Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1964)

PROBING THE CURRENTS AND UNDERCURRENTS OF BROADCAST ADVERTISING Affiliates mourn reduced chainbreaks The prime 20-seconcl spot isn't selling as well as reps and their stations would like this fall, nor are NBC-T\" affiliates happy about their ehainbreak situation. In toting up their breaks they find they've got 20 percent less than have been made available by CBS-TV to their affiliates. The corollary disappointment: the fact there are no midpoint breaks in most of NBC-TV"s high-rating hour shows, like, for instance. Bonanza and Jack Pimr. The average per-week number of breaks by network: CBS-TV. 72; ABC-TV. 68; NBC-T\'. 52. .An NBC affiliate in a top market estimated that the difference in chainbreak revenue between himself and his CBS-T\' counterpart could run as hish as $10,000 to $15,000 a week. Colgate brushes into ABC-TV daytime Colgate has finally consummated its big daytime commitment with ABC-T\'. The network figures that buy. if it goes 52 weeks, is good for a minimum of $2.5 millon. Colgate's collection of participating minutes centers around the Donna Reed and Ernie Ford strips. This brings up the setting of ABC -TV's realignment of daytime programing which goes into effect Monday, Dec. 28. Following is that revised schedule: TIME SEGMENT 1:30-12 noon 12-12:30 p.m. 12:30-1 p.m. 1-1:30 p.m. 1:30-2 p.m. 2-2:30 p.m. 2:30-3 p.m. 3-3:30 p.m. 3:3(M p.m. 4-4:30 p.m. * To be selected PROGRAM The Price is Right Donna Reed Father Knows Best Ernie Jones (Station time) Day in Court New soap opera* General Hospital The Young Marrieds Trail Master No newcomers in network prime time Something that the sellers of prime tv network time may find interesting to pionder over: this season's roster of sponsors — presumably the largest number yet — does not include a single newcomer, either an account that's never been in the medium or an advertiser who has come up from daytime tv or spot tv. Last season prime time could point to at least one stranger, namely. .Aqua Net hair spray (ABC-T\'). The current season's blank-out might suggest a choice of two theories: ( 1 ) the cost of prime network time has reached the point where it's prohibitive for budgets under SI million. (2) the sellers would prefer to compete for the business already in the medium. Little rating differences over years If you make allowances for the margin of error percentages Nielsen has set up. there's been little difference in the high and low range of the three tv networks' ratings the past five seasons when they're reduced to average minutes from October through April. The following rack-up of sponsored nighttime programs averages for each of the October-.April spans was processed by CBSTV from NTl material: SEASON ABC-TV CBS-TV NBCT\ 195^-60 17.5 20.6 17.7 1960-61 18.3 20.2 17.9 1961-62 15.7 19.4 19.9 1 962-63 14.8 21.0 17.9 1 963-64 16.2 20.5 17.7 The range: CBS-T\'. 20.6-19.4; NBC-TV, 18.9-17.7; ABC-T\'. 18.3-14.8. Simultaneous premiering quite likely Don't put this beyond the ken of probability: all three tv networks premiering their new nighttime schedules the same week ne.xt season. Coming from behind — by a week or two — with the new lineup entails some risk in audience loss for the network that elects to hold back its premieres. The interim could mean giving the early-bird network a tee-off advantage in ratings of as high as 30 percent. In other words, if it hadn't waited a week or two. the second showcasing network might have drawn 30 percent more audience for its own premieres. Simultaneous premiering would have a negative as well as an asset side for NBC-TV and CBS-T\'. Season-starting ran"'" advantages would be reduced and advertisers would have less concern about their programs' orosoects because of the delayed debuts On the other hand, the two networks have a lot of program investment-eating to do for the current season. They wouldn't be getting as many reruns out of the 1964-65 inventory as originally planned. The simultaneous take-off would also find much favor among buyers of chainbreak spots. 28 SPONSOR