Posted by Bud on December 19, 2009 at 23:13:38:
Commercials a big part of radio programming
By Richard Wagoner
Posted: 12/17/2009 11:23:47 PM PST
There was a time in radio when the programmer had the ultimate say over what went on the air.
The product was key, and that included not only the music and personalities, but the commercials. If an ad didn't fit well with the station it was either revised until it did, or it was rejected.
In some cases, there was even a formula to the way commercials were presented.
Commercial breaks would start with the slow or duller ads, with each successive ad picking up the tempo until it reached a high right before the music resumed.
And content was as important as flow. The old TV sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati" even had an episode about it when a funeral home wanted to advertise on the fictitious top-40 station.
The legendary WCFL/Chicago -- known as "The Voice of Labor" due to its ownership by the Chicago Federation of Labor -- has some great examples of these ideals on two of the airchecks found at www.reelradio.com.
One is with Big Ron O'Brien and the other is with Johnny Driscoll, both from 1975. At every commercial break, the ads build in intensity until they get back to the music. The idea is to keep listeners tuned in through the entire break.
These days, it isn't happening. And sometimes I wonder who even allows certain ads on the air.
Sit 'n Sleep ("You're killing me Larry!"), is legendary for ads that drive listeners to other stations. But perhaps the best example of a commercial that should never have been approved comes from a Japanese semi-luxury carmaker that actually tells people to "go ahead, change the station."
That's right. Change the station. Follow the directions and you never go back.