Evening star., 1930-03-30

Whatever the business index may say
or Pullman smoking car gossip have
to proclaim about the depression OF
the times, manufacturers and mer-
chants are spending an enormous
amount of money In radio advertising,
and, presumably, the general pubic Is
buying in suficient quantities TO JUSTLY
the expense. Otherwise, 1t scarcely
would be continued; certainly would
not continue to increase as 1t does. AT
the same time there has been no marked
falling of of newspaper and magazine
advertising space purchased, and even
the wayside billboards continue TO DEC
crate both urban and rural scenes WIN
their claims of superiority for some
product or other.
The sums paid for radio advertising
are huge, beyond the comprehension
Of the everyday man. Yet the trace
attracted from the everyday man Is
what keeps the radio going.
There are several large companies
which have regular features on the ar
Some Of them are weekly, some semi
or tri-weekly, and some daily, except
perhaps, Sunday or some one day.
There are two great broadcasting COM
panies, the National and the Columbia;
The national hook-ups are arranged
through these concerns. Both are COM
mercial and both charge advertisers
for the time they use. The amount
of that charge is the amazing feature.
One of these circuits alone imposes
a charge of Just under $4,000 an hour
for the use of its network for adver-
Using purposes. The charge for half
an hour is over $4,000 and for a mere
is minutes nearly $4,000. To employ
an example so generally cited that IL
is used by Government officials, 1t costs
the manufacturing company which
puts Amos n Andy on the air six
nights a week not far short OF $4,000
for each evening or in the nelghnornooo
Of $4,000 a week.
Additional Expenses Are Heavy.
Now this, It must be remembered, Is
the first cost. It Is comparable, In q
way, to the rent which theatrical
company must pay for theater in
which to stage a production. All other
expenses are in addition. II the program
includes an orchestra, the company
which Is doing the advertising, not the
broadcasting company, must pay the
salaries Of the musicians. In the case
of an s0-piece symphony orchestra with
o aigh-salaried conductor, this cost
runs into thousands per week. On
addition to orcheStras, what are called
guest artists" These are popular con-
cert singers, comedians, and whatnot
and they, too, must be paid handsomely.
It Is not uncommon for an advertiser
to nay 81 900 to q guest artist for play
ing or singing two or three melodies
during the course Of an hour or half
hour program. In cases where such
artists come to the studio from another
city, their expenses also must be paid.
On top Of all this, the radio an
nouncers for the principal advertising
features on the air are paid by the
advertiser whose goods they ballyhoo in
connection with introducing the artists.
The broadcasting companies have an
nouncers on their own pay rolls, but
these earn much, II not most, Of their
remuneration from special jobs Of an
nouncing ordered by advertisers. There
are some free-lance announcerS not con-
nected with any company. When they
are invited to announce the laying Of
q corner stone, or the annual picnic OF
the employees of the International
Gadget and Geegaw Co. at some distant
place, they will have all their travelling
expenses paid and q substantial fee in
addition.
Indeed, the whole financial weight Of
broadcasting advertising matter falls on
the advertiser and the fact that he is