Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1943)

Farmer has been the Stanback Company Ltd.'s formula for winning friends, influencing people since 1936. For seven long years, an average of 30 Birmingham, Ala., fans have trekked to the WBRC studio to watch jive master Farmer in action each day. While show is used to promote Stanback Headache Powders, offering is no sponsor's headache. While announcer never tells listeners they must send in a Stanback envelope to get their requests played, he infers it by always thanking listeners who do send them in. Indication that listeners can take a hint: included in individual request letters are from four to 150 empty Stanback envelopes. Since mail count averages 50 letters a day, Stanback's radio potion packs a wallop. Currently, program pulls mail daily from men in service wanting songs played for mothers, sisters, wives and sweethearts. These requests rate special attention. air FAX: When big time orchestras play Birmingham, orchestra leaders are invited in for a brief interview. First Broadcast: May, 1936. Broadcast Schedule: Daily and Sunday, 12:30-12:45 P.M. Preceded By: M-W-F, Music; T-Th-S, Checkerboard Time; Sunday, Let's Go America. Followed By: Music. Sponsor: Stanback Co., Ltd. Station: WBRC, Birmingham, Ala. Power: 5,000 watts. Population: 267,583. COMMENT: Since letters containing Stanback envelopes are always acknowledged on the air, each request number constitutes a painless-to-listeners commercial for sponsor. Note of caution: while request programs are popular, sponsors must be careful to meet all censorship restrictions. Groceries YOUR NEIGHBOR LADY Where does the lady of the house go when she wants to get a tip on how to remove grass stains, ink spots, other household teasers? To the Neighbor Lady, of course! Saving shoe leather for Yankton, So. Dak., housewives are participating sponsors on the WNAX daily program. Heard each morning are home-making tips and helpful household hints sent in by listeners. For the best good deed letter each day sponsors shell out one simoleon. Further come-on for the onher-toes housewife: prize winning letters are read over the air. When Your Neighbor Lady celebrated its first birthday, listeners were offered at 64-page booklet of recipes, house-hold hints, bits of poetry and good deed letters used in the 12 month stint. Proof that A Year With Your Neighbor Lady was a best buy at two bits: distributed in jig-time were 5,000 copies. air FAX: Sponsors get 100word announcements daily. While many of them are year-around time buyers, others such as Dowd Milling, makers of Fidelity Pancake Flour, make Your Neighbor Lady an advertising must during the peak pancake season. First Broadcast: August, 1941. Broadcast Schedule: Monday through Saturday, 10:00-10:15 A.M. Preceded By: Bachelor's Children. Followed By: Vic and Sade. Sponsor: Crete Mills, Lincoln Tailors, Linal Washing Powder, and Dowd Milling. Station: WNAX, Yankton, So. Dak. Power: 5,000 watts (d). Population: 6,579. COMMENT: For low-cost sponsorship, a morning participating program slanted at the home-maker is hard to beat. That such shows may build up a substantial listening audience in a relatively brief period is indicated by the response here to the booklet offer. Jewelers GEMS OF MELODY Eight years ago, Harry Miller, Jeweler landed in Bozeman, Mont., with 40 cents in his pocket and went into business. The business: serving the community with jewelry and watch repairing in a hole-in-the-wall shop. Quality watch repairing guaranteed, lead to a new and larger building. Jewelryman Miller decided to take a whirl at radio advertising. With Gems of Melody his program choice, he went on the KRBM airwaves on a three-a-week sked, has continued 104 RADIO SHOWM ANSH IP