Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

7 Telecasting Notes: NBC-TV’s rate of compensation to affiliates has been revised to reduce number of “free hours” required (now 24 per month) in accordance with amount of commercials carried by stations. Details weren’t released following Chicago meetings this week between stations committee headed by WRGB’s Ray W. Welpott and NBC group headed by financial v.p. Joseph Y. Heffernan — but NBC president Joseph McConnell said arrangement was worked out “harmoniously and in a businesslike way” and WTMJ-TV gen. mgr. Walter J. Damm called it a “complete understanding of each other’s problems in the growing TV industry” and said it “will benefit us both” . . . Difficulty of new TV stations in getting national business via networks regarded in some quarters as compounding value of basic network afiliations; networks are selling hard as they can, but advertisers aren’t expanding hookups as fast as new stations come on the air and are linked — due to TV’s higher costs ... Not many 200-station TV networks, as in radio, are envisaged as saleable, even when TV is full-blown, but rather “basic networks” comprising 60 or so top markets, with the supplementaries unlikely to earn very much from network affiliations . . . CBS-TV signs Ben Hecht, stage and screen dramatist, to create series of new weekly shows, which he will personally supervise; he’s second Pulitzer Prize winner to be signed for TV, playwright Robei’t Sherwood having recently contracted to write 9 original plays for NBC-TV . . . General Teleradio (Tom O’Neil) reported tabling plans to form “film network” by having stations, including its own 3 (WOR-TV, WNAC-TV, KHJ-TV), finance it cooperatively — but hopes to revive project after a while; this was job to which ex-WOR chief Ted Streibert was assigned before he recently resigned . . . “America’s most graphic and exciting contribution to British TV at the moment is the stirring NBC film Victory at Sea” re Neiwork Accounts: Twentieth Century-Fox buys hookup of 4 ABC-TV stations (WJZ-TV, WFIL-TV, WENR-TV, WXEL) for premiere of Stars & Stripes Forever at Roxy Theatre, New York, Mon. Dec. 22, 8:30-9, with film repeat on WXYZ-TV, WAAM & WLTV Wed. Dec. 24, 8:30-9, thru Charles Schlaifer & Co. Networks climax TV-radio campaign of more than 80 spots on WJZ & WJZ-TV Dec. 15-22. Spot campaigns ai’e also planned in other cities . . . Bristol-Myers Co. (Ipana) drops Break the Bank on CBSTV, Sun. 9:30-10, replaces it with comedy show in same time starting Feb. 8, starring Ken Murray and Alan Young, alternating. Ipana also has replaced Clorets as co-sponsor of Jackie Gleason Show on CBS-TV starting Jan. 3, Sat. 8-9 p.m.; other sponsors are Schick (electric shavers) and Thomas Leeming Co. (Silk ’n’ Satin lotion). Agency is Doherty, Clifford, Steers & Shenfield . . . Bauer & Black (Curad bandages) will co-sponsor Twenty Questions, starting Jan. 2 on DuMont, Fri. 10-10:30 p.m., thru Leo Burnett . . . Fram Corp. (auto filter) plans first use of TV early next spring with 15-min. travel film, Vacationland America, starring John Cameron Swayze & family on NBC-TV, thru Van Sant, Dugdale & Co. . . . Pabst Sales Co. (Blue Ribbon beer) substitutes Christmas Eve Musicals for its boxing bouts Dec. 24 on CBS-TV, one night only, Wed. 10-11 p.m. . . . Gobels Brewing Co. & Miller Brewing Co. will share sponsorship of Detroit-Los Angeles pro football playoff game on DuMont, Dec. 21, Sun. 1:30 p.m.; Gobels agency is Brooke, Smith, French & Dorrance and Miller is Mathisson & Assoc. . . . Adam Scheidt Brewing Co. (Valley Forge Beer & Rams Head Ale) to sponsor Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade Jan. 1 on hookup of WCAU-TV, originating, and WGAL-TV, Lancaster, thru Ward Wheelock Co., Philadelphia . . . Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. (Chesterfields) sponsors Dragnet weekly, starting Jan. 1, on NBC-TV, Thu. 9-9:30 p.m., dropping alternate-week sponsorship of Gangbusters. ports London correspondent of New York Times, who adds that it’s being “widely acclaimed”; 26-week series also being carried on Canadian Broadcasting Corp.’s 2 stations . . . Employment of cameramen is increasing nationally, thanks to TV, and taking up drop in film studio jobs, says Herb Aller, business agent of International Cameramen’s New York local, who adds: “TV provides real stability today; without TV things would be quite bleak” . . . National Lutheran Council, 50 Madison Ave., New York City, issues 31-p. report listing all religious programs on TV & AM networks, along with praise for TV-radio for cooperating with churches to improve quality of religious programming . . . Good idea for others in TV-radio to emulate: Fx-ed Finney, news editor, KTUC, Tucson, Ariz., urging his listeners to send Christmas cards to Wm. N. Oatis, the AP cox'respondent being held prisoner in Czechoslovakia; send them cax’e U. S. Embassy, Prague . . . Perieira & Luckman, architects who designed CBS’s Television City in Hollywood, drawing plans for new KEYT, Santa Bax-bara, Cal., Channel 3 outlet due on air next May and headed by Harx-y C. Butcher, ex-CBS Washington v.p. and wartime naval aide to Gen. Eisenhower, and Colin B. Selph, ex-manager, KDB . . . CBLT, Toronto, adding program hours beginning Xmas week, stax'ting daily at 5:30 and running to 11 p.m., “with the exception of a break during the dinner hour” . . . Mobile’s WKAB-TV (Ch. 48), due on air end of year, has set $200 hourly rate, $20 for 1-min., $15 for 20-sec., is represented by Fox-joe . . . WHEN, Syracuse, has increased power to 50 kw, opei-ating from new 557-ft. tower, expects to reach 190 kw early next year . . . WCBS-TV, New York, adds hour to weekday mox-ning schedule by signing on with News & Previeivs at 7:50, starting Dec. 29; only other local TV station on air that eaxdy is WNBT, signing on at 6:55 or just before Dave Gax-roway’s 7-9 a.m. Today. HARRIS subcommittee’s mild report on TV-radio “morals” doesn’t mean that Congressmen have abandoned the idea of further headline-px-oducing probes of programming. Nor does it mean threat of censorship legislation is permanently ended. Report by 7-nxan subcommittee of House Interstate & Foreign Commex-ce Committee this week urged that investigation be “continued and expanded” in next session of Congress. Amplifying this recommendation, chairman Oren Harris (D-Ark.) told newsmen his group believes new px’obe should cover: (1) Px-oblems posed by incx’easing use of film on TV; what type of controls, if any, are required on subject matter of TV films. (2) On-the-spot checks of TV-x-adio programming in various pai’ts of country, with Congressmen monitoring pi-ograms on the scene, unannounced. Both Chaix'man Hax’ris and subcoxxxnxittee x'eport took issue with witnesses who said Congress had no right to legislate controls over subject matter of TV-x-adio. Congx-ess has x-ight to institute limited controls, x-eport said, but subcommittee fears “potential evils” inherent in such action. Report also recommended “further study and consideration” of FCC Chairman Walker’s suggestion foxlicensing of netwox-ks (Vol. 8:49). Subcommittee report also: (1) praised NARTB and industx-y for adopting self-regulating TV code; (2) urged industry to be more zealous in guarding against offensive program matter; (3) accused TV-radio of devoting too much time to crime programs; (4) praised broadcasters and liquor manufacturers for keeping whiskey ads off the air, but warned against “poor taste” in beer and wine commercials. a General Motors and Willys-Overland will sponsor coronation coverage, both TV-radio, on NBC & CBS, respectively. Plans for telecast are still indeterminate, probably will consist of films flown over after event.