Sponsor (Jan-Mar 1959)

WHEELING 37; TV MARKET ""Television Magazine 8/1/58 One Station Sells Big Booming Ohio Valley NO. 10 IN A SERIES: RIVER TRANSPORTATION Life-line for industry and a major factor in the economy of the thriving WTRF-TV area is the storied Ohio River. On its broad surface flowed eighty-one and onehalf million tons of cargo in 1957, more than one and one-half times the tonnage locked through the Panama Canal in the same period. The cargo carried and the people who handle it on ship and shore are more reasons why the WTRF-TV market is a super market for alert advertisers ... a market of 425,196 TV homes, where two million people have a spendable income of $2'/2 billion annually. For complete merchandising service and availabilities, call Bob Ferguson, VP and General Mgr., at CEdar 2-7777. National Rep., George P. Hollingbery Company wtrf tv Wheeling 7, West Vo.^^, 316,000 walls \\ g £ network color Y&R ( Cont'd from page 30) points out, however, that this is wholly natural in view of the increased importance of tv in all agency work, and because of the evolving nature of radio/tv department operations. At one time Y&R's radio/tv department had complete over-all responsibility for not only program purchasing, production, and supervision but for radio/tv commercials as well. Three years ago, radio/tv copy was transferred to the copy department where it remains today. I Y&R president Gribbin once headed up radio/ tv commercial copy.) New directives from Y&R management spell out clearly the increased responsibilities of the radio/tv department under Pete Levathes. (See box, page 30) . These include new program development, selection and buying, program supervision for all types of radio/tv operations, as well as the purchase of network and syndicated program time when it is tied to particular shows. In reading over these responsibilities, however, it should be borne in mind that they in no way conflict with the over-all media planning functions of the media department. Matthews, as director of media relations, is responsible to agency product groups and plans boards for recommending over-all media strategy for all Y&R accounts based on budgets, marketing needs and objectives, and specific account problems. The media department is also responsible for analyzing all network time and program recommendations, in the light of over-all media strategy. As to the adaptability of the new Y&R system to other agencies, Matthews had no comment. Experienced agency men have pointed out to SPONSOR that even in the biggest agencies'organization plans are frequently drawn to fit the special talents of available personnel. The fact that Y&R has in Pete Levathes an experienced media man with an exceptionally strong program and show business background (20th Century Fox) enables the agency to combine network time and program buying with less trouble than might be experienced in other shops. Certainly no two agency personnel patterns are exactly the same nor are the particular and specialized needs of their different clients. Whether other agencies will follow] Y&R's lead in placing network timel buying in the radio/tv department' will depend more on the type of tvl business they do, and the qualifica-| tions of their executives than on any "ideal" organization system. In recent years, many agency radio/tv departments have tended to diminish rather than grow in stature.' This state of affairs, brought aboutjl largely by the decline in agency pro-l gram production, has been heartilyl deplored by many radio/tv men who! would like greater power and impor-1 tance for within agency management councils. But regardless of what eventually becomes the role of agency radio/tv i departments one thing seems certain:! agency media departments are also going through a period of evolution.] For a discussion of the increasing integration of media and marketing activities see SPONSOR 17 January "Will Media and Marketing Blend?"! Out of all the pressures and forces 1 now at work within agency organiza-ij tions, and the vastly increased impor-'l tance of air media, sponsor expects a] new type of media department opera-l tion to evolve within the next year! or so. ^ Corner office — Th nicest things happen when you buy tim on KYW Radii Clevelam 50 ©@©WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING COMPANY, II SPONSOR • 7 FEBRUARY 1959* —