Television digest with AM-FM reports (Jan-Dec 1951)

5 CAMPAIGN to bolster radio as “greatest mass medium” and “biggest advertising value” is in full sAvay in wake of July 1 radio network reductions and drops in network radio billings (see PIB figures, Vol. 7:29). Letter from CBS president Frank Stanton to affiliates assures them CBS still considers radio “America’s No. 1 mass medium.” CBS, which broke radio rate dike (Vol. 7:15 et seq), was “able to stave off a rate reduction as long as it was humanly possible,” said Stanton. “Without the exceptional network value that CBS radio held out to advertisers, the great pressure for rate adjustments would have come much sooner.” But, Stanton added: “No policy of support for radio can stand up today without recognizing TV. We have found, despite radio’s absolute values, that it is nonetheless extremely difficult to sell on a declining trend. And so what we ax’e doing now is to project radio values forward to January 1952 ... in effect, building a floor under network radio — an impressive level of values that advertisers can count on next year, as a bare minimum.” Stanton told affiliates that radio’s net audience loss to TV in 1951 “cannot exceed 8.5%, and it may well be less.” New CBS promotional piece. Where Advertising Makes the Difference, shows 18 of 25 top advisers select network radio above all other media. July 23 Broadcasting Magazine survey found “radio business is better than it was a year ago in both TV and non-TV markets,” with vast majority of radio stations reporting increases in local and national spot. Big July “Fall Facts Issue” of Sponsor Magazine devotes most space to radio, advises “network radio offers the astute advertiser a better buy than ever before.” On top of this, says Sponsor, “network radio will this fall offer the advertiser bonus values relative to TV,” because TV set sales are in “serious slump” while “sale of radio sets keeps increasing phenomenally.” Radio, Sponsor concludes, is “still the Goliath towering over other media,” July issue contains 14 pages of charts to back contention. As to TV, Sponsor sees daytime as best bet, spot easier to clear this fall than network. Magazine predicts average 15 % network TV rate boost by October, with good time availabilities “impossible” to clear this fall. NARTB president Harold Fellows in July 18 Variety article challenges AM broadcasters to “go to work, face the facts squarely ... to be confident, to be visionary, to be intelligent and to be industrious in utilizing the force and in bringing about an ever increasing realization of [AM’s] ‘necessities’ and the vital part it plays in the American scene, all the way from quickly locating a lost child to building businesses through advertising.” Network Acconnis: Frigidaire starts new series, as yet untitled but dealing with youth opportunity, on CBS-TV Sept. 2, Sun. 6-6:30 . . . Sterling Drug Inc. starts sponsorship of 10:30-11 portion of Songs for Sale Sept. 15 on CBS-TV, Sat. 10-11; Carter Products Inc. (Arrid) has 1010:15 segment which leaves only 10:15-10:30 available . . . Toni Co. (White Rain shampoo), starting Sept. 27, will share alt. week sponsorship of Casey, Crime Photographer on CBS-TV, Thu. 10:30-11, with Carter Products Inc. (drug products) . . . Burkhart Mfg. Co. (shoes), starting Aug. 11, sponsors noted ballerina in Patrica Bowman Show on CBS-TV, Sat. 6:45-7, thru Winius-Brandon Co., St. Louis . . . Schick Inc. (electric shaver), starting Sept. 4, will sponsor Gangbusters on CBS-TV, Tue. 9-9 :30, with exKefauver committee investigator Rudolph Halley as narrator; agency is Kudner . . . Gerber Products Co. (baby foods) will sponsor Wed. 4:45-5 portion of Kate Smith Shotv on NBC-TV, Mon.