Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1944)

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radio studio to photographer's studio was the shortest distance between two points. But there was $225 worth of business directly attributed to that one broadcast. To keep the birdie smiling, he made an investment of nine dollars in a spot announcement. Now, over two years after that first time purchase, Nicholas Johnston spends approximately $30,000 a year on radio advertising! Current offering: In Focus, a weekly halfhour remoted program from the Hotel St. Francls on KSFO, with a transcribed version later in the week on KGO. Slanted to cover the drama that is San Francisco, series features three city personalities. To listener whose suggestion provides the show with a guest personality, Nicholas Johnston awards a finished portrait. Nicholas Johnston himself emcees the show. Account executive for Brisacher, Van NoRDEN 8c Staff is Charles Gabriel. AIR FAX: First Broadcast: March, 1944. Broadcast Schedule: Friday, 1:30-2:00 P.M. over KSFO; Sunday, 10:00-10:30 P.M., over KGO. Sponsor: Nicholas Johnston, Photographer. Stations: KSFO and KGO, San Francisco, Cal. Agency: Brisacher, Van Norden Si Staff. COMMENT: Many local advertisers have found. that personal appearances on a radio offering further establish that all-important personal contact between the public and the firm itself. (For pic, see Slioivrnanscoops, p. 309.) Restaurants LETTER FROM BILL To listeners who wait cadi day for a Letter from Bill, Bill is a flesh-and-blood lighting man. Fictitious though Bill may be in reality, response is anything but imaginary. Although the series first oiiginated in the Publicity Depai tnunt of (ianip Pi( kett, Va., in July, 191-J, VVIIFB, Portsmouth, N. H., took on the pcninansliip task lor its lisleners when I he army post discontinued the series. For six months thereafter the Blue Goose Restaurant gave WHEB listeners the highlights of the Letter from Bill five times weekly, gave it up regretfully on the grounds of too much business. Three months later the series was still going strong, was taken on by the initial sponsor's competitor, Demarais Restaurant. air FAX: Written by continuity man Bob Athearn, letters through the months have taken Bill across the sea to England, thence to Italy, and bacic again to England. Although purely imaginary, numerous letters from listeners indicate their belief that Bill must be stationed somewhere near their own favorite fighting man. Example: Dear Follcs: Today, your old Bill talces time out to do a bit of reporting for you. I had a talk the other night with one of the pilots of the Troop-Garrier Command . . . one of the lads who flies the planes that carry those paratroops whose value in the invasion was so great. Sometimes they fly planes towing trains of gliders . . . sometimes they carry troops in troop transport planes. In any case, theirs is a difficult job, to judge by some of the stories that have gone around since D-Day. The pilot I talked with said the take-off was arranged so that one plane and glider lifted from the runway every 30 seconds. He said it was strangely quiet and serene that first night over the channel . . . although it didn't stay that way. Just before he gave the Stand Up and Hook Up signal about four minutes ahead of the target area, old Jerry started making trouble. Jerry got this fellow's plane, too, before the troops had jumped. But he didn't get it seriously because they kept flying along . . . just a bit of lead in the center section of the plane. They reached the drop zone . . . equivalent to a target area for bomber pilots, and dropped their sticks of paratroopers. After that, they dropped to a low level . . . sometimes as low as 100 feet. . . and streaked for home across the channel. The trip back was as serene and quiet as the journey out until they reached the home field . . . the landing gear on the left side had been shot off. But they made a trick landing, and were able to tell about it. Something doing every minute for those boys! Love to all, BILL Broadcast Schedule: Monday through Friday, 10:15 10:30 A.M. Preceded By: Music. Followed By: Listen Ladies. Sponsor: Demarais Restaurant. Station: WHEB, Portsmouth, N. H. Power: 1,000 watts. Population: 25,000. COMMENT: Human interest stories wliich bring listeners closer to the fighting men represents a fertile field for wartime j^rogramming. With such a series, the sponsor achieves product advertising while at the same time he performs a patriotic sennce. Clertainly there is no dearth of material for a series of this kind, and it is almost certain to interest the pubh'c. 322 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP