Sponsor (July-Dec 1950)

WILD-WEST FEVER {Continued from page 23) country and Canada. National Biscuit Co. is the largest single user of Red Ryder, covers 20 markets with the show. Dairies and bakeries are the heaviest users of the "Famous Fighting Cowboy," with a small sprinkling of ice cream and bottling company sponsors whose products have "kid" appeal. \\ ith all the whoop and holler made by radio's gun-totin' dramatists, folks may lose sight of the fact that Western music is good entertainment too. Western Gene Autry, the movies' singing cowboy, has been singing songs for over 10 years for the Wm. Wrigley, Jr. Co. Every Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. Gene sparks the Melody Ranch show on 171 CBS stations. The half-hour program ranges from comedy, to song, to a short dramatization of Western lore. Gene Autry was one of a long line of Western entertainers who got their start at WLS, Chicago. He was followed by Louise Massey and the Westerners of New Mexico, The Girls of the Golden West, and Rex Allen "The b'*no x^i ^\<&t* «*• to *«lc II If ID II is the top national spot program outlet in Peoriarea National advertisers buy more spot programs and announcements on WMBD by far than on any other Peoria station. The following list shows just a few: Blue Bonnet Margarine; Campbell Soup; Colgate (Ajax, Dental Creme, Fab, Halo, Lustre Creme Shampoo, Palmolive, Vel, Veto); Dodge; Griffin; Kools; Kroger; Proctor & Gamble (Dreft, Ivory, Joy, Lilt, Spie & Span); Shinola; Standard Brands; Tenderleaf Tea; etc. Naturally this dominant position is achieved by RESULTS . . . and WMBD produces results because: WMBD serves more listeners in ANY time period than the next 2 stations combined at a cost per thousand FAR LESS than any other Peoria station What's nunc, WMBD backs up its advertisers with a full scale promotion and merchandising program. This pioneer station, with 23 years experience, knows the Peoriarea audience and beams the right show to the right people at the right time at the right price! ASK FREE & PETERS Arizona Cowboy." Even with its traditional interest in Western-type programing, WLS, Chicago, has noticed an even bigger surge of recent interest in things Western. Bob Atcher, WLS's current Western star, reports an increasing number of requests for traditional cowboy ballads like "Strawberry Roan,'' "Cowboys Lament," and "Red River Valley." And during personal appearances demands for autographs and pictures have more than tripled during the past nine months. Other stations in various parts of the country report a similar trend. Says one Spokane, Washington station : "KREM established a two-hour block of 'Western Requests' from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. about a year-and-a-half ago. This has grown in popularity so that it is doing very well, not only from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., but from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. as well. Such heavy listening between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. tends to continue through the rest of the evening." A Boston survey of programing by the Katz Agency I station representatives) disclosed that Western music was gaining in popularity. A similar survey in Flint, Michigan brought out the fact that an effective new program there was Western Stars, consisting of recorded Western music built around songs of screen cowboys. One Katz station. KRNT in Des Moines, Iowa, recently announced addition of a Western singing disk jockey to its staff. A roundup of Western music programs corralled these shows: Rhythm Ranch Hands on KSTP, Minneapolis for Pillsbury Flour: Charlie Marshall's Roundup on KFBK, Sacramento, participating; KOH Roundup on KOH, Reno, Nevada, participating; Chuck Wagon Jamboree and K-Bar-G Jamboree on KWG, San Diego, open for sponsorship; Hawkeye Jamboree on KIOA, Des Moines, participating; Rhythm Range, Old Chisholm Trail, and Gentlemen of the West on KVOR, Colorado Springs, participating; Open Range on WHK, Cleveland; Sunrise Ranch and Georgia Crackers on WHKC, Columbus, Ohio; Tri State Roundup and Saddlemates on WKBN, Youngstown, Ohio, participating; Zeke Clements on WLAC, Nashville; Reveille Roundup on WLAW, Lawrence, Mass.; and Smilin Max on WTAC, Flint, Michigan. Several highly successful local productions are available on transcription. The Texas Rangers, produced and sold by Arlbur B. Church Productions, 56 SPONSOR