Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

First Broadcast: January 12, 1947. Broadcast Schedule: Sunday, 4:00-4:30 p.m. Preceded By: Record Show. Followed By: News. Sponsor: Prentis Clothes. Station: WNEW, New York City. Power: 10,000 watts. Agency: Levy Advertising Agency, Newark, N. J. COMMENT: For program unity, it's all to the good when the editorial content of a broadcast has some direct relationship with the product advertised. It isn't an essential, but it does contribute to increased effectiveness. Bracery Stores HERE'S THE PAYOFF! Six time a week, KGVO, Missoula, Mont., listeners, get a five-minute package of strange stories from real life. Such human interest yarns as the strange fate of a man who followed advice contrary to his premonitions are the Payoff Stories in Here's the Payoff! For the Red & White Stores, Here's the Payoff, commercially speaking: two brief commercials which tie-in with the editorial content of the program. Example: "The Red & White Store in your neighborhood presents, 'Here's the Payoff,' five exciting minutes of a story from the pages of life. In just one minute you'll hear the story of Bert Henricks and the strange fate he met as the result of following advice contrary to his premonitions. But first, housewives . . . don't wait for a premonition before shopping at your Red & White Store! As for advice, my best advice to you this morning is to make Red & White shopping a habit . . . because . . . for consistent food quality, for greater variety, for scarce food items and for prices that please your pocketbook, you do better at the Red & White Store in your neighborhood." Commercials are so placed as not to spoil the effect of the story nor to destroy the value of its punch line. An institutional message embracing all the independent merchants concerned is used the first three days of the week. Week-end shopping specials are featured the last three days of the week. Results: extremely gratifying. AIRFAX: Continuity chief, Dorothy Miller scripts the show, with chief announcer, Bill Strothman voicing the program. First Broadcast: August 27, 1946. Broadcast Schedule: Monday through Saturday, 8:408:43 a.m. Sponsor: Red dC White Stores. Station: KGVO, Missoula, Mont. Population: 18,512. COMMENT: To those who question the fact that a five-minute strip feature can move merchandise, here's a pat answer. Sponsor's experience here indicates that it can and does. Jewelers GEMS OF MELODY When S. O. Hawkes & Son, Yakima, Wash., jewelers, took on sponsorship of Gems of Melody over KIT, it wanted to reach the upper income homes, with commercial emphasis on top lines of sterling, china, crystal and better diamonds. To make sure that it was a welcome guest, Hawkes rang the bell with an offering of music, poetry and prose. Program features Gems of Melody, with transcribed David Rose music and Gems of Literature with poetry and prose by wTiter-announcer, Jimmy Nolan. Commercials are an integral part of the program, with emphasis on tradition, artistry or backgroiuid. Says Vernon Gary, of the Vance Shelhamer Advertising Agency: "We gave the program a mail test for free booklets and were amazed at the pulling power. We tried it on advance orders for crystal and results were excellent. When we used a Thanksgiving theme, advertising table settings, it was amazing the number of customers who requested that the hostess table be set for them as suggested on the Gems of Melody program. It's a good show, and we plan to continue it indefinitely." AIRFAX: sponsor: S. O. Hawkes SC Son. Station: KIT, Yakima, Wash. Power: 1,000 watts. Population: 27,221. Agency: Vance Shelhamer Adv. Agcy. COMMENT: In most productions of this kind, it's the personality that counts. Consistency of effort does the rest. Milling \ SONS OF THE PIONEERS W^hile the LaurinlURG Milling Company is operating almost at capacity, and its products are in tlaily use on farms surrounding Dillon, So. Car., it figured that foresight was • 100 • RADIO SHOWMANSHIP