Variety (December 1954)

18 BAMO-TELBVISIOlf Wednesday, December 29, 1954 Mutual Turning to Sports As Nighttime Network Salvation; Formula Seen Bowing Next Month By ART WOODSTONE Nearly always having been able to attract coin to Its past sports stanzas and because of some facts found in the recent Ward survey off radio listening habits and pref- erences, Mutual is now seriously negotiating for a complete night- time sports sked, not to start some- time next spring, with night base- ball, as originally planned, but sometime next month with the lineup of events from Madison Square Garden. The radio web sees the Garden hockey, basketball and miscellaneous sports as salvation of an after-9 p.m. radio net, par- ticularly since virtually everything is unsponsored after that time. Official verification has not been made by either the Garden or by Mutual of current negotiations, but reliably informed sources say that talks indicate an early January start. The deal is not finalized yet, largely because Mutual is believed trying to determine on what basis to accept the various Garden events. Due to its 8 to 9 p.m. “multi-message” block, Mtitual is limited to a post-9 sports pickup, forcing some events to be elimi- nated because of an earlier start. Then too, WMGM, N. Y. indie, has a contract with the Garden for ex- clusive metropolitan radio cover- age, thus eliminating a key adver- tising market for potential nation- al sponsors. However, seen as pos- sible is the selling of the nighttime sports show regionally or on a co- op basis—as with Mutual’s “Game of the day” (one of the few re- maining solid co-op shows in the lineup last summer). An after-9 start will automatical- ly lay heavy emphasis on Garden double header basketball, with part of the first and all of the second game being available to the net- work audience. With the end of the winter sports program at the Garden, there still remains a pos- sibility of night baseball next spring and summer, what with the increase in the number of major league night plays. (This could also lead to a possible decrease in local video coverage since night baseball (Continued on page 26) WOR-TV in Black For ’54—1st Time WOR-TV, the N % Y. General Tele- radio outlet, making capital of the 30 Bank of America feature films rented from its own parent com- pany, has run in the black for ’54 —the first time in the station’s his- tory. Nearly all of the profit was made during the- last 16 weeks (from the starting date of the films). As a matter of fact, the sta- tion’s last quarter in ’54 was 190% ahead in billings from the first quarter of the year. The films, bunched into a multi- exposure (16 times weekly) package called “Million Dollar Movie,” are SRO for the next 10 weeks, with the last of the original eight $1,250- a-week bankrollers having signed on for another 13 weeks. Also contained in a year-end re- port by the GT N.Y. stations Js one on WOR radio. Latter, long considered to be in a major billing position in N.Y., did 16.8% better than ’53 this year. Gordon Gray has been topping the combined radio-tv operation since the first of ’54. 2-A-WEEK SWAYZE RIDE FOR PLYMOUTH Camel cigs will get off the hook twice weekly on its longtime NBC- TV “News Caravan,” with Ply- mouth on the verge of taking the Monday and Wednesday slices of the 7:45 p.m. newscast ringmas- tered by John Cameron Swayze. The auto outfit will pass up Mondays, however, on the onee-a- month “Producers Showcase” 90- minute spectaculars, since these are berthed at 8 o’clock—too close for comfort, with Ford the co- sponsor (along with RCA)/ of the Fred Coe-produced series.' Chairman a/ the Mot'on Pittura De- partment of New York University Prof. Robert Gessner hat written a sage discourse on Between the Commercials * * * one of the many byline pieces In the 49th Anniversary Number of t^SniETY OVT NEXT WEEK Sign of Times- Wayne, Swift As ‘Norby Owners Under terms of the deal which they negotiated with Eastman Kodak, their sponsor, David Wayne and David Swift own all the resi- dual rights to their upcoming half-bour “Norby” color film series, which preems in the Wed- nesday night at 7 NBC-TV slot early in January. Despite the fact that Eastman is plunking down up- wards of $3,000,000 for a full sea- son’s bankrolling of the series, one of the most costly in video, they have no hold on the film after the initial exposure, with Wayne as the star and Swift as the creator of “Norby” retaining all future rights. This is one more evidence of the trend toward longrange thinking on the part of major personalities establishing their future stake ih the medium. One of the principal reasons for Jackie Gleason signing with Buick for his half-hour “Honeymooners” film series, start- ing next season, is that the comic controls all the residuals, which is tantamount to a lifetime annuity. That’s the reason, too, why Mil- ton Berle wants to switch to a half-hour film Show next season, although they’re laying odds around NBC that he’ll be back same time, same live format, Tuesday 8 to 9, primarily because of NBC prexy Pat Weaver’s per- suasions that he stay on the live bandwagon. ) Philip Morris Also Invites Sp!