Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

and 1945 was centered on the latest news at home and abroad. Particularly |)o|)iilar at this time was a network ])i()i>ram, Correspondents Around the (rlobc, a daily 15-miniitc news sunnnary that picked up on-the-spot foreign correspondents strategically located in areas where history-recorded events were taking place. After the war's end, interest began dying down, and a different kind of show was needed. Thus, Sing America Sing and To Cincinnati at Six were created. Strategically Located Programs Sing America Sing (now entitled Pogue's Breakfast Music) is titulary self explanatory. An early morning show, it features half-an-hour of light and lilting melodies with brief intermittent store commercials. The show is strategically located between the Breakfast News and the Breakfast Club, so that Pogue commercials reach an early morning audience at the opportune time to get last minute suggestions on daily shopping lists. But the real backbone of this prizewinning radio division is its evening program, To Cincinnati at Six. This is a 45minute show which goes on the air at 6:00 p.m. and brings to Greater Cincinnati a program of dinner music at the dinner hour. Four brief commercials are given by Cecil Hale, one of the top WSAI announcers, who's been with this program since its creation. The music on the transcribed portion is that of Norman Clothier and his orchestra, with such guest stars as Perry Como and Andy Russell. Varied Commercial Appeal The commercials are minute-long descriptions of merchandise; special sales (clearance, End-of-Month Sales); store services (Personal Shopper, Travel Bureau), and brief civic messages or public announcements (Symphony Orchestra, Red Cross). A typical commercial concerning merchandise deals with regular stock (sheets, towels, lamps); items that are brand new in the store (the G. E. Electric double blankets); or old favorites returning to the post-war market (typewriters, appliances). Each contains a succinct word picture of the merchandise, followed bv three of the W's of adver tising: IVliat It is-Whrrr il is and Why (he listener must have it. P()(;uk's (ommercials ai( uiiiifii bv ;i regidar member ol Mk WSAI siiill, Natalie (biddings, who has hci (Aim in the store itself. In this way, a high degree of accuracy is maintained (oiucrinng the merchandise, lor Miss (;iddings makes ii a point to see the articles personally, and discuss them with the buyers. The* commercials, when written, are sent directly to the radio station where ditto copies are printed. These are sent immediately to the buyers whose merchandise is to be mentioned on the air, thus providing a double check that prices and sizes are correctly listed. Ditto copies are also sent to the various section managers and Poc;ije's Information Desk as a means of promoting alert customer service. C^ommercials, as well as the program itself, are planned to reflect and convey the atmosphere of The H. & S. Pogue Company, for Pogue's is literally a Cincinnati tradition. Founded nearly 84 years ago by Henry and Samuel Pogue, tcxlay the store is still owned and operated by the Pogue family, with John C. Pogue as president. Since its founding in 1863, PcxiUE's history and development has been one of community service and permanent high standards of quality. Associated with this store is an atmosphere of dignity and restraint. Conservative Good Taste The commercials reflect this same conservative good taste. They are never cute or coy. Neither are they flippant or inappropriate for dinner-hour listening. Every effort is made to avoid exaggeration and to curtail the somewhat natural tendency to oversell. Straightforward ideas and simple direct wording lend them selves to a clear, definite meaning— and a clear definite meaning allows no room for false impressions. These radio commercials indirectly carry out the Pogue policy of building confidence in this store and in the merchandise it carries. Under the new sales promotion manager, Budd Gore, Pcxjue's continues to be a civic-minded enterprise as well as a progressive department store, devoted to the communitv it ser\es. APRIL, 1947 • 121 •