Sponsor (Sept-Dec 1958)

*MUST BUY' POLICY {Cont'd from page 31) In polling the opinions of various advertising sponsors and agencymen, SPONSOR found some interesting problems raised by the CBS TV move. "What happens," asked one cHent ad manager, on alternate sponsorships? In most of these cases, the two sponsors have agreed on a "must buy" lineup. Their cross-plugs have become items of importance in their partnership. Now if one sponsor decides he doesn't want New Orleans and Milwaukee and the other wants them but not Seattle and Atlanta, what becomes of their amity — and their cross-plugs?" "Frankly, it puts a burden on us admen," says another executive, "since we can no longer justify a weak market in a station list on the grounds that it has to be taken along with the strong ones. There may now be certain regions where we've been having trouble but have been forced to take which we may now drop or if we feel the stations are at fault, may even go into with spot tv." Indeed stations may now be faced with the prospect of selling their netM'ork programs along with their local shows, and their reps may, too. Because in a way, dropping of "must buy" puts an onus on the individual stations to deliver a worthwhile audience. "I wouldn't be surprised to see CBS TV set up a Station Sales Unit similar to NBC TV's," said one adman. That some stations may be added now at the expense of others almost goes without saying. But that the change in policy may in actuality have little over-all effect is also likely. Advertisers on all the networks are presently carrying lineups well in excess either of "must buys" or dollar floors. One industry figure has put the average line-up for the three nets for an evening program at: ABC TV, 111 stations; CBS TV, 147 stations; NBC TV, 134 stations. This is pretty close by contrast with the first November report by A. C. Nielsen Co. for three top-rated Sunday night shows: Maverick (ABC TV) 124; Ed Sullivan (CBS TV) 171; Steve Allen (NBC TV) 157. So whatever happens in the wake of the "must buy" passing, stations probably still will be added, for their addition means more coverage — and more coverage means more sales. ^ D.J. SPOOF (Cont'd from page 29) "image" to tv. Doing the spots live, Cordic and Co. even found themselves hanging upside down from parallel bars in efforts to make it appear they were pouring the beer upward from the bottle. After another successful season of holiday sales for Olde Frothingslosh, a less strenuous tv approach was undertaken last year. Spots were filmed, making strong use of the inversion lens. To illustrate "lightness," beer cans were stacked from the top down on icebox shelves and the liquid was poured upward to get the "foam on the bottom." These filmed spots were integrated into Pittsburgh Brewing's regular tv coverage: largely news (11 p.m. newscasts in seven markets) and sports. This week new sets of radio and tv spots are in use for the Christmas of 1958. The yearly label change, moreover, is accompanied by a bottling change: a little brown jug-type bottle. It is still sold only by the case — with demand, as usual, exceeding supply. ( Please turn page) £aadA UtFAeorto MT^ Leads in syndicated shows with these top shows: Highway Patrol, Death Valley Days, Burns and Allen, People's Choice, Decoy, African Patrol, Robin Hood and Buccaneers. KMJ-TV • FRESNO, CALIFORNIA • The Katz Agency, National Representative SPONSOR • 13 DECEMBER 1958