Sponsor (July-Dec 1949)

2tW0lk has been reduced during the 12 months but as of 15-21 February 1948 NBC still was ahead of CBS. Only a few of the programs which switched their networks had been on CBS for any length of time so the full impact, rating wise, of the switch. Beside there are other programs due to make their CBS debut this fall which should intensify the switch towards Columbia. Naturally it all depends upon what NBC developes in the way of new programs. Hollywood Calling may build a great Sunday night listening habit just as Stop the Music has for ABC. A number of new NBC dramatic programs show great promise in the audition stage. NBC is working hard also on a number of comedy variety programs and if it has any of the success that CBS has had with programs like My Friend lrma. the relative standing of the two networks can continue neck and neck as they have been for so many years. The second Hooper report for June in the average-evening-ratings of commercial programs gives a greater edge to CBS than the mid-season rating. Many of NBC's top programs were off the air when this report was made. Regardless of the reason, the four networks had to face the following Hooper comparison: Average evening network commercial ratings (6-11 p.m.) 15-21 June 1948-1949 Network 1948 1949 ABC 5.0 5.4 CBS 6.0 6.5 MBS 3.6 2.4 NBC 7.3 5.5 These "average ratings" cover the following minutes of sponsored pro gram time: Minutes of sponsored time Hi-11 p.m.) 15-21June 1948-1949 Network 1948 1949 ABC 755 765 CBS 1335 1500 MBS 540 360 NBC I486 1485 Thus for the summer, CBS appears to have been the network to have held, or sold, the largest number of commercial minutes. ABC had added ten minutes to its commercial time in June, with NBC holding its own and MBS suffering the greatest loss, 180 minutes of commercial time. There's nothing static about broadcast advertising from a network or any other basis. While Hooper figures have been used in this report to show what's happened since the last Fall Facts edition of SPONSOR was published. Nielsen's figures are reported to indicate just as great a shift in audience. The U.S. Hooperatings (Hooper's projectable ratings) do not, because of difference in network facilities, show as great a shift as the 36City telephone coincidentals. U.S. Hooperatings were average figures for January-February 1949 and thus could not show the real effect of program shifts that started during the first week in January. There's no question but that the network picture is changing. The only possible way to make certain that a time-buy is the best is to know what happened last week and have the figures of what happened a year ago as a comparison. Everything is relative, but don't depend on last year's data. * * * Net -built programs All chains now building their own shows in industry's program sweepstakes With house-built packages increasingly important to web economy, networks are still sharing with agencies and independent producers the showman's mantle they donned three years ago after their gradual abdication over the years. House-built shows will be a major factor in NBC program tactics this fall, just as they have been at CBS. ABC will rely strongly on its own packages in its drive to capture audiences — and sponsors — with budget-conscious programs. Part of ABC strategy is to make Wednesday night the mystery-adventure session of the week. Mutual, with revamped program department and program policies, w ill attempt to compete for radio ears by applying the block-programing technique to both day and night sequences. The new program outlook for MBS is sparked by program director William Fineshriber. who moved over from Columbia where he was program department manager. Fineshriber plans to apply program-building and mood sequencing principles established during the years he worked with CBS programs. This won't mean an overnight revolution in MBS programing. Renovation will start from stratch in September and proceed gradually. Another approach will be to add a sprinkling of shows with star appeal. No network program executive thinks agency and independent producers can't (or shouldn't! take a major role in producing shows for network sponsors. They'll privately admit it keeps them on their toes. Nets can often produce shows in a given price bracket more economicallv by using staff people who have several assignments. They also have more opportunities to give a program air time to build an audience. Sponsors are less resistent to buying a showr they can't control I move to another network, if it is built up on the air before it is offered them ) . But networks have to have proved audience producers, whatever the source. They feel they have what it takes to produce audiences: creative people and facilities for testing and showcasing. * + * Independent packages Producers not too radio interested This year shows a sharp downward swing in the number of live package programs available from independent producers. One reason for the quantitative decline in this field is the constantly increasing number of network-built programs. Independent producers are more and more up against network feeling that the webs' ability to build a show and keep it running and increasing its audience is most important in establishing salable properties for sponsors. With the greater number of netproduced programs, and the resultant decrease in time availabilities, the independents are turning to TV production. In some cases, independent producers offer AM and TV versions of the same show; in other instances, independent concentration is on TV solely. The latter course might seem to be the ultimate salvation for independent producers. * + * 74 SPONSOR