Sponsor (Jan-June 1953)

sta.o II ill equalizing clcii/ ami nighttime radio rates attract more local ami national adrcriiscrs to nighttime ratlin* Kalkhof THE PICKED PANEL ANSWERS I've lieen Airmen's advertising manager for some 35 years, so I ask your indulgence if I sound a little old-fashioned. But even in the old days, long before the sliderule boys came out from the back rooms and marched into advertising's front offices, I found out that the cost of an advertising medium could not be judged except in relation to potential result. 1 think that's the longest sentence I ever wrote, and it all boils down to two words: circulation cost. Now we all know it's certainly well enough publicized -that television has cut into radio's circulation. But radio has always been unique in one respect. It is the onlv advertising medium that has consistent!) shortchanged itself on circulation figures. Patheticall) little has been done to really measure multi-set homes, automobile radios, and the inevitable portable sets. The hue dimension of this ignored circulation might well be a more important factor in radio sponsorship than rate adjustment. Even on the basis ol toda) s cost and circulation reports, the right kind of a radio program and the right radio time is still a fine buy . To maintain il competitive position as an advertising medium, I lliink it is most important thai radio establish its true circulation. \ller that, a thorough sludx of the rale structure bv the industi \ would be in ordei . Once those two things are accom Mr. Capelle plished, we'd probably all be paraph lasing the Holly woodian slogan to: "Radio is better than ever!" In the meantime, one expedient is as good as another, but leaves much to be desired. E. F. Kalkhof Advertising ManagerAmerican Oil Co., Baltimore M \ a n s vv er is "Yes ... in 1953 . . . among network a d v e r t i s ers." But let's be sure we agree on one point first. Daytime radio rates already are as high as they should go. I assume, therefore, that there would be no increase in daytime rales before this "equalizing" process took place. With this understood. I believe many network sponsors would find it advantageous and preferable to use evening radio hours at the equalized rates. It certainly should encourage present users of nighttime radio to continue, if they are faltering slightly. Perhaps we who live apart from the biggesl cities I where every roof has an antenna I hold radio in higher esteem than do some of the boys who remain close to the i\oi\ lowers. If so. it isn't because our eyes are closed. We recognize lulls the inroads made bv TV in the metropolitan centers, but we recognize the needs of the open spaces, too. Certainl) radio remains i great national advertising medium. And. getting hack to the question, radio stations in scores of cities still attract bigger audiences l>\ night than they do by day. At "equalized" rates. the) offer excellent values. Oliver B. Capelle Advertising Manager Miles Laboratories, Jnc, Elkhart, Ind. I predict it will. The glut to scarcity trend of early morning radio over the past few years has set new patterns and formulas in spot i*^0 time buying. The results obtained .. i have been excel Mr. James lent and economical. While national spot advertisers have discovered early morning time and escaped conflict with television hours, local advertisers have been "discovering" nighttime radio with spots, participations and programs. Equalizign the rates is going to encourage that transition of local advertisers into nightime hours, because the local advertiser has to get results with sales . . . and he will! And when he gets those solid week-after-week results, the national advertiser will be back in nighttime radio again . . . not just the few biggest advertisers, but the main. Equalizing the rates will encourage that transition of the successful local advertisers from davtime to nighttime radio. It will satisfv a few frustrations, too, born in the '30's and "40's when the local advertiser could n t afford to buv nighttime radio. There have been a few frustrations developing of late in earl) morning radio, when a local advertiser found national spots occupying bis old place on the "Musical Clock." Then, there are ad 50 SPONSOR