Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1964)

FCC Chairman Urges Industry Support of ETV Henry tells IRTS broadcasters must do much more; suggests they stage annual fund raising campaign New York — Sounding a call for stepped-up support of educational tv by commercial broadcasters, William E. Henry, chairman of the FCC, last week urged the industry to stage an annual campaign for funds as originally proposed by CBS president Frank Stanton. "You operate the most powerful selling instrument ever invented," he told the International Radio and Television Society, "if it can sell soap, automobiles and potato chips, it can certainly sell an idea with the itrinsic merit of educational television." Declared Henry: "There is nothing startling in the thought that those who reap a profit from the use of broadcasting frequencies have a special obligation to contribute to the support of educational television." "If you have already done much, you should do more," Henry added. "Educational television is entitled to look to you for a portion of its financial support." Henry argued that commercial broadcasters "have a need for competition from telecasters who are not bound by the inevitable pressures of the marketplace, for such competition raises the level of the entire medium. You also have a need for a place in the medium where new ideas and techniques can more eas ily be tested — where there is no automatic penalty for failure to attract a maximum audience." The FCC chairman also cited what he called a less obvious reason: "For 30 years, your public service obligations have been the subject of controversy and debate. The creation of a meaningful national educational system can have a real impact on the course of this debate." But, he cautioned, it would not "take over your public service role," rather, the responsibilities of commercial broadcasting in this area would be better defined than at present. "The problem of your proper functioning would lose, I think, many of its angrier and more difficult overtones," he added. Although his talk was primarily devoted to educational tv, Henry did touch briefly on other areas. He said the commission has been working continuously for the promotion and development of UHF. "We think we are going to be successful," he said, "and that UHF — although in its second appearance on the track after falling by the wayside in the first heat — is off to a good start and will finish the race." He said that the commission just yesterday took to the field to do some on-the-spot investigation of the Carol Channing Signs Contract With General Foods New York — Certainly one of the hottest properties in show business with the success of "Hello, Dolly," Carol Channing is about to invade the precincts of television via a long-term contract with General Foods. But viewers will have to wait two full years. The contract calls for Miss Channing to star in a number of specials, plus a weekly series. First of the specials is slated for early spring, 1965. Meanwhile, the star will continue on Broadway as "Dolly" and will also fulfill her motion picture commitments. The signing of Miss Channing was worked out by Edwin W. Ebel, vice president-advertising services of General Foods, Charles C. Barry, executive vice president and director of tv and radio, Young & Rubicam, and William Morris Agency. Miss Channing first came to national attention as the girl who let the world know that diamonds are a girl's best friend when she starred in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." practices and techniques of audio control for both live and recorded commercials, and was, I believe, much enlightened. However complex this problem may be, mutual effort on your part and ours should solve it." The FCC chairman continued: "Now I realize that most broadcasters deny that there's any 'hollering' in radio and television. To them, I would only repeat the story of the sophisticated resident of New York City who was asked whether he believed broadcasters were experimenting with subliminal advertising. T didn't at first,' he replied. 'Then one day I went out and bought a tractor — for my wife'." Ex-WLIB Personality Gets 6 Cents in Suit New York — Basing her suit on the claim that her name, picture and endorsement were used without written consent on posters and streamers for in-store promotion, Betty Frank, former radio personality on WLIB New York, was awarded six cents in damages by Justice Francis T. Murphy of the New York State Supreme Court. The plaintiff had sought $250 thousand in her complaint. Commenting on the decision, Harry Novik, WLIB general manager, pointed out that the case hinged on a little known provision of a 1911 New York law. He said that in his conversations with many station managers during the course of the suit, he discovered how few operators in the business were aware that even though a radio personality endorses a product on the station's air, this is not a presumption that one can use his or her picture or name on printed material to endorse that same product in in-store promotions; that written consent is mandatory; that oral consent is only a partial defense to such a suit. Novik added that variations of the New York law are on the books of many states and he suggested that station owners and managers should be alerted to the "potential dangers involved." October 5, 1964 19