Broadcasting (Jan - Mar 1950)

T E L I N Vol. 38, No. 8 WASHINGTON, D. C, FEBRUARY 20, 1950 $7.00 A YEAR— Z.^i* A COPY BUDGETS UP Record Outlay for '50 Coverage ISPONSORSHIP of 1950 base\ha\l schedules, including ma|jor and minor league games, I will bring total advertiser I budgets well past the $20 miljlion mark — this is not countI ing the satellite programs and ! spots built around these games, according to a pre-season roundup by Broadcasting. While some contracts are still in the negotiation stage, it already is obvious that more sponsors will spend more money on baseball than ever before. More listeners and [viewers will tune in play-by-play ] coverage when the season opens in mid-April. I Main addition to the 1950 dia,jmond lineup is the MBS 350-station jpackage [Broadcasting, Feb. 13]. I A blanket survey by Broadcast!lNG last week found the major [league cities about ready for the i;Season. Most contracts were in ialmost to the day of the unofficial [deadline of Feb. 15, the date at Iwhich the major league headquarijters annually pegs its sights for plearance of all broadcast contracts. In addition, reports from minor ileague cities, show considerable |3aseball budget increases there. 'i Chesterfield Increases I Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. I( Chesterfields) is expected to pick jap a larger tab as a result of this year's baseball scheduling. While ao figures were available last week, che expenditure is believed to be substantially higher than during 1949 because of the addition of Chicago and the 35-station Midwest Baseball Network to its coverage. Igency handling placement for |Cj&M is Cunningham & Walsh, New pork. I L&M will sponsor the full 154l*ame schedule of the National JLeague's Chicago Cubs with WIND i^hicago the originating station. 3ert Wilson will handle play-by^)lay chores as he has in the past. (Elsewhere, the Chesterfield picure is essentially the same as ast year with the tobacco firm I iponsoring radio-TV coverage of he Washington Senators and the Jew York Giants. WMCA New Tork will beam the radio version |f home and away games of the |iants, while WPIX (TV) New {: ork will telecast the 77 home con|iests — an agreement now in its BROADCASTING • Telecasting third year. Expected to rotate radio-video duties are Russ Hodges and Ernie Harwell and another announcer to be selected. In Washington the rotation of radio-TV sportscasting also will be employed. Announcers Arch McDonald, veteran Washington sportscaster, and Bob Wollf will give listeners and viewers a running description of Senators' diamond activities. WWDC-AM-FM Washington, which switched today from its 1450 kc 250 w facility to 1260 kc 5 kw, has xclusive AM rights for all home and away games, both day and night. Last year, WWDC broadcast only night and Sunday games with WPIK Alexandria, Va., airing weekly day games. In the package rights negotiated this year by Liggett & Myers — similar to that consummated in 1949— Chesterfield is given exclusive "inthe-pai-k" advertising rights. Telecasts of Senators home games will be handled again by WTTG (TV), DuMont's Washington station, with Howard Williams assisting Messrs. McDonald and Wolff in announcing chores. Yankee Sponsorship P. Ballantine & Sons (Ballantine beer & ale) again will sponsor telecasts of all New York Yankee home games on WABD (TV) New York, as well as alternate radio sponsorship on WINS New York of all Yankee home and road contests with General Cigar Co. for White Owl cigars. J. Walter Thompson handles both accounts. Mel Allen and Curt Gowdy have been set to announce on AM, with TV chores still undecided. The split sponsorship also will prevail for coverage of the Brooklyn Dodgers, with F & M Schaefer Brewing Co. paying the bill for home telecasts on WOR-TV New York, and 50% of the Dodgers' full season schedule on radio. Post Cereals Div. of General Foods Corp. will sponsor the balance of the broadcasts, which will be aired live by WMGM New York. Young & Rubicam handles Post Cereals; the Schaefer Beer account is under BBDO. It is understood that the New York Yankees management is mulling a special arrangement which would set up a "home of the champions" network comprising 12 upstate New York stations beyond the conventional 50-mile limit cited in major league rules governing broadcast rights. Albany, Jersey City and other points would be included. A similar network arrangement reportedly is under consideration in Philadelphia's Shibe Park, home of the American League's Athletics and the National's Phillies, and apparently has held up official release of contract rights. While details were not disclosed (Continued on page 52) Wf WS ON DUES NAB Raise Gets Mixed Reactioh NAB'S increase in dues for stations— 780 of them — in the four lower income classes, effective April 1 as a result of the board's recent Arizona meeting [Broadcasting, Feb. 13], met with mixed reaction among members last week. The subject promises to come up informally, and perhaps on the floor, at the mid-April convention in Chicago. When April NAB bills are sub mitted, Class A stations ($25,000 net income and under) will be asked to pay $15 per month instead of aproximately $6.50 ($7.50 minus 121/2% discount). The discount ends April 1. Three other low-income brackets will pay higher fees, the board having raised rates to expand service to the membership and to get rid of inequities in the dues schedule. Among those who voiced their NAB's revised structure views the new rates were praised and cussed. Edgar Kobak, writing as head of WTWA Thomson, Ga., to NAB President Justin Miller, praised the boost. J. S. Younts, president-general manager of WEEB Southern Pines, N. C, was one of those sharply critical but he is willing to be shown that the boost is justified. Kobak Agrees Mr. Kobak wrote: . '. . I am glad to see that some straight thinking has been given to the dues structure. I know from the standpoint of WTWA I will be happy to pay the increased dues. I have paid in advance for this year and if you win have a revised bill sent to me I will send you my dues for the balance of the year. Taking the opposite tack, Mr. Younts wrote NAB: . . . Whereas small stations feel that we receive benefit from NAB, it is questionable if the benefit is in proportion to the amount of dues that you propose to charge in order to maintain a very high overhead in Washington. When I see that you have officers that are drawing yearly salaries that exceed the total gross billing per annum of many small sta(Continued on page 51t) February 20, 1950 • Page 19