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Please note these old familiar
words: The sentiments herein
expressed are not necessarily those
of the editors. Mow. what
ahont the sentiments of our re;mVrs?
NOT so long ago, on a program called House Party, Art Linkletter conducted a week-long search for "the most recent mother." It was a modest stunt, but it demonstrated with frightening clarity just how far people will go to participate in radio's current giveaway craze.
First day's tour of the studio audience uncovered a woman whose bab\ was a month old. Next day, it was a mother with a baby three weeks old Every day, Art found the baby a little younger, the mother a little paler Or; Friday, final day of the search, a younu woman arrived at the studio in a wheel chair with a nurse in attendance. She had just left the hospital. Her husband had gone on home with the red, wrinkled infant. To this dauntless lady went the shiny, tomb-sized refrigerator.
And across the land, many a housewife looked at her outmoded, too-small ice chest and assured herself, "I'd have done the same thing — for a new refrigerator!"
A decade ago the average American dreamed (but never dared hope) that he might someday inherit $10,000 from his long-lost uncle in Australia. Today the dream has grander proportions. And the uncle in Australia has been replaced by any one of 20 national programs that give away a king's ran( som in treasure.
• Specifically, radio is now giving away seven million doll; rs per season in cash and merchandise Network prizes alone
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average $84,000 a week. Out-ot-town stations, with their own local giveaways, bring the jackpot up to $165,000.
Since this list was compiled, the Mutual Network has leaped into the fray with a program whose jackpot will be $50,000. "It's all a bribe," sputter the critics of radio. "Only way they can get listeners is to give away things!"
This, we know, isn't strictly true. A few audience participation shows are first-rate entertainment in themselves. And they'd have a healthy Hooper rating if they gave away nothing but old box-tops.
Alas, too many others have no entertainment merit whatsoever. They lure listeners with promises of grand prizes, but let weeks and weeks drag on before the only worthwhile ones, such as a car and a piano, are actually given away.
Moreover, one needn't show a gram of intelligence to win all on some of these sessions. Much depends on luck, the prompting of the studio audience and whether or not the quizmaster takes a fancy to you. Sometimes the hints are so broad it's a wonder the FCC doen't come down in wrath and take awav the station's license.