Sponsor (Sept-Dec 1958)

It Happened In Memphis! Bert Ferguson A liig success stor\ began in Memphis, just ten years ago when WDIA. only SO.OOO' watt station in the area, began to program exclusively to Negroes. Now WDIA reaches— and sells— 1,237,686 Negroes! Almost 10% of the nation's entire Negro population! The Negro market — as reached by WDIA— is the biggest market of its kind in the eiilirc <(iuMti\. Negroes in WDIAV big listening-buying audience earned $(> 16.294,100 last year. Negroes make up 40% of the Memphis market. And they spent, on the average, 80% of this income on consumer goods. MARKET UNLIMITED! WDIA's national advertisers include: THE BORDEN COMPANY. COLGATE-PALMOLIVE COMPANY. NATIONAL BISCUIT COMPANY. BRISTOL-MYERS COMPANY. Gl LF OIL. Memphis N lo WDIA! 1. 1958 Nielsen dav— Saturday overwhelming point, than St egroes listen most 1 the March-April Illation Index, SunWDIA totaled an 52% more rating ilion B: Station T< la! Rating l>oinls \M)I\ .-.2K.2 Sla. It .i.W.I Sla. i. 281.1 Sta. D 278.8 Sta. E 1S7.1 Sla. F lOl.S Sla. <; 71.1 Drop us a line. Let us prove to >ou: If you want acceptance — and buying action — in the Memphis Negro Market. \(.u want WHIM WDIA is represented nationally by John E. Pearson Company ECMONT SONDERLING, President HAROLD WALKER, Vicr-Prr .slf/..nf, Sales m 1 0^ 4^tli and kViadison Kudos for Commentary On behalf of Atlantis Sales Corporation our creative group and our account group, thanks for the kind words you had for French's Instant Mashed Potato film commercials in your August 16th "Commercial Commentary." There is no need to describe the "lift" that is provided by such acknowledgment. Mr. McMillin is to be congratulated on his keen analysis of French's Instant Potato marketing problems and his relating of commercial elements to the problem. It was amazingly accurate and followed our copy platform almost to the letter. His judgment is further endorsed by the consumer reaction we have had since broad advertising — all television — began one year ago. In many quarters, the sales progress of French's Instant Potato has been called "the grocery success story of the year." Within that time our product has moved into that exclusive inner circle of products that sell at the rate of better than one case weekly in the average supermarket. W. D. Yeager, Jr. /. Walter Thompson New York Rate ruckus (Congratulations are in order for the excellent article in your August 16th issue focusing attention on the deplorable rate situation. Tracy Locke Company of Dallas also (!cscr\(s praise for their very construcli\c approach to the situation which is in (lin< t contrast to that of man\ olhers. WOnl it be wonderful for everybody ( oncerned — advertising agencies, representatives, and stations — when there is one rate applying to all? Keep up I be good work! Charles F. Dilcher Allanla John Blair & Company Ffom the author Ma) be you think I shouldn't have been, but I was a little amazed at the res|)onse I got from my "How to Improve Your Community Relations" ar ti< le in the July 26th issue of sponsor. Roughly 50 letters have so far come in asking for reprints, or telling me how the writer intends to use the suggestions, or asking where to get the recorded "Economic Briefs" which, maybe not so incidentally, were recorded by George V. Denny, Jr. of American Town Meeting fame. But even more gratifying than these, were many letters of greeting from old friends from all over the country, some of whom I had not been in touch with for years. SPONSOR, I can testify, really gets around. H. E. Ringgold New York tiy recorded "Eeon omics n Brief" me o so by e. ntactin g Ton EUsworth th St., Ron m 540 York City. SPONSOR Directory Kindly send me my copy of sponsor's 5-City Tv/Radio Directory— 1958-59 edition. Thank you very much for a great magazine — I enjoy sponsor every week. Michael J. Ludgate Pittsburgh, Pa. I would be much obliged if you could send me a copy of your latest radio & tv directory. Certainly in the past number of years we couldn't operate without it. Henry E. Karpus, vice president, tv/ radio E. W. Reynolds, Ltd. We would like to point out an omission from your recently issued "5-City Tv/Radio Directory." Under the heading of Detroit you have left out the Maxon Inc. listing. We feel sure this is an oversight because the agency's name is included in both the New York and Chicago listings. Assuming that you will be re-issuing this directory from time to time, we would appreciate correction in the next printing. P. C. Beatty media dir., Maxon Advtg. Detroit 6 skptkmrkr 1958