& Tab On ’Public Defender’ Hollywood, Dec. 28. Philip Morris, which already made a deal for Procter and Gam- ble to split the tab on "I Love Lucy,” is expanding Its shared sponsorship theory, figuring it will reach an estimated 19% more homes weekly through having more programs via split tabs. Sponsor, beginning mid-January, will have a co-bankroller deal on “Public Defender,” but hasn’t re- vealed the second angel. On Jan. 9, its “Little Margie” radio show will have a second alternating sponsor. Firm yesterday (Mon.) signed as participation sponsor for Tennessee Ernie's CBS cross-board radio strip, picking up the tab three days weekly beginning Jan. 5. Radio: Motel-Style Omaha. Dec. 28. / KOSI, Denver's newest radio sta- tion, is on the air with studios in 1 a motel. Station features five-min- 1 ute news summaries on the hour ! and waxed music. Outlet is owned by Mid-Ameri- can Broadcasting Co., headed by David M. Segal, which also owns ! stations in Kansas City, Clinton, Mo., and Greenville, Miss. Senor Wences Series NBC will finance a pilot film on the “Johnny and the Gaucho” series, a new package starring Senor Wences, the nitery ventrilo- quist. Package is owned by Wences, together with Parke Levy, who created it, and Abner Gresh- ner, who’ll produce. Film will be shot within the next couple of weeks on the Coast, and wilt employ live actors as well as Wences’ puppet characters. ‘Foreign Legion Bought by Heinz Heinz Foods has purchased the new “Captain Gallant of the For- eign Legion” telefilm series and is placing it in the Sunday-at-5:30 slot on NBC-TV, thereby giving the network a Sunday SRO status from 4 p.m. on. Series, which stars Buster Crabbe and his son, Cuffy, and which was shot on lo- cation in North Africa, starts Feb. 13. Deal was set by Television Pro- grams of America, which copro- duces and distributes the vidpixer, and the Maxon agency, which reps Heinz. Reportedly the food out- fit is dropping its “Studio 57,” vid- pix series produced by MCA and sponsored via Heinz over a limited DuMont web and on a spot basis elsewhere. Films in “Studio 57” presumably would go into the MCA-TV syndication stable for re- run distribution. Sale of “Gallant” gives TPA its third network entry, others being “Lassie” and “Halls of Ivy,” and also its second major food sponsor, first being Camp- bell’s Soup, which bankrolls “Lassie.” Heinz sponsorship is a longterm deal which calls for an annual ex- penditure in time and program of $2,500,000 and which with’ options would run to a total of $7,500,000. Also near finalization is a syndica- tion deal with Heinz which would permit TPA to syndicate the series in all but the 66 network markets [ involved simultaneously, with the network run. Series, which is being filmed with the cooperation of the French government, is owned by TPA together with indie producer Harry Salzman, with the former having provided financing. Gil Ralston produced. There are about 10 in the can presently, with the remainder of the first 39 cur- rently in production. Plans call for at least 13 of the films to be shot in color. Further facet of the deal is a cut- back by Hallmark to a half-hour every week in its 5-5:30 Sunday slot. Card company up to now has been running an hour every fourth week, with the sustaining “Background” in the 5:30 slot three out of four weeks. Farm Directors Choose Jackson as Man of Year Kansas City, Dec. 28. National Assn, of Television and Radio Farm Directors at ifk recent meeting singled out Jack Jackson, director of agriculture for KCMO and KCMO-TV, as its man of the year. He was cited as the farm di- rector who has done the most out- standing job through radio and television work in interpreting ag- riculture to the American public. Jackson has been with KCMO since 1947 when he organized the farm department there. He was president of the NATRFD in 1950, and conducted a European tour of 25 American farmers studying ag- riculture in 10 European countries. He has also served as a govern- ment consultant to European farm broadcasters under the Marshall Plan. ABC’s Pay Hikes ABC has come through with pay raises for a large number of key personnel, the first sal- ary increases since the web’s ma- jor personnel cutback of Sep- 1 tember. Web has granted increases of 4% and 8% to various of its staff, scattered through many de- partments. Rough guess is that some 80% of the network staff is I affected. Cutback of September, which in- volved dropping of more than 100 , staffers including a large number of execs, will have saved the web an estimated $1,000,000 annually. Rating the Canines Talk to anyone at ABC-TV, and they’ll tell you all about “Rin Tin Tin,” which although a 1954 starter, now is the third highest- rated show on the network, back of “Disneyland” and NCAA Football. Latest Nielsen reading for the canine starrer in its usu- ally-quiet Friday-at-7:30 slot is an explosive 30.4, with a 46.1% share of audience. And thereby hangs a tail (sic). At the season’s start. General Mills had held onto the time after relinquishing Stu Erwin to Chesterfields. It was GM’s announced intention to substitute the June Havoc starrer, “Willy,” but without any explanation, they switched “Willy” to CBS-TV Saturdays at 10:30. ABC-TV was the Blue network again until along came Nabisco with “Rin Tin Tin.” “Willy,” on the verge of cancellation, pulled a mere 15.1 on CBS-TV in the same report that "Rinny” came up with its 30.4. CBS-TV has a shaggy dog story of its own, though. “Lassie,” the web’s opposite number to “Rinny,” pulled a 27.8 in the same Nielsen for its Sunday-at-7 slot. Show, which started at the end of September, has built steadily from its initial 15.7 to a 26.0 report before last and the 27.8 last report. “Rinny,” which came on at the end of October, has been somewhat more spectacular, starting with an 18.7, jumping to a 28.1 and now panting heavily with the 30.4. Biow Clarifies Agency Status Board Chairman Also Sets Forth His Philosophy Upon Switchover if- Hal Kanter hat a humorous piece on Life with George Gohel * * * one of the many byline pieces in the 49th Anniversary Number •f P'SrTeTy OVT NEXT WEEK Foreign Language Show Slots Cueing WATV Biz Upbeat In the past two weeks, the pic- ture of foreign language telecast- ing in the N. Y. area has had a change for the good. After months of indecision concerning use of video for an Italian-speaking audi- ence only, five Italo advertisers have joined La Rosa spaghetti and Medaglia D'Oro coffee as pactees .with WATV, Newark, thus enabling the station to get at least part of its foreign language plans started. Definite launching of a seven-day 11-to-noon strip in Italian takes place on Jan. 10. Not only has the commencement of the Italian sked been firmed, but inkings with the Italo bank- rollers as well as contracts with (Continued on page 24) Carrier Pigeons Fly News To WWBG During Dispute With Phone Co. Bowling Green, O., Dec. 28. Carrier pigeons had to replace telephone lines—not erected—so that listeners of WWBG, Bowling Green, could get AP news prompt- ly. The station went on the air on Dec. 2Q without any telephone service, as a result of a dispute with the Northern Ohio Telephone Company. Howard R. Ward, head of the station, said the telephone firm had placed an “exorbitantly high” es- timate on t'-.e cost of erecting tele- phone wires to the station, located 2miles east of Bowling Green. He offered to string his own wires, but the company refused. The case will be heard before the Ohio Public Utilities Commission on Jan. 4. To solve the problem of getting news to its listeners, several car- rier pigeons were borrowed from the American Homing and Racing Pigeon Union, and installed in a loft on the roof of Tiedtke’s De- partment Store, in downtown Tole- do. The store permitted Ward to install an AP teletype machine in its quarters, and the pigeons carry the reports to the station, about 20 j air miles away. With New Year’s marking the changeover of the Biow Co. .to Biow-Beim-Toigo, Inc., board chair- man Miltori H. Biow last week of- ficially alerted agency staffers to the new deal and delivered his personal philosophy in a three- page letter. With Biow devoting more time to executive direction in a switch from his longtime role of running a “one-man agency,” he pointed out that the top twain, F. Kenneth Beirn, prexy, and John Toigo, executive v.p., “will assume growing responsibility for admin- istration of the firnWs, activities.” The company, he declared, will henceforth function “on the broad base of organizational operations,” giving this as a prerequisite to further growth. If what he has seen so far is a “dress rehearsal,” he has complete confidence in “the success of the show,” Biow said. Biow noted in his letter that 1955 will mark the 40th anni of the Biow firm and that “we have never deviated from my original principle that we must be fresh and young in mind in everything we do, that we must be courageous enough to try new ways, new paths, but remembering always that being new is not enough—being right is (Continued «on page 24) Godfrey Back To SRO Radio Status One way to lure a sponsor is to plug his product once or twice over lightly on the cuff. But maybe the gift blurb gets more attention if an Arthur Godfrey happens to be behind it. Coincidence or not, Godfrey picks up business from Turns (which he’s been mentioning in byplay) for the first quarter- hour of “Arthur Godfrey Time,” starting this we^k via CBS Radio on an alternating sked. With Mu- tual of Omaha previously annexed, AG is again SRO after a brief spell of vacancies. The web drew additional coin last week. Having put the last 15 minutes of the Tennessee Ernie show on the Power Plan for Jan- uary availability, the network drew Philip Morris Cigarets for the 7:25 to 7:30 p.m. segment on Wednes- day, Thursday and Friday. First quarter-hour of the show doesn’t come under the Power Plan; the whole 15 minutes must be bought. Under PP, three sponsors can get in for a five-minute seg each. Un- der the old 30-minute PP three clients rode for a 10-minute slice. This was scrapped last season. CBS Radio’s Repeat On Jan. 8 Senior Bowl CBS’ exclusive radio coverage of the Senior Bowl game from Mo- bile on Jan. 8—there’ll be no tv— will have Red Barber anchored on the stripe-by-stripe calls. It will be Barber’s second major grid as- signment within a couple of Satur- days, since he will play-by-play the Miami Orange Bowl doings on New Year’s Day. Senior Bowl aircast will be the fourth year under the CBS tag.