Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

TRADE ASSNS. continued gested merchandising via trade publications to sell "smaller specifics." The luncheon speaker was Ben H. Wells, vice president in charge of advertising and sales, Seven-Up Co., St. Louis [At Deadline, Nov. 4]. The session devoted to on-the-air promotion included Gene Godt, WCCO-TV Minneapolis, as moderator; Alice Koch, KMOX St. Louis; William Walker, WFGATV Jacksonville, Fla., and William J. Kaland, national program manager. Westinghouse Broadcasting Co. A second panel on sales presentations comprised Charles A. Wilson, WGN-AM-TV Chicago, as chairman; Harry Wilber, WBBM Chicago; Tom Henry Named President At BPA Business Meet Elliott W. Henry, Jr., director of advertising, promotion and publicity at ABC Central Div. (WBKB [TV] Chicago), assumed the reins of the Broadcasters' Promotion Assn. immediately upon his election as 1958 president at its closing convention business session in Chicago Nov. 3. Mr. Henry, who served as 1957 convention-seminar chairman, has been associated with ABC 14 years. He has headed its central division advertising-promotion-publicity department since the merger of the network with United Paramount Theatres and formation of American BroadcastingParamount Theatres Inc. early in 1953. He succeeds David E. Partridge, advertising and sales promotion manager of Westinghouse Broadcasting Co. Re-elected were Charles A. Wilson, WGNAM-TV Chicago, first vice president, and Montez Tjaden, KWTV (TV) Oklahoma City, second vice president. Four new directors named for three-year terms were James M. Kiss, WPEN Philadelphia; Kenneth N. McClure, WMBR-TV Jacksonville, Fla.; Ed Morrissey, KIMA-AM-TV Yakima, Wash., and John F. Hurlbut, WFBM-AMTV Indianapolis, Ind. Mr. Henry will appoint a new paid secretary-treasurer to succeed Ellen M. Johansen, Westinghouse Broadcasting Co. Robert Moran, WBEL Beloit, Wis., was elected by the board to fill the unexpired two-year term of Joe Zimmerman, now general manager of WLBR-TV Lebanon, Pa., and formerly with WFIL-AM-TV Philadelphia. Mr. Henry's election was unanimous, although his candidacy reportedly was contested by three others who sought the nomination. Mr. Partridge was lauded in a BPA resolution, which noted he "undertook and successfully executed the varied, complicated and often frustrating task of presiding . . . in its initial and crucial year." Miss Johansen also was commended, along with her assistant, Hilda Woehrmeyer. Other resolutions praised the radio-tv trade publications for their "contributions," including joint sponsorship of the pre-banquet reception Nov. 1 ; industry segments (Westinghouse Electric Corp., Westinghouse Broadcasting Co., CBS and RCA) which contributed attendance prizes; the efforts of March, WWCA Gary, Ind.; Dick Hodgson, executive editor, Advertising Requirements, and Don Smith, education and personnel department, International Harvester Co., Chicago. Miss Koch stressed the importance of on-the-air promotion on the same plane with that of the advertisers' own campaigns, and recommended localized announcements, along with integration of personalities and community interests and cross-promotion of network shows. Mr. Walker suggested "using your own medium and facilities" for major promotion efforts. Mr. Kaland cited what he called "fumbling, mumbling spots" and the concept of "Programotion" designed to make such an the convention-seminar chairman and entertainment committee, and radio-tv station managers for their "faith in the concepts and future" of BPA. The new BPA board will study five recommendations of its projects committee, headed by Mr. Hurlbut, for maintenance of display and hospitality quarters at the 1958 NARTB annual convention in Los Angeles; a series of proposed regional BPA meets; annual "Broadcast Promoter Award"; a basic sell ("Broadcasting is Basic") campaign, and a BPA scholarship. A motion was adopted for a steering committee to discuss 1958 activities and budget requirements. Named during the business session was a 1959 nominating committee (for the 1958 convention in St. Louis) comprising Gene