Sponsor (May-Aug 1958)

>eaks out against triple spotting or viewer interest. But where print media may add pages to maintain editorial quality while increasing paid space, the time media are unable to increase by even 10 seconds a 24-hour day; nor can they stretch three hours of prime time. As a result, many stations find themselves stuffing as many spots into their telecasting hours as possible, in an attempt to capitalize on the entertainment value of their media. Triple -potting, the practice of jamming three -pot announcements into a station break, is the most recent and damaging manifestation of this problem. As purchasers of tv time for the proprietary drugs and toiletries (primarily Lysol, Hinds, Etiquet) in our Lehn & Fink Division, we are strongly opposed to this practice. This form of jammed advertising, rather than merely taking advantage of the existing entertainment or educational value of a station's television time, actually debases its value and the value of the advertising, as well. A station's daily programing is more than the appeal of its best shows. To keep viewers tuned, a station must develop a continuity, a unity, a personality, if you will, that must often compete with other channels and other means of entertainment. Triple spotting. like any over-saturation of commercial time, can only act as a vitiating force in the molding of a positive, appealing station personality. On an industry-wide basis, the negative results are multiplied to such an extent as to lower the value of television as an instrument of mass communication, and as a medium of advertising. But these long-range results are not the only argument against triple spotting. There are more direct effects. We think we are not alone in our feeling that the third spot in a series of three around a station break is not nearly so effective in its sales message as the first spot; but there is no rate adjustment to compensate for this difference. Actually, a third-place spot of this type during class "A" time may be playing to fewer viewers than a single-spot break during "B" hours. Beyond this, positioning of the third spot can do the advertised product more harm than good. Think of your own attitude toward the last in a series of three commercials; it stands to reason that the association of disgust with a third commercial and the product advertised can be harmful to its consumer acceptance. It is also quite certain that the "extra" commercial also reduces considerably the value of those that precede it. Recent abuses of the practice, such as running competitive spots back-toback, offer another argument against triple spotting. Briefly, then, this is a method that may bring immediate short-range benefits to its practitioners in the way of increased revenue, but, like many fast-dollar operations, could spell long-range harm to television and its advertisers. Therefore, we heartily endorse the recent ANA proposal for a change in the NAB code which would specifically eliminate this practice ^ eaks out against triple spotting national and local advertisers have in the effectiveness of this particular medium. The mass numerical advantages of television combined with its magnificent opportunities for commercial presentation has been, certainly, the prime reason many large national advertisers have placed the bulk of their advertising expenditure in this medium. Lately, however, the growing spectre of triple spotting has aroused protests in the agency business. This form of multiple spot announcement selling — opposed by most advertisers, their agencies, the networks and a sizable number of television stations — has raised questions as to its effect upon commercial impact. "Over-commercialization" is only one reason for advertising's concern <»ver triple spotting. Certainly, three different advertising messages between the end of one program and the beginning of another cause one to wonder i about the effect of each individual message upon a consumer. However, when we consider, also, the closing commer cial and billboard of the preceding program plus the opening billboard and commercial of the following program, there are six or seven advertising messages within a span of four or five minutes. It is this combination that should make any spot advertiser worry about the sales effectiveness of his particular message and be wary about investing a large amount of money in this manner. There is no doubt that a network advertiser who sponsors a highly rated program at an annual expense of several million dollars certainly loses commercial impact if his program adjacencies are triple spotted around the country. It is in the sphere of network programing adjacencies that the effect of triple spotting is most detrimental. A network advertiser contracts for a program for a specific time period. In the case of a half-hour nighttime program, this is approximately 29 minutes and 30 seconds. In dealing with a network an advertiser expects, and has reason to do so, that all affiliates are in com plete harmony with the terms of sale. A station that triple spots between network programing only weakens the effectiveness of the network commercials as well as the spots sold locally. Moreover, a station that triple spots in this manner appropriates some of the time bought and paid for by a network advertiser. The portion of the program generally cut off for the extra spot is usually the program credits and/or network promotions. The former is often times part of the program agreement and is required, contractually, by the various television unions. Program promotions are a part of the network service for any advertiser. Though the local stations say that they "can" plug shows in better ways, they obviously cannot do this with the same degree of certainty and control that the networks can provide. The fact remains that the advertisers as well as the network consider these network promotions to be an important contribution toward achievement of maximum return on their sizable investment. ^^ 14 june 1958