Sponsor (July-Dec 1952)

on over 400 stations; Boston Blackie's 19.1 rating in Kansas City made it the highest-rated show in the city on Sunday afternoons. Ziv offers 26 program series, ranging from the musical Guy Lombardo Show to western Cisco Kid to soap operas Dearest Mother and Forbidden Diary to sleuth stanzas Philo Vance and Boston Blackie. Soap operas head the Goodman popularity list, namely, Linda s First Love and Mary Foster, Editor's Daughter, (sponsored by Kroger Compan) I. Burl Ives Sings and Hymns of the World come next, then the mystery show Let George Do It, previously a top-rated show on the Don Lee Network which Goodman "took off the line" and sold in other sections of the country. Public service feature. Doctor's Orders, has also been selling well. RCA Recorded Program Services offers 24 syndicated programs, found that the most popular this year were Aunt Mary, The Haunting Hour, Weird Circle, Five Minute Mysteries, The Playhouse of Favorites, and A House in the Country. Widest sponsorship in the Michelson stable goes to mysteries, with The Sealed Book and The Avenger on tup. WTOP, Washington, D. C. uses a solid Michelson mystery block from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. Fridays, has topped all other Washington stations rating-wise. Michelson has added two new mysteries this year, In the Name of the Law, and Order in the Court; will soon release Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde series. Q. What do transcribed programs cost? A. Costs still vary, depending on station and size of market. But generally, an advertiser can buy a transcribed show for even less than last year in many markets, due to TV competition. RCA syndicated programs, which last year ranged from $4.00 to over $200.00 a program, can be bought this year for from $3.00 to $150.00 per show. Goodman shows also start at $3.00 in the smallest markets, run up to $250.00 in major centers — a reduction from last year's top rate of $400. What is the fall outlook for transcribed programs? A. V er\ ros\ . Zi\ l!< \ Goodman. Michelson all anticipate steadily rising sales, continuing the jiains of L952. Zi\ predicts their business will expand in direct ratio to the speed with which the network radio business de (lines. With their lavish production budget they plan to produce shows with even more top stars, and the best script material available. According to A. B. Sambrook, manager of RCA Recorded Program Sei vices Sales: "The fall outlook is a bright one, with every indication of increased sale> In stations and sponsors. The trend will be toward greater use of these shows by well-known regional and national sponsors." Goodman looks forward to a revival of sales in the major markets this fall as the networks have fewer top programs to feed their affiliates. Michelson says his upped business this past year was not due to any special promotion or selling effort on his part, but to the growing recognition by stations that they need transcribed shows to remain in a competitive position programing-wise. _~_rL._ 1950 DATA Within 0.5 MV/M Contour, DAY Within 0.1 MV/M Contour, DAY AUDIENCE, 1950 lAffKfl ALTOONA Population 149,800 239,400 lnr Vm penna In Communities On Farms 138,900 10,900 201,220 38,180 ^^ Households 44,300 68,500 In Communities 41,760 59,780 On Farms 2,540 8,720 Your message on WFBG reaches a potential listening Radio Homes 41,950 64,100 audience of over a quarter million people . . . people In Communities On Farms 39,630 2,320 56,090 8,010 eager to purchase your merchandise when presented RETAIL MARKET, 1949, $ over "The Station Most People Listen to Most" in Food Stores 36,600,000 49,180,000 Altoona. General Merchandise Stores 15,130,000 19,700,000 Apparel Stores 8,850,000 10,670,000 Home Furnishings Stores 8,870,000 11,120,000 OF THE PEOPLE Automotive Outlets 17,500,000 27,240,000 OQ Q* LISTEN TO WFBG Eft ft* OF THE TIME ImOuO (6:00 AM till 1:00 AM) UU.U Filling Stations Building Mtl. -Hardware 5,240,000 6,700,000 10,250,000 10,530,000 Eating-Drinking Places 8,320,000 12,810,000 Drug Stores 2,280,000 2,840,000 All Other Stores 10,180,000 14,870,000 Due to fine programming and outstanding public TOTAL RETAIL SALES 1 19,670,000 169,210,000 service, WFBG has dominated the rich Altoona mar FARM MARKET, 1949 ket for the past 26 years. Number of Farms Automotive Vehicles 2,250 4,150 7,710 14,340 Cost of Feed Purchased $ 1,630,000 6,520,000 JACK SNYDER, MANAGING DIRECTOR Value of Products $ 6,670,000 24,400,000 Sources: Census of 1950 iPopulatio n) 1949 (Business) 1945 lAgri culture*: BMB Radio Families', SRC )S Consumer Markets; coordina nil NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES "Con tion to 1949-1950 on basis of Fe deral estimates by WALTER P. BURN, Middlcbury, Vermont an Met. Altoona Area Survey, January 1951. All Stations participating. 14 JULY 1952 79