Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1964)

Spot tv advertiser's Advertisers and their agencies active in spot tv cannot consider their basic media information complete unless they are familiar with at least the highlights of syndication's "Who's Who." To bridge this informational gap, Sponsor therefore presents the following reference list of leading syndication companies, their top officials, and a brief profile of the company's area of syndication specialty as well as an indication of the type of product distributed. Information for this hst was gathered by Sponsor in a special survey of syndicators, and through telephone follow-ups and standard reference sources. ABC Films, Inc. Principal officers: Henry G. Plitt, president Harold J. Klein, senior vice president & director of world-wide sales Raymond C. Fox, vice president, director of domestic syndication Irving Paley, promotion director Home office address: 1501 Broadway, New York City Company is the syndication arm of ABC-TV, and entered syndication field in 1953 with the The Playhouse, a series still active in seven markets. Current catalog lists 14 off-network series, 1 1 made-for-syndication entries for total of 25. Most series (but not all) are halfhour length. Added features to catalog in 1955, with group of 15 J. Arthur Rank films. Now has total of 45 features in three packages. Not active in color, but looks for new sales area in growth of UHF telecasting. Maintains offices in Beverly Hills, Chicago and New Orleans, plus five foreign countries. Parent firm is American BroadcastingParamount Theatres, Inc. Receives flow of off-network product in which ABC has major financial position or where independent producer does not have own syndication arm. Allied Artists Television Corp. Principal officers: Ed Morey, president James C. Stern, general sales manager Home office address: 165 W. 46th St., New York City Company is one of several in "new" group of syndicators representing movie majors which entered syndication field after 1960. Allied Artists launched its initial tv package of 40 features, drawn principally from AA theatrical product, in 1961. Now has a total of 347 features in 12 packages in current syndication; several are groups of features based on central characters (Bowery Boys, Bomba the Jungle Boy, et al.). Sells primarily to stations, but some station purchases in turn have sold AA action packages in full-sponsorship deals to clients such as Minnesota Mining in Minneapolis. Not active in color distribution. Maintains branches in Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas. Some AA product is distributed in foreign market, but via other distribution channels (notably Seven Arts.) American International Television Principal officers: H. Nicholson, president Samuel Z. Arkoff, executive vice president Stanley E. Dudelson, vice president, general sales manager Milton Moritz, advertising-promotion director Home office address: 165 W. 46th St., New York City Company made its entry into syndication only a season ago, launching a package of 40 post1960 action-adventure movies, all available in color. Most came to AI-TV from the parent company's theatrical motion picture activities, in which AI has been known for "exploration" action, science-fiction and teen-appeal features. The company has moved rapidly in the field, and has added two more packages of 20 features each (science-fiction and adventure), plus plans for a syndicated cartoon series (Adventures of Sinbad, Jr.) and another package of 20 suspense features in 1965. American International is a big believer in color tv, and in promotion-exploitation aids for station use. BBC-TV Enterprises Principal officers: Jack Aistrop, BBC representative in U.S. Peter G. Green, director of sales, syndication Sue Goldman, assistant director of sales Home office address: 630 Fifth Ave., New York City A prime consumer of U. S. export tv programs, the United Kingdom re verses the sales channel through BBCTV Enterprises, its U. S. productionsales offshoot. Best known in the U. S. syndication field for its literate documentaries and Shakespeare adaptations (An Age of Kings, Spread of the Eagle), BBC actually has a large catalog of more than three dozen series in various dramatic, entertainment, children's and other categories. Usually, these have been filmed by BBC or produced live or taped and then kinescoped for U. S. distribution. Not active in color or in feature distribution. Parent network in Britain has one of the world's largest tv production plants, from which comes a steady flow of product for the export market. CBS Films Principal officers: Sam Cook Digges, administrative vice president Jim Victory, vice president of domestic sales Eugene Moss, promotion director Home office address: 485 Madison Ave., New York City One of earliest syndicators, CBS Films, subsidiary of CBS Inc., entered syndication field in 1950 with Cases of Eddie Drake, half-hour private eye series no longer in distribution. Company now has 30 series in active syndication, twothirds of them originally seen on networks with remainder made directly for syndication. Not active in feature area, and is beginning to be active in color syndication. Maintains offices in Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas and Atlanta, with facilities overseas. One of few syndicators distributing first-run product (America!). Receives flow of off-network product in which CBS has major financial position or where independent producer does not have own syndication arm. Is active in promoting regional sales with agency-level contacts, such as the recent 30-market spread which was done for Chevron. I 50 SPONSOR