Sponsor (July-Dec 1954)

networks' efforts to find a program formula which n<>t onlj will compete with t\ bul with the independent sta1 1 « • 1 1 — . I In increasing emphasis on music and news in network programing, the network people realize, might be Fata] i" the networks it it turns cut id be a < arbon < -• »| » \ of programing l>\ the independent outlets. Spot carriers Q. What's the outlook for spot carriers? A. More ol them. \\ bile spol carriers have not been an outstanding success in all cases the reason is the advertiser's resistance t" network radio rather than a dislike of the spot can iii idea itself. Q. What does the advertiser like about spot carriers? A. 1 he) are a (heap way of reaching a lot of different homes. By buying announcements in a group of different shows .ii on different days of the week in the same strip the advertiser is able to scatter his shots. He is likely to reach more different homes with three scattered spot carrier announcements than with three commercials in the same show. Counter-balancing this unduplicated homes advantage is the fact that each home reached through spot carrier huvs is likely to be reached fewer times than the homes reached through one complete program. In addition. the sponsor buying a complete show toi himself gets better sponsor identification and is better able to merchandise the -how and its personalitv. Q. What's new in spot carriers? A. Mutual is polling it< affiliates to gel an O.K.. on its new half-hour spot carrier strip on weekday mornings and a similar strip in the afternoon. I his will be added to the existing Multi-Message Plan in the evening .ind on late Sundaj afternoon. The MBS affiliate committee alread) has approved the new plan. I lie mOl r i i ti l: -t i i|> w ill be StOt \ Time with Madeleine Carroll. She will narrate the stories and ad in them. I .K ll BtO] J H ill be a week long. The time slot will be 10:30-1 1 :00 p.m. The pi ice baa nol been de< ided upon yet but in line with previous Mutual spot carriers there will he four announcements per hour. The afternoon strip won't lie -ct up until the morning strip i -old. In its announcement disclosing the cut in nighttime costs CMS and its affiliates deplored "the widespread activities of some network in accentuating the sale of other than the CU8lomarv lime and program unit-. In line with this, < IBS will -ell its new 15-minute nighttime strips and some of it longer -how in 15-minute segment-. One exception i> the Amos ii' Indy 25-minute strip which will be sold in six-minute segments. This means that the sponsor can buy as little as one program in a 15minute strip. Of course, nobody buying network radio will normallv Inn 15 minutes of programing and no more. It not onrj ineffective, it's expensive because the time discounts will be nil or practically nil. The point is that the CBS strips will be flexible buys, one of the important characteristics of the spot carriers. It is not outside the realm of possibility that if the 15-minute segments do not sell well, CBS will break them down into TV-j-minute segments. This means in effect, selling single commercials. The 71 -j-minute segment, which means four commercials within a halfhour show, seems to be "rowing in popularity. NBC's long participation shows provide for eight announcements an hour. MutuaPs original Multi-Message Plan provided for three commercials per half hour but this was later switched to four. CBS' Power Plan, which has been discarded, sold three commercials per half hour. The use of four per half hour means, of course, a cheaper price. \HC has added only one spot carrier to its present roster. However, it has the O.K. from its affiliates to program 12 additional hours of spot carriers. These will not be put on until the existing ones are sold out or nearK sold out. \l!( new spot carrier is The Great Gildersleeve, which will become part of the Three Plan, following another Three Plan strip, Fibber XtcGee and Molly, at 10:15 p.m. The remaining Three Plan weekdav strips are Second Chance, on at 11:45 to noon, and // /'(/is to be Married, on from 5 : T5 to 6:00 p.m. There are four other NBC participa tion -how-, some of which involve some time -witrhes for the fall. Roadshow, now on from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. Saturday ma) be moved over to the I I :00 a.m. to 1 :00 p.m. slot on the same day. Weekend will be shortened a half hour and i scheduled to run from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday instead of 4:00 to 0:00 p.m. The Big Previeu . now on from 7 :30 to 0:30 p.m. Saturday will be shifted over to the Fridav 8:30-10:00 p.m. slot leading into the Gillette fi<_d)t-. previously on A I'd Badio. Part of its time on Saturdav will be filled in with a scheduled onehour Boston Symphony concert. Sunday with Garroway remains in the 8:00-10:00 p.m. Sunday period. Q. What do participations and segments cost? A. They're generallv cheap. Thi u so despite the fact that the sponsor generallv has to buy the complete network or whatever stations carry the show. The flexible station lineups which a sponsor can get with his own show are not available to buyers of spot carriers usually. The Three Plan has had a minimumbuy requirement of three participations a week for four weeks. While this iteehnicallv still in effect it will not Inrequired in all cases. For example, an advertiser who buys a big chunk of the Three Plan for. say. a two-week saturation campaign will not be turned down because it is less than a four-week buy. The two nighttime Three Plan strips sell for $3,200 per participation or $8,750 for three. The two daytime participation strips cost S2.250 per for Second Chance and $2,025 for // Pays to be Married. The first-mentioned daytime strip costs more because it a on during morning time. The other four participation shows are priced as follows: Roadshoic. Weekend and The Big Previeu sell announcements for $2,250 while on Sunday with Garroway the pri' < $2,000. The Three Plan has its own discount structure apart from the general network discount structure. These run up to !!' i for 156 or more participations within a 52-week period. Participation huvs on the other NBC spol carrier can be combined with the Three Plan buys for discount purpos On CBS the new nighttime strips are priced as follows; Amos V And) Music Hall will be $2,943 pei sixminute segment. This includes time 258 SPONSOR