Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11
ALL SALES TALKS
ON RADIO PUNCHED
Germans Hear Advertising at
Specified Time Each Day..
Never at Night.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

Radio advertising is an integral lea
ture of the German broadcasting sys-
TEN, but German advertising methods
are considerably different from those
pursued in this country. Instead of
taking his advertising potions in small
doses at frequent intervals, the German
listener gets one big dose" at specified
hour each day. Then he can settle
down comfortably and listen without
q variety of programs, ranging from
classical music and high-brow lectures
to dance music and comedy dialogue.
That is one essential difference be-
tween American and German broadcast
ing according to DR.. Kurt Magnus, di-
rector of the German Broadcasting Co,
DR.. MagnuS is one of a delegation OF
German radio officials visiting in Wash
ington as guests of the German embassy
in the course of an American tour. The
tour is an extension of survey of radio
operations in various other countries
that has already been made by the Ger
man officials.
Heading the delegation is w, Stein
kopf member of the German Reichs-
tags committee on communication and
broadcasting. DR.. Magnus heads the
holding company for the nine subsidiary
hroadcasting units operating under pri-
vate concessions from the government.
Control of the central holding company,
however. is held by the German govern
nent. Frederick Blonch, director Of
oroadcasting for the central organiza-
ton, and Hans Bodenstedt. broadcast
director for North Germany, complete
the delegation.
Rate $40 for Three Minutes.
AS spokesman for his colleague, DR..
Magnus expressed the opinion that the
American method of sponsoring pro-
grams with the advertiser mentioned at
15-minute or even shorter intervals
throughout a presentation. would not
be acceptable to a German audience.
On the other hand the American style
of indirect Observation-Disclosures is, the
rule of the chains and major stations
might be an improvement upon the
German practice, DR.. Magnus said.
In Germany a sort of shopping news
hour or half hour is presented over
each station only once during the
morning or afternoon, and never in the
evening. Advertisers buy time at a
rate of about $40 for three minutes.
They present what they please in their
own way. and almost invariably quote
prices of the products they describe.
They employ their own announcers.
ofttimes women, and frequently give
their announcements background OF
music in order to sugar-coat the COM
mercial character of the program.
The rate of 5000 per half hour. with
q IS per cent increase on Saturdays and
so per cent increase on Sundays. Is
higher than most American stations
charge. However. the German adver-
tisers. who are mostly local merchants.
feel that they are getting their money s
worth. for the demand for time is great,
according to DR. Magnus.
Throughout the rest of the day and
all evening all radio programs are free
from advertising of any character. The
German listener supports the broadcast
ing structure by paying license fee on
his receiving set. This amounts to 2
marks monthly (about so cents). and Is
collected regularly by the postman.
There are 100000 listeners. so that the
from this source Of about s1,500,000
month
National HOOk-Ups Unknown.
National broadcasting hook-ups. like
those of the American chains. are I'M
known in Germany. The nine regional
subsidiaries of the central organization
each has central broadcasting station
of powers ranging from 1900 to $4,000
watts. Linked to each of these stations
are enough lower-powered stations to
give adequate coverage to the whole
region.
Germany has about 25 stations in all.
Every part of the country and a large
portion OF Continental Europe hear
German programs, while the German
listeners, especially near the borders.
regularly tune in programs from other
countries
The central organization also operates
. 25,000-watt transmitter. known as
Koenigwusterhausen, just outside Ber-
lin. Choice programs. with no adver-
Using periods whatever, are staged from
this station. which is heard all over
Germany and often beyond the borders.
While nearly all the German broadcast
ing stations operate in the same band
of frequencieS that American stations
DO, KoenigwuSterhauScn utilities a long
wave Of $50 meters. which is far out
side the normal broadcast band. Spe-
cta1 coils have to be installed in sets to
pick up its programs.
1t is from NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. that
relay broadcasting with one or both of
the United States chains will soon be
attempted Germany has regularly
been picking up and rebroadcasting
programs sent out via the short waves
from various American stations, notably
WGY and KDKA, but the absence of
ahort-wave transmitting apparatus at
the German stations has prevented SINH
lar relays to this country
DR.. Magnus reported that the short
wave apparatus is now being installed
at the central station, and that expert
ments looking to program exchanges
will be conducted some time this month.
Copyright, 1929. by North American News
paper AllianceD