Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

or leiiers with ilic rorreci answers and with the earliest postmarks win special ])rizes for the writers. When the series first went on the air, I heat re tickets weie awarded Myslrry Func winneis. Resj^onse was stroni> cnongh to inteiest Modern Distributors, Inc. in a tie-in for Majestic records. Majestic releases are used exclusively for I he Mystery Tune, and winners now receive their choice of new Majestic releases to be called for at Moskin's store. What the distribiuor contributed were 625 records for the Moskin give-away. Appropriate theme song: That's For Me. Net result: 52-week contract Two commercials are used on each program, with item commercials on Moskin's store and merchandise the general rule. Moskin's sells predominantly clothing on credit. It also has an extensive watch and jeweh y (K pai imcnl and ;i new );i(h<) phonograph dcpailmcni. All ;iic ( \i( n sively promoted on the series. Disc jockey and patter mei(li;iiii lor the newest version ol ilic piogiiini is VVSA/'s piogram diiccioi, led i.ihmd. Mildred Chernolf is account executive. With the exception of one 2()-week period when the series was on a five-aweek basis, the show has been aired on a Monday-W^ednesday-Kr iday schedule. Evidence of a corollary betweetr rrrail pull and listener interest was a survey by Crossley, Inc. on the 8:30 a.m. version, which showed a rating of 9.0 with a 75% share of the audience. If there were any doubt of the success of the formula wcjrked out for Moskin's in Huntington, a 52-week contract settled that score. The contract was the lirst 52-week contract ever signed for any one of the 104 stores in the Moskin chain! MYSTERY TUNE As a gimmick to create store traffic, Alan's Ladies' and Children's Ready-toWear, Clarksdale, Miss., features a mystery tune on each broadcast. To the first person telephoning the station with the correct identification goes a ^3.00 merchandise certificate redeemable in the particular department featured on that broadcast. Winner must call at the store within 48 hours to claim prize. 7-47, p. 246. DETECT-A-TUNE Listeners are called at random from a scientifically selected list of telephone numbers. Those who correctly name the mystery tune pocket SI 5.00 in Blass Club Money redeemable in store merchandise at the Gus Blass Department Store, Little Rock, Ark. There's a lesser merchandise certificate as consolation prize. Each person telephoned gets one minute in which to identify the tune, and there's plenty of help from the announcer. 3-46, p. 98. MUSIC MASQUERADE Unannounced numbers, vintage 1920-1930, arc played on the piano and solovox. Listeners write in guesses to the six mystery tunes. Prizes for winners: Point Loma Foods. Series is sponsored over KFSD, San Diego, Calif., by the Klauber-Wangenheim Company for Point Loma Foods. 1-46, p. 28. NAME THE TUNE CONTEST Series was used over a period of years on a constantly expanding station list in major markets for the Starkist Company. Listeners correctly identify the four popular tunes played each day to win cash and merchandise prizes. Program aired five times weekly in each of the 40 top markets in the country produced amazing returns both in consistent mail returns and in direct sales to jobbers of Starkist products (toothpaste, toothpowder and vitamins). 9-44, p. 304. MUSICAL MEMORY GAME Listeners are offered a one dollar credit slip on any purchase made in the record department of the Penn Camera Exchange which amounts to ^2.50 or more. To get the merchandise certificate, contestants must correctly identify three out of four tunes. First quarter-hour, broadcast over WQXR, New York City, brought in 500 winners. 7-43, p. 247. SEPTEMBER, 1947 • 309 •