Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1949)

Two regular commercial announcements are inserted during the period of each show. Little or no newspaper paid publicity has been needed to spark the show. The only advertising done was at the beginning of the show series and consisted of inserts in the ads of the sponsor. Actual opening of the program was preceded by a one-week teaser campaign which informed audiences that, if they could "Find That Ford" they would be on the receiving end of a wonderful list of prizes. Good publicity for the show came with the action of a local columnist. Listening to the show one day, he solved the clue and printed it in his column. Ever since that date, he receives numerous phone calls asking where one can "Find That Ford." As soon as he deciphers the new set of clues, he prints the answer in his column. Broadcast time for the show is good. Aired Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30 to 7:45 P.M., it catches the carowner at home and tuned in to the radio. Prizes are of the variety found valuable by every motorist. One list of jackpot awards included a combination fire extinguisher and tire inflator, a set of door vent shades, a set of fog lights to make night driving safer and a Ford Dynamatic horn. To get the jackpot all the individual telephoned must do is take the clues given in the music and sentence offered by the announcer and from them decipher the location of the elusive Ford. A good program format which capitalizes on the current quiz-consciousness of radio fans is one reason the Lewis Motor Company in Savannah is getting results in the form of increased sales. Another reason sales are climbing is that the body of the show itself, outside the regular commercial message, relies on merchandise and services the sponsor offers. "Find That Ford" makes sure the uses of automobile products are continuously being emphasized on the show. That is the secret of its success. AD-LIBS (Continued from Page 15) makes it outstanding as an example of a good disc spinning program. First of all there is the thoroughly professional manner in which Greenwood conducts his daily spinning stint. His carefully chosen records and transcriptions, in fifteen minute segments, are a studied blending of all types of music to appeal to all age groups. Another quality which stands out is Greenwood's ability to steer clear of the customary cliches and too-clever chatter which many platter-servers are too prone to lean upon heavily. Secret of the show lies, then, in good music and a minimum of chatter despite a large amount of commercial time. Program is blocked and sold in five minute news segments, ten and fifteen music segments. Of the fifteen hours of salable time on the show each week more than ten of them had been commercial by the time the show was on the air two months. Sponsors include A. DiTomasso, Jeweler; Hotel Angle; Gerros Men's Shop; Canobie Lake Amusement Park; Fulton Fish Market; Massachusetts Northeastern Transportation Company; Orange-All Beverage; W. H. Cranton Appliance Company; Sheehan Package Store; Richards Dress Store; Wm. Franklin Heating Company; G. M. Earl Heating Corporation. All the commercials are ad lib and the sponsors report excellent results. All of them are more than pleased. They know their commercial messages are being heard by a large radio audience when a great number of their customers come into their stores and say that Warren Greenwood sent them in. Greenwood doesn't stick to the routine disc spinner's formula. He has conjured up a public service angle, too. Along with commercials and musical offerings, Greenwood intersperses reports on road and highway conditions for truckers and travelers, weather reports and beach and tide reports. Costs involved in producing the show are slight. As far as promotion goes, the program has been its own best advertiser. Before the show was aired, plenty of promotional announcements were run on the show. Newspaper space was purchased to aid further in the campaign for listeners. M A y . 1 949 31