Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

line of promotion than of nicrchandisini^, but such a step illustrates the interrelation of program promotion and produ( t merchandising. Programs not designed to do a consistent merchandising job may also lend themselves to merchandising effort. For example, in connection with a series which painted word pictures of famous [:)crsonalities, either national or local, jurrent or historical, listeners could be isked to identify the personalities from Uicts presented about them in the broadast. The first person who either wrote )r telephoned the correct identification ould be offered a free portrait as an inentive for action. It's quite true that the basic ingredient )f a successfiU economical program is >ood entertainment, but promotional md merchandising effort is a form of .howmanship which offers added value md buying inducement to the listener. Essential success factors Relative impact seems to be more important to success than the number of lollars spent. It is interesting to note that lone of the campaigns cited here involved I \ery heavy expenditure, but all accom)lished the purpose for which their sponors designed the campaigns. In accounting for the success of such entures, consistency of effort is an im)ortant element, with coordination of all dvertising activity another important actor. As Chris Schlechten, Bozeman, Jont., expressed it: "For 40 years plus, his studio has been in business in Bozeiian. Since 1939 when KXLQ went on he air we have tried radio advertising pasmodically, but only in the past year lave we begun to realize that consistency > the keynote to results." It adds up to the fact that if each fac)r in the success of a broadcast effort is arefully considered, consistency of effort oes the rest. Radio is no miracle medim, and if a program is w^orth undertakig, the advertiser should stay with it for sufficiently long period of time to deterline on the basis of facts either that the rogram is achieving results, or that some iher approach is indicated. BLOCK PROGRAMS (Continued from page 185) swered an immediate "yes" were liom small urban communities surroiiiiding Cincinnati. News and music Thus WCKY believed block programming had captured a sustained composite audience. The Hooperatings and mail indicated it. And the common denominator was simple: news and music. A further indication was the increased Sunday audience when the station extended its original six-day-a-week block programming into seven days. Here, even religion and public interest programs were blocked, with religion for all faiths and denominations heard during a two-hour morning period. An audience survey in September-October showed a jump of 200 per cent the first month. As 1946 came to a close, ^VCKY looked back . . . with satisfaction . . . remembering the bleak beginning when it was fifth in the five-station metropolitan radio market, a 50,000-watt independent without anything more tangible than a "potential." Most popular era On the brink of 1947, however, after nine months of strict adherence to block programming, WCKY was enjoying its most popular era in 17 years of operation and was nudging the top station for the greatest metropolitan listening audience. Block programming had brought \VCKY recognition, initially by the public, later by other radio broadcasting stations that were inquiring by letter and in person about editor Williams' observation on ". . . the most wonderfiU story in radio." Block programming began as an experiment for W^CKY, but it was conservatively planned and it made AVCKY the lowest average cost radio station for advertisers from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. NE, 1 947 • 201 •