Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

Main feature of the program: three alarm clocks set to ring during the program. Listeners are invited to send in a post card indicating the time at which they would like an alarm to ring on a specific date. Alarms are set to ring by top personalities in the entertainment world, and when an alarm rings, judges immediately check the entries. The person whose estimate is nearest the time the alarm rings receives such prizes as perfume, silk stockings, cigarette lighters, candy, thermos jugs, et al. If the entry hits within 30 seconds of the actual time on which the alarm rings, the person receives the regular prize plus a Jakspot prize. Jakspot prize varies from a 17-jewel Gruen watch to Traubee pressure cookers and automobile seat covers. Jakspots pyramid, and if no one receives the Jakspot on the first alarm of one day, it is carried over to the first alarm the following day, etc. Winners must call within 24 hours and correctly answer the simple question of the day to qualify their winning the prizes offered on the show. Prizes vary from week to week, but others of equal value are incorporated as some are eliminated to afford as great a variety as possible. Awarded each week are 60 prizes, with a grand prize every 13 weeks. For any contestant whose entry hits the actual time the alarm sounds there is a bull's-eye prize, with such awards as a round trip fare for two on Western Airlines to any point in California, or an all-expense, three-day vacation in a Soiuhern California resort spot. Those who receive a Jakspot or a bull'seye prize may compete for the grand prize awarded every 13 weeks. Award is based on the best written statement of 50 words or less on why the contestant would like to have the particular model car offered in tfiat 13-week period. Mail pull in the first three weeks ifie program was on the air: 14,985. A participating program, 77/;yy' AJarin is available in segments of quarter-hour periods, 1 minute or one-half minute announcement periods. Advertiser's position in progiam is rotated daily. Included among the sponsors is the Rexall Drug Company, with a 15-minute daily strip. AIRFAX: Musical portion of the program ranges from pre-released current tunes to nostalgic favorites of yesterday. Recording artists and stars of screen and radio make guest appearances. Writer-producer of the series is Carlyle Stevens. Emcees of the show are Frank Graham and Van Des Autels. First Broadcast: March 17, 1947. Broadcast Schedule: Monday through Friday, 1:052:30 p.m. Preceded By: Financial News. Followed By: Baseball Re-creations. Station: KMPC, Los Angeles, Calif. Power: 10,000 watts. Population: 1,805,687. COMMENT: That a spanking new show can also be an immediate audience builder is indicated by the mail pull of this series in its first three weeks on the air. It's also a strong indication that block programming can pull audiences for the independent station and its advertisers in the face of strong competition. Participating With Gj QUIZPARTNERS, INC. A quiz show in which e\ery one is a stockholder is what WTAG, Worcester, Mass., offers listeners five times weekly. Hodges as chairman of the board of directors, the stockholders assemble each day in the WTAG studios. Ten contestants are chosen by lot from the studio audience of approximately 100, and contestants pair off to form ihiizPartners , Inc. Quiz partners select one from a list of subjects written on a blackboard, and if between them they can answer a series of seven questions correctly, both are awarded merchandise prizes. Series also pio\ ides for general studio participation and for listener participation. To give the home audience a chance to win a prize, W FAG records lines from CBS programs with voices of well-known ])ersonalities. Each day one of these rec • 208 • RADIO SHOWMANSHIP