Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1964)

Record Details:

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SILLYGISMS . . . is a new game played by two or more "experts" engaged at buying and selling radio time. One player — in this case the buyer — executes a ploy. Then the other player — in this case the seller — cries a lot. Buyer: "I know the Pulse audience composition figures show you have more adults listening than your competition, but pure introspective reason tells me that cannot be true. SO, here's the answer. The kids tune to your station. The adults in the family are unwilling listeners; they get counted but we know better. SO, we subtract the number of teenage listeners from the number of adult listeners, and we get a true count of the number of adults listening to your station." Seller (still — but just barely — rational): "Even if we accept all of the subjective reasoning, the argument is mathematically impossible. The Pulse you are using reports only 1.25 listeners per set. If everyone of those duplicated listeners were adult-teen . . . AND if everyone of those adults were unwilling listeners . . . AND if everyone of those unwilling adult listeners were not effected by the spot they inadvertently heard, they would still represent only 25% of our adult audience . . . AND my station would still deliver more adults than my competitor." Buyer then rejects spurious facts and buys the competition thus concluding the game triumphantly. Hard to believe? Ask me, I'll introduce you to the players. Perry S. Samuels Vice President and General Manager — WPTR SYLLOGISM: You need WPTR to cover adult buyers ; in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy 18 COUNTY trading area. Ask your Eastman about . . . WPTR Represented by the Robert E. Eastman Company .^*. fdtty PTR 50,000 Watts 1540 KC ALBANY TROY SCHENECTADY Tv^ pay tv and CATV: the long view Perhaps the most curious chapter in the labyrinthian history of the broadcasting industry is being unfolded now. To a field accustomed to such ebbs and flows as clear channel favor and disfavor, FM favor and disfavor, multiple ownership favor and disfavor, duopoly favor and disfavor, VHF favor and disfavor, UHF favor and disfavor (to mention only several) it is hard to predict just how and to what extent the FCC will regulate, or Congress will legislate, CATV. It is equally hard to predict how the FCC will regulate, or Congress will legislate, pay tv. And after regulation, who can tell how long newly-enacted policies will stand. As I wrote in my column some months back, every time a new commissioner appears on the scene every FCC policy and enactment is subject to change. For every new commissioner has his individual point of view. Since most come from outside the broadcast advertising field, and are almost immediately required to vote on matters of the utmost importance, it is small wonder that vital FCC policies are in a constant state of vacillation. The current crop of FCC commissioners are, in my opinion, as intelligent, hardworking and independent-minded as any that have graced this seven-man body. I admire them greatly. But 1 don't admire the task that faces them in attempting to cope with CATV and pay tv. For there is grave danger that both CATV and pay tv carry the seeds that may destroy the whole broadcast advertising industry. Within the next several months they must establish guide rules for CATV, which now has mushroomed into approximately 1500 separate systems with about 150 new ones being franchised each month. While they do this they must keep a weather-eye open not to render an irrevocable harm to VHF and UHF. They must calculate what the establishment of strong clusters of CATV systems practically everywhere means in terms of a pay tv foothold that can sweep the country with top box office programing or limit the programing to regional clusters. Years ago I editorialized against pay tv on the assumption that free television could never compete with fee television when it came to bidding for valuable sports events, top-flight movies, Broadway plays and even more selective attractions. I believe this today. But the danger is more imminent. CATV is the doorway to pay tv. Most clusters of CATV homes represent more potential box office dollars than closed-circuit theaters or auditoriums; some many times as much as all available closed-circuit buildings in the same areas. CATV will not be stopped. Pay tv will not be stopped. But now is the time for the FCC and Congress to recognize the unparalleled threat to free tv, both VHF and UHF. If a strong system of free television is desired now is the time to safeguard it. ^f7-H<^ I SPONSOR