Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1962)

PROGRAMMING Desi leaves Desilu; Lucy in control SHE'S BUYING HIS 26% SHARE: NO REASON GIVEN FOR RESIGNATION Desilu Productions Inc. announced last Thursday (Nov. 8) that Desi Arnaz has resigned as president and director of the corporation and his shares in the company will be purchased by his former wife, comedienne Lucille Ball. Immediately after Mr. Arnaz's resignation, Lucille Ball was elected president by Desilu's board of directors. Other members of the board are Jerry Thorpe, vice president for programming; W. Argyle Nelson, vice president for production and studio operations; and Edwin E. Holly, vice president for administration and finance. Mr. Arnaz holds 300,350 shares of Desilu stock. The company announcement said Miss Ball will purchase Mr. Arnaz's shares at a price said to be "considerably in excess of the current market price." (Desilu is traded on the American stock exchange and its price in recent weeks has ranged from $7 to $8.50 per share.) When Mr. Arnaz's shares are acquired, Miss Ball will hold a total of 600,650 shares, 52% of the total shares of the stock of the company, a Desilu official said. No reason was given for Mr. Arnaz's action. A spokesman for Desilu declined to provide any details in addition to the prepared announcement. Those close to the Desilu situation, seemed agreed that Mr. Arnaz wished to devote full time to his other interests. He owns a Palm Springs hotel, a ranch and other real estate. Miss Ball and Mr. Arnaz were married for almost 20 years before their divorce of a few years ago. They were co-stars of one of the highly popular series in the early days of television, / Love Lucy. The figure of $20 million comes up as a magic number in the tale of Desilu and its two now business-separated partners. When they divorced in 1960, the couple reportedly split what's estimated to be $20 million gained from their tv enterprises. The sum also comes up in connection with a reported attempt of a large electrical concern to purchase Desilu Studios not long ago. It was said then that $20 million was the selling price asked by Mr. Arnaz and Miss Ball (now Mrs. Miss Ball Mr. Arnaz Gary Morton — he is an actor-comedian). Desilu has been successful in tv, starting with / Love Lucy that for years reigned tops in the popularity poll, and in the still on-network series The Untouchables (ABC-TV) and a new "hit" comedy, The Lucy Show starring Miss Ball but minus her former bandleader husband. The action in Hollywood came a week after a published interview with Mr. Arnaz quoted him as suggesting that The Untouchables went downhill once its character was changed to comply with policies of reducing violence in tv film content. And that he planned to reintroduce violent elements (At Deadline, Nov. 5). Another show produced for the tv networks is Fair Exchange on CBS-TV. Desilu in fact is generally conceded to be in one of its "most successful" years in television. Some 90% of Desilu's three-studio facility (with 36 sound stages) is being used. About nine other network productions are produced by independent firms at Desilu. Tv Affiliates Corp. offers program aids Television Affiliates Corp. announced last week it is adding a new service for subscriber stations, consisting of local programming and production aids. TAC functions primarily as an exchange for the distribution of locallyproduced informational-cultural programs to members. Under its new service, TAC will send subscribers two reels, one of which includes 10 representative weather shows and the other, 10 news programs. Robert Weisberg, TAC vice president, said the project resulted from the organization's conference in Chicago last August and added that exchange of ideas will be extended to other areas, including children's and women's programming. Agencymen attend second Warner preview A second "no-pitch" preview of a new Warner Bros, motion picture, "Gypsy," was held for agency and broadcasting executives Oct. 29 and 30 in New York. Some months ago, the Warner Bros, tv division held a similar preview showing of "The Music Man." The idea of the preview is to entertain agency buyers and broad casters with the movie product from the same firm that syndicates tv series. In this photo (1 to r) are the media and radio-tv chiefs of Doyle Dane Bernbach: Al Petcavage, vice president and media director, and John Egan, director of radio-tv programming, appearing with their host, Joseph Kotler, vice president of the tv division. 58 BROADCASTING, November 12, 1962