Sponsor (Jan-June 1951)

resentatives of associations were lukewarm to the project, were willing to consider it, or spurned it outright. Here are some typical comments: Bill Ryan, president of the Broadcasting Advertising Bureau: "I can't warm up to the idea of trying to second-guess people in the research business. We'd like one yardstick, but at present I feel the BAB has got too much else to do. I won't be submitting the Baker Committee's proposal at our next regular meeting." Frederick Gamble, president of the American Association of Advertising Agencies: "I don't know — until I studv the report carefully. I have mv doubts whether the industry could arbitrarily select one acceptable research yardstick, because of the legal angle. It might be regarded as restriction of trade." Kirk Jewett. radio/TV director, the Association of National Advertisers: "Everybody would like a uniform rating system, but it requires thorough study. We'd like to read the report, and have a committee examine the proposals, before we could make a joint decision." Frank Stanton, president of CBS: "This projected study sounds like a good Ph.D. thesis to me — but I don't see why I should be expected to pay for it. This research problem has been investigated by committees since 1929. Point out to me one constructive thing that a research committee has done. So far as I'm concerned, the only service that does a good job today is the A. C. Nielsen Company. Sure, I don't like the conflicting reports put out by the sellers of detergents. But does that mean I have to go out and join a consumers' committee?" The third question that admen are posing is: Would the research services agree to the project investigating and comparing their measurements? When questioned by sponsor, Dr. Baker said spokesmen for Nielsen, Hooper, Pulse, Videodex, and the American Research Bureau had already agreed to cooperate. He hoped the others would also indicate their approval. In speaking to various operators of the research services, sponsor learned that they are willing to co-operate (apparently for fear that, otherwise, they would be considered afraid to put their measurements to a competitive test). However, most of them tended to throw cold water on the notion that one yardstick (apart from their own, of course) HUUPtK surveys the SEVENTEENTH STATE * THE SEVENTEENTH STATE A compact market composed of a homogeneous group of 53 counties in Eastern New York and Western New England . . . so called because its population exceeds that of 32 states in the U. S. IS \ I I J '3^"e Glorcrsrillc Saratoga Springs ■wtica •Johnstotvn Herkimer s. .Amsterdam Little Falls • Norwich • Omcom+3 \ Bennington \ I • N. Adams I and Hooper discovers that WGY delivers a regular listening audience in all 22 cities of the Seventeenth State. WGY's average evening audience is larger than the audiences of the next two stations combined. WGY's daytime audience is 18% larger than the next best station's daytime audience. WGY's share of audience is above 20c { in 15 of the 22 cities. Station "B's" share of audience is 20% or over in only 4. This tremendous power and coverage advantage is yours at a lower cost than any combination of stations in the area needed to reach the same markets. Call NBC Spot Sales, New York, N. Y., or the WGY Sales Department, Schenectady, N. Y., today! 50,000 WATTS 8 10 K . C A GENERAL ELECTRIC STATION THE ONLY STATION COVERING ALL 22 MARKETS OF THE I7TH STATE 12 MARCH 1951 65