Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)
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BIGGEST TRANSFER DEAL in TV-radio history— the merger of WOR & WOR-TV into Thomas S. Lee Enterprises Inc. (Vol. 7:46) — required exactly 2 months from time of application to FCC approval Jan. 17, and will be finally closed in New York Jan. 25. Six of FCC’s 7 members consented to assignment of licenses from R. H. Macy & Co.’s subsidiary, General Teleradio Inc., which will be operated as New York division of Thomas S. Lee Enterprises Inc., wholly owned subsidiary of General Tire & Rubber Co. Comr. Walker voted for hearing. Under terms of deal:
Macy & Co. receives $1,300,000 in cash and about $527,000 in net quick assets for the radio stations, $1,200,000 for WOR Program Service Inc. (talent, recordings, etc.), and 732 unissued shares of assignee’s stock whose book value is $238,000 but whose going value probably runs into several millions. The 732 shares will comprise 10% of the outstanding stock of Thomas S. Lee Enterprises Inc., which operates Yankee Network (including WNACTV, Boston, and 3 AM stations), and Don Lee Network including KHJ-TV, Los Angeles, and 3 AM stations), all headed by 36-year-old Tom O’Neil, also chairman of board of Mutual Broadcasting System.
It’s generally assumed Mr. O’Neil plans his 3 TV stations as nucleus of an eventual network, hopes to take over MBS for operation on commercial instead of cooperative basis (Vol. 7:46); meeting of Mutual board is expected soon. As part of WOR deals, in order to keep within limit of 7 AM ownership, Yankee was obliged to dispose of one station — so it sold WICC, Bridgeport, for $200,000 to l group headed by Philip Merryman, operating WLIZ in that city (1000 watts daytime on 1300 kc). FCC also approved this deal Jan. 17, and Merryman group is expected to surrender license of WLIZ.
Under employment agreement filed with FCC, all WOR & WOR-TV employes are retained for specified periods. Teleradio president Theodore C. Streibert stays on as New York division manager.
That TV can do own newsreel job (as NBC-TV and some stations have long been doing), can localize it and capitalize on it, is evidenced by “biggest news operation in the South” for which Humble Oil has signed, thru Wilkinson-Schiwetz & Tips, Houston. Fort Worth’s WBAP-TV, long a leader in newsreeling, has arranged to create weekly half-hour newsreel titled This Week in Texas and covering major news events in state with own crews and stringers. Show will run Monday nights on WBAP-TV, WFAA-TV, KPRC-TV, WOAI-TV.
FCC formally granted petition filed last last Dec. 28 by National Exhibitors Theatre-TV Committee to enter theatre-TV hearing, scheduled Feb. 25 (Vol. 8:2), although deadline for filing officially expired Feb. 27, 1950 (Vol. 6:9). Skiatron, now plugging its Ultrasonic theatre-TV system (Vol. 7:51), is expected to file request to enter hearing next week.
First-run movies for Skiatron’s proposed tests of its Subscriber-Vision system of pay-as-you-look TV (Vol. 7:51, 52) have been promised only by Paramount and RKO — and then only under rigid set of conditions. Failure of other major producers to come across, says Skiatron president Arthur Levey, means he’ll probably go to Justice Dept., which forced producers to supply pictures to Zenith for Phonevision tests (Vol. 7 :49, 50) .
Outlawing of restrictions on college football telecasts in New York State was proposed Jan. 16 by State Sen. Joseph Zaretzki whose bill would withhold state taxexemption privileges from any New York university that combined with other schools to prevent an institution from televising any games it chose.
Meiwork AcCOimSs: Pure-Pak Div., Ex-Cell-0 Corp.
