Sponsor (July-Dec 1951)

form of expanded rotating sponsorship plans. Out of this welter of seemingl) isolated developments will tome that heralded network of the future. Sponsors who value the sales power of their network radio shows can help ease the birth pangs by not jumping to hasty conclusions about the so-called weakness of network radio in a TV era. Rather, network executives urge that thev regard the radio medium separate from the television medium as designed to do its own job. That's what all the evolution is about — to help network radio stand on its own feet in the days to come. * * * SPORTS SPONSORSHIP {Continued from page 381 talk to and in which sport. TV, for example, has brought a new boom to gate receipts of wrestling matches. Thus far this year, according to the Wall Street Journal, about 12,000.000 spectators in the U. S. have paid $15,000.000 to see professional grunt-andgroaners from the ringside. That's a 9' ( rise in attendance, an 11'/ gain in gate receipts over a year ago. Compared with 1946, the zoom in attendance amounts to 164'/, the gate receipts gain to 180'/. Wrestling promoters agree TV drew in the new fans. In hockey, however, TV seems responsible for causing the big-league sport to skate on thin financial ice. Hockey attendance in American cities, according to the Wall Street Journal. is down an average of 15'/ to 20'/ from what it was in the 1947-48 season. Last year, slightly over 2.000.000 fans spun the turnstiles to the tune of $4,000,000, compared to 3.000.000 attending arenas the season before. In Canada, on the other hand, which has no TV, hockey arenas are flourishing. Indeed, scalpers can still pick up 100' < profit on re-sale of tickets. Maurice Podoloff of the American Hockey League says flatly : "TV keeps the fans in their homes." But Gen. RIGHT the first time! TV film spots by TELEFILM Inc. Hollywood (28) Calif, since 1938 John Reed Kilpatrick, president of Madison Square Garden, appends: "TV itself is good for hocke). in that it brings the sport into contact with potential fans. Yet it's still too early to say whether new fans actually are attending games, as result of first seeing them on TV." Now concluding is an experiment designed to gauge TV's effect on amateur football game attendance. This is the test by the 300 colleges comprising the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Last summer, NCAA announced that Westinghouse Electric Corp. would exclusively televise its games over NBC in 52 areas. Gimmick was to "black out" each area on three non-consecutive Saturdays. Thus, Chicago University's National Opinion Research Center could survey the effects of home-viewing on stadium attendance. Despite a storm of protests from school-tie fans, bellyaching about the TV "blackouts," NCAA has grimb gone ahead. Results of the study will be ready by January, and NCAA's 300 colleges will check closely before formulating their 1952 TV policies. The only one really happy with the plan is Westinghouse's Pittsburgh Consumer General Manager Jack McKibben who told SPONSOR: "We can definitely attribute big boosts in sales to the football games we've made available to the viewing public. Dealers report consumers say they want the refrigerator Betty Furness demonstrated on TV last Saturday." • • • 510 MADISON (Continued from page 10) in selling their various products over the air." I noticed in their 1951 List of Mail Order Radio Stations that they list \\ IP as one of these stations. Following are excerpts from a letter I sent this organization: ". . . WIP has never accepted a Pi or percentage-of-sales deal of any kind. Any mail order business that we have taken has been at regular card rate. Please correct the list immediatelj omitting WIP since we take no percentage deals for mail order or for any other type of business." I further stated, "If your list is as inaccurate for other stations as it is for WIP, it is worthless." I think you will be doing a service to all concerned if you publish this letter so that other stations, agencies, and sponsors may be warned. Benedict Gimbel, Jr., Pres. WIP, Philadelphia RED FEATHER I hank \ ou so much for using the Red Feather photo and our "roundup of sponsors in your Roundup department in the 5 November issue. The United Red Feather campaigns could never begin to pay for the wonderful support they receive from the radio and TV industry but recognition in SPONSOR means a great deal and is truly appreciated. Mary K. Dabney United Red Feather Campaigns, N. Y. +++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Mister MacPLUS, in kilts of plaid, Can pipe one ballad clear: "Let ithers take the high road, lad, Ye'll profit r-r-richer here!" For canny THRIFT, it's MBS! Here, by the MacPLUS Plan, A client can get more for less; Canny? You bet he can! -the difference is MUTUAL! I+ + + + + + FOR DETAILS THE MUTUAL BROADCASTING SYSTEM • NEW YORK 18. N. Y. + + + + + + + 3 DECEMBER 1951 83