Radio showmanship (Sept 1940-May 1941)

24 minutes from Broadway, Oakland's main street. AIR FAX: Sponsor: E. B. Field, Inc., Sub-Division Developers. Station: KROW, Oakland, California. Power: 1,000. Population: 284,063. Agency: Tomaschke-Elliott, Inc., Oakland. COMMENT: Problem of developing new home projects and new radio shows is very similar. Once you get a successful start, the finish will take care of itself. So perhaps this combination of forces was not unusual at all. JOHNNY ON THE SPOT One good way of buying spot announcements is discovering what others are buying. In the past month, 50% of the new spot business reported to Radio Showmanship was oneminute announcements. Interesting to note is that almost half of those were recordings. In short, Mr. Businessman is finding out that more can be said better with prepared transcriptions. This Month's Spot Business A. ( \J 20 word announcements 2 /o B. ( j j 50 word announcements *^ C (•) 100-125 word announcements 50% I. 0h™ 26% transcribed 24% o (D ,5° word participating spot 16% Total 1 00% Don't mourn the passiiu/ of 30-SeCOnd .station breaks because of the low report on tin bar graph above, Vo doubt, it's due to the fact that 30 second spots on many stations arr simply not available. The reading time of even the same announcement varies with different announcers. For purposes of uniformity, though, the following word Schedule ll used. 20 seconds JO i»coadi 1 miniiit' 1 minute* 25-30 irocda 5<) words 100-125 word> 150 words IN THE SPOTLIGHT Men's Wear Consistency has long been upstair's clothing chain Foreman and Clark's prime merchandising policy. P'rom the beginning, shrewd Ray Foreman has maintained a strict threeprice schedule, free pressing service, and the time-honored slogan — "Walk a flight — save $10." Among the first to try radio, Foreman has again shown that once he finds a successful pattern, he'll stick with it. In Des Moines, the chain bought three spots a day, and for seven straight years on stations KSO and KRNT, have rigidly adhered to almost the same advertising message. Typical Announcement: "For oiver 27 yeans, Foreman & Clark have given lowest values to northwest men, which among many other things, accounts for their return year after year to this popular clothier. Get the habit of selecting your clothes at Foreman 8C Clark. Pay only £15, #20 or #25." No sales, cut prices, extra stimulants are ever used. Yet, according to Des Moines store manager, Pete Giorgetti: "Much out of town trade, as well as local business, is secured through radio. We are absolutely sold on the fine results obtained by our radio advertising." INTRODUCING New business fields to whieh radio is now extending its services . . . Airlines . . . Transcontinental 8C Western Airlines. Time Signal announcements, one daily. Station WBBM, Chicago. Dentist . . . Dr. J. C. Campbell, 50-word announcements (21). Station KSFO, San Francisco. Electric Fence Controller . . . The Prime Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis. One-minute announcements, Mon. thru Sat. Station KDKA. Flying School . . . Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, Homestead, Pa. One-minute announcements. 26 times Station KDKA, Pittsburgh, Pa. Food Market . . . Farmer's Public Market. Los Angeles. 50-word announcements, 8:30 P.M. Thurs. Station KFI, Los Angeles. Horse Races . . . Hollywood Turf Club, Inglewood, California. 100-word announcements, 11 a week. Station KECA, Los Angeles. Golf Club . . . Mountain View Golf &. Country Club, New York City. 20-word announcements, 13 weeks. Station WHN, New York City. Luggage . . . King's Luggage Co., Denver. One-minute announcements. (26) Station KOA, Denver, Colorado. Wooden Baskets . . . Los Angeles Basket Co., Los Angeles. 150-word announcements, fiv« a week on Art Baker's Notebook. Station KFI, Los Angeles. HINTS TO SPOT BUYERS No. I The way an announcement is read is just as important as the way it's written. Be sure to send in your announcements early. thus giving the station announcers plenty of time to pre read your copy. Insist that they do I 34 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP