MBS = MUTUAL’S BARGAIN SALES
Coast to coast coverage at low cost with one simple buy - that was how Mutual sold its network.
It wasn’t Mutual’s original intent in 1934 to become the largest radio network on the continent.. Instead, it was envisioned to be a much smaller collection of the nation’s elite stations much like its founders, (WOR/New York and, WGN/Chicago), and its first two affiliates, (WLW/Cincinnati and WXYZ/Detroit), considered themselves to be.
But by that time NBC, Blue and CBS had already picked off most of the country’s major stations as affiliates so the original concept faded quickly. Then WLW and WXYZ pulled out of Mutual in 1935. The network reacted by changing course and targeted the 397 non-affiliated stations around the country which represented 68% of the industry’s total in 1936.
As detailed in Network Radio Ratings, 1932-1953, Mutual‘s recruitment of new affiliates was an enormous, on-going success. By the time the network‘s 1942 rate card was published in that year‘s Broadcasting Yearbook, 186 stations were listed as Mutual affiliates.
Of that number, 70 stations .were identified as Basic Network affiliates. And unlike its competitors, Mutual included its West Coast outlets - the Don Lee Network - as part of its Basic Network. This offered advertisers complete coast to coast network coverage for one low cost and the easiest of all four major networks to buy.
In markets where primary, (exclusive), affiliations were unavailable, Mutual negotiated secondary affiliations or limited access for programs when time could be cleared. The 19 stations with this agreement are underscored in the Mutual affiliate groups listed below. Primary affiliations identified as (b) for the eight Blue outlets, (c) for the four CBS affiliates, (n) for the one NBC station and (n,b) for the six that carried dual NBC and Blue affiliations.
As with the other networks, the rate card prices listed are only for network facilities and station time charges. All program production costs were the separate responsibility of the advertiser.
MUTUAL BROADCASTING SYSTEM
Gross Rates: One Hour, 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM effective January 1, 1942.
MUTUAL BASIC (REQUIRED) NETWORK - Available only as a group.
Baltimore/WFBR: $300; Buffalo/WGR-(c): $300; Chicago/WGN: $750; Cincinnati/WKRC: $250; Cleveland/WHK: $340; Columbus/WHKC: $65; Denver/KFEL: $120; Detroit-Windsor/CKLW: $320; Indianapolis/WIBC: $120; Kansas City/WHB: $240; Lincoln/KFOR: $100; Minneapolis-St Paul/WLOL: $175; New York/WOR: $1,100; Philadelphia:/WIP: $355; Pittsburgh/WCAE: $475; Rochester/WSAY: $160; Rock Island/WHBF: $130; St. Louis/KWK: $275; Salt Lake City-Ogden/KLO: $150; Syracuse/WAGE: $200; Washington/ WOL: $180.
These Colonial Network (New England) stations are included in the Basic Network.
Boston/WAAB (WNAC after June 1, 1942); Bridgeport-New Haven/WICC-(b); Fall River/WSAR; Greenfield/WHAI; Hartford/WTHT; Laconia/WLNH; Lewiston-Auburn/WCOU; Lowell-Lawrence/WLLH; New Bedford/WNBH; New London/WNLC; Pittsfield/WBRK; Providence/WEAN; Rutland/WSYB; Springfield/WSPR; Waterbury/WATR (Combined): $1,640..
These Don Lee Network (Pacific Coast) stations are included in the Basic Network.
Aberdeen,Wa/KXRO; Albany,Or/KWIL; Astoria/KAST; Bakersfield/KPMC; Centralia-Chehalis/KELA; Chico/KHSL; El Centro/KXO; Eureka/KIEM; Eugene/KORE; Everett/KRKO; Fresno/KFRE; Klamath Falls/KFJI ;Longview/KWLK; Los Angeles/KHJ; Marshfield/KOOS; Marysville/KMYC; Merced/KYOS; Olympia/KGY; Portland/KALE; Roseburg/KRNR; San Diego/KGB; San Francisco/KFRC; San Luis Obispo/KVEC; Santa Ana/KVOE; Santa Barbara/KDB; Seattle/KOL; Spokane/KGA; Tacoma/KMO; Yakima/KIT (Combined): $1,850.
Total for Basic (Required) Network of 70: $9,655.
MUTUAL NORTHEAST SUPPLEMENTARY GROUP - Available individually with the Basic Network
Albany/WABY: $120; Akron/WJW: $110; Augusta/WRDO-(n,b):$60; Bangor/WLBZ-(n,b): $120; Binghamton/WNBF-(c): $125; Canton/WHBC: $100; Easton/WEST: $85; Elmira/WENY: $70; Fitchburg/WEIM: $80; Hagerstown/WJEJ: $90; Harrisburg/WKBO-(n,b): $125; Hazleton/WAZL: $85; Kingston NY/WKNY:$80; Lancaster/WGAL-(n,b): $100; Portsmouth/WPAY: $75; Scranton/WARM: $85; Steubenville/WSTV: $80; Wilkes-Barre/WBAX: $75; Wilmington/WILM: $100; York/WORK-(n,b): $125.
MUTUAL MIDWEST SUPPLEMENTARY GROUP - Available individually with the Basic Network.
