Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

J ' ^ ^ t ' * MftRllTO ——Television Digest MABCH 11. 1963 NEW SERIES VOL. 3. No. 10 Albert Warren. Editor & Publisher. 2025 Eye St.. N.W.. Washington 6, D. C. Phone: 965-1985 David Lachenbruch. Managing Editor. 580 Fifth Ave., New York 36, N.Y., Circle 6-2215 Harold Rusten, Associate Editor, 111 Beverly Rd., Overbrook Hills, Philadelphia 51, Pa., Midway 2-6411 Michael H. Bloke Ir., Assistant Editor, Washington. Charles Sinclair, Contributing Editor, New York Eldward M. Kelly, General Manager, Washington The authoritative service for executives in all branches of the television arts & industries SUMMARY-INDEX OF WEEK'S NEWS Broadcast LATENT HEAT IN RATINGS INVESTIGATION coming to surface. Nielsen on hottest spot as 'dominant' firm. Broadcasters defend need for ratings, but agree more accuracy required (p. 1). BLOW TO DROP-INS PUTS FOCUS ON UHF. FCC votes tentatively. 4-3, to reject addition of vhfs to 7 cities. Enid 'move-in' approved. 'CUB' meeting attracting industry's first string (p. 2). POUNDING ON HOUSE'S CLOSED DOOR, by Harris, Meader. industry, seen beginning to weaken ban on TV-radio, at least for committee hearings (p. 3). BROADCASTERS LAUNCH OFFENSIVE AGAINST 315 at hearings before House Communications Subcommittee on equal-time suspension for 1964. Stanton, Somoff, Collins urge complete repeal (p. 3). ADMEN GET TOUGH WITH TV: Colgate-Palmolive's David Mahoney demands 'guaranteed audiences' with make-goods if level sinks below mark; Y&R hires BAR to monitor all agency's commercials in top 75 markets (p 4). LICENSE FEES UP AGAIN, FCC staff recommending some changes from original proposal. TV-AM-FM unchanged except for educators’ exemption (p. 5). FTC ISSUES TONED-DOWN SANDPAPER CASE ORDER against Colgate & Ted Bates after Court remands original decision for being too sweeping in scope (p. 5). CELLER TV NEWSPAPER PROBE to find great decline in joint newspaper-radio ownership percentage, status quo in newspoperTV combines (p. 6). Con^umsr Electronics NEW RCA COLOR CHASSIS, though used with 70-degree tube, 'goes 90% of the way to 90-degree chassis' (pp. 7 & 9). 10 NEW STEREO MARKETS opened by 14 new stations since Dec. 10. Some 2 million stereo receiving units predicted for 1963 (p. 8). FRANCHISE CASE HOLDS LITTLE THREAT for TV industry, manufacturers' lawyers tell us in analysis of Supreme Court's 5-3 decision in White Motor's favor. TV industry's distribution pattern differs from that which got truck maker in trouble (p. 8). LATENT HEAT IN RATINGS INVESTIGATION: If strong words mean anything, Rep. Harris's (DArk.) TV-radio ratings hearing has some rough sessions ahead. Time S again committee members wondered about "fraud," "misrepresentation," "coercion." And they mentioned "remedies" such as; FCC licensing, FTC orders & trade practice rules, uniform standards of practice — even Justice Dept, prosecution. This week, rating services will have their day in court — hove opportunity to counter imcomfortable charges. Special Investigations Subcommittee sought to show that rating techniques are faulty but nonetheless have major role in determining what public sees & hears — and that Nielsen has "monopoly" on rating business. NAB Pres. Collins was first witness. Though he started out as NAB chief with grove doubts about ratings, he now seems convinced of need for them — but remains skeptical of their accuracy. "We must determine," he said, "whether they deserve acceptance as reasonably accurate projections of the true broadcast audience." NAB Research •vp Melvin Goldberg accompanied Collins, said NAB is eager to help improve techniques. CBS-TV Network Pres. James Aubrey said "ratings are lifeblood of business," concluded they "fall short of the ideal," can be used only as estimates. However, he pointed out, "ratings ore used by all advertising agencies with which we deal. Since our sole financial support comes from payments by advertisers, we