Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

il was rc(()gni/c'd as the clearing house lor inlorniation on all ci\ ic and patriotic activities of a local and regional nature. While most advertisers prefer to stick to the tested, tried-and-true program formulas, new and original ideas have contribtued more than anything else to the tremendous growth of radio as an entertainment and advertising meditmi. Biu whatever the program choice, stick with it long enough to determine whether it suits the advertising needs of the moment as well as the interests of the consumer. To rtm a show a short while and then drop it is to destroy an investment. Keep at it until there is proof either that the program is successful or that people ha\ e no interest in it. TIME SELECTION In the over-all effectiveness of a radio campaign, time is an important factor, and it is an aspect of broadcast advertising that merits careful consideration. Let us asstime that the advertiser has selected the audience to which he wants to direct his message. He has also selected a program which will interest that audience. The next step is to select a time at which that particular audience is available. It is obvious that if a public utility company seeks the ear of the feminine audience, morning or afternoon time is indicated. For example, the Philadelphia Electric Company, in its sponsorship of Zella Drake Harper over t\'IBG, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on a participating basis, got the ear of the housewife at 9 a.m. On the other hand, evening time is indicated for the company who wants to reach the all-family audience. For example, the El Paso Electric Company, when it sponsored "Imperial Leader" over KROD, El Paso, Texas, presented its radio offering at 7 p.m. on a twicea-week schedide. In the determination of the chances for success of a given program, the sponsor nuist also take into consideration the popularity and appeal of adjacent and competing programs. If programs which precede ancl follow are popular, it simplifies the problem of building audiences for the program betw^een them. By the same token, a consideration of progiams aired on other stations is also jjioliiabh . For example, if the program in cjucsiion differs in content from its competition, ii stands a greater chance of building an audience since it appeals tc; a diffcrcni audience from the already established programs. STATION SELECTION Selection of the right station is largelv a matter of determining whom the ])id)li( utilities want to reach. Here, it's a matter of deciding the location and the nature of the customers, and then selecting the station that will reach those customers. In the last analysis, the actual station selection shoidd be based on which station does the most economical job of co\ ering the area the achertiser wains to reach. With this as the standard, the City Light Company, Fort VV^ayne, Indiana, used the 250-w^att station, \VGL. El Paso Electric used the l,()()0-watt station. KROD. In San Francisco, Pacific Gas and Electric used the 5,00()-watt outlet, KVA. For its "Treasure Trails of Melody," the Pid^lic Service Company of Colorado used the 50,000-watt station, KOA, Denver, Colorado. Each oi these stations performed a service for the advertiser in that, regardless of powTr and co\erage area, each reached a specific audience with whom the ptdjlic utility company wanted to make contact. In general, the coverage of the 50, ()()()watt station exceeds that of the 5,000-watt outlet, and that of the 5,000-watt station is greater than that of the 250-watt station. For this reason, time costs may vary tremendously, with the 50,000-watt station able to demand a top price for the chance to reach a more widespread audience. Both coverage and time costs must be considered. BROADCAST FREQUENCY The nature of a program is only one factor in the development of a successful broadcast campaign. Frec|uency with which an ad\ertiser's message is heard is another important element. \Vhile the amount of money available for a campaign is a factor in determining the frec|uency of a broadcast campaign, FEBRUARY, 1947 • 67 •