Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1962)

NBC-TV presentation shows daytime tv gains Agencies in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago this month are hearing a special NBC-TV sales presentation designed to show how and why both audiences and advertisers are turning to daytime network tv in increasing numbers. While tv business is up generally, NBCTV claims new records of its own. James Hergen, director of daytime sales for NBC-TV, called a news conference Tuesday (Jan. 16) to report a record sales volume of $19 million in new and renewed daytime sales during the last six weeks of 1961. He said the momentum is being maintained in 1962. He listed 38 national advertisers which had purchased sponsorship during the winter (1961-62) season. Mr. Hergen added that for the first time in the industry's history, daytime audiences number over 10 million per average minute, or two million more than watched four seasons ago. More than four out of five tv families now watch daytime network tv each week, and average about 10 hours of viewing per family. The emergence of daytime network tv as a product showcase has come about, Mr. Hergen said, through an intensified three-network competition resulting in greater "flexibility, economy and impact." He cited total 1961 daytime billings of more than a quarter billion dollars as evidence of the "medium's new dimensions." The network's new daytime presentation includes the distribution of new brochures prepared by the audience measurement division of NBC Research. One, called "Daytime Tv Primer," is a summary of the advertising values of daytime tv for both large and small advertisers. The second brochure, entitled "Personality Plus," reports on a 20-market survey of homemakers which investigated the advertising impact of daytime program personalities. KGO-TV airs TvB film as prime time show KGO-TV San Francisco last week devoted a half hour of evening time (10:30-11 p.m.) to broadcast the TvB film, "The Sales Machine," in an onthe-air sales pitch to company and advertising agency executives throughout the Bay areas. "We feel that this film is so vital and important to our economic community that we wanted all industry heads and chief executives of our Bay area commercial firms to see it," David M. Sacks, KGO-TV vice president and general manager explained. "This is why we scheduled it in prime time evening — so that the people who should see it could see it." The presentation, usually made to groups assembled for sales conferences, shows the success of tv in providing advertisers with a better means of communicating with their prospective customers than even the in-person salesman. Church honors KRLA Lake Avenue Congregational Church of Pasadena, Calif., held a unique Thanksgiving service yesterday (Jan. 28) to honor KRLA, that city. Rev. Raymond C. Ortlund led the congregation in thanking KRLA, whose broadcasts of the 11 a.m. Sunday morning services of the church were credited with extending its ministry from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border and increasing actual attendance by some 400. Mr. Ortlund presented a plaque symbolizing the church's appreciation to Donald Cooke, president of KRLA, and John Barrett, general manager, during the 1 1 o'clock service which was broadcast by KRLA as usual as a public service. Drumbeats... Earresistible ■ To inform advertising agency timebuyers that WHK Cleveland is "earresistible" to Cleveland listeners, the station has sent buyers portfolios of sketches especially created for the promotion and soon to be seen in station print advertisements. The six humorous sketches were done by Tomi expressly for WHK, according to the station. Skydiving display ■ The U. S. Army recruiting service and WNBC-TV New York are co-sponsoring a display on skydiving at the Army's Times Square recruiting station to promote increased enlistment in the Army's parachute arm and increased viewing of WNBC-TV's Ripcord, a Ziv-United Artists' syndicated program. The display, which opened Jan. 23 and continues through Feb. 5, consists of mannikins floating in various skydiving attitudes and ap CAUFORNIAjg KXTV(TV)'s 'Birnam Wood' comes to buyers Fifteen hundred potentially giant California redwood trees have been mailed out by KXTV (TV) Sacramento through Allen, De St. Maurice & Spitz, San Francisco, the station's agency. The mailer, sent to national advertisers and their agencies, is in commemoration of the channel 10 outlet's new 1,549 foot transmitter tower. Each giant sequoia arrives at its destination in seedling size, complete with full instructions for the care and proper feeding of small redwoods. The tree-mailer tells the story of KXTV (TV)'s expanded coverage available through the tower, and compares the transmitter with the sequoia as "two towering California natives." 88 (FANFARE) BROADCASTING, January 29, 1962