Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1964)

S3PONSOI1 WEEK NAB Calls for Legislative Study of CATY VVa.shin}>ton, I).C. — Urging the Federal Communications Commission to avoid a "piecemeal approach" to the problem of CATV, the National Assn. of Broadcasters last week called for "the evaluation of CATV in terms of the national objectives of broadcasting as set forth by the Congress and the Communications Act." In a 12-page statement submitted by NAB general counsel Douglas A. Anello, the organization suggested "a broad legislative fact-finding proceeding which will form the basis for necessary legislative action." NAB also said that broadcasters should be encouraged rather than discouraged in owning and operatinsz CATV systems. "In the past," the statement pointed out, "the commission has found it in the public interest from time to time to license a newspaper to operate the only radio or television station in the community which it serves. Similarly, occasions have arisen where the only station in a community has been sold to the owner of the local newspaper. In both cases, it was because the commission believed that the best interest of the public was served through the common ownership. We believe that often the best interests of the public would be served by the common ownership of CATV and broadcast properties in the same area." NAB also pointed out that the ownership of CATV systems that do not originate programs raises no conflict with the underlying purpose of the multiple ownership rules. The basis of these rules is the "prevention of monopoly of opinion, rather than monopoly in the economic sense." In pursuing its argument in favor of broadcaster involvement, the NAB pointed out that through the broadcaster's knowledge of the public acceptance of programs, he "can bring program balance to the CATV NAB s Shapiro: Codes Needed for Survival Oklahoma City — NAB continues to press its argument that the radio and tv codes are the answer to stepped-up regulation of the broadcast industry by the FCC. Taking up the cudgels last week was Mike Shapiro, general manager, WFAA Dallas, and chairman of NAB's tv board of directors. Speaking before a fall conference of NAB, Shapiro declared: "The codes were devised for self-protection, not only from the government but from public criticism which would result from the excesses which would occur if there were no rules." Emphasizing that the codes are necessary for broadcasting's own survival. Shapiro said that advertisers must learn to comply. Those advertisers who would rather ignore the codes, he added, "simply must be told that the broadcasting industry has certain rules and regulations which must be adhered to if they want to use our medium." Continuing, Shapiro said that the codes are broadcasting s own particular contribution to the preservation of "honesty, decency, personal integrity, and fair dealing." When the codes' regulations are imposed voluntarily, he declared, it is done "not to destroy our freedoms but to preserve them. We should realize that supporting the codes is not a form of weakness or dependency, but actually an exercise in self-reliance in the mainstream of the great traditions of this nation." The NAB's tv board chairman pointed to "the opinion of the general public" as the most powerful sanction broadcasters have. If the public supports the codes, he said, then they will work. If they don't, then the codes are powerless. Shapiro concluded by calling on the industry to use its own media — "the most powerful media in existence today" — to reach the public. offerings — and bring a high standard of technical performance comparable to that of broadcast transmissions." NAB concluded: "To place limitations on broadcasters who might wish to participate in this new industry would not only be discriminatory but contrary to the public interest." TvB Exec Cites Television As Major Fashion Influence Boston — Television has replaced movies as the main vehicle for influencing fashion trends, Howard Abrahams, TvB vice president in charge of local sales, last week told the 36th annual Boston Conference on Distribution. Pointing out that through the years, the public's taste in fashion was set by such people as Lillian Russell, Clara Bow. Marlene Dietrich. Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant and other show business stars, Abraham labeled them the former "influentials" of fashion. Today's television personalities, he declared, "sell fashions without meaning to do so, and they sometimes sell fashions deliberately. Viewers notice what they wear on television and they can see how what they wear helps them to sell." Citing 20 different non-fashion commercials to prove his point, Abrahams declared: "The astounding part is that companies and television shows outside of the fashion field are using fashion to sell their non-fashion products." Turning to the use of tv by the fashion industry itself. Abrahams said that the "trouble with poor fashion promotion on television is that it's as dated as the favorite old-fashioned movie star. Poor tv fashion shows are old-fashioned fashion shows. They're stilted. They copy print technique, ramp shows." Continuing his criticism. Abrahams said: "They just aren't natural. They aren't believable. And this labels them immediately with yesterday's thinking. They are not television fashion shows. Thev are fashion shows on television." 24 SPONSOR