(milk containers), thru Fred M. Randall Co., Detroit, is fourth sponsor signed by NBC-TV for participations in 7-9 a.m. Dave Garroway Today show, Mon. 8:20-8:25, starting Jan. 28. Saturday Evening Post has purchased three 5-min. spGts in Today, Jan. 30 and Feb. 5 & 6, thru BBDO. Other two sponsors: Kiplinger Washington Agency
(Changing Times Magazine) , which started Jan. 14, and Kenwill Corp. (Magikoter Paintroller) starting Feb. 20, Wed. 8:20-8:25 (see Vol. 8:2) . . . Ekco Products Co. (kitchenware) sponsorship of Wed. portion, and Necchi Sewing Machine Co. purchase of Fi'i. segment, complete sellout of The Goldbergs, starting Feb. 4 on NBC-TV, Mon.-Wed.-Fri. 7:15-7:30; first sponsor signed by Vitamin Corp. of America. Necchi agency is Doyle, Dane & Bernback; Ekco agency is Earl Ludgin & Co. . . . Elgin American Div. of Illinois Watch Case Co. (compacts, lighters) Feb. 12 sponsors one-shot of 8-8:15 segment of Frank Sinatra Show on CBS-TV, Tue. 8-9, thru Russell M. Seeds Co., Chicago.
Station Accounts: With 105 of the nation’s 108 stations now reporting, quarterly Rorabaugh TV Report for January, due off press Jan. 25, lists 6365 different advertisers using TV — 4900 of them local-retail, 1260 national & regional non-network spot, 205 network. That’s big jump from the 4466 total reported by 99 stations in January 1951: 3408 local-retail, 894 spot, 164 network. Further indicative of fast pace of TV growth is fact advertisers totaled mere 2158 in January 1950 (91 reporting stations), 727 in January 1949 (46 stations) . . . WABD, New York, reports signing Dairymen’s League Co-Op Assn, (cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, etc.) for partic. in Recipe for Happiness, thru Barlow Adv. ; Sun Oil Co., Sun. 20-sec. announcements, thru Hewitt, Ogilvie, Benson & Mather; California Fruit Growers Exchange (Sunkist oranges), partic. in Kitchen Fare, thru Foote, Cone & Belding . . . Arthur Murray increasing TV budgets, planning new Pantomime Contest on WNBT, New York, Sat. 7-7:30 . . . Lewyt Corp. (vacuum cleaners) includes TV-radio in springsummer campaign now being planned by ad mgr. Donald B. Smith, thru Hicks & Greist, N. Y. . . . Household Finance Corp. has purchased Let’s Look at the News on WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, Wed. 5:45-5:55 p.m., thru Needham, Louis & Brorby, Chicago . . . Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., one of biggest, using spots on 7-9 a.m. Three to Get Ready show on WPTZ, Philadelphia, to x-ecruit skilled workers, thru Benjamin Eshleman Co., Philadelphia . . . Aiello Dairy Farms Co. (Dairy Maid Italian cheese products), advertising for first time in 56-year history, plans TV spots thru Admiral Adv., N. Y. . . . RCA Victor plans to use TV with other media in campaign for new line of home air conditioners, thru A1 Paul Lefton Co. . . . Gunther Brewing Co. buys 10 five-min. shows per week on WNBW, Washington; show, entitled Hi Neighbor, will be seen twice daily at 6:50 p. m. & 12:15 a. m. presenting local feature story of the day . . . Among other advertisers reported using or preparing to use TV: Kling Factories (furniture), thru Baldwin, Bowers & Straehan Inc., Buffalo; Maytag Co. (washers & ironers), thru McCann-Erickson, Chicago; Chambers Corp. (gas ranges), thru Lewin, Williams & Saylor, Newark; Frozen Farm Products Inc. (Roseport frozen chicken parts & pie), thru Riger & Sheehy, Binghamton, N. Y.; Lever Bros. (Shadow Wave home permanent), thru McCann-Erickson, N. Y. (WTMJ-TV); Campbell Soup Co. (FrancoAmerican spaghetti), thru DancerFitzgerald-Sample, N. Y. (WCBS-TV) ; Foster-Milburn Co. (Doane’s pills) thru Street & Finney Inc., N. Y. (WTVJ); Bonoil Packing Co. (olive oil, food products), thru HirshonGarfield, N. Y.; Recordia Mfg. Co. Inc. (men’s sandals & slippers), thru Franklin & Gladney Inc., N. Y.