Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1960)

VOL. 16: No. 51 3 DETAILS OF THAT AFTRA-SAG PACT: Specifics of the recently-negotiated TV-commercials contract between Screen Actors Guild, AFTRA and the networks, ad agencies and producers were disclosed over the weekend when SAG mailed copies to its 14,000 members to seek ratification (Vol. 16:49 p2; 46 pp3 & 7). AFTRA is still negotiating phases of its contract with the networks, and will seek membership ratification later. Highlight of the agreement, covering both film (in SAG’s jurisdiction) and tape (AFTRA jurisdiction), is a new formula in the spot area that is based on “weighting” of cities by population units & a structure of fees based on these units. Compensation for 13-week cycles of spot use is based on a formula by which each city is given a unit of one for each million of population in its metropolitan area. A fractional population of 500,000 or more constitutes an additional million for weighting purposes. Each city below one million is weighted at one unit. Under this formula, Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. are weighted at 2 units; Boston and San Francisco, 3; Detroit and Philadelphia, 4. N.Y., Chicago and Los Angeles are treated separately. For principals on camera in spots used in any one of these 3 cities, the rate is $200 (compared to the old rate of $125). For additional units a formula will be used beginning at 26 units ($1.25 a unit). For spots shown in any 2 of these cities, the rate is $312, as compared to the old rate of $170, plus additional units at 25^ each. For all 3 cities, the rate is $345, up from $220, plus additional units at 25^ each. For the principals off camera in spots used in the 3 cities, the rate for any one city goes up from $72.50 to beginning at 26 units, $1 a unit; any 2 cities, from $105 to $190, plus additional units at 204 each; all 3 cities, from $150 up to $227, plus additional units at 20^ each. The old formula still applies to program commercials, although the guilds did receive scale hikes in this area. Under that formula, the classifications. A, B & C and weighting of N.Y. at 11 units, and Los Angeles & Chicago at 7 each, still prevails. Session fees go up from $80 to $95 for principals on camera, from $55 to $70 for off-camera principals, and there are general raises all along the line. The employers have agreed to a contribution of 5% of all compensation toward a pension & welfare fund. The contract also calls for limitations on exclusivity; reduces the maximum period of use & reuse off camera from 30 months to 24, includes the showings of commercials in the U.S., Canada and Mexico in coverage of use & reuse fees, with rates for showings elsewhere to be up to the player’s individual bargaining. The 3-year contract is retroactive to Nov. 16, becomes effective Jan. 16. CBS Films has sold 90% of its international syndicated library to the Australian market, according to international sales dir. Ralph Baruch. Australia now gets 44 CBS series, including The Brothers Brannagan, Twilight Zone, Rawhide, & Gunsmoke, plus news & public-affairs films such as the CBS News film. Baruch also announced that in response to pleas that Australia needs product badly, and servicing by agents is proving unsatisfactory, CBS has set up its own Australian sales unit with William Wells as managing dir. MGM-TV’s Pilot Plans: MGM-TV will produce a minimum of 7, perhaps as many as 9 pilots for the coming season, we’re told by Robert M. Weitman, vp in charge of TV production for the Culver City studio. The list ranges from musical comedy to action and anthology. He lists as definite pilot projects: Cain’s 100, contemporary action (60-min.), Paul Monash, exec, producer, for NBC-TV, going into production Jan. 10. Woman in the Case, anthology (60-min.), Monash, exec, producer, for NBC-TV, in production Jan. 12. Harrow for the Defense, courtroom drama, Norman Felton, producer, in production about Jan. 15. Father of the Bride, comedy, starring Leon Ames, Robert Maxwell, producer. General Mills financing, into production Jan. 15. Andy Hardy, comedy. Maxwell, producer, for NBC-TV, into production in late January. Han-y’s Girls, musical comedy, Ralph Levy, producer, Alan Jay Lerner, creator, Larry Blyden, star, just filmed in Europe. Dr. Kildare, drama, into production Jan. 25. The pilot of The Adventures of Hercules Poirot, starring Jose Ferrer, has been delayed because of Ferrer’s movie commitments. MGM-TV is also interested in other deals, and is in negotiation for network financial participation in its pilots, Weitman told us. The executive said he expected a renewal for MGMTV’s National Velvet. The studio’s The Islanders leaves ABC-TV April 9, after its commitment for 26 segments has expired, and will be replaced by MGM-TV’s The Asphalt Jungle, which goes into production in mid-January. Arthur Lewis has been named producer of the series. Henry Jaffe Enterprises Inc. has filed a $3.5-million damage suit against Screen Gems in Los Angeles, alleging that SG conducted negotiations with ABC-TV for reruns of 1958 Shirley Temple Storybook episodes at the same time it was telling Jaffe it was trying to get a network commitment for new (1959) segments, Jaffe, exec, producer of the series, said his contract with SG demanded that he get a network commitment by Sept. 1, 1958, for new shows, or SG could distribute the 1958 shows without Jaffe’s approval. He said the agreement was extended to Nov. 1, 1959, providing neither party would contact prospective buyers without the other’s knowledge & consent. SG sold the reruns to ABC-TV without trying to sell the 1959 series, he alleges. This was done despite SG’s knowledge that Jaffe Enterprises had paid $246,000 to Miss Temple to assure her availability, and that amount was forfeited when the 1959 series wasn’t sold, the action claims. Jaffe charges SG made “false representations” & acted “deceitfully & fraudulently,” and asks $2.5 million in actual damages, $1 million in punitive damages. FTC action to force Hollywood “plug specialists” to disclose the names of national advertisers they have represented was dropped in Los Angeles last week. The case, which had been due for a hearing in U.S. District Court, was dismissed on motion of FTC attorneys who indicated the Commission was dropping its investigation of Dick Fishell & Associates, Mary Rothschild and Vicki Raaf. Their attorney, Oliver B. Schwab, had opposed government subpoenas on the basis that FTC had shown no violation of federal law, and that investigations were being conducted without giving his clients sufficient Constitutional guarantees. Schwab is also seeking to quash FCC subpoenas against the same clients, on the grounds that they have been deprived of counsel under FCC hearing ground rules, and that the information sought is confidential & beyond the scope of the FCC probe of TV film (Vol. 16:44 p7).