-Fri. 4-5 starting Sept. 12. Sialion Accounis: Successful use of TV trailers and spots to boost movie attendance is being emulated by road show of Guys & Dolls, smash Broadway hit, opening this week in Los Angeles after playing San Francisco last week, and due to play Dallas Oct. 6-22; musical comedy is using spots on TV stations in areas played . . . Necchi Sewing Machine Sales Co. (Robert M. Phillips, adv. director) plans cooperative dealer-distributor use of TV, radio & newspapers this autumn, thru Doyle Dane Bernbach Inc., N. Y. . . . National Shoe Stores (women’s shoe store chain) resuming use of TV in expanded fall-winter campaign, thru Emil Mogul Co., N. Y. . . . American Snuff Co. to sponsor Old American Barn Dance for 13 weeks from Sept. 1 on 7 Southeastern TV stations, thru Simon & Gwynn, Memphis . . . Southern California Pharmaceutical Assn., comprising 1300 independent druggists, sponsoring Bob Shannon’s Varieties, half hour, on KTTV, Los Angeles, thru Crossley & Jeffries . . . Union Oil Co. Aug. 1 starts sponsoring Watch and Win, quiz show, on KPIX, San Francisco, and KTSL, Los Angeles, thru Foote, Cone & Belding, L. A. . . . National Pressure Cooker Co. (Presto household utensils) appoints George R. Nelson Inc., Schenectady, to handle TV campaign starting with participations in CBS-TV’s Homemaker’s Exchange (21 stations) . . . Among other advertisers reported using or preparing to use TV: Tuwill Chemical Co. (Knoba car shampoo), thru A. W. Evans Co., Los Angeles; Stewart Hartshorn Co. (Diana Fyrban shade cloth) and M. J. Holloway Co. (confectioner), thru Calkins & Holden, Carlock, McClinton & Smith, N. Y.; Bol Mfg. Co. (Hopalong Cassidy Aid drink), thru Goodkind, Joyce & Morgan, Chicago; Erno Laszlo Co. (cosmetics), thru Dowd, Redfield & Johnstone Inc., N. Y.; Jetron Inc. (Dust Free silicone polish & 88 car wax), thru Robert W. Maerckein Adv., Milwaukee; O’Donnell-Usen Fisheries Corp. (Taste O’Sea fish), thru Arnold & Co. Life Magazine points up stature of TV-radio in fullpage ads in metropolitan newspapers this week, ranking national advertising media in this order on basis of January-June 1951 total investments by advertisers: (1) Life, $43,089,969. (2) CBS-Radio, $39,285,216. (3) Saturday Evening Post, $34,121,636. (4) NBC-Radio, $30,000,036. (5) NBC-TV, $26,739,532. (6) ABC-Radio, $17,344,512. (7) CBS-TV, $17,069,328. (8) Time, $14,229,834. (9) Ladies’ Home Journal, $11,484,173. (10) Better Homes & Gardens, $11,413,731. (11) This Week, $10,911,380. (12) Look, $9,743,833. (13) Collier’s, $9,197,871. (14) MBS Radio, $8,859,908. (15) ABC-TV, $8,228,700. (16) Good Housekeeping, $7,904,187 (17) American Weekly, $7,182,895. (18) Woman’s Home Companion, $6,318,319. (19) Newsweek, $5,971,709. (20) McCall’s, $5,476,607. Top CBS executives named this week, heading TV and radio divisions (Vol. 7:28), include: Four vice presidents common to both divisions — H. Leslie Atlass, Central Div.; Harry S. Ackerman, Hollywood programs; Herbert V. Akerberg, station relations; Wm. B. Lodge, general engineering. Five vice presidents in TV Div. — Hubbell Robinson, network programs; Frank B. Falknor, operations; David V. Sutton, sales; Merle S. Jones, CBS-owned stations; I. S. Becker, business affairs. Five TV Div. dept, heads — Oscar Katz, research; Wm. S. Harrison, senior attorney; Wm. Golden, creative director, advertising & sales promotion; John Cowden, operations director, advertising & sales promotion; Michael J. Foster, press. In Radio Div., administrative vice presidents are Louis Hausman, James M. Seward, J. Kelly Smith. John J. Karol is v.p., network sales; Arthur Hull Hayes, v.p., San Francisco. Lester Gottlieb is director, network programs, and Edmund Chester, director, news & public affairs.