Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1963)

i; economically sound for sponsors length N ^)\ (li.iin.1 each wiH'k, 12 of li ar<' siipplifd \i\ Vv\d. Tlu' (Mith sriiiiuiit is Mic'li.u'lsons S/lH(/()|f. Ids foiificlciUT in tlir radio la icsmmiKc irtl liim to iiniiorl litT liroup of HH(]-producfd ' s: Tlw (.'.(xxl ('nni}uiiii(m.s (26 icnts); London Sloiij (26); and Ion Phnjhoiisc (52). Atli-r tecli 1 iiiipro\riiu'iit of tlu' taprs, lir its to rt'U'asr tlirse in about lontlis. Fold also lias at liis dis 1 another 52 rpisotU-s cacli ol Ion Story and London Pltiij '■. hut lu" is unsurf of llieir iiiial (|ualit\. 'i"lu'\ will ha\f to stcd Intorr thry can he added .lie second paeka'4e. 'l*Both Feld and Miclielson are op istic aliout the future of the old '■ io drain.is. Feld calls tlieTU neless programs of classie (|uai ^ * that can successfully attract * liences and acKcrtisers. Micliael I noted tliat teenayers arc just •* covcrinii radio drama and are oying tile "new phenomenon." ' said tliat older people enjo\ \^cninu to dramas while dri\inii. ■y\e hecome tired of hearing music on their car radios." \lic haelson said the re-rclcusc of ins racho drama properties is just a liol)l)\ — "a successful one", lie is ollcring them "oiiK to kcN stations III the top markets. ' (Tiny are now sold in 10 ol the lop .oO markets.) The most popular single show, by l.ir. is Tlif Shiiilou . which has been sold to more than 20 st.itions, inV hiding KMOX. St. l.ouis; \\M.\L, W ashington, I). C,'.; WCJN, (.'hicago; WI.SN. Milwaukee; KHL.\. Los \iigeles; WOIU.. Hostoii, ;uid W KlU;, Cleviland, James T. Hutler, \ ice president and general manager of W ISN. said 77/r Sliadon w;is sold to MacDonald s l)ri\e-ln Hestaurants for I.J-wceks. I'ac'II before the first episode went on the ;iir. however, the restaurant clumi renewed three limes, and now is c-onlr;icted lor a lull .52 weeks. MacDonald's agency, \\ arreii Hichman Cai., .said ""riie results ha\t' been gr;itif\ ing and apparent. Butler noted that chiima shows on radio. especialK the revivals of old network fare, "w ill attract large audieiicc-s. at le;ist lor a while, if lieaviK promoted. It is our opinion tluif the\ should be s|)otlighted as a radio special or spectacular, and that the old method ol block pro graming ol .3 or 4 show s m a row migiit not work. \ lie haelson. howtxer, recommends block programing — especially on Sunchn nights. He points out that when these shows were bro;idcast years ago in MiitiKils Smichiy <'\c'iiiiig schedule the network att;iined higher ratings than its competitors. KMH(] apparently agrees with Mic hac-lson's theor> . and programs its clnimas Irom 7-10 p. m. each Sunda\, in addition to 3-4 p.m. Sundax ;dternoons. and I2:.3()I a.m. woeknights. KHL.\ is programing 14 of. .Mic haelson s re-run dramas, two each night of the week: Tlw Shadow and I'anious Jiirtj Trud.s { Mondays ); Stand liij lor Crime and 7"/ic Clock (Tuesdays); Tlw Scaled Hook ;md Medical Tile { W'ednesclius ); The Hidden Truth ;md Liven of Ham/ Lime (Thur.sda\s ); Uatintina Hour iuid Si<iht Beat (FridaNs); Dannvrous Assi'^nnwnt and Verdict ( Saturdays); and Sherlock Hohnes and W eird drcle ( Sunda\ s ) . Gotham Recording Corp. hoi)es to toss its hat into the ring of syndicating radio dramas. It is negotiating lor the distribution rights of .1S6 /,irv liadio Tlu-atre broadcasts, all hosted In Cecil H. D.Mill.Firm coimiiitmenls were expected b\ I DecembcT, but at this writing, no contracts h.i\e b«-en signed. Herbert .M. Moss, (>olham president, said the i^ux programs are dilficiilt to accjiiire bc-caiise no single person or group controls them. He said he would seek sponsors whose prixliicts do not conllicl with those ol Lever Uros. Moss beliexes a re\i\al of the Lux series would attract a large radio audience just among those who tuned in during the shows 2l-\<Mr r.idio run ( 1934-55). ()piiiioiis of iigeiicA decision makers dillered widely on the subject of radio drama. Sam Vitt, media chief of Dohe-rtx. C'lifford, Stee-rs & Shenfie-Id (which is billing $L5 million in spot radio this year), predictc-d the radio dramas xvould not "be used xvidely beciiuse tinpattern of buying r;iclio has been «stablished." He endorsed the concept, Invever, for "small advertisers" or "large ones xvith spe-cial problems.' The radio dramas, he said, "xvill have good success" xvith ;i limited group of specialized ad\ertisers, but "it's too difficult to attract a large chunk of audience" at one time for real cost efficiency. I'd Mahoney, manager of the radio-t\ department at F'uller *c Smith ix Hoss (;igency for .-Mcoa), s;iicl "local radio drama is of great interest to us . . . anx thing that's going to gixe us a rating, xve'll buy." H.iclio, M.ihonex iiddecl, is the "least costly method of getting messages into a lot of peoples homes." Paul Cumbinner. r;idio-tx chrector of Laxvrence C. Cumbinner Adv., (xvhich placed $3.7 million in spot radio this yiMr), thought the resurgence of radio dnmia is a ■xxonderful idea." Cumbinm-r xx.is unsure, hoxvevi-r, of the old transcription.s — "I don't knoxv if they'll be successful ... I haxen't heard anx of them myself." He pretlicted radio drama xxould "require a terrific readjustment for audiences . . . pc'ople xxould liaxe to learn to liste-n all oxer again. They haxe a dimension for listeners that tx can't haxe: The girls are more beautiful and the fights are blootlier . . ." ^ 'NSOR <) DECKMBKR 1 9«i3 55