Broadcasting Telecasting (Jul-Sep 1958)

APE HEPE! A BRAND NEW COMEDY PACKAGE 150 animated color episodes, loaded with excitement and thrilling close-shaves, carry this small boy and his teddy bear friend to distant planets, the wild west, pirate ships and caves. Spunky and Tadpole will add new life to your programming for young and old. niG KASCAL5 HILARIOUS GUILD LMS 460 PARK AVE. N. Y. 22, N. Y. MU 8-5365 IN CANADA: S. W. CALDWELL LTD., TORONTO OPEN MIKE CONTINUED taking the survey was polite and clean but are his findings qualified to influence the judgment of experienced timebuyers and possibly even negate the efforts of radio stations sincerely attempting to provide a stable, adult buying audience through thoughtful, long term service to their communities? How about an affidavit from the station ordering the survey, as well as any others invited to join and therefore aware of the dates, stating they used no special gimmicks? Refusal to do so could be so noted. Walter Kearsey General Manager WBRK Pittsfield, Mass. Ending the Silence editor: In the June 16 issue there appeared a story, "How Sunday Can Be a Working Day For Radio." It explained how WJQS Jackson, Miss., increased monthly billing in one year from $280 to $9,000 through a policy of selling program units in "fringe" time. By normal criteria, this story should have created a mild sensation in radio circles. I have searched vainly through your editorial pages, and especially Open Mike, for even one word of comment. On the other hand, I have found numerous arguments over a controversy which has been partly, though inadvertently, responsible for maintaining many medium and small-market stations at a mere survival level, as well as jeopardizing their licenses. As opposed to this, the experiment of the Jackson station could substantially increase local revenue, as well as operating standards, for stations in most of these markets. On the one hand, we are proud that local radio revenue has doubled in the past 10 years, with substantial increase in national spot revenue. On the other, we are proud that the number of radio stations has more than doubled in the same period. But we don't combine the two. If we did, we wouldn't find so much to be proud of. If we added a third fact, that approximately 30% of all stations have been operating at a loss in recent years, we would have even less to be proud of. Prevailing methods of operation are calculated to cause revenue and audience ratings to fluctuate radically and sporadically, with little chance for sound and progressive expansion — without even dependable stability. True, super-aggressive operators sometimes play for all it's worth, but they must sooner or later run into a bottle-neck and the dead end to further progress. Is it worth an FCC citation for purported program imbalance and over-commercialization? It is no secret among veteran authorities (those still in radio) that few stations are even approaching their potential in revenue volume. RAB made this declaration sometime back, and in the same release it was further stated that program selling is the key to cost-cutting and profitable operation, and that too many stations are concentrating on spot saturation campaigns. I have just completed a comparative Radio Writes a Moving Case History for Dean MOVING AND STORAGE is a major industry in Southern California, where 30% of all families change residence in an average year. THAT'S WHY DEAN VAN LINES, with general offices in Long Beach, relies on the all-pervasive medium, RADIO, to build the brand image which will make these modern nomads think first of DEAN when it's time to move. In the past twelve months DEAN has used 1500 announcements on KBIG, has just renewed for another year. "We put a substantial portion of our ad budget in radio" reports owner A. E. DEAN, "because an evaluation of our advertising program proves that radio produces more business than any other medium, over all. Our business has increased steadily without a dip, and so has our use of radio'.' CHRIS CHRISTIAN, DEAN'S National Advertising Manager, adds, "We put a great portion of our advertising budget on KBIG because it delivers 234 cities and towns in all eight Southern California counties at lowest cost per thousand ... its audience is responsive . . . and its adult programming gives us a no-waste circulation" YOUR KBIG OR WEED CONTACT will gladly provide other case histories to help you evaluate Southern California radio in your own marketing situation. JOHN POOLE BROADCASTING CO. 6540 Sunset Blvd.. Los Angeles 28, California Telephone: Hollywood 3-3205 Nat. Rep. WEED and Company Page 16 • August 11, 1958 Broadcasting