APRIL, 1931 t. AP" I In the shadow o the Capitol dome .cs:: ,s._.:iY,. A PERSONALITY STATION 143,000 Radios The Capitol's Only Local Station Western Electric Throughout Crystal Control 333 and 78 Turntables Low Rates Consistent Coverage AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANY ANNAPOLIS HOTEL, WASHINGTON, D. C. } To increase sales advertisers select 10,000 WATTS The Most Powerful Broadcasting Station In the Northwest * The real test of advertising is sales. There Amos n' Andy Seth Parker is a good reason why KSTP produces more Empire Builders dollar the advertiser; why old ad- Lucky Strike per for Atwater Kent vertisers continue and why an increasing Fleischmann Hour Camel Pleasure Hour number of national, regional and local Palmolive Hour Bobby Jones advertisers select KSTP as the best medium Westinghouse Salute Louis's Hungry Five through which to stimulate sales and intro- Chevrolet Chronicles duce new products in this rich market. The Cities Service Maxwell House Concert reason that KSTP produces more is be- Halsey -Stuart Phil Cook cause of more listeners-70% of the radio Interwoven Pair Chase & Sanborn audience in the Twin Cities and adjacent General Motors Northwest; this popularity resulting from Coca-Cola Weber and Fields greater power, superior quality and more Packard Program General Electric outstanding entertainment and service fea- and exclusive Consolidated Press Service tures such as (*Note partial list at left). St. Paul-Minneapolis NORTHWEST'S LEADING RADIO STATION April, 1931 1 SERVICE \ That we may keep abreast of the increasing growth of radio spot advertising, and also continue to render \ a complete personal service to advertisers and , agencies, we now have offices in the following cities: ; CHICAGO CLEVELAND DALLAS DENVER SALT LAKE CITY SAN FRANCISCO Careful preparation LOS ANGELES and supervision SEATTLE of that which goes PORTLAND through the VANCOUVER Microphone Our recommendations are planned without preju- including spot dice as a sensible, practical part of the well-balanced merchandising plan dovetailing with and support- announcements, ing other media. sponsored studio It has been, and will continue to be, our policy to programs serve only as many clients as we can with unremit- ting and scrupulous attention to detail. Not how and Electrical many-but how well! Transcriptions by Columbia We invite you to ask for further information A. T. SEARS & SON, INc. CoTumBia The Company where every executive and repre- W sentative is an experienced Advertising man 520 North Michigan Avenue, CHICAGO 2 Broadcast Advertising WHY IT WILL PAY You To CHOOSE COi.U1VIBIA ELECTRICAL TRANSCRIPTION PROGRAMS Electrical Transcription broadcasts give you Western Electric to develop and perfect the economy, complete control of coverage and cer- electr'cal system of recording. What's more, tainty of performance. And in Electrical Tran- Columbia is backed by more than forty years' scriptions, Columbia gives you the perfect spot experience ín the recording of entertainment. So disc programs to do your radio job-presentations there are no weak links in the production of that come from the hands of a staff highly trained Columbia Spot Disc Programs. in every phase of radio disc production. There are Columbia recording studios in New For it is the Columbia organization that has York and Chicago-Columbia representatives in brought Electrical Transcriptions up to their most of America's principal cities. Mail the present point of perfection. The Columbia coupon for further information - mail it today! Recording Laboratories were chosen in 1924 by Columbia Phonograph Co., Inc., New York City. Features of Columbia's Electrical Some Users of Columbia Electrical Transcription Service Transcription Programs Radio Plans Pequot Mills (Sheets) A. Riwrjois Co., Inc. (Cosmetics) Program Ideas Ivanhoe Foods, Inc. (Mayonnaise) Henry Glass & Co. ("Peter Pan" Fabrics) Continuities Grigsby-Grunow Co. (Majestic Radio) R. B. Davis Co. (Baking Powder) Talent Devoe & Raynolds Co., Inc. (Paints) Vick Chemical Co. (Vicky VapoRub) Production The Mennen Co. (Toilet Preparations) Radio & Television Inst. (Fduc. Courses) Recording Lehn & Fink Prod. Co. (Toilet Access.) National Refining Co. (En-Ar-Co Motor Oil) Pressing Ridgy, ays Inc., (Tea) ELECT C LUX I IATRANSdRIPTIoS COLUMBIA PHONOGRAPH CO., INC. Name Dept. B. T., 1819 Broadway, New York City Please send me full information on Colum- Address bia spot broadcast discs. City State April, 1931 3 1/ÁI /Á PRESTIGE YOUR RADIO PROGRAMS How they are built; their sources; the personalities who carry your message to the public-these things are of interest to you. They are brought out in human account, beautifully printed and elaborately illustrated-a forty -page booklet THE STORY OF WMAQ It is the inside story of program building by the creators of ?; ;11 lÍ I-1 l Amos 'n' Andy and other outstanding radio features, and !,,il, presents the development of one of America's leading broad- casting stations. r;,lI1 ' I'`, ,Hip- Available without charge to all advertising agencies. P' r II ',,, Additional copies will be furnished the general public at 25 --- cents