BLUE’S BLUE PLATE SPECIAL
The Blue Network was in the midst of transition in 1942.
NBC still owned the network anchored by WJZ/New York, although in response to FCC demands it was announced in October, 1941, that Blue would operate as “a separate and independent entity.“
Nevertheless, 45 stations were still offered by both NBC and Blue salesmen to prospective sponsors three months later. These 45 stations - mostly in smaller markets - are underscored in the Blue Network’s rates (below), published in the 1942 Broadcasting Yearbook.
And Blue did indeed introduce its “Blue Plate Special” to advertisers in 1942. The special discount of five to 20% was available to sponsors who purchased one to four complete supplemental groups, (defined as Blue Southern, Blue Southwestern, Blue Mountain and Blue Pacific Coast), in addition to Blue’s entire Basic Network of 33 stations.
Sales promotion signified the thinking of the “separate and independent” team of young NBC executives appointed in 1941 to operate Blue, headed by 40 year old Mark Woods and his second in command, Ed Kobak, 47, who became President of Mutual two years later
The name of the game for Woods, Kobak and Blue in 1942 - as detailed in Network Radio Ratings, 1932-1953 - was to put as much revenue on the books as possible to make the network attractive to prospective buyers. With most of Blue’s major prime time programs stripped away by NBC and CBS over the years, attracting advertisers called for a major effort which explains the network’s flexibility, its many sub-groups and discount plans.
Blue’s one-hour prime time rates are quoted below. Identical to NBC’s rate structure, (see NBC’s Chinese Menu), Blue priced its 30 minute prime time blocks at 40% less and 15 minute charges were 60% off the hourly rate. The rates were for station time and network line charges only - program production costs were additional.
THE BLUE NETWORK
Gross Rates: One Hour, 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM effective January 1, 1942
BLUE BASIC NETWORK - Available only as a group.
Akron/WAKR: $140; Albany-Schenectady-Troy/WTRY & Plattsburg/WMFF & Poughkeepsie/WKIP (Combined): $160; Baltimore/WCBM: $160; Boston/WBZ: $480; Bridgeport/WICC: $160; Buffalo/WEBR: $120; Chicago/WENR or WLS::$750; Cincinnati/WLW: $1,080*; Cleveland/WHK:$340; Davenport/WOC: $120; Des Moines/KSO: $180; Detroit/WXYZ: $400; Fort Wayne/WOWO: $220; Hartford/WNBC: $120; Indianapolis/WISH: $180; Kansas City/KCMO: $200; Lawrence/WREN: $240; Minneapolis-St. Paul/WTCN: $220; New York/WJZ: $1,200; Philadelphia: WFIL: $400; Pittsburgh/KQV: $240; Providence/WEAN: $200; Richmond/WRNL: $140; Rochester/WHAM: $400; St. Louis/KXOK & Columbia/KFRU (Combined): $340; Springfield/WBZA: $160; Syracuse/WSYR: $240; Washington/ WMAL: $200; Wheeling/WWVA: $240; Winchester/WINC: No charge.
Total for Basic Network of 33: $9,170.
* WSAI/Cincinnati is optional to WLW at $240. When WSAI is used, WING/Dayton and WIZE/Springfield are also available for an additional $140.
BLUE BASIC NETWORK SUPPLEMENTARIES - Available individually with the Basic Network
Allentown/WSAN: $120; Altoona/WFBG & Johnstown/WJAC (Combined): $140; Augusta/ WRDO (Available only when WLBZ is used): $60; Bangor/WLBZ: $120; Bluefield/WHIS: $80; Charleston/WGKV & Clarksburg/WBLK (Combined): $140; Charlottesville/WCHV: $40; Columbus/WCOL: $120; Dubuque/WKBB: $80; Duluth-Superior/WEBC: $140; Eau Claire/WEAU: $80; Erie/WLEU: $120; Evansville/WGBF & Terre Haute/WBOW (Combined): $160; Fort Wayne/WGL (Available only when WOWO is unavailable): $100; Grand Rapids/WOOD: $120; Harrisburg/WKBO (Available only when WORK/York is used): $100; Jamestown/WJTN & Olean/WHDL (Combined): $80; Louisville/WINN: $120; Madison/WIBA: $140; Mankato/KYSM & Rochester/KROC & St. Cloud/KFAM (Combined): $120; Manchester/WMUR::$100; Milwaukee/WEMP: $120; Omaha/KOWH: $160; Shenandoah/KMA: $140; Sioux City/KSCJ: $140; Sioux Falls/KSOO: $140; Sioux Falls/KELO (Available only when KSOO is off the air): $80; Springfield Mass/WCBS: $80; Springfield Mo/KGBX: $120, Wichita/KANS: $120; Toledo/WTOL: $120; Wilkes-Barre/WBRE: $120; York/WORK & Lancaster/WGAL (Combined): $120; Youngstown/WFMJ: $100; Zanesville/WHIZ: $60.
BLUE MICHIGAN NETWORK - Available only a a group with WXYZ/Detroit.
Battle Creek/WELL & Bay City/WBCM & Flint/WFDF & Jackson/WIBM & Lansing/WJIM (Combined).
Total for group of five: $240.
BLUE NORTHWESTERN SUPPLEMENTARY GROUP - Available individually for use with the Basic Network.
Bismarck/KFTR: $200; Fargo/WDAY: $160.
BLUE SOUTHERN GROUP - Individually available with the Basic Network
Atlanta/WAGA: $140; Baton Rouge/WJBO: $80; Birmingham/WSGN: $140; Hot Springs/KTHS: $120; Memphis/WMPS: $140; New Orleans/WDSU: $180.
Total for group of six: $800.
