Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1946)

Finance AROUND THE TOWN If there's a civic, social, religious or fraternal organization in Winchester, Va., in need of publicity for its activities, its friend in need is the Farmers Sc Merchants National Bank. Such organizations have only to clear time reservations with the bank to get a spot on the quarter-hour program aired by Farmers & Merchants over WING. Bank makes all or part of the time available to community organizations. W^hen things are quiet on the organizational front, light concert music fills the time slot. Commercials run 50 words or less, with one per program if the broadcast is all musical, or if time remains to allow music separator between public service portion and the conclusion of the broadcast. Commercials are strictly institutional, play second fiddle to program content. Most of the time, opening and closing credit lines constitute the only mention of Farmers & Merchants. With the bank well satisfied with the public reception of this broadcast in the public interest, the show is now^ well into its second year. AIRFAX: First Broadcast: 1944. Broadcast Schedule: M-T-Th-F, 6:30-6:45 P.M. Sponsor: Farmers & Merchants Nat'l Bank. Station: WING, Winchester, Va. Power: 250 watts. Population: 12,095. COMMENT: Sponsorship of programs of this type help identify the advertiser in a very real way with the life of the community. Certainly the good will potential among organi/cd civic groups is terrific here. Grocery Stares ARMCHAIR PLANNING C:()inl)ining mcr(liiindisc ;id\( rtising, with a sincere desire to bring inlormative and interesting radio to Cleveland daytime listeners, Fisher Foods, Cleveland, O., have launched a new program, Armchair Planning, over WTAM. Heard Monday through Friday, 9:15 A.M. to 9:. 80 A.M., it stars Betty Brownell. In pianologue style, Miss Brownell • 134 • Armchair Plans with her listeners about trips to interesting, romantic places throughout the world or close to home. Food tie-in: distinctive dishes of the locale, or interesting specialties of famous restaurants are included. Each day Betty Brownell reads an original Armchair Plan from an invisible guest who has written her plan, plus a favorite recipe. Fisher Foods prints the recipe, with full credit, in its weekly food bulletin, distributed at all Fisher Food stores. The invisible guest is also awarded a merchandise certificate, redeemable at any Fisher Food Store. The planning mood of the show, and interest in special dishes of countries and cities described, are implanted in the commercials, to stimulate interest in Fisher foods. AIRFAX: Armchair Planning is designed and executed by Gregory dC House, Inc., with Ruth Jett as account executive. Wilton C. Haff, executive vice president of Gregory 8C House, Inc., is in charge of production. Fred Briggs is announcer-writer on the show. First Broadcast: February, 1946. Broadcast Schedule: Monday through Friday, 9:159:30 A.M. Sponsor: Fisher Food Stores. Station: WTAM, Cleveland, O. Power: 50,000 watts. Population: 1,111,449. Agency: Gregory 8C House, Inc. COMMENT: Program format here makes for good radio and the merchandising tieins give the series an excellent sales potential! Men's Wear DOMINION AIR THEATRE For the past four and one-half years on CROC, Hamilton, Out., the Dominion Clothing Store, Fast Hamilton's largest men's and boys' clothing store, has advertised over CKOC, and they have found the radio medium an excellent one in every way, increasing in effect year after year. The program time has l)een a weekly half-hour, Sundays, l:-U)-5:00 P.M. Drama has been the meat of the program, and some of the best transcribed dramatic shows available have been utilized on the 52-shows-a-year schedule. Currently something out of the ordinary is the feature: programmed and announced RADIO SHOWMANSHIP