U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

3 LOCAL RADIO STATIONS IN 1 That's what you get when you buy time on BIG 5,000 -WATT WFHR WISCONSIN RAPIDS with full time studios in MARSHFIELD AND STEVENS POINT BIG Coverage at Lowest CostPer-Thousand ... 20 Years of Local Radio Service WFHR WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WISC. Phone HA-3-7200 Represented by Devney, Inc. DINING at New York's elegant MALMAISON is a delightful experience 76, M 4'h MALMAISON RESTAURANT 10 East 52nd St., New York LUNCHEON... COCKTAILS... DINNER At the piano: Jules Kuti, 5 to 11 P.M. PLaza 1-0845 • Closed Sundays WHAT JOE CULLIGAN THINKS OF RADIO TODAY tier siuli pressures ii is .i little difh(uli to produce overnight the ide alistic medium that those in power have come to expect." Because Culligan lias been away from a dire< t involvement with radio for the lasi Hi months, he has taken on an agency man's perspective ol the medium. Perhaps more than dining his ladio days, he is kccnh aware ol the necessity foi getting radio's story across to agency management. One of the first steps radio must lake, he says, "is to promote to national advertising agenc ies the idea ol hiring a high-ranking radio specialist." Radio stations can make an important stride themselves, simply by raising rates. "Rates are too low." accuses Culligan, "and this alone tends to understate and undersell the medium's impoi tance." It is unfortunate for broadcasting that |oe Culligan's responsibilities at Interpublic are not more directly involved with the sound medium. Bui he is always on the fringe ol broadcast activity. With his somewhat nebulous title of general corporate executive, he is apt to be in the midst ol any agency skull session on the management level. The advanced projects division ol [nterpublh is under Culligan's command. It inc ludes basic research and the corporate information department. Culligan is heavily involved in projects that will help the client's business grow, for "we grow only as our clients grow." Currently, he is busy investigating all forms of commercial and public service communications. "We are pioneering," Culligan explains, "in the area of non-verbal communications. This is an important area, because even the successful verbal approach can be restricted by a breakdown in non-verbal communications." Culligan also cited the TV Factor Analysis study prepared by MarPlan Inc., a division of Communications Affiliates Inc., itself a division of Interpublic. "This study scrutinized hundreds of television commercials to factor out the high and low interest Continued from preceding page elements. Ii is available to out < lients lot tlicii consideration in weighing certain elements of a campaign," he explains, adding that some of the data pertaining to sound ma) have applic at ion to radio. The complexity and multiplicity ol Interpublic affairs that pass through Culligan's hands would make the average advertising dynamo limp. But Culligan thrives on variety and delegates authority freely. One secret to the Culligan success in dealing with people is intimated by a long-time friend and former NBC associate: "Joe accepts his aides as knowing more about then specialties than he does. If he disagrees with them, he will always hear them out before making a contrary or compromising de< ision. He is never an unpleasant man. And I don'l think that Joe ever fired anyone without first helping them get another job. He listens to the problems of people who work for him, sifting details, airing ideas, trying to reach conclusions and determine new directions." Away from the office, Culligan puts as much enthusiasm into pastimes as he does into work. He is president of the Radio and Television Executives Society, a group he has enjoyed even more in the year and a half since he left NBC, because it gives him a chance to keep up old friendships and talk casualh about the broadcasting industry he is so fond of. But his association with RTES is more than a casual one. His willingness to serve in the top post is a key to the Culligan personality: he welcomes responsibility. He is a trustee of the American Child Guidance Foundation, which combats juvenile delinquency at the prevention level. And he is chairman of the annual fund-raising drive for the Boy Scouts of America. It is significant that of the three "groups" Culligan associates most with away from the office, two are concerned with the welfare of children. He gives his time freely to his own children, passing much of his weekends with them when he is not on the golf course at either Appawa 44 U. S. RADIO/August 1961