Sponsor (July-Dec 1951)

the Government take over the job of broadcasting, as is done in England, arranging the programs, and paying for them by a license tax on every receiving set." PATTERSON: "The broadcasting industry's progress has been truly American, through inventive genius, competition, and. to a large degree, self control. "Chase's recommendation of the English system touches on a sore point of fiery debate argued many times through the years. Certainly, broadcasting's progress in the U. S. during the last 23 years has won for it an unquestionable place as an advertising medium. England still has no Bing Crosbys, Bob Hopes. Jack Benny s. or Arthur Godfreys. The progress of TV in England has been controlled to the embryonic stage by the British Government— so as not to outmode the millions of AM receivers now in use. "This is not progress. It is not the progress that permits the sale of a radio set for as little as $10 to bring millions of dollars worth of entertainment into an American home. It is not the progress that makes great truth of Da vid Sarnoff s wise words, 'The richest man cannot buy for himself — what the poorest man gets free by radio'." **"* MR. SPONSOR ASKS {Continued from page 39) ers or salesmen. For example, one advertiser who sponsors an elaborate half-hour musical variety program also has a 15-minute program consisting of news analysis by a local columnist. When the advertiser offered a special mailing on both programs, he was amazed to find out that the news man outpulled the more expensive halfhour musical program three to one. The success of the participating formula in Los Angeles for the man with a small budget has resulted in an extension of that formula to more expensive programs. Thus, sports shows like wrestling, base ball, and boxing have been sponsored by collective groups of non-competing sponsors, each of whom bears only a relatively small share of the cost but gets the benefit of the mass audience which these higher budgeted shows can win. This same principle has also been ap WPAT made the largest strides of any radio station in the entire New York — New Jersey metropolitan area from 1950 to 1951. Total audience increase: more than 25%* (Strongest gains during prime ever'ng TV time.) Proof of WPAT's dominant position and fulling power in. in h North Jersey** Proof of outstanding results for almost every type of advertiser in the N.Y.-N.J. mark,-! The "standing room only" sign is out. Based on these FACTS, WPAT announces a substantial rate i/nrease effective Sept. 10, 1951. See next Sponsor issue for one of the most remarkable radio success stories in the country — facts and figures, folks! 'N.Y.-N.J. Pulse Jan.-Feb.-Mar. 1950-1951 11 'Send for details WPAT ON. N . 5000 watts 930 kc plied to expensive feature films and hour-long variety shows. One of the most expensive programs in town has been sponsored for the past year by "The Big Four" automobile dealers, each selling the same make of car but located in a different part of Los Angeles County. "The Big Four" have won a loyal following and report substantial sales for each — whereas none of the four could have afforded to go it alone on such an expensive venture. In a market as competitive as this, where the "sold out" sign that prevails in single and two and three-station markets is nowhere in evidence, the program and sales staffs of the station have had to work closely together, and ingenuity and imagination are the order of the day. One classic example of creative selling in this town concerns a station which scheduled three full-length movies on Saturday night. A bright salesmen suggested that they top it off with a fourth feature film which he promptly sold to Murine. Oddly enough, in this market where the local advertiser plays so strong a part, department stores have not yet begun to take full advantage of TV. Other retailers, such as supermarkets, are on TV in the daytime and in the later evenings, and one principal chain sponsors two teen-age shows on Thursdays and Fridays geared to take advantage of the weekend shopping surge. A group of 1.300 independent druggists share the cost of an expensive half -hour talent show. But the department stores have not yet come into Los Angeles television on anything but a minor scale. The potential revenue available in this field presents a challenge which the local stations are not ignoring, and everyone of them is bending its efforts in this direction. It appears likely that by fall there will be a change in this picture, and that the key to it will be the emphasis on the merchandising tie-in of the program and the store. Recently when a downtown department store advertised the personal appearance of the cast from a local live youngster's show, the store was swamped with over 30,000 kids. Here is one retailer who doesn't have to be sold on TV, and with proper emphasis on the merchandising aspect of television, it is likely others will follow. Judging from the vast number of local advertisers already on TV, each of whom has a convincing success ston to tell, it appears that low-budget, 72 SPONSOR