Variety (Apr 1939)

88 VARIETr Bureau of HOssmg Business (This department is devoted to discussions of types of adver- tising that, for one reason or another, usually offer resistance to radio. Often, as in heavy goodsj the product does not lend itself to consumer advertising; again, as in insurance or utilities, over- lapping political or industrial factors operate against radio. In any event, the object of this series is to stimulate thought and. exchange of ideas. Persons within the trade are invited to express themselves, either on specific subjects brought up, or on related aspects overlooked or not covered.) NO. 4-l)TILniS RADIO Quoth Shakespeare Wednesday, April 19, 1939 Santa Rosa, Cal., April 18. . New business Ifsted by KSKO here includes the following item: Sponsor's name: Roma Maca- ronl Factory, San Francisco. Title of prosram: Time for Tea. Advertised product: Coffee. Although about half ot the gas and electric public utilities are now using radio, a check shows that a com- bination of budget trouble, press re- lations, skepticism and lack of sta- tion availability keeps the rest from usiiig the medium. Both industries now conduct, na- tional advertising campaigns in pub- lications, efforts confined to load building. The use of radio is not included, although "The Mystery Chef program sponsored by the gas industry and discontinued last fall reached national proportioim. There have been recent attempts to revive the llystery Chef progran- as a part oJ the national advertising effort of the American Gas'A^ociatlon. That the utility indtistfy, particu- larly the electric end, which has borne the most political attack, could well use a national radio program devoted to improving public rela- tions ° few deny.' The paradoxical aspect is that if there was really as titter knit a power trust as poli- ticians frequently allege, with auto- cratic central authority, there would be greater likelihood of such a pro- gram being sold.' As things stand today, it is ex- tremely difficult to reconcile the vast differences of opinion that exist among the various electric coin- panies as to how to sell most effect- . lv«ly< the American public on the honesty, service, and principles of the Industry. In a few locations the use of radio by public utility com' panics seems impossible. .These are the cases where a company is oper- ating in a location where there is a large station blanketing an area far greater than the one the public utHl^' serves. The public utility feels that the expense is impossibly high and there enters the factor that it would be broadcasting facts, opin- Ions and policies over the territory of neighboring companies to whom I'ley might not be agreeable. The greatest prebleni affecting the sale of radio time to public utilify companies is the advertising budget situation. Over a long.period of yearq utility earnings have been com'pressed by lowerhig rates and increasing costs of oppirations, in- cluding taxes. Frequently the rate slushes have been ^o great that even the increased use of .the product has not restored earnings. Expenses have been pruned wherever possible, and o( course ad- vertising budgets have suJSered. Apparently when the question of radio advertising has been brought up utility companies have not cared to endanger their newspaper. rela' tior.s, especially at points of radiO' newspaper antagonism, by dipping into file newspaper budget Radio dollars have had to be extra dollars, In a number of. instances when due to the pressure of the recession com- panies have had to discontinue pro- grams but say that they wiU resume activities with the first ray of finan- cial sunshine. The situation indi- cates that stations would do well to cultivate the utility industry assidu- ously even though immediate results might not justify the effort When and if advertising budget pressure does release, it will jieed alertness to see that the extra dol- lars are spent on the air rather than on other forms of advertising. There competition from direct mail, which many utilities value very highly .on the basis of results. Stations shooting at public Utility business 'are apparently' weak on selling the value of the medium. Most companies not now using radio say that'they feel the cost is too high. Part of this is linked in with the general budget problem, but more presentation of data and specific ar- guments is indicated. Pirlmarily the' management of the average public utility company is factual minJed. The efforts to sell syndicated pro- grams to the industry have not been any too successful. Most of the com- panies are of the opinion that the programs have been too costly, but an even inore. general criticism is that they have not been adapted to local needs. This is an extremely difficult situation to meet because of the great variance in policies and conditions of the companies, ihe average combination company, that is, the one selling both gas and elec- tricity, usually has difficulty in using a program designed to