Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1946)

cialely developing sharper dayliine audience attention. Our company had never gi\en this station a trial, but with virtually all lornis oi media being utilized lor the purpose of promoting the Home jor Better Living, here, now, was an excellent opportunity to do so, on an experimental basis. As a residt we inaugmated on September 21, 1939, a hall-hour show called Your Program, broadcasting directly from the foyer, the living room and the kitchen of the demonstration house. A widely known local radio personality was engaged as master of ceremonies and from the beginning the innovation clicked, largely becatise it was an informative and entertaining allWestchester presentation, well balanced and not too heavy, commercially. Visitors were brought before the mike to give their impressions of the interior and to make comments. Our Home Economics director or members of her staff spoke from the kitchen. A company specialist described the lighting features and appiutenances. Transcribed music was used as interludes or bridges, and live talent sang or played mtisical instruments. Three minutes were devoted to highlights of the history of our county and immediately that feature took a firm hold. A little time was given to the promotion of county-wide non-commercial activities, such as the Children's Association, the Infantile Paralysis campaign or the progress being made locally by the Red Cross or Community Chest. Obviously, this feature made friends and helped to stimtdate interest in the program. Well, Your Program, after more than six years on WFAS, is still going strong! Its format has been changed somewhat, based upon experience, but it remains an all-Westchester variety production to which many a housewife tunes in at 2 P.M. each Thursday. When the Home for Better Living was closed, the place of the broadcast was transferred to the studios and a change of (iTKce made, but today several of its original elemeiUs still are component parts of the program: (onnnercials or institutional announcements serving as interludes in spots that are favorable and less likely to be objectionable; a timely Home Economics discussion; a brief and iruetesting history lesson; wholehearted support of some strictly local activity or governmental project, such as conservation and the Food Eights for Freedom movement, and the interview of a Westchester guest, being among them. We realized that our local radio station dehnitely was an adjunct to other available sources of dissemination at a cost that was not prohibitive. In using it, we gave actual and practical recognition to an agency whose very lifeline is linked with the commodity we sell, electricity. The station's spot in the advertising stin was duly noted, withotit any reflection of a disparaging or discjuieting nature upon other media. With our entrance into the war, the expediency of the local radio station accjuired greater prestige and utility. Here was a flexible instrument to assist tis in publicizing various developments and conditions that were unprecedented: the dimout; what to do if an air attack occtirred; how to conserve fuel; instructions on the care of appliances and the changing of burned out fuses, to mention only a few. So we bought more time on WTAS to supplement our other channels of disseminating timely and important information to our customers. It helped to increase attendance at home canning demonstrations in various districts and aided materially in wartime eyesight conservation campaigns. Our service calls decreased sharply in numbers and it is only fair to assume that radio figured to some degree in that. Rationing Boards and Food Administration officials commended our radio co-operation. Salvage committees, leaders in War Loan campaigns, USO and Red Cross officials were outspoken in praise of* our attitude and generosity in devoting part of our time to their meritorious causes. FEBRUARY. 1946 • 45 •