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THIN ARCAIVES RECORDS CAMPAIGN OF THE ELECTRIC UTILITIES Unprecedented power company propaganda campaign: 1. More subtle than in the 1920's and 1930's, but potentially more effective. 2. The scope of the Electric Companies Advertising Program (ECAP) a. Began in the summer of 1939 when a group of utilities began "a co-operative advertising program." b. "The electric industry wanted to reach all eligible voters and young people about to become voters." C. For this "basic audience" it was decided to use radio on a national network basis. 1) They found that magazine reading is lowest and radio listening is high- est among low income group-and they are also most in favor of public ownership! 2) They boast that "the former network censorship imposed on our messages has been removed. We can now say anything that we can say in magazines-- and have been doing exactly that for the past two years." 3) In 1950 the ECAP program, 'Corliss Archer' reached 25% more families than the average of all evening radio programs-it reaches more than 4,000,000 families each week--or with the normal listening turnover, some 10,000,000 families each month. With its ideal position on CBS Sundays at 9 p.m. "Meet Corliss Archer" is "one of the most efficient radio programs for reaching families of all income and educational groups. 4) ECAP member companies are also provided with an average of 8 radio announcements each month for use on local radio stations. d. Mass magazines reaching millions are extensively used because - "The reader has the message before him and has more time to dwell upon it and absorb its full meaning." 1) Campaign carried on in Time 1,573,622 Saturday Evening Post-4,034,469 circulation Newsweek 836,305 American Weekly 9,344,009 U. S. News 373,067 Look 3,041,630 Life 5,341,626 Collier's 3,072,298 American Magazine 2,538,612 2) Sample of advertisements: "Will you leave these to your children?"- pictures a little boy standing before a table on which are four articles: