U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

17:1") to 7:.")i) a.m., ran two I minute [commercials lasi vcai to promote 11 ;i< lor ( hains. 1 1 sold ( >vei $ 1 ,000 (worth ol chains in one week is a ic suit ol the radio campaign, Stockyard & Broker — I he South Memphis Stockyards Co. and the Burnette-Carter Co., livestock brok cis, have sponsored a Mondaythrough-Friday, 15-minute program (12:30 to 12:45 p.m.) on WMC Memphis for uearly 15 years. The two firms alternate sponsorship each dav. |. H. KLiersky, general manager ol South Memphis Stockyards, made this comment on the program: "From time to time, we make periodic checks with the customers on the stockyards and by the salesmen who solicit business tor the stockyards — directly inquiring as to whether or not they listen to our radio programs. Our reports have always been extremely favorable and we are pleased with the results." Tractors — International Harvester Co. is now in its fifth year on KFRE Fresno, Calif. The company contracts for one year at a time and is presently sponsoring five minutes twice a week at 12:25 p.m. The station's farm department works closely with local dealers in promotion. KFRE reports that the dealers get much reaction from the show and that the local sales curve on the products advertised have been rising steadily. Tractors & Equipment — International Harvester Co. for the past seven years has sponsored on WCCO Minneapolis the Farm Service Review each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:30 to 6:45 a.m. A feature of the program is the "Bell Ringer" in which Jim Hill, associate farm director, who is featured on the show, rings a bell and salutes a farmer who has just purchased a new piece of I-H equipment; the individual dealer is also saluted. WCCO reports how this feature has been responsible for actually selling items in at least two cases. Paul Nelson, an I-H dealer in LeSeur, Minn., declares that a customer and he were having difficulty closing a deal on a new $4,000 tractor. Finally, the farmer asked, "II I do buy this tractor, will Jim Hill give me a 'Bell Ringer' on WCCO?" Mr. Nelson as SUred him thai fim I [ill would and the fanner repot tedly pur< based the tractoi on the spot. In anolhei < ase, says the station, a St. Peter, Minn., farmer who was saluted following his purchase of a new tractor, relumed lo his dealer and said, "I "tiess I'll have to buy a new lour row corn picker ($700 item) it I am going to live up to the build-up Jim Hill gave me this morning." Feed — I he Ralsion Purina Co. and 32 dealers in southern Minnesota have sponsored the Purina Farm Forum on K.DHL Faribault, Minn., lor eight years. The program, aired twice a day from 6:45 to 7 a.m. and 6:45 to 7 p.m., leatures farm interviews. The results are attested to by the Purina sales organization which states that Purina Chow s have shown the biggest grow th of any Iced in the area. Feed — Dannen Mills Inc. is a regular sponsor on KFEO Si. Joseph, Mo., presenting the Market Gossip program 1 to 1:15 p.m., Monday through Firday. The show contains market information, general farm news and musical entertainment by Slim and Mary, western entertainers. In addition, Dannen last fall sponsored the station's coverage of the State and National 1960 Mechanical Corn Picking Contests. In fact, the KFEQ studio and facilities wei e located at the Dannen exhibit during the national event. On October 19, the coverage consisted of four 5minute "beep" telephone reports direct from the contest site near Chillicothe, Mo., by Harold J. (Smitty) Schmitz, farm director. On October 20, the national contest was held at the farm site with contestants from about 10 states. KFEQ broadcast interviews with winners and people in attendance as well as programs covering the events in general. The overall cost of the coverage to Dannen was $500, including the line charges. It is interesting to note that Dannen Mills for the last three years has also used a participating one-minute announcement during the 154-game season broadcasts of the St. Louis Cardinals' baseball team on KFEQ. Because last year was Dannen's 25th anniversary, the first 10 seconds of each minute spot tan ied a hi iel tec ap ol i Ik ( aidirtal game played 25 years ago. Ic.ituiing the names ol th£ lamed Si Louis Gas House Gang. The commercial then lead into 1 1 it annivcrsaiv «opy and closed with a promotion Eoi a spec ilic Iced pi oduc t. Seed — Garsi & rhomas, Coon Rapids, Iowa, gi ower-distributor ol Pioneer hybrid seed corn, has been using the WOW Omaha Farm Sen ice Reporter lor 12 years on a 52week basis. Its first year it grew and sold 3,000 bushels. This year it sold over 600,000 bushels before Octobei 15. greater than last year's April I total. The company credits its yeararound advertising as a major factor. Roswell Garst last November had this to say to WOW: "You certainly have done a grand job helping us increase our sales ... in recent years. We had by October 15 taken orders for more Pioneer hybrid seed corn for planting in Nebraska than we delivered in the state last year. Because you are our main station in Nebraska — the one we have most consistently used — I think you simply are deserving of a good deal of the credit." Seed — I'lister seed corn started several years ago to use a few seasonal spots on WTMJ Milwaukee. It now has a 52-week schedule and sales in the station listening area have continued to climb. Animal Health — The American Cyanamid Co. is a sponsor of the RFD Review on KFKA Greeley, Colo., Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:25 to 6:30 a.m. The sponsorship is part ol American Cyanamid's "aureomycin network" (see story, p. 26). The station reports that all the local feed manufacturers have noted a significant increase in "both the inquiries about and the usage of feeds containing aureomycin." Tobacco Market — Winston-Salem Leaf Tobacco Market Committee for many years has sponsored a quarterhour segment of Piedmont Farm Program (12:15 to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday) on WS JS Winston-Salem beginning each June and running through mid-December. The program is beamed to farmers and tobacco growers. The show's aim is ill U. S. RADIO • January 1961 31