NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

Trade Commission functions over unfair trade prac¬ tices.” Mr. Doherty explained that “such a governmental body should not have the authority to arbitrate the terms of negotiations and disputes, but should judge alleged unfair labor practices and issue cease and desist orders against the offending party, either labor or management. Of course,” he continued, “there must be adequate legislative authority given to this Com¬ mission to enforce its regulations or to institute proper legal proceedings, and there must be strong enforce¬ ment teeth backed by enforceable penalties.” Broadcast Advertising ! _ _ _ _ NRDGA to Sponsor First Annual Contest for Best Retail Programs A nation-wide contest to pick the best radio pro¬ grams sponsored by retailers during 1946 will be con¬ ducted by the National Retail Dry Goods Association, in connection with its annual convention to be held in New York January 13-17. Announcement of the contest and full details re¬ garding entries will be made soon by NRDGA. For contest purposes, stores will be classified by volume of business and entries must be submitted accordingly: Class A — Stores up to $1 million annual volume. Class B — Stores with volume from $1 million to $5 million. Class C — Stores with annual volume of more than $5 million. Each store is entitled to submit two entries. For each entry, a transcription of the program, and a script, must be submitted in time to reach NRDGA by Decem¬ ber 31. Entries should be mailed to Howard P. Abrahams, Manager, Sales Promotion Division, NRDGA, 100 West 31st St., New York 1, N. Y. Each entry (both transcription and script) must have attached a 3x5 inch card, giving name and ad¬ dress of the store, name of advertising executive, radio director, and copywriter. There is no entry fee. The script, and the envelope containing the transcription, must also state in which of the above three salesvolume classifications the retailer belongs. Entries will be judged by a committee of men prominent in radio and retail circles. Plaques, scrolls and certificates will be awarded to the various winners in each classification. It is also requested that each entry contain a statement from the retailer, covering such items as results obtained by the programs, general storewide or community comments, and data giving the name of the radio station carrying the program, plus time and date the particular entry was broadcast. NRDGA for many years has conducted such contests for best newspaper advertising, but this is the first year that a radio contest has been held. The NAB Sales Managers Division is actively cooperating, and urges all NAB member stations to give the contest all possible support. Stations can begin now to urge the sponsors of their best retail programs to enter them in the contest. Stations can offer to supply the contest transcriptions without cost, and to assist in preparing the accompany¬ ing data (statement of results, comments, etc.). Elaborate entries, however, are not necessary and should be discouraged; the entries will be judged solely on the basis of the transcriptions, although the accompanying data will enable the judges to evaluate the programs more accurately. All the outstanding shows, received in this manner on transcription, will be added to the NRDGA lending library (if the sponsoring retailer has no objection) and thus should serve to stimulate interest in radio by other retailers, and offer a valuable source of radio ideas. Scripts of winning programs will be pub¬ lished by NRDGA, and will also serve to stimulate the use of radio, advertising by retailers. It is believed that the value of this contest to the radio industry is so obvious that it need not be stressed. If this first contest is a success, the NRDGA will make it an annual event, the same as the annual newspaper advertising contest. Winners will be announced at the NRDGA convention and radio will benefit from this wide publicity and promotion. Equally obvious, however, is the fact that the suc¬ cess of this first contest will depend largely on the cooperation of radio stations in urging their best retail sponsors to enter. Because of the three size classifications, the smaller retailers have an equal op¬ portunity to win as do the larger ones. The programs need not be super-productions ; a show of very simple format may be judged the winner, or be given a lesser award. As this is written, final decision had not been reached on how many awards and honorable mentions would be given in each class, but there will be several. It is believed that the stations carrying the winning or honorable-mention programs will thus obtain some valuable promotional material. Further inquiries regarding the contest may be di¬ rected to the NAB Department of Broadcast Adver¬ tising, or to Mr. Abrahams at NRDGA. Lee Hart Available for Talks on "Radio for Retailers" Miss Lee Hart, NAB Assistant Director of Broad¬ cast Advertising in charge of the Retail Section, will address the Pittsburgh Advertising Club December 10 on “Radio for Retailers,” a review of the Joske report. She will be available to speak on that or related subjects at other meetings to which she may be in¬ vited. NAB members who wish to present a radio program before their local advertising club, or before any appropriate audience of retailers or others inter¬ ested in radio, are invited to write the Department of Broadcast Advertising. "Radio for Retailers" Promotion Folder Enclosed Enclosed with this issue of Reports is a copy of an eight-page promotion piece entitled “A Review of Radio for Retailers.” ( Continued on next page) DECEMBER 9, 1946-970