Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

Again, using the beamed technique, Maas Brothers also sponsors an NBC network program, Neivs From Coast To Coast, heard from 8:00 to 8: 15 a.m., Monday through Saturday over WTLA. This program was selected at this specific time because the store w^anted to reach both men and women and the commercial appeal is to homemakers. Only ''hard lines" are featm ed; fiu niture, home furnishings, housewares and the like. Two commercials are used; one at the beginning of the news, 150 words, one near the end, 120 words. Both commercials always aim at the same department. Here again, "hard lines" buyers can show by their sales sheets definite and on-the-day results. Bow to teen-agers In an endeavor to woo the teen-ager, a potential adult permanent customer, Maas Brothers also sponsors a half-hour show, Melody Matinee, on Wednesdav, 5:30 to 6:00 p.m., over WDAE. This show^ is strictly for the youngsters, though adults are also among the listeners. For this program, a regular boy and girl announcer, known as "Jack Dale" and "June Clarke," are chosen by contest toward the end of each school year. They carry on as the heart of the show, bantering with each other in typical teen-age fashion, while other youngsters follow through as news reporters for the local junior and high schools; as members of a fashion board, and as guests stars. The format allows for six or seven musical selections; live talent from the local schools; two two-minute commercials; five news reporters averaging aboiu one-and-a-half minutes each, and a discussion by the girls' fashion board, which, with the buyer of the Debuteen Shop at Maas Broihkrs, talks about wearing apparel from tlic Deb Shop. Leaders of yoiuh groups in Tampa think highly enough of this program to support it with their good words and by calling in news of their special events which ihey want all youngsters to know al)oui. Debuteen Shop prestige and sales ha\e soared, too, as a result of this endeavor, which has taken on the character of .'III ('\lr;i c in 1 i( uhn ;uti\itv for studeiils. Rural audience recognized Youngest in the Maas Brothers' group of programs is one known as Specially For You, a zany little affair heard Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 7:00 to 7:15 a.m., over WFLA. Tried out as a test, this program, beamed to the earlyrising budget shopper and rural customer, never has known a cold day. It pidled from its very first airing, returning its cost many times over. The policy is to use merchandise not advertised in any other way, and thus the sales sheets show to the penny just how much came home to roost. Two staff annoiuicers chew up the scripts of Specially For You, kidding during the commercials, but not at the merchandise, thus coating the pill with a hiniior that makes it slip down easily. The format is simple: three transcribed light times, averaging about seven minutes; three minutes of news, which wind up with a "kicker" in ridic ulous vein and four miniues of commercial, between musical selections. This would be too nuich commercial emphasis if it weren't for ilu' fact that it is lightened with ad-lit remarks and by soiuid effects that tie-in with the commercial. Example: a bis splash in a poc^l, when friend husbanc clous a new pair of Maas Broth irs swim Hunks. Certainly results are nios gratifying. For example, by virtue of thi; piogram, a buyer who had a $400-daT 150 RADIO SHOWMANSHI