Sponsor (Nov 1946-Oct 1947)

.>.,.* F L E X I R L E in sports contracts EIGHTY per cent of ;ill contracts for sports broadcasts are individually negotiated by the agency in sponsor with each station. That's because sporting events ar j basically local or regional in their appeal and with few exceptions a coast-to-coast network just doesn't add up to good commercial sportscasting. Ninety per cent of commercial sports airings are handled over independent stations rather than network affiliates because these stations are in a position to cancel out schedules at the expense of regular contract advertisers while net' work affiliates are not in position to do that on a regular basis. And sports require solid blocks of time — time with cushions on both ends of the time block. Time consumption of sporting events differs with each type of event. The general rule, throughout the nation, is for the following blocks to be set aside for each type of event: Sport Time Block Baseball »"/j hours Basketball 1 hour per ftame* Box in ft Vi hour Football 2 hours Hockej Vi to 1 hour • 'ire ust ally broadcast in a two-hour block. tOn/y the feature bout is broadcast in this tintt and when prelims a't included the time block may run as high as tuo hours. Despite the time blocks it is generally understood that if a contest runs over the scheduled time, there will be no extra charges, nor will there be a rebate if a contest runs short. Exception to this unwritten rule is the National Broadcasting Company which handles sports in 1 5-minute units. There is no standard contract for sports so stations generally use their regular facilities form and add plenty of riders. There is one set of clauses where the advertiser controls the event to be broadcast and an entirely different set where the station has the event and the sponsor buys time and contest in one package. In the first case the advertiser is frequently in the driver's seat and can and does demand a specific announcer, and protection on both sides of the airing against competitive advertisers and in some cases against any sponsor in those spots, i.e.. both the warm-up and the afterpiece have to be sustaining. Where the station has contracted to air the sporting event itself and has sold it to a sponsor the riders run the entire gamut from full protection as mentioned previously to multiple participation. In the latter case a number of advertisers are really paying the bill despite the fact that only one pays for the blow-by-blow account and the two others pay for the framework in which the event is placed on the air. In some ways this type of contract, where the station controls the broadcasting of the event, is a simpler document than the paper which is signed between the station and the sponsor when the advertiser holds a personal contract with the college, school, or sporting club. That's because the latter type of contract usually provides for the underwriter's paying line charges and other special fees in addition to the time charges. In both forms of contract the station is usually caught holding the bag if "an act of God" cancels the contest scheduled to be broadcast. Only in unusual circumstances does the sponsor pay anything when the program is rained out. The maximum payment l in contracts checked) ran to 50 per cent of the time charge. Contract provisions on airing commercials have changed of recent years and no longer does the average radio-wise agency write commercials and insist that they be aired verbatim at specific intervals. The tendency today is to outline the copy-line for the commercial; and let the sportscaster work them in at what he feels is the proper frequency and with the proper integration with what's happening on the field, or in the squared circle. This makes for less listener irritation and frequently Please turn to page 46 ■ i u ■ . • .. . • i ■• >atu .!-.,.. asters, wiu ...c.-i or ic-uiuuv . . aame program, harmless from any and all lia. s, costs or expenses, including lawyer's tees, arising; from or occasioned by the broadcasting oi 5. This indemnity agreement is intended to include, without limiting the foregoing, claims for of character, business or property, and infringement of copyrights and/or violation of trade or i trills. The" Broadcaster shall not lie held responsible for failure to broadcast for any periods where such failu (\w to governmi nt regulations, storms, strike-, lockouts, power, transmission or mechanical difficulties, or a cause whats ever beyond its control. The Broadcaster will endeavor to present programs at the exact tin iled, but do. s not guarantee that a given program will lie broadcast at the specified time. If for any reasot '■ 'rOi • • complete the program in its entirety, the Advertiser shall receive a pro rata refund >rge for time. The Advertiser agrees that in the event of the omission or postponement of any broadcast •dcaster shall not he held responsible for any damage beyond tlie cost of the particular broadcast omitte ied. ter reserves the right to defer advertising programs falling on national hob'1-"'innal or local expediency or public interest, or for special event' •> nroportinnate refund for the program not br 38 SPONSOR