sell either gas or electricity which for a number of household uses are competitive. The indication is that the adver- tising managers are very reluctant to buy a program solely on the basis of a couple of discs. They want to know what the future ones are going to be like. Having least appeal of all seemingly are ideas- which are based on depicting electricity in a glamorous or a highly theatrical manner. Most of the companies using radio today are enthusiastic, some of them venturing the opinion that it is more profitable to them than newspaper space. First in popularity are spot announcements, followed by home economics programs. The average utility company usually has the- tal ent within its own organization to originate ? ome service series. One company is buying time on a co- operative basis with appliance deal- ers. In a few spots following out the idea that the more they can localize themselves, become a part of the community and ci- (c activities, the easier will be the public relations path, gas and electric companies are sponsoring the airing, of high school athletic events, principally football and basketball. The whole range of sponsorship cc«rs aln . t every type of pro::»f.m from symphonies to religious serv- ices. ' Strangely enough, little man- agement opposition to radio is re- ported, bf course, the usual in- str: ces of sponsoritiii exist, but even these seem to be in the less malig- nant forms. Radio time salesmen can get.". les- son out of the fact that compara- tively few big expensive programs are used. Usually the first reasoning on the part of a' station is that since a public utility is about the biggest business locally, it .should have , the most ebborcte program. Duquesne Brewery, Pittsburgh, took over Tom Manning's 20-minute sportscasts over WTAM, Cleveland, beglnniqg last week. It's for 13 stanzas with option, at 11 p.m. six times weekly. Procter it .Gamble (Oxydol), through Blackett-Sample-Hummert, using-KGO, San Francisco, for its transcribed serial, 'Manhattan Mother,' five days weekly. Los Angeles Soap Co, (White King soap), through Raymond Morgan agency, Hollywood, has signed for 39 spot announcements on KSRO, Santa Rosa, Cal. Station Ideas IVKBC's Clients by Ibe Yard Cincinnati. 'It takes nearly a yard to list our clients,' asserts WKRC in a new mailing piece: To prove it, a yard stick is reproduced along the margin of :a tall sheet and each account itemized. With this WKRC gives statistics designed to carry out the blue chip' billing. the station has adopted.. It sums up this way: Seventy-five firms are sponsor- ing 258 quarter-hours of commer- cial broadcasts using 182 network commercial quarter^hour periods plus 76 local and national spot quarter-hours plus 33 one-minute talks, playlets, etc., plus 26 'Woman's Hour' announcements, plus 3 'Economy Kitchen' particir pations, plus ^48 station-break commercials—to advertise 107 fea- tured products. A SOLID HIT! General Mills, Socony-Vacuum, and Procter & Gamble supplement their daily Major League Baseball broadcasts by using WHN. Sales* seeking advertisers recognize that duplicate coverage oaWHN is like a home run with bases loaded. IA L 1010 tcwAJO mrr » co. nc. Folflcr Coffee. Co., through Ray- mond Morgan agency, Hollywood, placing five five-minute programs weekly on KSRO, Santa Rosa, Cal. ■Title, Today's Best Buys.' Mrs. R ose L ee Forrell, kitchen queen for WFBM, Indianapolis, sold solid. Sponsors limited to six in any haU-hour period, taking flv^minute national rate, and at present shp is working for Continental Baking, Maytag Washers, Hansen Labora- tories, Electric League, Swift and Calavo Growers Association, WOWs Trek Into Nebraska Omaha. Arrangements have been made by WOW to distribute samples of ad vertisers' products on the annual Chamber of Commerce Good Will trip early in May. Gpod Willers will visit 70 towns in Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado. Bill Wiseman, station's publicity head, will make the trip aiid wax in- terviews along the' way to be air- mailed' back to station for regular airings. Transcriptions will be spoa sored by Omaha National Bank. Tea Parly . Clicks Rochester, N. Y. Domestic Finance Co. renews Do mestic Tea Party Fridays 3:15-3:30 p.m. over WHAM for 13 weeks. Helen Oviatt Griffin is hostess to groups of society .women at tea ,in Sagamore green room- and Dick Toole of WHAM staff quizzes them on variety of subjects. Each group includes boost for its own organiza- tion and Homer Bliss of WHAM staff handles the commercials. Account placed through Metropolitan Adver- tising Co. Program is recorded and repeated Saturday mornings ' so participants can hear themselves over the air. Hosiery Baits Contestants Milwaukee. 