Sponsor (Nov 1947-Oct 1948)

50 kw stations in each of the big four cities. This works beautifully so far as strictly Texas advertisers are concerned and gives fairly good coverage for most of the state's population. It is a buy that is economical. On occasions, they have available certain secondary markets which can be hooked up with the loop. However, if you go much beyond this, you will run into time clearance difficulties. Also, you run into complications in correlating the established network loops. Raymond P. Locke President Tracy-Locke, Dallas Any attempt to link together enough regional networks for national radio coverage would be almost impossible. The clearance problems alone would be a tremendous headache. The stations comprising most regional networks are, as regards affiliation, divided among the four major networks. Since this is true, internetwork jumps would be extremely difficult, because of the problems of clearing a common time. To get around such clearance problems, an advertiser would have to make widespread use of transcriptions. In this case, he might as well do the whole thing transcribed as a regular spot operation; otherwise, the whole purpose of having network lines in the first place, namely live programs, would be defeated. From the viewpoint of a station representative, the best way to expand market by market is to use spot broadcasting. There are still many spot broadcasting techniques that have barely been touched. We here at Weed & Company and also other station reps are constantly improving this form of broadcast advertising. We are pushing for guaranteed and protected time slots, better local programing, simplified billing operations, and improved merchandising and marketing services. Regional networks have an important part in radio as testing grounds for a product or a program, or as a single-billing method of reaching a regional market. Regional networks program the kind of entertainment which appeals to the listening tastes of the region. Joseph J. Weed President Weed & Co., N. Y. Station Representatives spot BOOK OF THE MONTH "Standard Rate and Data" # Each monthly issue of S. R. & D. carries WFBM's 07ie and only rate card. National advertisers pay no more for time on WFBM than local advertisers, and — to coin a phrase — vice versa. How much per minute.'* A minute is more on WFBM than on any other Indianapolis radio station. But, when that minute-cost is spread over central Indiana — where WFBM delivers top CBS and local programs — we figure we've got the louest cost in town. We're popular! — Hooper gives us FIRST rating for 16 months in a row. We're powerful! — BMB gives us more radio families in central Indiana counties than any other measured station. And, we're not over-rated on the rate card. Add merchandising service, promotion, and acceptance and you have "bargain day" every day on WFBM — Indiana's only basic CBS station. WFBM is "First in Indiana" any uay you look at it'. •I BASIC AFFILIATE: Coiumbio Broadcosting System Represented Nationally by The Katz Agency JULY 1948 111