Sponsor (July-Dec 1954)

Him where and when listening is done ' kii< hen, di ii i ami who listens (housewife, teend theii in "Mi. levels • a well ., how man) listen v% i 1 1 be available enabling advertisers t.. invesl theii dollar more wiselj than ever In-fore. Mutual "Multi-Message Plan," inaugurated lanuar) 1952, quickl) be• ame a favorite h itfa advertisers I .hhI -mall. This fall the network plans to offer a daytime counterpart morning ami aften n "multi-message sessions. In tin past season more leading advertisers used MBS than evei before in it history. Vnd a sizable number "I sponsors new t<> network radio were added a will. Greatei nighttime values are another radio "plus" advertisers will find diffi< ult to ignore. The MBS formula. which compares favorablj with the newl) reduced rat*- announced bj other networks recently, has l>een in . lit-, t foi Mutual" automatv formula foi reduction of nighttime rates tin onlj on. in network radio afford advertisers a continuous!) adjusted rati structure whenever tv enter a radio market. Increased merchandising -upport — on a local level i another plus at Mutual. \ new merchandising plan is soon to be put into effect. The trend to larger network hookups, lor more concentrated coverage, will continue. In 1950 tin average lineup totaled 207 stations. It rose to 318 in '51, 366 in ">2 a\\<\ 135 in '53. Closer) watched b) advertisers will In Mutual". polic) <>f retaining the accepted and highl) rated programing structure intact during the summer month a— in in a -olid and loyal audien< e foi the fall season. TV'S AUDIENCE LEAKAGE li\ Hnbrrl E. hintucr President, tBt sponsor's question, "\\ hat are tin r a d i i ' 1 \ trends advei ti-• i should look out t " i this fall.'" inti me. I nail the question through twice. M) -■■ "ml reading wa the proof the lll-t. I should like io answei tin question, a I first in terpreted it. And -o you ma\ know how I read it. I -hall rephrase the question: "'What radio-t\ trends should advertisers beware this fall.' I will eite only one ... in television where one can detect the subtle beginnings of what 1 call "tv's audience leakage." Ever) shopping day, 23,753 homes l-u\ a t\ -et for the fir-t time. \nd the circulation of evening television cun tinue to mount. Witness the 17.271. 000 home that now w at' h t\ per a\er minute in the prime 8:00-10:00 p.m. hours. Last \ear it was 13.770. 000 ho,,,.-. I,, 1952 it was 11.211.000 homes. Yen thi fabulous growth <~>\'< in two years) ha-. I fear, obscured a -mall < ontrarv trend which, if unheeded, would constitute a threat. I refer to television's audience leakage. That segment of tv's potential audience which leak away before itexpected \olume is delivered to the advertiser. We at ABC have been studxinhomes whose viewing i atypicall) light This is the group whose viewing hahits are said to be proving increasing!) "selective." This is a euphemism for what our research shows to be some evidence of a still small hut growing reaction against what has been called "the miser) of choice" between pro-rams of too similar and therefore monotonous quality. I refer to the beginning of a development more fundamental than the wearing out of t\ novelty . Program diversification and balance offering a greater variet) of choice will plug the leak. And this means a program fare in prime time — far broader than variet) reviews, comedians and drama show -. It means a refusal on the part of 1 oth the advertiser and the broad astei to worship at tin shrine of ratings. The total cumulative audience — not the per-telecasl audience— musl be the ti-t. It would be unthinkable for the Veu Yorh Times, for example, to i tit to tabloid size t" reach the circulation oi the Daily \'/<n. Yel this absurdit) would parallel the rat i n it t which has infected television with the \iru of imitation which results in sameness. I In i w h) \l!< I \ i delighted to th< ' oit e "i I irestone. I his is hi u ith it "W ii tele, asl . oni ept it doesn't attempt to follow the mi ..t an) other program it halt own vitality. Those who ha\e point.-. I ..ut thai the ' oice of Firestone fail to achieve the highest levels ol rating apparent!) fail to see that this program add far more to television's < in illation ha-e. i.e.. it net undupli( ated audience, than the typical higher rated program. However, a pro-ram which is new and different < an also be a serious contender for top 10 rating honor-. For example, Disneyland which premieres on UJC l\ October 27. Disneyland will rotate four new and different format area-. New concepts which innovate, not imitate. One 1954-1955 t\ trend to beware is "tv's audience leakage." The leak, now tiny, can be completely plugged by new programing which doe not imitate but whi'h through offering the public something either new or different adds varietv. richness, balance, and therefore audience recruiting power to television's pro-ran, -tru<ture. INTEREST CROWS IN NEWS By Ted Bergmana Managing Director. Du Mont Spon -or with whom Du Mont i -haping up its fall and winter -< hedule are showing major interest not alone in entertainment programs, hut in news, in gporti and in color, a well as in the production facilities being made available to them through our new Tele-Centre. We an negotiating at the moment witl national ad\erti-er on shows tha range from 30-minute dramatic entations and quizzes to a one-hoi variet) -how. We find several substantial network -pon-ors intere-ted in -Iron new programs and we full peel to have at least one such program on the air this fall with an outstanding national!) known commentator it ke\ personality . Ratings <>n professional football la fall di-' losed an enthusiastic Sunda afternoon sports audience. We lake advantage of (hat h\ airing -trolls h.-. lulc of weekend Saturda nigh I ami Sunda) afternoon footha -aim- from October through earh . ember. During the last few week virtualb all important sponsor and agenc) 61 c utives in Manhattan ha\e \i-ited ou 264 SPONSOI