Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

sor wants to direct his message. After that, it's important to select a program which will appeal strongly to that particular listener group. Time itself will do the rest, biu it's well to remember that what is w^orth buying is also worth promoting. Restaurants HOWDY CLUB There's a large sign near the city limits of Austin, Tex., that reads in part, "Austin, the Friendly City." To contribute to that reputation, KNOW now broadcasts an ad-lib show which combines Ladies Be Seated, Breakfast in Hollywood and the Breakfast Club. When the Howdy Club is called to order at the Old Seville, the friendship table gives Austin's oldtimers an opportunity to meet newxomers to the city. \Vhile the audience-participation show is sponsored by the Old Seville Restaurant , local merchants donate such prizes as corsages, nylons and other merchandise. Ice cream, cookies and coffee are served after each SO-minute on-the-air session of the Howdy Club. Newspaper ads, letters to newcomers and signs in strategic spots within the city preceded the first broadcast. Sponsor's ol)jective: to run more traffic through the Spanish restaurant during the afternoon periods. AIRFAX: Show is scripted by Ann Durham Robinson, with KNOW program director, Conrad Vernon as master of ceremonies. Broadcast Schedule: Wednesday, 3:00-3:30 p.m. Sponsor: Old Seville. Station: KNOW, Austin, Tex. Power: 250 watts. Population: 87,930. COMMENT: Advertiser here illustrates the value of a specific purpose in the use of broadcast advertising. With a definite objective, it's a relatively simple matter to adapt a basic format to achieve that goal. WORDS FDR RETAILERS {CoJitiuued fioni page 7'^) posing of most of their premiiun time under contract or option to network and national accounts, other than network. This handicaps the local man, but at Allied we have met this condition by stipulating only first choice, "guaranteed" time for what we want to do on the air. AVe do not compromise with marginal time (before 7:00 a.m. and after 10:30 p.m.) and when we do take second choice, it is with the understanding we move at the first opportunity. Radio, improperly used, is not a cheap medium. Programming of inferior calibre, or positions with small audience potential, shoot tip the expense to unprofitable levels in a htury. One outgrowth of radio failure is the proneness of retailers to condemn the radio industry as a wdiole with some comment such as "we tried radio and it didn't w^ork." Qtiite often the failure was the retailer's fault as nuich as the radio station's—and any indi\ idual station's failure should not blacklist the indtistry. It might be remembered that when a store sells an inferior or damaged piece of goods as full value, the customer blames that store and not the retail industry. Supplementary, But on Its Own Feet Radio in Allied's thinking is a member of the Sales Promotion team. It is additional promotion— it is not intended to replace. It supplements and stands on iis own feet while so doing. Radio has been given objectives and is subjected to the necessity of producing results. Oiu' checking systems are based on sales residts and we measine as best we can the trends and their relationships to current and past positions. And, in closing, there is this thought— if retailers continue to slough off this mediiun and to give it the orphan treatment, if any treatment at all, then what will happen when television becomes praclital and demands the far greater detail, aliention and expense it will? 106 • RADIO SHOWMANSHIP