Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1964)

FRIDAir AT 5 Seller Exits American Research Bureau former ARB head will set up own ratings firm, takes staff with him; Dick named new president by C-E-/-R Washington, D. C. — A brand new ratings and research firm, Media Measurement, Inc., has come out of the breakup between American Research Bureau's former president, James W. Seiler, and parent firm C-E-I-R. The C-E-I-R board last week announced appointment of George W. Dick, formerly executive vice president of C-E-I-R, to head up the Beltsville, Md., subsidiary, replacing former ARB head, Seiler. Seiler, who resigned under what he called "astonishing circumstances," told Sponsor that he will be accompanied in his walkout by most of the executive staff of ARB. They will work with him in building the new firm, which they expect to locate somewhere in Maryland. With Seiler will be: John Landreth, formerly ARB general manager; James Dunn, assistant general manager; James Rupt, products manager; Jack Gross, agency and advertiser sales manager in New York, who handles contacts with networks, film companies and agencies (NAFA) : and Ralph Crutchfield, station and sales manager, formerly contact man for ARB with broadcast stations across the country. Talks have been going on for some time between parent company C-E-l-R and subsidiary ARB over more substantial voice for ARB in the parent firm. Seiler told Sponsor a meeting was to have been held with the C-E-I-R board Tuesday, Nov. 1 7, to discuss two of his proposals. Instead, the board met Monday, Nov. 16, and "put their Wichita Radio Accused Of Hypoing Ratings Washington — The FCC has scolded KFH Wichita for putting on too much promotion to inflate audience during weeks when Pulse and Hooper surveys were being made. The commission says the stations's "Tel-0-Total" contest which awarded prizes based on phone numbers, was intensified to produce more winners during the March rating period, although the contests were not rigged. The station disclaimed any intent to hypo the audience ratings, but FCC says a station memo showed clear knowledge that the surveys were under way, and the program director ordered the contests stepped up. FCC wants the station to give assurance of future care in use of ratings, and include a record of this aspect of its behavior when renewal time rolls around. ARB Says Firm's Structure Being Solidified Washington, D.C. — Although the company refused comment on the dispute with its former president, James W. Seiler, and his subsequent resignation, George W. Dick, the new head of the TvRadio Ratings Service, did state that the company's scope will be substantially broadened as a separately operated subsidiary of C-E-I-R. ARB will also have its own board of directors under the new plan. Dick emphasized that "there will be no delay in meeting ARB's production schedules, either for current television audience reports or the many new research projects planned. Radio Audience Measurement, for example, will proceed as planned to begin in January." Named executive vice president of C-E-I-R in 1962, Dick's more than 25 years of advertising and marketing experience includes posts with IBM, American Mutual Liability Insurance Co. and RCA. ARB, currently celebrating its 15th anniversary, has more than 650 companies on its roster as clients. It employs about 400 persons in its Beltsville, Md., headquarters and New York sales offices. In addition, it utilizes the services of nearly 4000 interviewers throughout the country. men in." C-E-I-R announced the appointment of the new ARB president without previous warning, said Seller, Much of the top management of ARB promptly resigned, according to Seiler, refusing polite offers for them to remain on in some capacity or other. The move, he says, has taken management leadership from ARB research, sales, product design, and | administrative areas. "They (the C-E-I-R board) had no close relationship with the Beltsville operation," he added, "and maybe they thought we were just pushing buttons and operating automatically." Seiler continued in his statement to Sponsor: "We are not mad at anybody. We are just determined to form our own media measurement corporation. Since we made the decision just a couple of days ago, we have not decided what the full scope of the operation will be." Seiler did not know how much competition there might be between the two firms. C-E-I-R, which purchased the tvradio testing service in 1961, had no official comment to make on the Seiler resignation. FC&B Elects Non-Admen To Board of Directors Los Angeles — For the first time in the firm's 21 -year history, Foote, Cone & Belding, Inc., ranked 10 among agencies in broadcast billings, has elected two non-advertising men to serve on its board of directors. The newly elected directors are J. Parker Hall, treasurer of the University of Chicago, and Norman P. Smith, vice president and syndicate manager of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith. At the same time, the FC&B board accepted the resignation of Robert J. Koretz. a senior vice president, who is retiring at the end of the year after 35 years with the agency. Commenting on the election of two directors outside the ad field, Roben F. Carney, chairman of the board, said, "The two newly elected directors will greatly broaden the scope of experience represented in our board, bringing to it an outside, objective point of view which we believe will make a significant contribution to the maturity and continued growth of Foote, Cone & Belding and will help offset the loss of Mr. Koretz." SPONSOR