NBC Transmitter (Jan-Nov 1942)

SEPTEMBER 1942 11 Fall Promotion Plan Uses Star Previews NAN WITH HOE AND NIKE Minding Peas and Cues, Jennings Pierce Became Radio Executive # NBC’s huge “Fall Parade of Stars” promotional campaign will be in effect in all parts of the U. S. A. by the time this issue of The Transmitter is distributed. Station response to the announcement has been exceptionally enthusiastic and there is every indication that the campaign will make exploitation history in an industry that thrives on promotion. The huge merchandising campaign was dispatched to stations in a package — and a good-sized one; many stations term it a “prize package.” A merchandising portfolio of mammoth size — packed chockful of audience-building ideas — is already in the hands of each NBC affiliate. It includes complete details and materials for conducting the campaign to draw record audiences to the brilliant fall program line-up of the NBC network. The contents of each portfolio include: (1) Plan of action. (2) Ten recordings. (These transcriptions are, in effect, the core of the campaign. They include special “speak previews” of returning fall stars; a long list of eminent advertising agencies cooperated in arranging for these advance disk “trailer” performances. ) (3) Prepared scripts (of 5, 10 and 15minute lengths) . (4) Spot announcements (of one minute or less) . (5) Photographs of stars (for lobby, window and studio displays). (6) Mats (for newspaper publicity purposes) . (7) Suggested newspaper advertisements. (8) Announcement ad mats. (9) Prepared press stories. 1 10) Newspaper feature page layout. (11) Speech on “Radio’s Contribution to the War Effort” (for use by station executives in talks before civic groups) . (12) Catalogue of unusual promotional ideas. (13) Printed window posters. (14) Printed car cards. (15) Printed counter cards. It is interesting to note that the campaign places particular importance on station-newspaper tie-in plans. • Capsule character sketch of Jennings Pierce: Just a farmer at heart. And Pierce — NBC’s western division manager of station relations and public service — can prove it. A full acre victoryranch, bearing bumper crops of beans, corn, squash, melons, carrots, beets, peppers, etc., is exhibit A. When he is away from NBC duties, J. P. is active with hoe and cultivator and spray gun. Pierce comes by his agricultural ability naturally. Long before he began his 14-year tenure with NBC, he gained practical farming experience near Bakersfield, California. His education was directed toward scientific farming, and when he enrolled at the University of California, after serving during World War I with the Marines, Pierce majored in agriculture. He emerged in 1923 with the degree of Bache JOINS FALL PARADE Eddie Cantor turns over his “speak previerv" disks to Frank E. Mullen, NBC executive vice-president and general manager. The recordings, included in the “Fall Parade of Stars” promotion campaign {story at left) will be used to herald the seasonal return of the popular NBC program. lor of Science in Agriculture — and a spcjt as top tenor with the Colden Bear (Juartet. When his college (juartet was appearing in Yosemite National Park, an executive of Station KGO s]j(jtted Pierce, and offered him a joh. J. P. worked for a year with the California State Uepartment of Agriculture before making his start in radio, however, so it was 192.5 before he reported to KGO. Although his singing had won him the job. Pierce started as an announcer ( doubling as office boy, producer and special events man I . At the time the NBC western division was formed. Pierce was drafted from KGO, and soon was chief announcer. His farming urge wouldn’t stay under cover, however, and NBC’s first west coast director of agriculture was Pierce. He held that position from 1933 until he was made divisional director of public service programs in 1939. Early this year, he was appointed western manager of the station relations department, retaining his public service program post. Pierce received high honors from educational and agricultural institutions for his work on NBC farm, school and public service programs. No honorary farmer on his home ranch, J. P. has put scientific farming principles to work on his acre plot. Mrs. Pierce and the two youngsters, Jennings Douglas, 14, and Alan Thompson, 12, are the “farm hands,” and the oversize victory garden is divided into departments, each one cared for by one member of the family. Specialist in melons, and supervisor of general activities, such as spraying, irrigating and harvesting, is J. P. himself. A flock of laying hens, and two saddle horses^ — -“Prince” and “Lucky” — are quartered on the Pierce place, which consists of two commercial acres overall. During almost 20 years of radio. Pierce has made manv notable contributions to public service broadcasting. Such programs as “California Agriculture” and “Western Farm and Home Hour ’ were developed under his supervisioTi, and the recent “Unlimited Horizons ” was one of the outstanding educational series ever developed in the west. JENNINGS PIERCE