Also available individually with Southern Group: Anniston/WHMA: No charge. Greenwood/WGRM & Jackson/WSLI (Combined): $80.
BLUE SOUTHEASTERN GROUP - Available only as a group with the Basic Network.
Augusta/WGAC & Charlotte/WAYS & Columbia/WCOS & Gastonia/WGNC & Greenville/WMRC & Hickory/WHKY & High Point-Greensboro/WMFR & Johnson City/WJHL & Kinston/WFTC & Roanoke Rapids/WCBT & Rocky Mount/WEED & Spartanburg/WORD & Wilmington/WFMD (Combined).
Total for group of 13: $550.
BLUE MID-SOUTH SERVICE - If available, WSM must be used with the Southern Group..
Nashville/WSM: $400.
BLUE SOUTHERN SUPPLEMENTARIES - Available individually with the Southern Group.
Chattanooga/WAPO: $100; Knoxville/WROL: $100.
BLUE FLORIDA GROUP - Available only as a group with the Basic Network.
Daytona Beach/WMFJ: $60; Jacksonville/WJHP & Ocala/WTMC (Combined): $120; Miami/WKAT: $140; Orlando/WLOF: $60; Tampa-St Petersburg/WSUN: $140.
Total for group of six: $520.
BLUE SOUTHWESTERN GROUP - Available individually with the Basic Network.
Beaumont/KFDM: $120; Dallas-Fort Worth/KGKO: $240; Houston/KXYZ: $220; Oklahoma City/KTOK: $120; Tulsa/KOME: $120.
Total for group of five: $800.
BLUE SOUTHWESTERN GROUP SUPPLEMENTARIES - Available individually with the Southwestern Group.
Corpus Christi/KRIS: $100; Pittsburg/KOAM: $120; Weslaco/KRGV: $100.
BLUE OKLAHOMA NETWORK - Available only as a group, optional with the Southwestern Group.
Ada/KADA & Ardmore/KVSO & Enid/KCRC & Muskogee/KBIX & Shawnee/KGFF (Combined)
Total for group of five: $200.
BLUE CANADIAN SERVICE - Available for use with the Basic Network,
Montreal/CFCF: $240, Toronto/CBL: $300. .
BLUE BASIC NETWORK OVERSEAS SERVICE - Available for use with the Basic Network.
Havana/CMX: $200.
BLUE MOUNTAIN GROUP - Available only as a group for use with the Basic Network or Pacific Group.
Albuquerque/KOB: $160; Denver/KVOD & Cheyenne/KFRC & Pueblo/KGHF (Combined): $200; Ogden/KLO: $120; Salt Lake City/KUTA: $80.
Total for group of six: $560.
BLUE NORTH MOUNTAIN GROUP - Available only as a group for use with the Mountain or Pacific Coast Group.
Billings/KGHL: $120; Boise/KIDO: $120; Butte/KGIR & KRBM/Bozeman: $120. Helena/KPEA & Pocatello/KSEI & Twin Falls/KTFI; Free of charge with complete group.
Total for group of seven: $360.
BLUE ARIZONA GROUP - Available for use with the Mountain or Pacific Coast Group.
Phoenix/KTAR & Safford/KGLU & Tuscon/KVOA & Yuma/KYUM (Combined): $160.
Total for group of four: $160.
BLUE PACIFIC COAST GROUP - For use with the Mountain Group in conjunction with the Basic Network. When used separately, special program production in San Francisco or Hollywood studios is required.
Bakersfield/KERN & Reno/KOH & Sacramento/KFBK & Stockton/KWG (Combined): $240; Fresno-Visalia/KTKC: $120; Los Angeles/KECA: $300; Portland/KEX: $160; San Diego/KFSD: $140; San Francisco/ KGO: $280; Santa Barbara/KTMS: $80; Seattle/KJR: $200; Spokane/KGA: $120.
Total for group of twelve: $1,640.
Also available with the Pacific Coast Group: Wenatchee/KPQ: :$40.
BLUE PACIFIC GROUP SUPPLEMENTARIES - Available individually with the Pacific Group.
Medford/KMED: $80; El Paso/KTSM: $120.
BLUE PACIFIC COAST GROUP OVERSEAS SERVICE * - For use with the Pacific Coast Network.
Honolulu/KGU: $160; Manila/KZRH & Cebu/KZRC (CombinedI): $440.
* Note: The Blue 1942 rate card was obviously prepared before December 7, 1941.
(For comparison see CBS Rates - Go Figure, MBS=Mutual's Bargain Sales and NBC's Chinese Menu on this site.)
In addition to the “Blue Plate” discounts summarized above, Blue also extended the NBC discount plan - offering advertisers a scale of discounts ranging from two and a half percent to 12 ½ %, depending on the amount spent with the network per week for 13 or more consecutive weeks.
The two discount plans combined could amount to a maximum of 32½ % for any advertiser who spent over $18,000 a week in buying coast-to-coast coverage on the Basic Blue Network and its four major supplemental groups of affiliates in their entirety.
Were private, “off the card” deals struck with advertisers in addition to these published discounts? It’s possible that some “wiggle room” could have been found in Blue’s three owned and operated stations, WJZ, WENR/Chicago and KGO/San Francisco, but not much. Insofar as other discounts and rebates are concerned, we’ll probably never know.
What we do know, however, is that Woods and Kobak shepherded the network through its period of transition toward its sale to Ed Noble for eight million dollars in 1943 and each were rewarded with blocks of stock in the new American Broadcasting Company for their efforts in splitting Blue from Red keeping it out of the red.
Copyright © 2015 Jim Ramsburg, Estero FL Email: tojimramsburg@gmail.com
