Sponsor (Nov 1947-Oct 1948)

Of the people who write WIZZ, 97', < have telephones in their homes. A high percentage of writers fall into the class of purchasers of expensive radio combinations. WIZZ has had inquiries from 19 owners of combinations in the over'$750 class (Scott, Musaphonic, Capehart, Frcvd-Eiscmann) despite the fact that it couldn't trace the sale of even 100 of this class of instrument in its area. On the other hand it has records of hundreds of Olympic AM-FM combinations that were sold at $39.50, yet only one postcard and one telephone call have been received from Olympic set owners. Wilkes-Barre FM-AM homes are divided into two distinct classes — families who buy table models at $50 or under and families who buy phonograph combinations at $250 or over. The receivers in the middle price range ($79.95 to $125) are a drug on the market. They sit in the dealers' stores. Despite the fact that 97'',,' of all who write WIZZ have telephones, a dealer sale check-up revealed that only 50' j of the receivers sold go into homes with telephones. It's simply a matter of telephone homes being more literate more likely to speak their minds on paper. FM sets in use in the Wilkes-Barre trading area checked through coincidental telephone surveys during regular program periods are in the same ratio as AM. This information was ascertained prior to the recent American Federation of Musicians clearance of duplication of regular AM (network or local) programs on FM stations. The duplication of programs is too new for any new listening figures to be conclusive. When sporting events are heard exclusively over an FM station sets-in-use figures, it is claimed, run as high as 80% of the sets surveyed with eight or nine listeners per set. This latter figure does not include tavern or club listening which averages 30 per spot for sport events. The claims of certain FM advocates, that the medium could not prosper without the "big" network programs, has bc^n answered in Wilkes-Barre b>' the broadcasting of 182 professional sports events play by play. What baseball broadcasts, da\ and night, did to AM broadcast schedules, pushing independent stations into first place in listening in many cities, continuous sportscasting is doing for a number of FM outlets. It cost WIZZ $13,000 for rights to the games they've scheduled but these games have made FM listening in Wilkes-Barre something with which to conjure. Because of WIZZ promotion FM set buyers in Wilkes-Barre are sports listeners. When a man or boy comes in to a dealer to bu> a receiver in this area, he listens to the sales talk about tone quality, selectivity, etc., and then asks, "Will it bring in the baseball or basketball games?" If it's an AM receiver and the answer is "No," he walks out of the store. It's the same, dealers report, with women. The baseball games over WWDC-FM made Washington, D. C, FM-conscious last spring and summer. In January of this year the station went on the air with its full authorized power and, as noted in sponsor's February issue, did a bang-up promotion. Following the Miss Hush, Walking Man, and other "Guess Who?" formulas the Een St rouse-operated station introduced a "Mr. F. M." Clues were given on both the WWDC-AM transmitter and the WWDC-FM outlet, but some were given only on the FM station. The contest wasn't too difficult because it was made to publicize the opening of WWDC-FM and to spread the news of FM. The final two da\s of the contest brought in 14,000 answers, with the total entries exceeding 25,000. It was strictly a mass promotion, no effort being expended to hit the class listener. The opening program of the new FM transmitter was staged with all the acumen of a four-network promotion. The winner was not notified until a few minutes before he was rushed to the studio to receive the awards which are said to have been worth in excess of $5,500. Listeners were in on the notification of the winner, with the notifier carr\ ing a microphone right to the door of the winner's apartment. They heard the knock on the door and discovered the winner at the exact moment that he received the good news. The winner was rushed to the studio with a police escoit for the broadcast, accompanied b> a regular pla> -b\ -play description. Mr. F. M. was Peter Donald who is heard in the Capital Cit\ on man\ network programs as well as his own transcribed Stanback show. The ratings for ( Pkasc turn to page 48) (2) Noted industry personalities judse the screened entries for best "Mr. FM" identification (3) Washingtonians fill Presidential Room of Statler awaiting contest v.inncr announcement (4) Peter Donald, Mr. F. M. Iiimself, greets Gerald Engcrt, left, whose entry rated $5,500 (5) Geraldine Engert, the winner's daughter, hands dad the keys to the Fraier car he won SPONSOR