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LEADERS IN BUSINESS
* Competition for viewers among the
television stations serving this area is a
three-way race with millions of dollars
riding on the outcome.
In the last quarter of 1984, WNEP-16
(ABC) and WBRE-28 (NBC) came down
to the wire in the all-important Nielsen
ratings, while the newly-acquired WDAU-
22 (CBS) was still trying to get out of the
gates.
“We’re taking a short-term loss for a
long-term gain,” says Gene Bohi, general
manager of WDAU, acquired six months
ago by Southeastern Capital Corp. of
Atlanta.
Win, place or show, Bohi says his
station has made significant gains in
audience since the summer.
“In fact, there have been time periods
where we have dominated the share of
the audience,” Bohi claims. “We’ve spent
a tremendous amount of money on equip-
ment so our picture would have parity.
“Plus we’ve spent a lot of dollars on
advertising and promotion. From the
results of the first rating books, it pays to
advertise.” :
Here’s the latest ratings breakdown for
a typical TV day, with the stations listed
first, second and third in each time slot:
7-9 a.m. - WNEP, WBRE, WDAU.
9 a.m.-noon - WBRE, WDAU, WNEP.
Noon-4 p.m. - WNEP, WDAU, WBRE.
4-6 p.m. - WBRE, WDAU, WNEP.
News (6 p.m.) - WNEP, WBRE,
WDAU.
Prime-Time - WNEP, WBRE, WDAU.
Late Night - WBRE, WNEP, WDAU.
Saturday Morning - WBRE, WDAU,
WNEP.
News continues to be WNEP’s primary
business, says Elden Hale, vice president
and general manager. The station
devotes more than two hours of its
programming day to news. That’s
because its local, something Hale
Dlioves area viewers can’t get anywhere
else.
“News here is a multi-million dollar
business in terms of what we spend,”
says Hale, the former news director of
the Avoca-based station. ‘It’s worth
every penny of it.”’
“We're interested in the vitality of the
whole region,” says Terry Baltimore,
vice president and general manager of
WBRE, which has stepped up its share of
public service announcements. ‘“We’re all
tied together economically.
“We try to offer entertainment for the
broadest possible audience. We have a
pretty good feel for the shows that are
popular and those that aren’t. Qur great-
est strength is in our young adults and
families.”
Travel agencies may well be the only
service industry that’s still free, say local
travel agents.
A customer seeking an airline reserva-
tion and ticket to visit grandma and
grandpa on the West Coast doesn’t pay
one cent to a travel agent to make the
arrangements. Nor does the consumer
have to pay a travel agent to book hotel
accommodations, car rentals, cruise ship
vacations.
The services provided by travel agen-
cies are so important to the industry that
the carriers and hotels don’t mind pick-
ing up the tab.
For the airlines, it’s a matter of
convenience.
Travel agents can also use their exper-
tise and computerized equipment to save
the traveler money.
What’s in it for the travel agents
themselves.
The pay is low, but it’s an opportunity
to “work the world,” travel cheaply and
help people.
But those problems are the travel
agent’s, whose job it is to make traveling
problem free for the consumer.
Though the airline problem is out of the
travel agent’s hands, they agree it’s hard
to tell that to a customer who just sat 12
hours in an airport because an airline
suddenly decided to file for bankruptcy.
All the agent can do is pass the complaint
on to the airline.
However, if too many complaints come
in about a particular airline’s service or
lack thereof, travel agents will refuse to
book reservations with the carrier, opting
for more reliable service.
Knowledge gained through experience
about wholesalers and places, good and
bad, is free.
Such information is obtained by travel
agents through brochures and ‘“‘I’ve-been-
there” experience.
Charter companies frequently offer
travel agents familiarization trips to
vacation hot spots to inspect their hotel
rooms, cruise lines and services.
And travel agents know what to look
for when helping clients pick out a
particular package trip - fine print.
Travel agents, will do their best to
make sure their clients are not duped
into falling for bad deals. After all, the
agents are right here in the community
and depend on return business.
696-2100
696-3888
Page 3
Family Pharmacy
401 W. Eighth St.
W. Wyoming, Pa.
9-9 Daily 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday
693-2050
JOHN GORDA'S
FUEL OIL
SERVICE
CHECK OUR PRICES
52 S. Memorial Highway
Trucksville, Pa.
696-9592
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