Metz, France

Objective

The purpose of the 1 Air Division Public Relations program is to foster public understanding of, confidence in, and support for the RCAF in general and Canada’s serial contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in particular.

To accomplish the program, directed toward the Canadian public and the publics of the various host countries, SOPR attempted to utilize all methods of communications at his disposal.

Due to the fact that there is only a limited number of Canadian news media representatives in Europe and correspondents visiting 1 Air Division from Canada usually represent only a single news outlet, the SOPR Staff must assume a considerable portion of the burden of communicating news of 1 Air Division to Canada.

Community Relations, as in 1955, presented no major problems. The full-time employment of a Flight Sergeant as a Community Relations officer who in turn made firm contact with local French organizations as well as the French Press has done much to enhance the Canadian Air Division with the French public. Similar programs by the Wings have also been largely successful. As Canada is a relatively small country, with no conceivable imperialistic ambitions, the Canadian Air Division does not have the Community Relations problems encountered by some of the other NATO forces.

Following are the techniques used in the information program:

1. News Releases: News material on personnel and activities was gathered, prepared, and released to newspaper, magazines and television and radio stations throughout Canada, to selected French, German, American, English, Dutch, Belgian, Luxemburg and Italian publications, and to the military outlets of the U.S. Armed Forces, i.e. the Armed Forces Radio Network. Information material was distributed to Canada on five different basis, depending upon news interest:

1. National: Sent to AFHQ or CJS (London) for release to wire services, press gallery, etc., or if the time element necessitated, directly to European offices of AP, UP, INS or Reuters.
2. Hometown: Released directly to the newspapers and radio stations in the hometown of the individual concerned.
3. Regional: Released directly to the Province-wide or area-wide (i.e. Maritimes, Prairies) newspapers and radio stations or the individuals concerned in the story.
4. Comrades-in-Arms: Forwarded to AFHQ for use in the Army-Navy-Air Force column "Comrades-in-Arms" which is distributed to all Class "A" newspapers (200 newspapers).
5. Military: Special features of peculiar military interest forwarded to US, British, Dutch etc. publications.

1. Photographs: Photographic coverage of Air Division personnel and activities was made and pictures were distributed to the same outlets (except radio), as in para 5 (a).

NO. OF PHOTOGRAPHS PRODUCED – 1153

2. Television: Motion picture coverage of the Air Division was carried out by personnel of the SOPR branch, by the National Film Board, the CBC, the BBC, Belgian, German, Luxemburg and French TV outlets.

NO. TELEVISION ITEMS – 10

3. Radio: In addition to five radio correspondents who visited 1 Air Division, the SOPR branch produced short tape interviews with interesting personnel plus feature half-hour programs, i.e. Canada’s NATO Air Division and No. 1 Air Division’s Assistance to Hungarian Refugees.

NO. RADIO PRODUCTIONS – 162

4. Visiting Correspondents: Due to the shortage of gas in Europe, the two Press spaces per month on the overseas airlift were not utilized in November and December. World interest in such trouble spots as the Suez, Hungary, and Cyprus tended to slow down the normal flow of European correspondents to the Air Division. However, visits arranged by SOPR to the Air Division of the Canadian Press, British United Press and the North American News Alliance, each of which serve at least fifty newspapers and radio stations, more than offset loss of publicity which would have been incurred due to the small numbers of visiting correspondents.

NO. CORRESPONDENTS VISITING AIR DIV – 51

5. Press Kit: Originated in 1954 to trigger the news gathering sense of correspondents the Air Division Press Kit was extensively revised in 1956 to incorporate new features and changes within the Air Division. Newspaper clippings indicate correspondents made extensive use of this kit.
6. Civilian Tours: Visits to the Air Division by influential civilian groups were encouraged throughout the year. The most influential to visit the Air Division in 1956 was the Canadian Industrial Preparedness Association (44 representatives).

NO. CIVILIAN VISITORS (press not included) – 395

7. Displays and Exhibitions: In Metz, the Air Division as a whole participated in the Foire de Metz, largest industrial exhibition in Europe in 1956. The display, which consisted of an entire Sabre and ejection seat mock-up, was considered the best military display since the Foire’s beginning For the first time, a "Canada Day" was held, at which the Canadian flag was raised over the fair, with an RCAF band, fly-past and senior officers featured. The Air Division Headquarters participated in the Fete de Mirabelle, entering a large float depicting the progress of aviation. The Training Command Band, Wing Bands and the RCAF Flyers (Europe) hockey team did much to further European relations. In addition, the participation of RCAF sporting and cultural groups with their opposites in their host countries has done much to further the program. Unfortunately due to the four-plane crash of the "Sky Lancers", Canada was not represented at the various airshows.

To give some idea of what has been accomplished in 1956 by 1 Air Division in this field, an attempt has been made to convert the KNOWN assessable products (i.e. newspaper and magazine stores, radio broadcasts and telecast) of the program into something quite tangible: MONEY.

Space actually obtained in newspapers and magazines, and time actually accrued from radio and television broadcasts have been calculated on the basis of existing advertising rates.

In most instances, actual proof in the form of press clippings, letters from radio stations, etc., are available for confirmation of statistics. Where estimation was unavoidable, the lower of limiting figures was used. (for instance, because of differences in advertising rates from one newspaper to another and among radio stations, a mean rate was selected rather than expend the time required to calculate each clipping or broadcast individually). Therefore, financial statistics are MINIMUM figures in every case.

Following is a money valuation of the products of 1 Air Division Public Relations program that are open to assessment:

1. NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINE SPACE (Canada only) - $490,233.94
2. RADIO AND TELEVISION TIME - $64,113.00

Because 1 Air Division has no European clipping service, no European newspaper and magazine space, and radio and television times have been included in the calculations 9 (a) and (b). In December 1956, SOPR was granted subscriptions to leading French And German newspapers and magazines and, although this is in no way comparable to a clipping service, stories on the Air Division in those periodicals would indicate that the calculations in 9 (a) and (b) would be at least a third more if European coverage was added.

The figure of more than a half million dollars, also does not include any assessment of the value obtained from civilian tours, displays and exhibitions, or of community relations activities. In any case, the Air Division Public Relations program should not be assessed on the amount of money space obtained. Favourable publicity ethically cannot be bought; it is much more penetrating and effective than straight advertising.

A sound public relations program is one which supports the objectives of its organization and which obtains the public’s acceptance for these objectives. It is felt that the public relations program for 1 Air Division was generally successful during 1956.