Broadcasting (July - Sep 1950)

Spot TV Film Sales (Continued from page A7) mpetition with networks was I early stated last week by Mr. atz. "This technique will enable spot oadcasting to compete for large idvertising) appropriations that iretofore have been exclusively ivoted to networks," he said. In most instances, Mr. Katz said, ith advertisers and stations will nefit financially from choosing a iot television program as against j network show. J Although he said he did not have recise figures at hand, he thought at a general observation could be ade that it would cost an adverser from 10 to 12% less to buy a "m program and place it on a spot isis than to line up a network ow on the same stations. The increase in net revenue to iiations would be even more invit;g, Mr. Katz said. The most a .itwork affiliate can hope to net ^it of a network commercial pro[•am is about 30% of its card rate, id Mr. Katz. From a program Braced through its representative I a national spot basis, the stan gets about 72% of its card jjite. This figure is reached by the j-ogressive subtraction of 15% fjrency commission and 15% repliisentatives' commission from the lation's rate. 'Because of the financial induceiients for stations to schedule spot urograms in preference to network ijiows, Blair, Free & Peters and atz foresee little difficulty in oblining desirable schedules for spot ;t|ograms. The three representative firms iijatready have obtained sales rights 3 two film series, "Sherlock iolmes" and "Shadows of the lind," both of which are owned ijsf Dryer & Weenolsen Productions ic. The films are to be produced England. Although Blair-TV, Free & jters and The Katz Agency anjunced they had agreed "to make l^ailable a sizable fund to be used ii)(ir the development of sales aids ; promote the sales of the prop'•ties acquired," they said they Duld not take any commissions for handling the programs. The only revenue they will derive from the sale of the films is that which any other representative participating in the sale will obtain — commission on the sale of the time to whichever of his stations is bought for the telecasts. Under the proposed system, stations will be asked to guarantee schedules in order to participate in the plan, in short, to promise that the program will be telecast at a precise period on a regular basis. This may not constitute "option time" in its strictest definition, but the procedures are not too distantly related. Spokesmen for Blair, Free & Peters and Katz said that "most" of the total of 31 stations represented by the three companies had already agreed to "guarantee certain periods of their own time to accommodate such business." The tri-company program sales campaign is being coordinated by Wells H. Barnett Jr. for Blair-TV, Jack Brooke for Free & Peters, and Ed Codel for The Katz Agency. The announcement of the new set-up was jointly made by William H. Weldon, president of BlairTV; H. Preston Peters, president of Free & Peters, and Mr. Katz. LEE TV PLANS Will Continue Applications PERMISSION to continue prosecution of long-pending applications for expansion of television activities was granted last week to the estate of Thomas S. Lee by Los Angeles Superior Judge Newcomb Condee at the request of Public Administrator Ben H. Brown. Original applications had been filed with FCC before the death of Thomas Lee last Jan. 13. And permission was asked to move KTSL (TV) Hollywood facilities from Mt. Lee to Mt. Wilson. Request also included the permanent license replacing the experimental one under which the station now operates. In addition, application has been filed with FCC for a San Francisco TV station. Under Judge Condee's ruling, Mr. Brown is empowered to continue incurring expenses for furtherance of the applications. m NMES11NGHOUSE 15, inc WOiC SALE Approved by FCC CONSENT was granted by FCC last week to the $1,400,000 sale of WOIC (TV) Washington to the Washington Posi-controlled WTOP Inc., licensee of WTOP-AM-FM there [Telecasting, July 3, June 26]. This is the largest TV station transaction to date. WOIC was given up by General Teleradio, subsidiary of R. H. Macy & Co. and operator of WORAM-FM-TV New York. General Teleradio told FCC it wished to dispose of the Washington video outlet in order to devote more time to its TV interest in New York, WOR-TV. WTOP Inc. is owned 55% by the Post and 45% by CBS, but the Post exercises complete control with Publisher Philip L. Graham acting as voting trustee for the network. It is expected that WOIC will SPORTS USE Batson Cites TV Value A "GREEN-BACKED promotional opportunity" is in store for sports executives who have "conquered their natural but unwarranted fear of television" and appreciated the evidence of its stimulating effect on gate receipts. That observation was offered last week by Charles A. Batson, NAB director of television, in an address Wednesday at the annual convention of the International Assn. of Auditorium Managers meeting in Grand Rapids, Mich. "Television's unique ability to transport thousands of people miraculously from their living rooms into your auditorium — but not quite — strikes a responsive chord which can definitely make the turnstiles click," he told delegates. Mr. Batson supported this contention by citing a study of TV's effect upon attendance at football games played last year in Los Angeles Coliseum — a study, he added, which may not have been entirely favorable to video on the surface. He noted that 50% of the people reporting they had attended for the first time volunteered that their interest had been whetted by televiewing of the games. Quotes Sports Survey The NAB TV director also quoted figures and conclusions drawn in the famous Jordan Study, which gave an exhaustive analysis of TV's effect on sports attendance [Telecasting, May 22]. He termed the report "an excellent piece of work for which the television industry has the greatest appreciation and respect." Referring to an AP report last week showing a 12% decrease in major league baseball attendance, Mr. Batson noted that the three teams reporting heaviest receipts all have television, while Pittsburgh — the largest attendance loser in the N. L. — does not permit it. become WTOP-TV and will be operated in conjunction with WTOP under the management of Vice President John S. Hayes, general manager of the AM and FM facilities. WOIC's History WOIC, on Channel 9 (186-192 mc), commenced operation in January 1949 and is affiliated vdth the CBS-TV network. WOIC manager Eugene S. Thomas, for a while considered the most likely nominee to succeed Maurice B. Mitchell as head of BAB, returns to the WOR organization in New York to head television operations there [Broadcasting, July 24]. Mr. Mitchell, who leaves BAB to join NBC in an executive sales position, formerly was commercial manager of WTOP. FCC Chairman Wayne Coy, onetime head of the Post's radio activities, did not take part in the Commission action approving the sale of WOIC. Approval of the sale brings to a conclusion the long efforts of WTOP Inc. to secure a television outlet. Prior to FCC's current freeze, WTOP Inc. petitioned the Commission for allocation of Channel 12 to Washington for which it planned to apply. ELECTRO VOICE Inc., Buchanan, Mich., has issued bulletin describing high gain, self-tuning Tune-O-Matic TV booster. Copies of bulletin, No. 158, may be obtained by writing firm. advertisers spend Mate money to sell merchandise to people on WLW-TELEVISION than on any other three TV stations in the WLWTelevision market — 2nd largest in the midwest. WLWT WLW-D WLW-C CHANNEL 4 CINCINNATI CHANNEL 5 DAYTON CHANNEL 3 COLUMBUS elecasting • BROADCASTING July 31, 1950 • Page 53