Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1960)

frank talk to buyers of air media facilities The seller's viewpoint // hen buyers and sellers talk about syndication, they almost invariably mean the half-hour show, which has long been the backbone of the syndication side of video. Because it is the keystone in the national spot programing structure, the availability of facts about it give the half-hour shou an advantage in the tv market place. As Richard Carlton, vice president in charge of sales for Trans-Lux Tv Corp.. points out. admen might take another look at the five-minute show. They might be missing something important if they don't. GOOD THINGS CAN COME IN SMALL PACKAGES ^Jffer a half-hour filmed show today and within a few hours the agency's media crew can have read) complete costs — for an\ and all markets, for any time slots. It's routine. The information is right at hand. Now. try the same with a five-minute show. Media wails. "H ou kidding? We have to do a station by station survey. Might lake months. " Not months. But weeks, certainly. We know: we've been through it. But even if by some chance the information was immediately available, media would turn a fishy eye upon the account exec. Meaning: "Whatthehell you gonna do with a five-minute show.'" Good question. From our experience with Felix the Cat we can deliver hard-nosed answers on the five-minute variety to agencies, stations and sponsors. t Felix, by the way. was offered first to national advertisers, including Good'n Plenty candy and Bosco. \^ e got tired of their thumb-twiddling, syndicated the show, and made a lot more mone\ that wa\ . i Does your agencj own a "modest-budget" account (national and/or local I who keeps querying, frequently querul<>u>l\ : "Why cant I gain identification with a specific tv show or personality, instead of spending all my money on spots?" I ell him, "Can do." Simple, too. Contract for a year, >a\. for the spots preceding and following something like Felix. Announcement -a\>. "And now. Himmelouser's Chocolate Drink brings \ou Felix The tot. who lo\e> that Himinelouser's." Et cetera. So Felix or whomever, belongs to "Himmelouser's." instead of being just a cartoon character in a kiddie show. \nd that's identification. i \ number of local advertisers, it so happens, are ready ing such deals now on a local basis, using Felix. Not t mention our new five-minute offering, Rube Goldberg's Ir ventions. Plug, i Five-minute shows are not for adults? At least one is dt ing well righfnow. No time slots for "em ? Watch how fa? the station will-come up with one if you arrive with janglin^ pockets. For instance, right after vour news and just b fore your movie. Sure, sure, but where else? Anywhere else the station doesn't have network fare. Seek, brethren, and \e shall fin — with profit. The point is, a station is supposed to be flexible. It igenerally. and wants to be. always. Means more incomelove that word! — and aids in building audiences. But agei cy and sponsor have to help the station by seeing in a directions. Which brings up perhaps the most important point. Or big reason for the snails pace progress of the five-minu show thus far has been a glaring lack of production valu To be kind, it's been tossed together. But you mav have noted an improvement in products values recently. If you haven't, we're telling you. You may have noted, too. a new concept in filmingcombination of live and animated characters which really different. One final point: as Number 1 purveyor of the five-minu show i we feel i. we welcome others. The more successi we five-minute-ers become, the more chance of media sa ing: ''Have the facts and figures in a couple of hour Joe." And that'll be the Millenium! ¥ SPONSOR • 3 OCTOBER 19(J