From the MCRFB radio scrapbook: 1943
WJR Wins Clear Channel Special Award Citation
WJR TALKS ABOUT RADIO
WJR Awarded Citation for Intelligent Promotion of Radio As Entertainment Medium
(Billboard 6th Annual Radio Publicity Exhibit; New York, July 3, 1943)
NEW YORK (July 10) — In many ways the most important award in the clear channel class went to WJR, CBS-affiliated 50,000-watter in Detroit. This station’s publicity philosophy is unique: “Don’t talk about yourself. Do something that causes others to talk favorably about you.” They don’t go for stunts. they don’t rap on other stations, they don’t ignore competition. All of which is so sane, fresh and shrewd as to rate ramming down the throats of the trade.
WJR operates in a community where newspaper antipathy towards radio resulted in every local daily yanking its radio column. Taking the long-range attitude, WJR built a backfire by buying space in two dailies, The Free Press and The Times, and publishing radio columns. And, as to prove that this sane approach was no accident, to column was devoted to all radio, to rival stations as well as WJR, including WWJ, a station affiliated with The Detroit News. In addition, WJR supplied about 400 rural and small town sheets with a “Radio Jake” column. Here again the space was devoted to all stations even though WJR prepared the material, supplied mats and proofs arranged for publication.
“Army Caravan” Build-Up
Another unostentatious promotion to WJR’s credit was its Army Caravan. This stemmed from the realization that Michigan farmers had planted less acreage than usual. Thru its Farm Bureau announcer, Duncan Moore, the station, in cooperation with the U. S. Army, organized and routed an army caravan that toured the hinterlands, paying tributes to farmers and urging increased bean and beet acreage. The army sent tanks, artillery, jeeps, munitions carriers, field kitchens, etc. The station bought space in The Free Press to say “The Army Salutes You” — mind you, not WJR. The Department of Agriculture assured the station this project averted a serious food shortage.
Gestures With Strings
Again, when in September of last year, WJR announced a $5,000 scholarship for the student best qualified to enter radio, the Detroit Board of Education handled all details, from selecting the co-operating committee to publicizing and promoting the competition. Again, it was no flash bally, but a sincere effort to promote radio.
And for the benefit of the cynic who is bound to comment that WJR can well afford to take this subtle publicity slant it should be noted that what this situation did was done by no other, even though any station could do as much in relation to its ability.
Thus for making publicity incidental to, not the motivating factor of, a worthy public service, the Awards Committee gave WJR a special citation for intelligent promotion of radio as an entertainment medium. END
(Information and news source: Billboard; July 10, 1943).
