U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1959)

c >o >o o c 0) he be, cto O D u c '(/) < >s > i/l z D (1) tA -C t— 1— report from RAB Stations Tighten D.J. Chatter, Music What's happening in the area of disc jockey programming? RAB this month came up witli some answers based on a nationwide survey of its member stations. The bureau's conclusion: More control is being exercised over the music antl disc jockey chatter j)orti()ns of station progranmiing. Kevin B. Sweeney, RAB president, ieporte<I the tacts during the cornse of the bureau's Regional Managenient Conferences, which were held during September and part of October in eight cities around liif country. Mr. Sweeney told station executives attending: "Not too long ago selection ol music was often made with little or no direction from management. But today nearly nine out of 10 stations have a music policy." He reported that 89.4 percent of RAB stations now operate with some kind of music control policy while 79.1 percent limit disc jockey talk. He also noted that stations in small and medium-sized markets were more likely to have a music policy than those in larger markets. Mr. Sweeney said that program personalities still dominate in the selection of individual records but that limitations covering the kind and variety of music are imposed by program directors or other supervisory personnel. Discussing controls on disc jockey talk, the RAB president reported that 35.6 percent of stations have a definite time or word limit on between-record chatter while another 43.5 percent of stations suggest their d.j.'s "keep talk down." And disc jockey controls, according to Mr. Sweeney, are on the increase. In a sinu'lar survey conducted I)y the bureau last year, oitly ()8.7 percent of stations reported some kind of personality bind. Also discussed during RMC were some 60 cost-cutting, efficiency-producing ideas for management contributed by leading companies outside the radio industry. The bureau had surveyed such firms as Rand-McNally, IBM, Pennsylvania Railroad, Prudential Insurance and other giants to seek tested v;ays of sharpening station administration. For example: PROBLEM: Literally thousands of man-hours lost in long, drawnout meetings among sales personnel; meetings which, nevertheless, are essential to the flow of ideas, solving of specific problems and the general operation of "big business." SOLUTION: A unique idea developed by one of the nation's leading insurance companies. Nothing but "stand up" meetings. All get-togethers conducted in chairless rooms to cut down on comfortable, "settle-back-and-talk" sessions. The firm reports cutting time almost two thirds. • • • RAB SALES TREND OF THE MONTH From material uncovered by RAB during national sales calls So-called "mass" advertisers in several product categories who figure prominently in tv and magazines are beginning to realize they're overspending to reach their target groups. Pet food firms, for example, spend millions in tv yet sell to barely 40 percent of U. S. homes. Two other tv hotshots — home permanents and women's hair dressings — have a market in only about four out of 10 U. S. homes. These advertisers have expressed interest in RAB's "on target" concept of buying time — a method of capitalizing on radio's selectivity values in order to direct messages only to the families who actually buy the product. 6 U. S. RADIO • October 1959