Godt, WCCO-TV Minneapolis-St. Paul, as chairman; Howard W. Meagle, WWVA Wheeling, W. Va., and Burt Toppan, WTVJ (TV) Miami. The 1958 nominating unit included Paul Woodland, WGAL-AM-TV Lancaster, Pa., as chairman, and Miss Tjaden and Mr. McClure. BPA elects four new directors for threeyear terms at each convention, maintaining the original rotation of four each for one-, two and three-year terms. Holdover directors are Bruce Wallace, WTMJ-AM-TV Milwaukee; Haywood Meeks, WMAL-TV Washington; Roy C. Pedersen, WDAY-AMTV Fargo, N. D.; Sam Elber, WERE Cleveland; Gene Godt, WCCO-TV MinneapolisSt. Paul; Marion Annenberg, WDSU-AMTV New Orleans, and Joe G. Hudgens, KRNT-AM-TV Des Moines. Mr. Wallace was chairman of the resolutions group; Dorothy Sanders, WLWD (TV) Dayton, Ohio, of the convention site committee, and John Keys, WMAQ-WNBQ (TV) Chicago, of the entertainment unit. Sigma Delta Chi Convention Opens Wednesday in Houston Annual convention of Sigma Delta Chi, national journalistic fraternity, opens this Wednesday at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel in Houston. Sessions will run through Saturday when election and installation of new officers for the coming year will take place. A panel discussion on the problems of developing professional talent in journalism is scheduled for the afternoon of the first day. The panel, presided over by Edward Lindsay, Decatur, 111., will include James nouncements more entertaining, with emphasis on imagination and basic creativeness. Low-cost, impact-making techniques for sales presentations were reviewed by International Harvester's Mr. Smith. Mr. Wilber said many broadcasting salesmen are inexperienced in the sales of intangibles and said many have a "seeming apathy" to the use of sales aids. Mr. March described the problems of WWCA Gary, whose coverage area is overshadowed by major city stations and whose facilities serve as a jumping-off or turnover point for "raw material." Examples of effective and low-cost direct mail pieces were delivered by Mr. Hodgson. Byron, news director for WBAP-TV Fort Worth, and Robert Cavagnaro, San Francisco AP executive. The latter two are SDX vice presidents. On Thursday, Jake Q. Mahaffey, editor of the Texarkana Gazette and Daily News, will be speaker at the awards luncheon. Don Martin, NARTB public relations chief and a member of the 1957 historic sites committee, will report on the project to mark the home of the late H. L. Mencken. Charles E. Wilson, president of the People to People Foundation and former president of General Electric Co., will address the Friday banquet. John T. Jones Jr., president of the Houston Chronicle (KTRH and KTRK-TV) is convention chairman. Arthur Laro, executive editor of the Houston Post (KPRCAM-TV) is president of the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter which is host chapter for the convention. Sol Taishoff, editor and publisher of Broadcasting, is SDX national president. Farm Directors' Sales Effectiveness Cited An all-out campaign to put a better focus on the farm broadcasters' effectiveness In selling for the advertiser gets off the ground this month. Bulwark of the first phase is one of the more comprehensive and revealing studies of the American farmer's listening and viewing habits. The findings, released by the National Assn. of Television & Radio Farm Directors, are contained in special brochures and separate radio and tv slides. First full scale showing will be Nov. 29 in Chicago at the NATRFD's annual convention. Advertisers, radio and tv station managers have been invited to the session.. Members of the 11 -man committee which compiled the information will be on hand. The presentation, entitled "Is Your Farm Advertising Balanced for Best Results?", emphasizes these points: • Cash farm income during 1956 was $30.9 billion. Another $6.7 billion of nonfarm income raises the farmers' total income to $37.6 billion. • American farmers in one year spent $22.1 billion to keep their farms operative. Another $15.7 billion went for family living expenses. • The daily contact of the radio-tv farm Page 50 • November 11, 1957 Broadcasting