Cedar Rapids/WMT-(c): $200; Coffeyville/KGGF: $75; Des Moines/KSO-(b): $160; Dubuque/KDTH: $100; Emporia/KTSW: $50; Grand Rapids/WLAV: $100; Great Bend/KVGB: $50; Hot Springs/KWFC: $40; Jefferson City/KWOS: $60; Jonesboro/KBTM: $60; Little Rock/KGHI: $50; Omaha/KOIL-(c): $260; Pine Bluff/KOTN: $35; Rockford/WROK: $110; Salina/KSAL: $75; Shenandoah/KMA-(b):$130; Wichita/KFBI: $200.
MUTUAL NORTH CENTRAL SUPPLEMENTARY GROUP - Available individually with the Basic Network.
Aberdeen/KABR: $100; Albert Lea/KATE: $84; Appleton/WHBY: $70; Ashland/WATW: $60; Bismarck-Mandan/KGCU: $50; Devils Lake/KDLR: $50; Duluth-Superior/WDSM: $60; Fargo-Moorhead/KVOX: $85; Fergus Falls/KGDE: $50; Fond du Lac/KFIZ: $60; Fort Dodge/KVFD: $60; Ironwood/WJMS: $60; Jamestown/KRMC: $60; Minot/KLPM: 75; Sheboygan/WHBL: $80; Sioux City/KTRI: $100; Wausau/WSAU: $70; Willmar/KWLM: $50; Winona/KWNO: $75; Wisconsin Rapids/WFHR: $70.
MUTUAL SOUTHERN SUPPLEMENTARY GROUP - Available individually with the Basic Network.
Albany, Ga/WALB: $80; Atlanta/WATL: $160; Birmingham/WSGN: $150; Chattanooga/WDEF: $100; Dalton/WBLJ: $50; Decatur/WMSL: $35; Evansville/WGBF-(n,b): $150; Ft Lauderdale/WFTL: $75; Gadsden/WJBY: $60; Gainsville/WRUF: $75; Jackson Tenn/WTJS: $50; Jacksonville/WJHP-(b): $125; Knoxville/WBIR: $100; Lake Worth/WWPG: $75; Lexington/WLAP: $100; Louisville/WGRC: $120; Macon/WBMI: $80; Memphis/WMPS-(b): $140; Mobile/WMOB: $95; Nashville/WSIX: $125; New Orleans/WNOE: $120; Selma/WHBH: $60; Tampa-St Petersburg/WTSP: $80; West Point Ga/WDAK: $68.
MUTUAL SOUTHEAST SUPPLEMENTARY GROUP - Available individually with the Basic Network.
Ashland-Huntington/WCMI: $75; Charlotte/WSOC-(n): $120; Columbia SC/WCOS: $70; Danville/WBTM: $60; Greenville/WMRC: $60; Lynchburg/WLVA: $60; Norfolk-Newport News/WGH: $75; Raleigh/WRAL: $72; Richmond/WRNL: $140; Roanoke/WSLS: $60.
MUTUAL SOUTHWEST SUPPLEMENTARY GROUP - Available individually with the Basic Network.
Abilene/KRBC: $50; Amarillo/KFDA: $75; Austin/KNOW: $75; Big Spring/KBST: $45; Corpus Christi/KRIS-(b): $120; Dallas/WRR: $170; Fort Worth/KFJZ: $170; Houston/KXYZ-(b): $200; Oklahoma City/KOCY: $120; Port Arthur-Beaumont/KPAC: $110, San Angelo/KGKL: $50; San Antonio/KABC: $90; Sherman/KRRV: $56; Temple/KTEM: $45; Texarkana/KCMC: $50; Tulsa/KOME-(b): $120; Waco/WACO: $75; Weslaco/KRGV: $100.
MUTUAL MOUNTAIN GROUP - Available individually with the Basic Network.
Grand Junction/KFXJ: $50; Greeley/KFKA: $70; Provo/KOVO: $38; Price/KEUB: $20.
(For comparison see Blue's Blue Plate Specials, CBS Rates - Go Figure and NBC's Chinese Menu on this site.)
Because Mutual was forced to affiliate with less powerful and popular stations than its competitors in most major markets, its rates were lower.
This is reflected in the rate card price for Mutual’s Basic Network of 70 affiliates - just $9,655, an average of $137.93 per station, less than half of Blue’s $277.88 average charge for its 33 Basic Network affiliates. As might be expected, CBS and NBC, each with a Basic Network of 26 powerful affiliates, averaged $384.42 and $423.85 per station, respectively.
Mutual added to its low rate structure with its “Volume Plan” of discounts which had two basic qualifications. First, the advertiser had to buy the entire Basic Network, ($9,655 for a prime time hour on this rate card). Secondly, an additional 20%, of the Basic Network expenditure, ($1,931), had to be spent on Mutual supplementary stations. (1)
For that total expenditure of $11,586, repeated 13 times within one year, the Mutual sponsor would receive a 20% discount. At 26 times the discount increased to 25%. The Volume Plan continued for five more graduated levels to peak at 256 times within one year and a 50% discount.
Of course, that maximum discount required an expenditure of almost three million dollars on Mutual within one year.
But what a bargain!
(1) The Mutual rate card does not indicate if the Volume Plan extends to half-hour broadcasts at 60% of the hourly rate, 15 minutes at 40% - or into the network’s daytime periods in which the prices for 60 minutes, 30 minutes and 15 minutes were 50% of the nighttime rates. But Mutual’s reputation for negotiation no doubt extended into its discount plan.
Copyright © 2015 Jim Ramsburg, Estero FL Email: tojimramsburg@gmail.com