'Melody Master Mind' is the title of a new commercial program origi- nated and sold by WTMJ to the local Miller's fashion, center. Listeners send in song titles and if the 'Melody Master Mind' can't play them, sender gets a box of silk hose. Grand prize, to be awarded at the end of present series, is 'an all-expense trip to the New York World's Fair. Listeners must go to downtown store to get entry blank on which to send song title. The World's Fair ivinner will be determined on a basis of letters sent On the theme, 'Why Pd Like to Go to the World's Fair in New York.' Map in the store win dow shows route to the World's Fair and number of days left in contest Bob Heiss of WTMJ conducts the quarter-hour programs. Grant San- dison, WTMJ salesman, arranged the series. Fisherman's Fornm Hartford 'Fisherman's Forum' is being ethered over WDRC on Thursdays for 15 minutes. Features interviews between Ray Barrett, announcer, and." Richard 'Dick'■ Pitney, local Isaac Walton disciple. Fishing ex- perts are being lined up for future interviews. Spot Campaigns (New, Rented or Pending) of 65 Des Moines, announcements words each ,three a week. Good LucJc Food Co. has placed through Hughes Wolff Co., 15 Home Forum Participations on KDKA, Pittsburgh, to be used up before May 24. Greeting Card Publishers, through Badger & Browning, Boston, placing announcements this week.. 5hertinn Williams Paint Co., of Oakland, spotting 48 announcements on KSRO, SanU Rosa, Cal. Placed direct. Reid Murdoch & Co., (foods) through Rogers & Smith, Chicago, with KFRC, San Francisco, for 1,564 100-word announcements, using 30 a week. Lloyd K. Hillman (autos), through Ted Dahl agency, Los Angeles, bank- rolling 'Swing Session' with tran- scribed music. Jack Murphy and Dave Scofleld one hour Sunday mornings on KFRC, San Francisco, for 52 weeks. Standard Beverages, Ltd. (soft drinks, mixers), through Emil Rein- hardt agency, Oakland, using KFRC, San Francisco, for five 100-word an- nouncements dail^ through July 9. Southland Life' Insurance Co., in- stead of calling its agents to Dallas for a meeting to hear A. Morgan Duke, president, purchased time on 'WFAA, Dallas, during which Duke addressed agents and policy holders of the company throughout the state. WMCA, New York, grabbed off the first announced sponsored pro gram emanating from the New York World's Fair. Station signed Dr. Scholl's Foot Comfort Shops, an ex- hibitor at the Fair for 15 mins. daily five days a week at 8:45 a.m. Pro- gram will carry news of the Fair. It's down for 13 weeks. Presba, Fellers and Presba Agency of Chicago set Yellow Cob Gasoline Co., Okla- homa City, signed year's contract for spot announcements preceding Amos •n' Andy broadcasts on KOMA, Ok- lahoma City, local CBS outlet Deal handled by B. M. Grotkop. Mttttins Hybrid Com Co., Corwith, Iowa, throiigh W. H. Millhaein Co Little Croto Milling Go. (Coco- Wheats), . Warsaw, Ind., througli Rogers & Smith, Chicago, beginning Sept 25 for 186 periods of 15 mins. each, three a week. 'Awful Fresh' MocForlonc, Scotch candy-maker, who capitalizes on un- grammatlcal advertisements and who has been a space-buyer in news- papers for a number of years,, is try- ing out radio again, with KSFO, San Francisco, getting a weekly man-ln- the-street program handled by' Torn Breneman, free-lance. Program is recorded during the daytime In front of the MacFarlane . factory- store on upper Market Street and broadcast via. discs in the evening. Botsford - Constantine - Gardener agency has the account WNAC, B<aton, and five Yankee Net stations have signed Socony 'Vacuum Oil company for a thrice- weekly series of 15-minute inter- views with prominent personalities. Program, 'Names in the News' will run 52 weeks, airing Mondays- Wednesdays-Fridays at 7:45 p.m. J. Stirling Getchell, N. Y. C. Fed from WNAC studio. WEAN. Providence; W T A G, Worcester; WFEA, Manchester, and WCSH, Portland, are carrying series; start- ing May 1st WSPR, Springfield, will be tied into the string. Infemotional Harvester Co., 'with markets, spot nows and Washington bulletins on KRNT, Des Moines. WTMJ, Milwaukee has recently set: 5(udebaker, 13 quarter-Iiour e.t. programs, through Roche, Williama & Cunnygham, Inc., Chicago. Railuav Express Agency. New York, advertising service, 30 spots, through Caples, New York. General Motors (Oldsmobile), 26 spots, through D. P. Brother & Co., Detroit Ford Milwaukee branch, advertis- ing cars, 78 spots, through N. W. Ayer, Chicago. Washington State Apples, Seattle, 26 spots, through J. Walter Thomp- son Co., San Francisco. United Drug Co., New York (Rex-^ all 1-Cent Sale); four programs (Rubinoff), through Street & Finney, New York. Aduerfising Btwiness Co., Fort Worth, placed series of 13 quarter- hour transcriptions, 'Treasure of the Lorelei,' on KGKO, Tort Worth, for the Ashburn Ice Cream Co. of Texas. Program is bi-weekly supplied by Walter Biddick of Los Angeles. Parkin Hatchery, Shawnee, Okla., has plac^ 'Abner Pinfeather with Sunflower Sam and his Crew* show (Continued on page S3) 570 KC NBC S E O ■ B L U L WSYR FOLLOW THE LEADER! Month after month—^year after year— WSYR has carried the bulk of the NATIONAL SPOT AGCOUNTS placed in Syracuse. THERE'S A REASON,- -tooT"why locisil advertisers choose WSYR by a wide margin. SYRACUSE NEW YORK