Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

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6— TELEVISION DIGEST MAY 20, 1963 TOO-AAANY-COMMERCIALS PLAN: FCC’s proposal to limit commercials was issued last week, is as we indicated (Vol. 3:19 pi). Vote was 4-3, as expected — majority; Minow, Lee, Henry, Cox. Ford, Hyde & Bartley dissented, last 2 with statements. NAB TV & Radio Codes are basis of proposal, and Commission adds a few trimmings. (It’s Doc. 15083, comments due July 1, and we’ll be glad to get you copy of full text.) As we reported, FCC believes NAB Codes are fine but that too few stations subscribe to them, that many subscribers violate them — and they have no teeth. Commission also invited stations to tell why they should be exempted from limitations — small market, daytime, seasonal economy, etc. Dissenter Hyde said proposal could “place an enormous policing duty upon the Commission which could give more adverse results than benefits” and “I believe the proposal is inconsistent with the statutory concept of broadcasting as a competitive private enterprise service.” Dissenter Bartley called it “an irritating act of futility.” He said FCC already knows why many stations should be exempt. Furthermore, he said, some stations with plenty of good commercials are much better to listen to than others with fewer commercials of the “screaming, irritating & obnoxious” kind that produce “headaches that the advertised product is supposed to cure.” In addition, he said, move would be improper delegation of responsibility, would have tendency to freeze NAB Code and would encourage stations into “hiding behind the skirts of recognized maximum quantity and disregarding acceptable quality.” NAB Pres. Collins, meanwhile, continued to blast plan in speeches around the country, insisting that industry can take care of itself. As example, he wrote heads of 50 largest ad agencies, urging them to “cooperate” with Code subscribers. He carefully didn’t define “cooperation” — but obvious assumption is that agencies are urged to buy time on stations which subscribe, bypass those which don’t. NAB also announced it had contracted with Air Check Services Corp. to do its TV & radio monitoring. Firm is headed by Richard Drost, covers' 400 cities, and 50% of its employes are people with physical handicaps. Highest price on record for one-minute program participations— $75,000 a shot — is being sought by NBC-TV for commercials in big pro grid event of season. National Football League championship game, to which NBC holds rights. King-sized price tag stems from king-sized price ($926,000) NBC shelled out recently for TV rights (not counting production or time charges) to game. NBC predicts record audience for game, expects to have no trouble unloading its expensive package, privately hopes that recent prediction by CBS-TV pres. James T. Aubrey Jr. that TV sports events are likely to price themselves out of market (Vol. 3:19 p4) won’t throw NBC for 10yard loss. Boston Ch. 38 CP has been granted to Boston Catholic TV Center Inc., which proposes to operate commercially and to feed instructive programs to schools. For school programs, FCC said, station must limit sponsorship announcements to name of company. Theater-TV color network is planned in Japan by Toho Co., that country’s largest movie producer, distributor & exhibitor, which has placed order for 10 GE Talaria colorTV projectors (Vol. 3:18 p2) at more than $500,000. Under name of Toho TV Theaters, company will begin regular theater TV next spring, plans 10 hours daily of sports (including 1964 Olympics), education, culture, drama & news. Five theaters in Tokyo; 3 in Osaka, and one each in Kyoto & Kobe will participate. Toho is seeking govt, allocation of 7.5-mc bandwidth microwave system to accommodate color pictures of greater resolution than those televised by broadcast stations. National General Corp. has already announced plans for closed-circuit theater-TV network in U.S. (Vol. 3:9 p3). National Community TV Assn.’s 12th annual convention will have Sen. Magnuson (D-Wash.), Commerce Committee chmn., as keynote luncheon speaker June 11. Meeting at Seattle’s Olympic Hotel June 10-14 will also hear: Dr. Royal L. GarflF, U. of Utah marketing & speech professor; Loren B. Stone, ETV KCTS-TV Seattle mgr.; Cowles Andrus, special asst, to deputy administrator for financial assistance. Small Business Administration. NCTA’s 1963 awards wil be judged by Washingtonians: Henry J. Kaufman, Henry J. Kaufman Assoc., adv. ; Bryson Rash, WRC-TV-AM; Robert K. Richards, Richards Assoc., PR. ETV WNDT N’.Y. denied in reply to FCC that any donations from commercial broadcasters carried conditions that it alter its programming in favor of instructional TV (Vol. 3:18 p3). Chmn. Howard Shepherd said there’s been no change in proportion between cultural & instructional programming, and there’ll be none. He said programming discussions between Pres. Samuel Gould & NBC Chmn. Robert Sarnoff & Exec, vp David Adams were regarded by Gould as “collateral material,” not related to NBC’s recent $100,000 donation. Plans for NAB program dept, were outlined by Pres. Collins to South Dakota Bestrs. Assn. May 17. He said NAB shouldn’t get into programming production business, but should offer “extension service” to exchange techniques & ideas, make information available on program material, offer in-service training to programmers. Collins noted that NAB has commissioned U. of Denver research project on entertainment & its values. Vast & expensive coverage of Maj. Cooper’s orbital flight was most impressive to date — though public attention wasn’t as rapt as with earlier flights. For first time, Mercury capsule carried slow-scan TV camera for shots in & out of vehicle; pictures were generally poor. TV coverage was taped, relayed to Europe, including Iron Curtain countries, via satellites Telstar & Relay — all in all, a resounding programming & technical feat. Ronnd-robin “Education Exchange,” inaugurated May 20 by 5 NBC owned TV stations, will run 20 weeks starting with 4-week offering of each stations’ local series : WNBC-TV N.Y., Science Age; WRCV-TV Philadelphia, U.S. Might & Studies in Creativity; WRC-TV Washington, Focus on World Affairs; WNBQ Chicago, Modern Math; KNBC-TV Los Angeles, Feitelson on Art. San Diego Assn, of Bestrs. is financing 1,600-interview study to determine number of receivers in market, to gather data on FM listening. Accounting Corp. of America will tabulate results turned in by supervisor & 8 interviewers.