U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

In keeping with his active participation in industry affairs, Lewis Havens Avery has been elected president of the Station Representatives Association for the year 1961. Mr. Avery, president of Avery-Knodel Inc., brings to this post the experience and knowledge acquired over a span of 30 years in all phases of radio. An enthusiastic advocate of radio, Mr. Avery made a prediction about the medium's future over 10 years ago. With the pressure of tv increasing daily, Mr. Avery said ". . . there's no reason why 10 years from now am broadcasting won't have as big or bigger billings than it has today." Sales figures recently issued by the Federal Communications Commission and the SRA testify to the accuracy of that prediction. Mr. Avery succeeds H. Preston Peters, president of Peters, Griffin, Woodward Inc. Always interested in fostering the growth of the representative field, Mr. Avery was one of the organizers of the National Association of Radio Station Representatives, the predecessor of SRA. He served that group as its first treasurer, and later as its president. A native of Seneca Falls, N. Y., Mr. Avery started out with ambitions of becoming an electrical engineer. However, after three years at Mynderse Academy and Union College, Schenectady, he made the switch to business administration. He got his first taste of radio when he added announcing chores at WGY Schenectady to his regular position in the publicity department of General Electric. That was in 1926, and two years later he found himself conducting a five-day home economics program on WGY as part of his duties as assistant ad manager of the Mohawk Power Co. The pace of his progress quickened. In 1930 he joined BBDO, and was soon handling all local radio activities of clients from Albany to Detroit. After two years with the agency, Mr. Avery took his first position in the representative field. He was sales manager of the Chicago office of Free and Peters until 1942, when he went to work for the National Association of Broadcasters as director of the Division of Broadcast Advertising. In 1945, Mr. Avery started his own representative office, and one year later was joined by J. W. Knodel to form the firm of Avery-Knodel Inc. Today, the organization has seven offices throughout the country, and employs the services of almost 100 staff members. Taking little time out from his work for hobbies and sports, Mr. Avery lives in Scarsdale, N. Y., with his wife, Helen Elizabeth. The Averys have a son and a daughter. • • • "The Heartbeat of the Corn Country" Covers 67 Counties* in 4 top farm states *NCS #2 — Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri Total population 961,500 live on farms or towns under 2,500 KM A nas programmed to meet the needs of this WHOPPING majority for over a third of a century KMA fi"s this BIC CAP between metropolitan markets as no other medium can Total Consumer Spendable Income _ $1,350,273,000 Cross Farm Income $1,237,800,000 Retail Sales $1,122,062,000 (Income and sales source — SRDS est. July '58-'59> 35 years of reliable farm service radio KMA Two full-time farm service men. KMA— Two full-time veteran newsmen. KMA Seasoned air personalities. Ten have an average of 21 years in radio. KMA Proved audience appeal with a balance of farm service, news, weather, markets, sports, homemaking, good music, and ABC network. KMA— Full-time merchandising promotion. KMA— 35 years under same ownership. KMA Publishes KMA Guide Magazine ($1 per yr.l, 11,000 paid. KMA Auditorium seats 800, popular meeting spot for farm, civic, political organizations. KMA Twin Bonanza, full-time pilot, to speed news, service, business. All adds up to SELLING KNOW-HOW! Represented by Edward Petry & Company U. S. RADIO • January 1961 13