Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

Thursday, December 8, 1949 RADIO DAILY: Contest Techniques Revealed By Speaker (Continued from Page 1) jingles, 35 words on a product, naming a new product, and writing slogans are still the best, Morse said. Other rules for successful contests include adequate promotion, an adequate prize budget, troubleproof rules, and competent judging, the Donnelly executive said. The danger of ghost-writers and entries plagiarized from other contests left no room for amateur judges, he added. Bad judging would have an adverse effect on good will for the sponsor, Morse said. Morse went on to say that some advertisers consider contests undignified. He pointed to the fact that contests were run by all types of advertisers, from soft-drink makers to railroads. The need for spectacular promotion, to move a product quickly, and new products were given as reasons for staging contests by Morse. The objectives of contests outlined were: increased sales by getting store displays, giving copy writers a new approach, giving salesmen something unusual to talk about, increasing radio ratings and newspaper readership, encouraging potential buyers to come to the dealer, and developing public relations. Comments on Giveaway In an interview with Radio Daily after the speech, Morse said he was not against radio give-away shows. He said he did not consider them lotteries because no cost or consideration was required of the participants. The phone call type of contest is not a lottery, he continued. Furthermore, the decision of whether shows were lotteries or not was not up to the FCC because they lacked judicial power, he concluded. New Recording Turntable Being Developed By RCA (Continued from Page 1) reports that the new 1950 RCA-Victor line will include a two-speed turntable to play the conventional 78 r.p.m. discs and the long playing 33 1/3 discs introduced by Columbia Records. A separate turntable will be offered to play the R.C.A. 45 r.p.m. records. While the announcement was interpreted as a bid by RCA to corral some of the 33 1/3 business there is no indication that the company will begin production of 33 1/3 recordings. On the other hand company officials state that sale of 45 r.p.m. recordings has spiraled upward in the past few months and that the holiday business on both turntables and records may exceed available stocks. It is anticipated that total record sales for 1949 by all manufacturers may reach 1948's 200 million. Need Of Radio-TV Research On Receivers Discussed (Continued in New York yesterday. The meeting chaired by L. K. Alexander of General Electric's electronic division, was called to explore plans for an industry statistical bureau. Among those attending was Ken Baker, NAB director of research and acting president of BMB which will soon complete their second audience measurement study. Alexander said that "there is some possibility" that the group would meet again" sometime after the first of the year" and, if another meeting is held at that time, an official announcement might be forthcoming. Questioned about the paucity of radio receivers on retail dealers shelves as reported in Radio Daily from Page 1) yesterday, Alexander disagreed with the reasons put forth by other manufacturers. He said he believed the scarcity was due to the generally gloomy economic forecasts made last summer and by the articulately expressed fears of a general economic recession following recent years high sales. He said the entire industry was misled by last summer's general sales slump. Other manufacturers had stated that radio receiver production cutbacks were based on the idea that TV receiver sales would cut heavily into AM and FM receiver sales. Alexander said he believed that radio production in 1950 would at least equal 1949's. Columbia Records To Plug LP's In Special Program (Continued from Page 1) on December 11 and 18. Program will highlight selections from Columbia's LP catalog with a commentary by Harry Marble. Show will be heard over, in addition to WCBS, WEEI, Boston; WBBM, Chicago; KCBS, San Francisco; KNX, Los Angeles; WCCO, Minneapolis-St. Paul; KMOX, St. Louis; WTOP, Washington; and WCAU, Philadelphia. The agency is McCann Erickson, Inc. 16th Anniversary CBS soap opera "Ma Perkins," sponsored by Procter & Gamble for Oxydol, celebrates sixteen years of broadcasting December 13. Soaper, which bowed on the network only four months after being introduced as a local over WLW, Cincinnati, in 1933, has won a number of awards for its story line. Dancer, Fitzgerald, Sample is the agency. Wedding Bells Mark Hawley, former NBC newscaster and now director of television show, "Bonnie Maid Versatile Varieties," was married last Monday to Maggie Bride. The ceremony was followed by a reception at the home of Kenyon Nicholson, author. Van To Host 'Poultry Queen' Margaret Phelan, vocalist who has been named Queen of the New York Poultry Show, to be held December 7-11 in the 14th Street Armory, will make a guest appearance on the Lyle Van Show on Thursday (WOR, 6-6:15 p.m.). Miss Phelan will discuss the many honorary titles she has been awarded by various organizations during the past year. Ezra Stone Guest Of Gagsters Ezra Stone, creator of the comedy character, Henry Aldrich, will be a guest of the Gag Writers Institute next Tuesday at the Headquarters Restaurant. Church Group Purchases Time On ABC Network (Continued from Page 1) from the studios of WENE, Endicott. The Rev. Dr. Paul R. Jackson, president of the Baptist Bible Seminary, will be the featured speaker and music will be supplied by the 60voice Seminary Chorus and the Gospel Seminaries, a male quartet. Series starts Dec. 10. Protestant Radio Unit Hits Baptist FM Grant (Continued from Page 1) mitted to compete with commercial broadcasting in the regular commercial FM region, it should not be granted any special reserved channels. Reservation of channels for the church group would be contravention of the Constitution, the PRC said in a statement filed by Former Commissioner Clifford J. Durr. On the other hand, he said, it is quite within the Constitution for the church to apply for and be granted, broadcast licenses on an equal footing with private interests also seeking to qualify on the ground of their ability to serve the public interest. The matter has been set for hearing by the FCC, with the date not yet chosen. Pinch-Hits For Baukhage Straight Facts for Veterans, produced in cooperation with the Veterans Administration, will return to the WCBS mikes on Saturday, December 10 after a three-months absence. The show will be heard on alternate Saturdays, 4: 00 to 4: 15 p.m. Inside the Veterans Administration is the subject of the first program. for profitable selling IHVESTIGATE WDEL WILMINGTON DELAWARE WGAL LANCASTER PENNSYLVANIA WKBO HARRISBURG PENNSYLVANIA WORK WRAW READING PENNSYLVANIA YORK PENNSYLVANIA I and WEST EASTON PENNSYLVANIA WGAL* TV LANCASTER PENNSYLVANIA STEINMAN STATIONS Clair R. McCollough, Managing Director Represented by ROBERT MEEKER ASSOCIATES Chicago San Francisco New York Los Angeles