U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1960)

KFAL RADIO FULTON, MISSOURI Prime radio service to four principal cities of Central Missouri. • COLUMBIA • JEFFERSON CITY • MEXICO • FULTON A tip to Timebuyers — . . . There is a big prosperous Market a-way out in Missouri. New Industries coming In to KFAL-Land, bigger payrolls. More money burning hot little hands . . . More -folding green in thousands of well-worn wallets. More telephones, More radios, More new homes, increasing populations in Central Missouri towns, More new cars, More of all the things that big manufacturers hope to sell . . . sell . . . SELL! That's what KFAL has — SELL! . . . with a day by day program that's "hot" for Missourians . . . keeps 164 local and national clients hot on the trail of millions of "spending dollars" — Get the story now from JEPCO offices, or from KFAL-RADIO Sales Dep't., Palace Hotel Building, Fulton, Missouri. Tel: Midway 2-3341 KFAL RADIO 900 kc 1000 w report from RAB TO MEET HEAD ON A NEED THAT EXISTS IN THE RADIO FIELD TODAY ... * U.S. RADIO for the buyers and sellers of radio advertising An indispensable tool for sharpening the advertiser's agency's and broadcaster's approach to the buying and selling of RADIO ADVERTISING. ISSUED MONTHLY • ONE YEAR $3.00 • TWO YEARS $5.00 WRITE CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT U.S. RADIO 50 WEST 57th STREET NEW YORK 19, NEW YORK What Lies Ahead For the New Year? For tlic lailio iiultisliy, what next in I960? R.\H charts here a series ol trends tliat have been evolving gradually out ol the past decade of tremendous change and are now likely to emerge sohdiy in I%0. Radio set sales in 1960, an accurate testimonial to the popularity of the medium, will run around 17 milion sets. In 1959 purchases of porttables, transistors and miniatures hit K) million— a new radio set for evcrv third U. S. household. Radio sets are expensive, shoidd get costlier in 1%0. Ol 6.S small transistors tested by a nationally known independent (onsumer research fniu, none were cheaper than 529.95. Many cost $75. Prices of transistor clock radios began at $68. It is apparent that pe()j)le will contiiuie tf) pay fairly substaiuial sums lor the entertainment and (ompanionship radio provides. This vast number of radio sets (I 16.2 million sets was RAB's mid1959 estimate) available to .Americans in 1960 means more listening posts and more listening time. If one notable trend continues, radio is likely to dominate summertime, for example, even more completely in 1960. This past summer radio surpassed tv for eight consecutive weeks in terms of adults reached during a 21-hour day. In 1958, radio accomplished this impressive feat only a single summer week. Just as listening will increase, business for the radio industry should continue to register impressive gains. RAB estimates radio's gain in 1959 — even in a first quarter hit hard by late recession hangover — to be about seven percent. One reason for the increase in I960: More scientific radio scheduling by advertisers. RAB's new research concept, "On Target," exploits the fact that purchasers of a specific product apparently have a definite radio listening pattern. For example, a study commissioned by R.\B shows that in a market where dozens of stations circle the dial, a single station reaches half of all caiuicd milk buyers during its weekday morn,ing schedule. II the concept continues to prove out in repeated tests, 1960 will see advertisers buying radio schedules letting them reach known buyers of specific conmiodities. 1960 will see a continuing policy of more aggressive sales tactics by industry salesmen. Armed with more facts, salesmen will call confidently on inore varied accounts, and channel more new blood to the medium. In the forefront of this new attack will be RAB's national sales force. Emjjloying a highly successful tactic — "Specific Sell" — RAB salesmen will make tailored proposals to advertisers all over the U. S. Called "an entirely new concept in media selling and sharply at odds with most trade association selling," R.VB's sales technicpie not only tells an advertiser why he should use radio; it tells him how nuich he should invest for a trial in the medium, and a definite lumiber of announcements he needs in each market to make the maximum sales impact. 'County Fair' RAB executives started the New Year with a metropolitan version of a "County Fair." Key personnel of RAB's three main departments— national sales, member service, and promcition and research— met at the Hotel Delmonico early this month, and exhibited projects, designed to stimulate radio business in '60. This showing of "wares" was the lone similarity to county fairs. As part of the event, members of RAB's national sales staff, under Robert Alter, manager of sales administration, offered examples of RAB's policy of "specific sell," which resulted in large radio buys by national and regional advertisers. Both of RAB's vice presidents, Miles David and Warren ]. Boorom, cited a number of promotion and member service projects. • • • 50 U. S. RADIO • January 1960