Sponsor (Nov 1947-Oct 1948)

Block programing is everywhere S|M»rl<>». iK^ws. 2iii«l iiiii^tio liliM'k |»i*ii;£raiiiiii;j; t4M*liiiii|ii4^s liv|M» lisidiiii;j; to iiiilo|M^ii€l<^iiiM Block programing is in the listener interest. It grew out of the independent stations' use of records and news to keep them on the air. At first so-called block programing was a hodgepodge of music and news without a thought of m(X)d. Then it began to grow into a full-fledged programing formula as the smooth' tongued Martin Block at New York's WNEW programed his two hour session for m()(xl and appeal. What started out as an expedient to fill time became an art. Stevens Universit>' (N. J.) began research into mood programing. Research was also conducted throughout Great Britain on the production and relaxation impact of music. The wired-music organization Muzak be^an mood programing ;irC«? Tulsa's only exclusive radio center. Only CB3 outlet in the rich "Money Maiiiet" section of prosperous Oldsihoma. Write KTUL, Boulder 4n the Park, Tulsa, Okla. j«v;.i5" ^--^Ifer^^— ■ t*S; -'==^^«ir>V:c^g^ JOHN ESAU Vic«-Pre$. and Gen. Mgr. AVERY-KNODEL, Inc. Notionol Representotives of recorded music. Block programing was bom. It was still very much without a proved reason for being until Dr. Frank Stanton, then research executive at CBS, inspired the diary form of research which proved to all and sundry that block programing was not just an independent station expedient but an integral ingredient in catering to listening America. The CBS diary studies quickly proved to that network's executives just how essential block programing (they called it mood programing) was. Briefly, it indicated that dialers didn't want variety, they wanted a lot of the same thing. The diary studies also indicated just how listeners had to be led from one mood to another. What started out as a CBS device to check its owned and operated stations ended up as a set of broadcast programing commandments. It forced CBS to relinquish the JohnsManville news program at 8:55 p.m. despite the fact that that program had the greatest listening audience of any single one on the air (first U. S. Hooperating, Spring 1948). Being between two nonnews programs the newscast disrupted mood sequences of listening on CBS. While big-name programs can run counter to block programing and still gather top audiences, the>' do better back-to-back. Thus the NBC Tuesday night comedy sequence of Date with. Judy, Amos 'n' Andy, Fibber McGee and Molly, Bob Hope, and Red Skelton has been for several years an almost unbeatable combination. MBS has built a block-programing combination with its whodunit schedule on Sundays: House oj Mystery, True Detective Mysteries, and The Shadow. CBS takes over Monday night with drama — Radio Theater, My Friend Irma, and Screeii Guild Theater. Irma, while a comedy, is situation comedy, which is drama. ABC gathers the mood programing bonus with its hour-long Breakfast Club which from nine to ten a.m. daily tops all other network competition. Because My True Story apf>eals to the same audiences which tune the Breakfast Club it holds on to the block programing edge. The audience is lost lin part) by ABC because of Betty Crocker, Listening Post, Clubtime, and Dorothy Kilgallen (10:2511 a.m.). Although its unusual, the audience then returns to ABC for the half-hour Breakfast in Hollywood; seldom docs a disrupted bUxrk sequence bounce back as quickly as this. Horizontal block programing -airing the same t\ pe of show at the same time daily (or nightly) — has been tried in a number of cases, though block programing 138 SPONSOR