each, plus postage. E_______J WRITE 5. WMAQ, Inc. The Chicago Daily News Broadcasting Station 400 WEST MADISON STREET CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 4 Broadcast Advertising 440 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, III. Subscription, $2.00 a year. Single copies, 20c. Issued monthly on the 15th. G. W. Stamm, Publisher and General Manager; R. B. Robertson, Editor; Ray S. Launder, Advertising Manager; É. J. Van, Circulation Manager. Eastern Representative: C. A. Larson, 254 W. 31st St., New York City. Entered as second class matter February 19, 1930, at the Post Office at Chicago, Illinois, under the Act of March 3, 1879. (Copyright, 19J1, by Broadcast Advertising) Volume 4 APRIL, 1931 Number 1 PROGRAMS AND AUDIENCES Shall We Build Them Ourselve THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY or Buy Them Ready -Made? 6224154 ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS Queries Russell Byron Williams R 1932 L RADIO programs still carry too "show." Going into radio with as radio advertisement. With a result many presidents' pictures. much fear and trembling as his that frequently is "not so good." That is to say, an uncomfort- predecessor did into space, the man Just one example of how the pres- able percentage of programs still who signs the checks insists upon ident's portrait gets into the pro- bear unmistakable evidence of tam- having a hand in the building of the gram : Early last Fall a certain na- pering by the executive personnel of tional advertiser wanted to use radio the sponsor's company. to stimulate sales and dealer co- Thirty-five or forty years ago operation. Theirs was a seasonal much space advertising was sold in the best buy-- product, so necessarily their time on newspapers and national magazines the air was limited to thirteen ijTHIS splendid menu of en - weeks. was lim- on the basis that the page ad would 1 tertainment, inspiration and Their pocketbook carry the president's portrait and a information," says an editorial on ited to thirteen half-hour shows. picture of the factory. Knowing broadcasting in the February issue Everything went along swimming- little or nothing about advertising, of Radio Retailing, "is spread be- ly until we came to building pro- and not trusting the advertising man fore the listener without cost. And grams. Then it was that a whole or space representative, the man of the total time these programs herd of sacred cows came lowing who signed the checks could be in- are on the air, not more than three o'er the lea. The advertising man- veigled into the position of check per cent is actually devoted to ad- ager was America's prize Victor vertising announcements. Surely signer only on promise that a por- Herbert fan. The vice-president no listener can object to two min- was a \Velshman and he just loved trait of his impressively powerful utes of advertising out of an hour's physiognomy and a "bird's eye" magnificent entertainment rendered the Welsh national anthem, "Men view of the mammoth factory (with by the world's greatest masters and of Harlich." The sales manager, it its stiffly posed \merican flag and leaders. Contrast this with the seemed, was once an all- kmerican self-conscious fountain) would oc- popular magazines, which are made football star, so nothing would do cupy the majority of the space to be up of 40 per cent reading matter if it didn't include a bunch of col- purchased. and 50 per cent advertising. lege songs, particularly his college Today, tinder slightly different As things stand, any family which song. The general manager was a circumstances but with the same un- buys a radio set and tunes it in night-club devotee, therefore we 1931 will get far more solid derlying principles, time on the air during must have a lot of jazz. knd the enjoyment for the outlay than can is president loved nothing so much as being sold to doubting Thomases be obtained from any other ex- by radio station representatises or a male quartette! penditure of the same money .. advertising men on the basis that A radio set still remains the best There you are-make a program the musical preference of the presi- buy that can be made with the out of that! Can you imagine a dent or the advertising manager will 1931 entertainment dollar." half hour made tip with "5th, Sweet find a prominent place in the Mystery of Life," "Men of Har- April, 1931 5 lich," "My Baby Don't Care for Gradually, however, it has been invest any considerable amount of Booze," and "Sweetheart of Sigma seeping into the consciousness of money in a new program, which Cough"? Well, we had to. It was radio advertisers that when a special they realize may or may not pull in- a matter of "public be damned- show is built-when a new feature quiries and orders, and which they let's have what we want." Only is inserted on the air-it takes any- are coming to know must be con- these good men (in their line) where from four to fourteen weeks tinued over some period of time if wouldn't admit this because each one to accumulate a sizeable audience radio is to give them its fullest meas- sincerely believed the "public" want- with any degree of loyalty.