Sponsor (Jan-Mar 1959)

Their biggest single event was the National Corn Picking contest, and second, a seven-month "Sports Sweepstakes" in which 450 listeners shared prizes totaling $6,000. Other ideas at work: • Symbol for sale: WHAS-TV, Louisville, had to end its nine-week promotion campaign two weeks early because of too large a response. The station, during breaks, offered viewers a 52-page color and game book featuring the station's symbol "Fisbie." Total number sold: 25,000. • An international invitation: To Deputy Premier of Russia, Mikoyan, from Lawrence Rogers, president of WSAZ-AM & TV, HuntingtonCharleston. Rogers offered to roll out the red carpet should Mikoyan and his party want to make a tour of West Virginia radio and tv stations, during his visit to the U.S. • In the interest of public service: WBTV, Charlotte, will televise a series of 100 tv literacy programs designed especially to teach adults how to read and write. Station sale: The facilities of WBUF, the NBC-owned tv station in Buffalo, suspended last September, have been sold to WBEN, Inc., and Transeontinent Tv Corp. The WBUF studios will be occupied by WBEN-TV. and the antenna tower will be used by WGR-TV. Kudos: Red Cross, commercial manager of WMAZ-TV, Macon, Ga., awarded a 25-year diamond pin . . . Irwin Cowper, v.p. in charge of sales for WTIC-TV, Hartford, celebrating his 25th anniversary with the Travelers Broadcasting Service Corp. On the personnel front: S. B. Tremble, appointed station manager of KCMO-TV, Kansas City . . . James Osborn, named general sales manager of WXIX, Milwaukee . . . Monte Strohl, to sales manager of Cascade Tv and William Grogan, to manager of KEPR-TV, Pasco, Wash. . . . Robert Sehulman, named director of special features for KING Broadcasting Co. . . . Harvey Spiegal, to director of research at TvB . . . John Neeck, promoted to engineering supervisor at WPIX, New York. ^ SPONSOR ASKS (Con I "d from page 55) principles, I think, are timing or pacing, enthusiasm, variety, and meaning. I do not think the use of sounds merely as attention getters is a good idea. Production aids should identify or set a mood. In other words they should have some meaning in relation to the program content. Regardless of the evident success of some modern forms of broadcasting. I think a good radio sound should have some variety. The same format over and over, with the same things done at the same times in the same way, cannot be endured for long. Enthusiasm is the life blood of all human endeavor. In the radio business where the entire impression depends on sounds, enthusiasm is most important. This does not necessarily mean shouting or playing the loudest possible music. Enthusiasm can be expressed in many different ways. There is contagious enthusiasm in a child's glee on Christmas morning and there is equal enthusiasm in the whisperings of a love smitten teenager on Christmas night. A good radio sound is dependent on enthusiastic presentation. Last, but far from least, is timing or pacing. Those who remember old time vaudeville will remember that the show was always moving. As one act left the stage, another was on, and quickly. The audience was there to be entertained not to look at an empty stage. The same is true in creating a good radio sound. The audience did not tune in to hear "dead air." This does not mean that a frantic or feverish pace is necessary, but sound must continue to come from that loud speaker if the audience is going to remain tuned in. Good timing is one of the main factors in building the impression of professional efficiency in the minds of listeners. In multiple station radio markets some specialization on the part of individual stations is almost essential. A good radio sound can be created from many basic ideas or specialties. These differences create the individual personalities or identities of the stations as a whole. The above factors, however, in my opinion, are necessary in creating a good radio sound regardless of the type of station. ^ "REP." SERVICES RATING [Cont'd from page 42) tion and rep in working together on recommendations. ' Station visits are a fundamental requirement in the intelligent servicing of problems, say the stations. Anthony J. Koelker, station manager, KMA, Shenandoah, Iowa, calls for "more station visits by reps to get first-hand information on market and station personality and operation." And John F. Hurlbut, promotion manager of WFBM, WFBM-TV, Indianapolis, also wants "More rep salesmen's visits to stations to learn their modes of operation. Too many rep salesmen are not familiar enough with the local station's operating problems." Amplifying their comments on the primar importance of sales, some stations had suggestions on methods: Herb Berg, general manager WWOK, Charlotte, N. C. wants them "to prove to timebuyers that they should look into a local market and get the real story of success rather than buying time by numbers." "For reps: Keep telling the station's story to everyone who will listen. The assistant timebu^er may be the head timebuver nevt vear. And if the station is a good ore the "story is results, results, results." is the suggestion of Paul F. Eichhorn, pres. and general manager. WGRD. Grand Rauids. Michigan. In spite of some criterion of details, most stations sesm happy with their national representative arrangement. "We value highly the advice and counsel of our rep," says one station manager. "We've had several good representatives in the past, but we rate our present agency best. Thev have excellent agency entree and maintain a good research and prompt department— these are the two principal needs," comes from another pleased station. These are tvpical of many comments. "We look at our national rep as part of the local station." writes Fred Webb, manager WMFS, Chattanooga, Tenn. "They are in the large cities for us ... to sell our station . . . and we always try to give their suggestions on all matters concerning this station as much consideration as we do our own local salesmen and other personnel. ^ ro SPONSOR 10 JANUARY 1959