Title: Radio Advertising Bureau Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1951-1956

Creator:

• Radio Advertising Bureau

Call Number: U.S. Mss 175AF

Quantity: 2.2 c.f. (4 archives boxes and 1 flat box)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Records of an association of radio stations, networks, and sales representatives founded in 1951 as the Broadcast Advertising Bureau, Inc., to promote the use of radio as an advertising medium. The collection consists of reports, lists, reprints of articles, radio spot announcements, summaries of research findings, and some RAB publications. In addition, there are by-laws, minutes of an early membership meeting, and a report on operations in 1951.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0175af

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Founded in 1951, the Radio Advertising Bureau, Inc., (RAB) promotes the sale of radio time as an advertising medium. It sponsors regional conferences on such subjects as promotion, programming, sales, and general management; conducts research into all phases of radio listening, consumer awareness, and trends in other media; and issues frequent reports on the use of radio by national advertisers. Known as the Broadcast Advertising Bureau, Inc., (BAB) until 1955, the RAB has offices and a radio advertising library in New York City. Membership is composed primarily of radio stations, radio networks, and station sales representatives.

Much of the above information was found in Encyclopedia of Associations, 12th edition, Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research Co., 1978.

The collection consists mostly of reports, lists, newsletters and bulletins, and a great variety of other promotional material received by a member organization, the National Association of Broadcasters, 1951-1956. Though fragmentary, the material does illustrate attempts to maintain the attraction of radio as an advertising medium in competition with newspapers, magazines, and television. The collection is divided into five groups: Broadcast Advertising Bureau; subject files; bulletins, newsletters, and news releases; co-op advertising data; and miscellaneous.

The BROADCAST ADVERTISING BUREAU group consists of bylaws, minutes of a membership meeting, and a report on the bureau's first three months of operation. Located here also are catalogs and an index of BAB materials available to members. The catalogs are especially interesting in that they provide content descriptions of publications. The SUBJECT FILES include reports, lists, reprints of articles, summaries of recent research findings, radio spot announcements, and related material. Arranged alphabetically by subject of promotion or study, most of the files concern products, sales and advertising trends, and sales effectiveness of radio in comparison with other media. Only those files which contain studies or reports are dated. Particularly noteworthy are the files on car radio listening entitled “Listeners on Wheels,” the files on television, and the series of twelve reports on the cumulative audience of advertising. There are also files on such targets of radio advertising as women and businessmen. The BULLETINS, NEWSLETTERS, AND NEWS RELEASES cover a wide variety of topics on radio advertising, from general promotion of the medium to specific advice on how to increase advertising effectiveness. The CO-OP ADVERTISING DATA consist of cards and bulletins on cooperative advertising plans for radio.

The information supplied includes the type of advertising desired, the products to be covered, and the split of costs between manufacturers and product dealers. There is often information on the type of advertising campaign favored by a company. The MISCELLANEOUS material consists of publications, reprints of articles, and related promotional items similar to those found in the subject files. In most cases there were too few items in any one category to justify a separate file unit, so the material has been arranged chronologically.

Acquisition Information

Presented by the National Association of Broadcasters, Washington, D.C., September 26, 1967. Accession Number: MCHC67-095

Processing Information

Processed by Roy H. Tryon, September 1978.

	Series: Broadcast Advertising Bureau
Box   1 Folder   1	Report, April-June, 1951
Box   1 Folder   2	Bylaws, 1952
Box   1 Folder   2	Minutes, November, 1954
Box   1 Folder   3	Catalogs, 1952-1953
Box   1 Folder   4	Topical Index to BAB materials, 1953
	Series: Subject File, 1951-1956	⇧
Box   1 Folder   5	Airlines
Box   1 Folder   6	Bakeries
Box   1 Folder   7	Banking
Box   1 Folder   8	Breweries
Box   1 Folder   9	Businessmen
Box   1 Folder   10	Cumulative Audience of Advertising, 1953- 1954
Box   1 Folder   11	Customer interview surveys, 1951
Box   1 Folder   12	Dairies
Box   1 Folder   13	Extra sets, 1952-1953
Box   1 Folder   14	Furniture
Box   1 Folder   15	Grocery and Food Stores
Box   1 Folder   16	Hardware
Box   1 Folder   17	Hotels
Box   1 Folder   18	Infants and children's wear
Box   1 Folder   19	Insurance
Box   1 Folder   20	Jewelry
Box   2 Folder   1	“Listeners on Wheels,” 1952
Box   2 Folder   2	Men's wear
Box   2 Folder   3	Monthly Retail Sales Trends by Regions, 1952
Box   2 Folder   4	Motion Picture Theatres
Box   2 Folder   5	National advertisers using network radio, 1954
Box   2 Folder   6	Newspapers and magazines
Box   2 Folder   7	Paint and wallpaper dealers
Box   2 Folder   8	Plumbing and heating
Box   2 Folder   9	Readership of Large-Space Advertising, 1952
Box   2 Folder   10	Real estate
Box   5 Folder   1	Sales Opportunity calendars, 1954- 1956
Box   2 Folder   11	Sears Counts Its Customers, 1952
Box   2 Folder   12	“Sell Radio” campaign (includes spot announcements), 1953-1954
Box   2 Folder   13	“Sixteen Reasons for Buying Radio,” 1955
Box   2 Folder   14	Sporting goods
Box   2 Folder   15	Television
Box   2 Folder   16	Women
Box   2 Folder   17	Women's wear retailers
	Series: Bulletins, Newsletters, and News Releases	⇧
Box   2 Folder   18	Copy Clinic Bulletin, 1954
Box   3 Folder   1	Information Service, 1954- 1955
Box   3 Folder   2-3	Local Radio Salesman, 1954- 1955
Box   3 Folder   4	News releases, 1953-1954
Box   3 Folder   5	Radio Advertising Newsletter, 1954
Box   3 Folder   6	Radio Gets Results, 1954- 1955
Box   3 Folder   7	Sales Management Bulletin, n.d.
Box   3 Folder   8	Sales Opportunity Bulletin, 1954- 1955
Box   3 Folder   9	Sales Report, 1954- 1955
	Series: Co-Op Advertising Data	⇧
Box   3 Folder   10-20	1951, July-May, 1954
Box   4 Folder   1-3	1954, June-1955
	Series: Miscellaneous, 1951-1955	⇧
Box   4 Folder   4-8	General
Box   5 Folder   2	Oversize