Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1946)

Record Details:

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Reccl Chapman, master of ceremonies on the show, selects five contestants from I he theatre audience previous to broadcast time. During the ])rogram each contestant is iiuerxiewed and asked to give his or her personal opinion on each (|uestion. If the coiuestaiu's answer matches tlie consensus of opinion, each reply wins sr).()0. If the contestant says yes when I lie public has said no, the Red Cross gets the money. All ballots received dining the week go into a huge barrel on the stage. The |jerson whose ballot is drawn earns a cash prize, the exact amount again determined i)v the number of answers which jibe with results of the public p£)ll. If the winner also happens to be a member of the theatre audience, the award is sometimes as high as $250.00. David Loughnan, advertising manager of David Spencer Limited, has a great personal interest in the program. "The success of Public Opinion has surpassed our highest hopes, both as a public service feature and as air advertising vehicle," says Mr. Loughnan. "VV^e feel oiu' chcjice of this particular radio idea as an unbeatable combination of Public Opinion, staged before a packed Vogue Theatre is broadcast over Vancouver's CKWX. Cal George, program announcer stands at the microphone. Contestants sit at the long table in the center of the stage, and Reed Chapman, master of ceremonies, paces the show from his stand at the far right. entertainment and information lias heen more than justified." Questions selected for Public Opinion run the full gamut of public interest. Politicians and others who must keep a finger on the public pulse watch the results closely. John Citizen's maimained interest is, of course, based on that fundamental bit of human nature called curiosity. On the lighter side there are such cjueries as "Do women usually have the last word?", to which 73.8 per cent of the public said yes! In a more serious vein there are questions like "Do you believe Canada would benefit from free trade with the United States?", which brought in an affirmative vote of 85.6 per cent. "Mickey" Goldin, manager of the Vogue Theatre who works in close cooperation with CKVV^X Producer Ken Hughes, looks at Public Opinion from a showman's point of \ iew and gives it a fo in-star rating.