours attending movies * These totals, compiled by Sindlinger & Co., Ridley Park, Pa., and published exclusively by Broadcasting, each week, are based on a 48-state, random dispersion sample of 7,000 interviews (1,000 each day). Sindlinger's monthly "Activity" report, from which these weekly figures are drawn, furnishes comprehensive breakdowns of these and numerous other categories, and shows the duplicated and unduplicated audiences between each specific medium. Copyright 1957 Sindlinger & Co. * All figures are average daily tabulations for the week with exception of the "attending movies" category which is a cumulative total for the week. Sindlinger tabulations are available within 2-7 days of the interviewing week. SINDIINGER'S SET COUNT: As of Oct. 1, Sindlinger data shows: (1) 104,470,000 people over 12 years of age see tv (84.6% of the people in that age group); (2) 40,423,000 U. S. households with tv; (3) 44,440,000 tv sets in use in U. S. Broadcasting November 11, 1957 • Page 31