1010 WINS History: Why is WINS Going All News?

QUESTION: Why is WINS going all news?
Mary Meahan, Kudner Agency

ANSWER: There were two primary reasons for our decision to go all news. In the first place we felt there was a real need in the New York market for an all-news radio station - a place on the dial where listeners could tune at any time of the day or night for the latest news at that very moment without having to wait for "straight up" or "straight down" or :55 or :25. We decided that WINS should fill that need. Secondly, we're convinced that the station filling this need will enjoy substantial audience acceptance (in both size and quality) with obvious rewards to the station and its advertisers.
Joel Chaseman, General Manager

QUESTION: How much of your news will be local? How much national and international?
Al Behrens, Pearson Advertising

ANSWER: In covering the news, WINS will operate on the philosophy that the world is our beat, the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut area our frame of reference. We will give a particular news story the treatment it requires in terms of its importance in the context of the total news picture, regardless of whether it is local, national or international.
Stan Brooks, News Director

QUESTION: Will you tape your newscasts and repeat them? Will you re-read the same copy at short intervals?
Phyllis Ross, W. B. Doner, Baltimore

ANSWER: Neither. Every newscast will be different and up-to-the-second. If a particular story is developing rapidly, the new developments will be presented direct from the scene where possible. We will cover every important story from many angles - the reactions of important officials and the man in the street; analyses by our staff commentators; beeper phone conversations with eye witnesses. The emphasis will be on complete, continuing coverage of all the important news, all the time.
Ken Reed, Director of Programs & Operations

QUESTION: Will one newscaster be on the air continuously? For how long?
Don Greene, Don Greene Advertising Administration
ANSWER: We're planning on having "anchor" newsmen who will be on duty for no longer than half an hour. They will introduce and help coordinate the many elements comprising the complete news report-voices of the newsmakers, reaction pieces, eyewitness descriptions and the like. Their job will be to prepare and present their segment of the day's news in an informative yet entertaining and exciting manner.
Stan Brooks, News Director

QUESTION: We might consider buying the new WINS on a trial basis. What will your rates be like?
J. Walter Reed, Foote, Cone & Belding
ANSWER: Our new rate card, which takes effect on April l9th, offers maximum cumulative reach at minimum cost. Rates vary from $20 a minute (1500X rate, 7:00 PM-12:00 Mid- night) to $34 a minute (Weekly '50 Plan' 6:00 AM-12:00 Midnight) to $55 a minute (Prime time, fixed position). 30 and 10 second spots as available, are priced correspondingly.
Lew Witz, Sales Manager

QUESTION: Can you tell me the names of the newsmen who will be on the air for you?
Jonne Murphy, B.B.D.O.
ANSWER: In addition to some of the men who helped WINS bring home the coveted Sigma Delta Chi bronze medal for outstanding radio reporting 2 years in a row - Charles Scott King, Lew Fisher, Tuck Stadler and Paul Parker-we've hired some of the nation's out- standing broadcast newsmen: men like Jim Gordon, Herb Humphries, Brad Sherman, Phil Lenhart, Doug Edelson, Henry Marcotte, and others.
Stan Brooks, News Director

QUESTION: What about your Merchandising Plan? Will merchandising still be available?
B. A. O'Reilly, Schlitz Brewing Company
ANSWER: Absolutely. Furthermore, the higher adult audience "comp" and cumulative audience we expect to deliver should assure food advertisers and manufacturers of other food store distributed products an even greater number of potential customers than ever before.
Jim Beatty, Merchandising Director

QUESTION: Will your newsmen be doing their own commercials or will you have announcers handling them?
Herb Brauner, Global Advertising
ANSWER: A second voice will always be used for live commercials.
Lew Witz, Sales Manager

QUESTION: Will you have features like traffic, sports and financial reports?
Marie Coleman, William H. Schneider Agency
ANSWER: Of course. They are important news in New York and will get full coverage on WINS. Happenings in the theatre, music, art and publishing worlds are also news to New Yorkers. So are activities at the United Nations. WINS will cover all of these areas be- cause they are part of the total news picture.
Ken Reed, Director of Programs & Operations

QUESTION: How are you going to promote your new format? Will you still have on-air contests?
Tucker Halleran, Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles
ANSWER: Promotion is particularly important with a unique format like ours. We'll take a cue from the nature of the programming it- self and develop exciting and unique ways to advertise and promote it. We'll use many of the standard mass media and we'll create some media of our own. Such promotion will include imaginative contests and on-air pro- motion consistent with the style and purpose of our new program product.
Michael Hauptman, Promotion Manager

QUESTION: Can I sponsor a complete news cast or news segment?
Harry Martin, Wm. Esty
ANSWER: No. But you can buy fixed position availabilities across the board if your objective is greater exposure at a particular time period or identification with a particular newsman. We've eliminated program sponsorship, as such, for two reasons. First, news as an advertising vehicle is in great demand and, until now, in relatively short supply. Participations make it possible for more advertisers to enjoy the benefits of news sponsorship. Second, the most efficient buying strategy for our new, all-news format will be frequent, consistent participations for maxi- mum circulation (number of different people, reached at least once during the course of a week) at minimum cost.
Lew Witz, Sales Manager

QUESTION: Won't you run out of news?
Bob Torchia, Miller Advertising
ANSWER: Not a chance. About the only thing you can be sure of these days is that there's plenty going on in the world. WINS will be plugged into everything that's happening here and overseas. In addition to our expanded local news staff and facilities, Group W's Washington Bureau will provide extensive coverage of the nation's capital and will coordinate feeds of selected stories of interest to New Yorkers from Group W stations and correspondents around the country. And our Bureaus in London and Paris and special correspondents in other major capitals and trouble spots will complete our saturation coverage of the world's news.
Jim Snyder, Group W National News Editor