Sponsor (Nov 1947-Oct 1948)

Repeat Uroadcasts in 1947 IVB€ aiiiil IVlrillo €li»n*f like tlic^ni reeorded, liiii Klar!< flo ^^BRj ''. Numerically, repeat shows* are almost the same as they were at the start of last season (81 programs at the start of the 1946 season, 83 in 1947). This is as far as the repeat story repeats itself. In practically all other respects duplicate broadcasts for different sections of the nation are planned in 1947 on a basis quite different from that which governed previous operations. And after the first of the year the repeat picture will suffer another upheaval due to the latest edict of James C. Petrillo, President of the American Federation of Musicians. This edict bans all recording by musicians "now and forever." Recordings are the backbone of repeat broadcasting on both the Mutual Broadcasting System and the American Broadcasting Company networks. This year for the first time the Columbia Broadcasting System also is permitting West Coast repeats on transcriptions, due to talent pressure. Talent in many cases feels that a live repeat program lacks the spontaneity of the original broadcast. Especially does this feeling hold in the case of comedy productions. Quiz and other audience participation programs also suffer, in the minds of the performers, from repeat presentations. Everybody involved admits of course that most adult nighttime airings must be broadcast later on the Coast than they are in the East if they are to reach the listeners for whom they are designed — and to whom the sponsor is addressing his sales message. Nevertheless, Ralph Edwards of Truth or Consequences refused this year to produce the rough-house shindig twice in one night. NBC on its part refused to permit a recorded repeat. The senior network holds fast to the belief that to permit transcriptions on the network would be to open the door to "canned" web entertainment, losing the feeling of immediacy, the feeling that the listener is hearing his entertainment just as it is originated. Truth or Consequences is not being broadcast twice each Saturday night despite the NBC ukase against recorded repeats. It's handled as a "d.b.," a delayed broadcast. D.b.'s are broadcasts which are recorded off the network line and repeated later in the afternoon or evening from each station's own transcription of the program. Thus NBC's rule of no recorded network programs still stands and Ralph Edwards still does not have to knock himself out doing his nerve-racking routine twice in one night. Delayed broadcasts are part and parcel of all network broadcasting in station option time.** In this time period, which by FCC regulation belongs exclusively to the station, network sponsors often have to accept a delayed broadcast of their programs if they want airings in key markets. On key-market stations local advertisers frequently build programs with big followings and both the station and the local spxansor are loath to give way for a network airing. When the delayed broadcast is to be made is not, however, left to the station's whim. Availabilities are submitted to the advertising agencies and the best availability for the particular program is selected by the timebuyer. It is estimated that during the daylight saving time period there were some 2000 d.b.'s per week on NBC and CBS alone due to the fact that many areas retained standard time while the networks had to operate for the greatest number of listeners and were on daylight time. All through the summer both MBS and ABC operated on the basis of recorded repeats for each time zone. Thus they were able to air their programs at the same time in every zone. ABC pushed most strongly for this device of handling the tremendous problem which dual time placed upon the networks. As a matter of record, ABC executives endeavored to have all networks function on this basis of recorded repeats, which would, thought the ABC execs, end the problem of a sponsor's buying a key time in New York only to find his program being heard in the Mountain and Pacific time zones by audiences he's not interested in reaching, due to the hour of broadcast. Regional live and recorded repeats both cost the sponsor the same percentage of the scale which the performers are paid for the original broadcast (this for actors and singers is 45 per cent of the fee of the first broadcast). The stars of course are covered by their over-all contract and generally do not receive additional payment because of dual broadcasts. Sponsor's survey of the rating effectiveness of repeat programs (January 34 SPONSOR