A
Art Sutton
Guest
Yesterday I spoke to Mike McDougald, former owner of WRGC/WQTU, who told me that WCHK(AM) in Canton, is celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year. I understand a special luncheon is planned, perhaps this Saturday, and a couple hundred people may be there.
Mike was the first GM at WCHK which I understand was put on the air by the McClure family of Columbus.
Years ago when I was about to start my first solo ownership of a station, Mike used a story to emphasize the importance of having strong advertising rates. Back in the 1950s when a small town station started, everyone assumed you would lose money the first year. It typically took that long for a station to make it.
Mike assembled his staff and was preparing for sign on when he realized he needed to get some rate cards printed. So, he took the rate card of then very popular WRFC in Athens down to the local printer in Canton and told the guy "I want my rate card to look like this one but instead of WRFC, put WCHK, and instead of their rates, use these."
Mike goes by to get his rate cards from the printer, just days prior to the sign on and you guessed it, the printer had put WRFC ad rates on the WCHK card. Mike told me it was too late to get more cards printed so he and his sales staff hit the streets of Canton and Cherokee County selling WCHK advertising for the same rates WRFC was getting in Athens GA...and they bought!
No one had ever told the advertisers in Canton GA that ads on a local daytime AM should be a certain rate so they paid the much higher rates and WCHK was a financial success from day one.
It's a shame that other broadcasters didn't learn this valuable lesson or have the courage to sell with those rates. There are many small market stations selling ads today for the same price they were 30 years ago. Their facilities and over the air product are indicative of this fact.
Mike was the first GM at WCHK which I understand was put on the air by the McClure family of Columbus.
Years ago when I was about to start my first solo ownership of a station, Mike used a story to emphasize the importance of having strong advertising rates. Back in the 1950s when a small town station started, everyone assumed you would lose money the first year. It typically took that long for a station to make it.
Mike assembled his staff and was preparing for sign on when he realized he needed to get some rate cards printed. So, he took the rate card of then very popular WRFC in Athens down to the local printer in Canton and told the guy "I want my rate card to look like this one but instead of WRFC, put WCHK, and instead of their rates, use these."
Mike goes by to get his rate cards from the printer, just days prior to the sign on and you guessed it, the printer had put WRFC ad rates on the WCHK card. Mike told me it was too late to get more cards printed so he and his sales staff hit the streets of Canton and Cherokee County selling WCHK advertising for the same rates WRFC was getting in Athens GA...and they bought!
No one had ever told the advertisers in Canton GA that ads on a local daytime AM should be a certain rate so they paid the much higher rates and WCHK was a financial success from day one.
It's a shame that other broadcasters didn't learn this valuable lesson or have the courage to sell with those rates. There are many small market stations selling ads today for the same price they were 30 years ago. Their facilities and over the air product are indicative of this fact.
