U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

BP A memo BPA Promotion Budget Survey Shows Increases The new Broadcasters' Promotion Association president, John F. Hurlbut ol WFBM Indianapolis, has released the results of a promotion budget survey conducted recently. The survey shows that broadcast stations will be spending record amounts on promotion in 1961. The over 350 member stations reported budget increases in 63 percent ol the stations, with an average increase of 18. 3 percent. According to Mr. Hurlbut, both radio and television stations are following similar patterns. It was noted that radio's average budget increase was slightly higher than that of tv; however, the percentage spread between the two media is only 1.3 points. Ol the stations reporting, (>2 percent stated their budget increases will be used in the areas of audience promotion and image building. Increased sales promotion accounts for 18 percent of the budget increases, and additional trade paper advertising for 15 percent. Of the stations surveyed 31 percent will maintain their 1960 promotion budget levels, but 81 percent of these stations had increased their budgets during that year. On January 7, the BPA board of directors met with President Hurlbut in Indianapolis to outline the coming year's program. Items on the board's agenda included the publi( at ion of an "idea book" to be edited by Bruce Wallace of WTMJ Milwaukee. "The book,' says Mr. Hurlbut, "will incorporate highlights of the promotion and merchandising ideas garnered from monthly bulletins published by BPA since its organization. Distribution by May will be confined to new and present members, associate members, affiliate members and those colleges and universities with whom BPA is cooperating in classroom promotion and public relations training." The board also determined to intensify its membership campaign to effect an increase of associate memberships among agencies, representatives and clients. Heading the voting and affiliate membership committee is Jim Bowermaster of the WMT stations, Cedar Rapids, la., while Ken Chernin of the Triangle Stations, Philadelphia, is head of the committee recruiting associate memberships. Other board action included approval of the current operating budget of over 813,000, which will be reviewed at the June 10 board meeting at the Waldorf BPA BOARD holds first meeting of 1961. Seated (I. to r.): Kenneth Chernin, Triangle Stations, Philadelphia; John F. Hurlbut, WFBM Indianapolis (president); Gene Godt, KYW-TV Cleveland; Harvey Clarke, CFPL London, Ont. (second vice-president); Don Curran, KTVI St. Louis (first vice-president). Standing: Caley Augustine, WIIC Pittsburgh; L. Walton Smith, WROC-TV Rochester; Jim Bowermaster, WMT Cedar Rapids, la.; Heber Darton, WHBF Rock Island, III.; Clark Grant, WOOD Grand Rapids, Mich, and Bud Sullivan, KYW-TV (secretary-treasurer). Board recently met with President Hurlbut in Indianapolis. Astoria hotel in New York City authorization of study on manpowe requirements in the promotion fields expansion of BPA's cooperation witl colleges and universities teaching promotion; continued cooperatioj with the national Junior Achieve ment and the creation of a liaisoil with the National Association o Broadcasters, the Radio Advertising Bureau and other broadcast associa tions. Dan Bellus and Jim Mullen, oil Transcontinent Television Corporal tion and WCBS New York, respec lively, reported to the board on arl rangements for the 1960 BPA con vention to be held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York on Nov. (i, / and 8 with registration scheduled for Nov. 5. Appointments to the BPA bulletin were made recently by President Hurlbut. They are, Paul Woodland of WGAL Lancaster, Pa., editor-in chief; Arthur Garland of WGY and WRGB Schenectady, N. Y., merchan dising editor, and H. Taylor Vaden of WJZ-TV Baltimore, who will handle the sales promotion news. Free Tickets to Broadway Show Spark Promotion The opportunity to see a Broad way show as a guest of WNEW New York led to the biggest audience promotion in the station's history In the three weeks that the promo tion was run the station reports it received 188,822 cards, the largest mail response to date. (The previous record, according to the station, was 154,087 entries for a 1959 contest that featured transistor radios as the prizes.) The show for which contestants were vying was the current musical success, "Do Re Mi." Months before it opened the station purchased 200 orchestra seats worth SI, 800 for the December 30 performance. During the promotion WNEW7 ran two announcements an hour utilizing station personalities and Broadway stars, William Bendix, Ethel Merman, Elizabeth Seal and Phil Silvers, the star of "Do Re Mi." 54 U. S. RADIO • February 1961