Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1960)

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VOL. 16; No. 4 5 If the programming is done in a highly attractive manner, then there should be no loss of viewers. The programs need not be sustaining — they may be sponsored both on a network & on a local basis.” Then came a description of “proposal No. 2” — NBC’s: “Each network will earmark at least % hour of prime time each evening (Mon. through Fri.) for public-affairs programming in a fixed time period for 52 weeks a year. “In addition, each network will withdraw present service of % hour of prime evening time (option time) each third week so that its affiliates may originate local public-affairs programming in that period. The networks will consult with each other with government approval so that the periods designated by each under the foregoing plan will fall on different evening, for the purpose of providing maximum spread of public-affairs programming each week for maximum viewer choice. This will provide for 270 min. of programming each week for the public — (7 days x 30 mins, plus 60 min. local). “This gives more minutes of public affairs programming but lacks definitiveness, that is, instead of falling between 7:30 & 8, it may fall in any half hour segment 7:30 to 11 on weekdays and 6 to 11 on Sun., N.Y. time. “It may offer less havoc with the affiliates or give them an excuse for not being able to plan definitely their own programming. One of the important elements of any arrangement is to have full cooperation of all affiliates.” Two More Proposals ABC’s plan, “proposal No. 3”, was brief: “Would provide for rotation within the week rather than by the week, that is, network ‘X’ would program each Mon. between 7:30 & 8:00; network ‘Y’ would program between 7:30 and 8:00 each Wed.; and network ‘Z’ 7:30 to 8:00 each Fri. — ^with either Tues. or Thurs. to be alternated each week by one of the networks and remaining day (Tues. or Thurs.) by the local affiliates each week.” Finally, there was a compromise “proposal No. 4” which differed from the finally announced agreement. It provided that network “X” would handle 30 min. each week, in the 7:30-11:00 period, on Mons. On Tues., the affiliates of “X” would program every 3rd week. On Weds., network “Y” would do the 30-min. stint weekly, while its affiliates would carry on for 30 min. every 3rd week. Network “Z” and its affiliates would do the same for Fris. & Sats. “The advantages here,” the Doerfer memo said, “would be that the responsibility of public-affairs programming would be split up among the networks each week and respective affiliates each third week. The disadvantages are . . . public service programming during prime time on Sat. or Sun. is not too desirable. “There is no definitiveness — could not rely upon uniformity of time — and would have to consult newspapers, etc. The programming by the networks would be reduced to 90 mins, per week, although the affiliates would be increased to 90 mins, per week.” Thereafter, final agreement was reached (see p. 2). Color programming on NBC will total 450 hours in the first half of 1960. “That’s about 100 hours more than in the same period last year,” NBC-TV vp for sales Don Durgin told an RTES seminar audience Jan. 21 gathered at NBC’s Ziegfeld Theater color studio for an NBC-assisted status report on color progress. Durgin said that, with more than 300 stations now equipped to re-broadcast network color, it is becoming a definite factor in current network sales contracts by advertisers who consider color-TVequipped homes “a quality market worth reaching.” MBC LOOKS AT 1959; Advertising revenue increased for the 12th straight year at NBC-TV in 1959, jumping 10% above 1958 to a ne^w gross level of $300 million for time, facilities & program billings on network-produced or -sold shows, the network’s official year-end wrap-up stated last week. Advertisers spent $28 million for time & talent on NBC-TV’s roster of 200 specials, a 40% hike over 1958. Colorcasting emerged during the year as a strong factor in network sales, NBC-TV reported, with $43 million (out of $50 million) in automotive billings specifically for color programming, despite continuing limitation on the total number of colorequipped homes. NBC-TV color programming totalled 735 hours last year, an increase of 30% over 1958. Network news-in-depth & public-affairs shows came into their own at NBC-TV in 1959, aided somewhat by the post-quiz problem of improving TV’s general social image. NBC news produced 30 programs covering the KhrushchevEisenhower trips alone (and received a coveted Sylvania Award). The nework’s first weekly prime-time documentary series, World Wide 60, was announced, to start this month in the Sat., 9:30-10:30 p.m. period. Sports coverage totalled 450 hours, a 50% jump over 1958, with sponsors making a time-&-program investment of $36 million in 1959 on sports shows. NBC-TV’s average evening network lineup advanced from 137 stations (1958 level) to 144 at year’s end. Station lineups for NBC-TV’s Today & Jack Paar Show participation programs totalled 148 & 146 respectively, and combined ad billings in the 2 participation shows reached $20,875,000 during 1959. As the year closed NBC-TV had 192 affiliates & 20 satellites, covering 99% of U.S. TV homes. Of these, 164 were color-equipped for network feeds. A total of 216 names were on NBC-TV’s 1959 client list, including 24 of the top 25 advertisers, by the network’s count. New sponsors included United Airlines, Lanvin and Puritron, although such 13-year veterans as Gillette & Kraft were still around at year’s end. An impressive growth chart is currently appearing in the advertising of ABC-TV to point up its decided progress in obtaining share-of-audience since 1953. Using Sun.-Sat. 8-10:30 p.m. Nielsen multi-network markets figures for Dec. only in the 6 years of 1953-1958 and the Nielsen 24market share of audience for Dec. 1959, ABC-TV shows the chronological year-by-year share-of-audience growth of 11.4, 13.5, 16.7, 20.6, 23.3, 27.3 — culminating in 1959’s 30.9. The latter figure is the first to surpass the audience shares of the other 2 networks, which are stated by ABC-TV’s chart to be 30.5 and 28.4. The network starts 1960 on the same healthy note with another ad spotlighting the year’s “first” Trendex & Nielsen reports — both of which show ABC-TV out in front of its network competitors: 19.1 to 19 & 17.5 per Trendex (8-10:30 p.m., Mon. -Sun.), 19.3 to 19.1 & 17.3 per Nielsen (24 market). Injunction against Hubbell Robinson Productions & NBC was denied playwright Mel Dinelli to “stop presentation” of “The Man,” Jan. 4 Ford-sponsored Startime presentation starring Audie Murphy. Dinelli had consented to sell production rights to the play to Robinson but “insisted on adaptation rights as well.” Robinson rejected the proposal, instead purchased contractual rights to the play which had been sold by Dinelli to RKO pictures. Dinelli may still seek damages from Robinson-NBC.