Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1960)

12 JANUARY 11, 1960 Programming Public say in programming and a definition of the term “public interest” were urged by Gilbert Seldes at the Jan. 5 Radio & TV Exec. Society seminar. Louis Hausman, dir. of TIO, cautioned against 2 extreme points of view about programming — the huckster’s and the ivory-tower egghead’s—“the one that says ‘if the public likes it, it’s good,’ and the other one that says ‘if the public doesn't like it, it’s good.’” The average run of programming, he said, has “risen some in the past 10 years.” However, if the medium is to “upgrade the taste of its audience and still maintain that audience,” it must “move the people literally inch by inch without cheating them of what they came to TV for entertainment.” Seldes, who is dir. of the Annenberg School of Communications, at U. of Pa., suggested the public might be heard from in “open hearings prior to renewal of a station’s FCC license,” or by “regularly scheduled on-the-air discussions of programming content.” In defense of the industry he said “TV has had the job of defining its own principles while going about the day to day task of securing business.” Higher viewing ratings & more news scoops from fringe areas are being obtained by KREM-TV Spokane with a novel Community Profile program. The show, which operates with the cooperation of some 100 community newspapers, is a 5-7 min. spotlight (history, govt., economy, etc.) on a particular community in the Ch. 2 station s broadcast area. Script data is furnished by the local community newspaper which also gives the program editorial space. Station mgr. Robert Temple says that “KREM-TV isn’t just a TV station anymore; it’s becoming a personal friend to each community in our market. We are amazed at the far-reaching effects of this ‘grass roots program. Community Profile is presented twice weekly during the 6:30-7 p.m. newscast. NBC aflSliates will preview new program series planned for presentation on the network, it was decided at a meeting last week of NBC management and the W affiliates board of delegates. The previews will be carried to all interconnected NBC-TV stations by closed circuit on regular network lines. Special screenings of film shows also will be held for affiliate managers visiting N.Y. Heretofore network-station programming liaison has been confined to advance brochures & press releases describing forthcoming shows, and meetings with network personnel. KTTV Los Angeles has obtained exclusive TV rights to the International Beauty Congress to be held in Long Beach, Cal., in Aug. It plans to video tape, film and microwave it for global distribution. KTTV will feed the 10-day event to as many U.S. & foreign stations as request it, utilizing film for overseas distribution, and live & tape for domestic. KTTV has covered the Miss Universe contest at Long Beach for 5 years. That competition has moved to Florida. NBC will not negotiate with Gillette for renewal of the Fri. boxing bouts, N.Y. J oumalAmerican sports columnist Jimmy Cannon reported last week — as we reported in Nov. (Vol. 15:47 p9). He says the last TV fight likely will be that of the last week in June, when the current contract runs out. Sports Network Inc. is televising Big Eight basketball this season. Sat. 2:45 p.m. The series, sponsored in part by the American Tobacco Co., debuted Jan. 9, and will be seen throughout the Midwest for 8 more weeks. Film & Tape ABC-TV BROADENS FILM BASE: “All our new nighttime 60-min film shows will receive 26-week renewals, including The Alaskans and Adventures in Paradise," (Vol. 16:1 pl5) ABC-TV program vp Tom Moore told us last week. He said he considered the rating performance of the telefilm lineup “an indication of real success,” contrary to critical opinion (Vol. 15:52 p9). There’s growing evidence, however, that several 60min. properties on ABC-TV are by no means out of the woods, renewals & ratings notwithstanding. For one thing, the renewals cover only 13 new film episodes (to complete the usual 39) plus 13 reruns during the summer — they do not extend into the fall-winter season of 1960-61. For another, ABC-TV program executives are making an unusally large number of telefilm production deals designed to: (1) provide the network with a generous selection of replacements for next fall and (2) spread the program risks among manv, rather than a handful, of film suppliers, with ABC-TV involved as a co-owner through pilot financing. The broadening of ABC-TV’s film-supply base suggests a tapering-off of the financial romance between Warner Bros. & ABC-TV, despite the 10-program WB telefilm lineup on that network; a swing away from Disney Productions (a pioneer ABC-TV supplier, but currently suing the network and represented on ABC by only one show) ; and from 20th Century-Fox (one show on ABC-TV, which managed to gain ratings in time for renewal; one show. Five Fingers, cancelled on NBC-TV). ABC-TV’s 1960-61 Film Plans Here is a rundown on ABC-TV telefilm plans as gathered by our N.Y. & L.A. bureaus from network & independent production sources: Screen Gems: The Columbia Pictures-owned telefilm firm will soon rival Warner Bros, as a prime supplier of ABC-TV shows. Already on the network from the SG stable are The Donna Reed Show & The Man From Blackhawk. Scheduled for fall start are 2 more 30-min. shows: the public-affairs series based on Sir Winston Churchill’s writings and an all-cartoon comedy series produced by SG subsidiary Hanna-Barbera, The Flagstones. ABC-TV is currently using daytime reruns of Rin Tin Tin. Recently completed, with ABC-TV financing, was a 60-min. SG pilot of a revamped Naked City series, and other SG-ABC series are being discussed. Four Star Productions: Already one of ABC-TV’s major suppliers with 3 shows currently scheduled {The Rifleman, Robert Taylor in The Detectives, Black Saddle), this producer is involved with ABC-TV in at least 2, possibly 3 new pilots. The most elaborate is a 60-min., ABCfinanced Stagecoach West pilot, with deals also in the works for pilots of J.P. (Justice of the Peace) and a remake of an earlier pilot starring James Whitmore, to he titled The Law & Mr. Jones. MGM-TV: Two major 60-min. film properties have already been optioned by ABC-TV from MGM : The Islanders (pilot completed) and Asphalt Jungle (pilot being made). ABC-TV is directly involved in the financing of these series, and will participate in all residual & rerun deals as a co-owner, we’re told by MGM. Desilu Productions: One of ABC-TV’s strongest successes this season has been the Desilu-produced The Untouchables, whose rotating sponsorship policy could be a head start for ABC-TV in magazine-concept selling. Desilu & ABC are planning to co-produce a new pilot of Guest