Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1964)

1 PROBING THE CURRENTS AND UNDERCURRENTS OF BROADCAST ADVERTISING And under such circumstances a B&W commercial was to be eliminated. Stations with B&W schedules think the stance unreasonable in light of the fact that the NAB Code has waived the application of time standards to political commercials. These broadcasters have interpreted the waiver, evidently, as meaning a political spot was not a commercial in the accepted or traditional sense. Historical note: it was B&W that initially raised the "clutter" torch and fueled much of the advertiser protest which led to more exphcit commercial strictures. Shell Cancels 'CBS Reports' show Shell pulled out of last Wednesday's CBS Reports rather than chance another barrage of violent protest mail. Shell had that kind of experience several weeks ago with a Reports documentary called"Humor in Politics." Last week's Reports program covered the bitter contest between Kenneth Keating and Robert Kennedy for U.S. Senate seat. Explained Shell to Sponsor: if a humorous theme caused all that combustion, it can easily be imagined what we'd have to take for being associated with a telecast of two such explosively controversial candidates. This is first network sponsor to cancel out for such cause. Propose computer programing co-op It's no easy task for an agency to get other agencies to come in on a cooperative venture. But that hasn't stopped Compton from inviting several agencies to join it in putting together a computer program that each could draw from as it saw fit. The computer expenses, of course, would be shared. The material fed into the computer for programing would come from the various media measurement services. Tv ideas that didn't quite jell If you've been around the broadcast business for some time, you may recall these among the ambitions and plans that didn't manage to come off: (1) NBC Radio's wired music and information programs for doctors' and dentists' offices, (2) Miles Wallach's doorbell-ringing coincidental checks on tv viewing and product usage, (3) the traveling bus that would gather tv signals and show what people in the area were viewing at the moment, (4) Eli Landau's strictly film network. Should you think of any others mail them in. They'll be posted in a sequel item. Updated comparison: box office vs. tv Did you know that in a single night the audience exposed to the average tv network program is at least double the admissions to the average motion picture over the course of a year? According to the research department of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, the average feature film draws 11 to 12 million admissions. The exhibition span of the average picture is about a year. The average viewers reached by a network program, per showing, last season ranged between 22 and 25 million. Incidentally, Beverly Hillbillies at its peak appeal chalked up an average of 21,500,000 homes, which, translated to the average number of viewers per program, comes out to 52 million persons. Reps eye college grads as trainees Don't be surprised to hear one of these days that major station reps are standing in the same line with GE, IBM and other giant corporations for the recruiting of college grads as trainees. Some of the rep firms think they've reached the stage where they ought to look for promising prospects other than at ad agencies, or merely raiding the ranks of some other rep. All such college-beamed reps would need, of course, is find somebody in their organizations who could be spared to do the scouting. The mounting pressure of business, servicing and station contacting makes this a long shot. Then again there's this fly in the ointment: what's to prevent a competitive rep firm from luring away the trainee after he's made it? Over in the agency field the trainee program has berome a rarity. Agencies have found it cheaper to raid other shops than to support their own trainee program, especially for media. The media trainee, after he clicks, can be the object of three-way bidding interest outside his own department: (1) another agency, (2) a rep looking for salesmen, (3) account section in his agency. 30 SPONSOR