Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct - Dec 1952)

NEW FILM FIRM $1 Miiihn vitapix fwmed Mr. WORMHOUDT Mr. BROIDY . . . In key posts for the new Vitapix Corp. FORMATION of a $1 million TV film producing and syndicating company by four prominent broadcasters, a Washington attorney specializing in radio-TV practice and two Hollywood film executives was , announced last weekend. The company is Vitapix Corp. Its principals are John E. Fetzer, president of WKZO-AM-TV KalaV mazoo, Mich., and WJEF Grand Rapids, Mich.; C Howard Lane, president of KOIN Portland, Ore., and KJR Seattle and part owner of KFBI Wichita; Harry C. Wilder, who retired a month ago as president and director of WSYR-AMFM-TV Syracuse and who has interests in WELI-AM-FM and WBIB (FM) New Haven and in WTRY Troy, N. Y.; Richard A. Borel, general manager of WBNSAM-TV Columbus, 0.; Horace L. Lohnes, of the Washington law firm of Dow, Lohnes & Albertson; William F. Broidy, president of William F. Broidy Productions Inc., Hollywood, and Don G. Campbell, owner of the D. C. Electric Co., Hollywood, supplier of electrical equipment to the film industry. President of the new corporation is Robert H. Wormhoudt, who resigned as sales manager of Unity Television Corp., New York, as of last Saturday. At present the stock of the corporation is divided among the orig, inal principals, none of whom owns more than 20%. A redistribution of stock is planned to include Mr. Wormhoudt in the stockholders. When the redistribution is complete, he and the original principals will hold equal shares. Other Officers In addition to Mr. Wormhoudt, the corporation's officers are Messrs. Broidy, Fetzer, Borel and Wilder, vice presidents; Mr. Campbell, treasurer, and Mr. Lohnes, secretary. The board of directors includes the officers and Mr. Lane. Vitapix will syndicate film which is produced especially for it by its production arm, the Broidy company in Hollywood, and which is acquired from other sources. It has already bought both television and theatrical rights to 27 Monogram westerns, 21 starring Johnny Mack Brown and six starS ring Whip Wilson — all released since 1947. The cost of that acquisition is reported to have been nearly $700,000. Vitapix is reprocessing the features on fine grain film. Although its corporate formation was not complete until last week, the company has begun selling these westerns and has sold the features to 10 stations. At the Broidy studios it has in production a 26-time series, Case History, a 26%-minute show about the adventures of a doctor, starring Regis Toomey, and another 26-time series, Trail Blazers, starring Alan Hale Jr. in a 26 V2 -minute adventure strip for boys. It has also acquired rights to 100 Tele-Discs, which are threeminute films to be synchronized with standard musical recordings by top performers. As president, Mr. Wormhoudt will direct operations and sales. Mr. Broidy, as vice president, will be the production chief. The other officers and Director Lane will not be concerned with the detail of administration or operations but will act in advisory capacities in the overall management and in the selection of properties NETWORK CLIENTS Oct. '57 -'52 Compared MORE advertisers used radio networks last month than in October 1951—139 this October to 127 for the same month of last year — according to an analysis made by Executives Radio-TV Service. Reverse is true for TV, the report notes, with 141 advertisers on the video networks in October 1952, compared to 173 TV network clients in October 1951. Both media in October 1952 had more food advertisers than any other type, 28 food companies using network radio and 27 using network TV to advertise their products. Makers of home furnishings and appliances ranked second, 17 advertisers of this category using the radio networks and 20 buying TV network time. Drug companies ranked third, 13 using network radio, 14 using network television. There were fewer commercial network programs on the air this October than a year ago, the summary shows, declining for radio from 210 in October 1951 to 196 in October 1952 and for TV from 170 to 149. to be handled by the firm. Mr. Wormhoudt was sales manager of Unity for three and a half years. Before that he was a salesman for Official Films, which he joined in 1947 after working for a year writing TV news shows at CBS in New York. Mr. Wormhoudt served in the Army during World War IL emerging as a captain. A native of Iowa, he is 41 years old. Sees Unified Effort "Vitapix is the best thing that ever happened to the television film business," Mr. Wormhoudt said, "both in its conception of pulling together all the elements of the business and in its people, all of whom have the proven ability to create business in the best principles and with the soundest results." Mr. Wormhoudt pointed out that To Stress Spot Growth JOSEPH WEED, head of Weed & Co. and president of National Assn. of Radio & TV Station Representatives, is announcing today (Monday) that NARTSR's name has been changed to Station Representatives Assn. Inc. (SRA), effective immediately [B«T, Sept. 15]. Mr. Weed explained the change was made not only to simplify the name, but to avoid conflict with similar titles. SRA reported that in spite of continued expansion of television business in 1951, there was also a "rapid growth" of national spot radio in that year. Due to the increase in activity the station representatives "individually and through their association" are engaged in promotion of spot radio business, "to hold and increase the large volume of business already established." Mr. Broidy, the company's production chief, was among the most experienced TV film producers in Hollywood and that Mr. Campbell was a veteran in the movie industry. The broadcasters in the firm, he said, were highly regarded in radio and television and included the chairman of the NARTB Code Review Board (Mr. Fetzer). They will be able to provide sound and practical advice on the kinds of film which the company will distribute, he said. SEARS TESTS Summarized by BAB RADIO "out-performed" newspapers in 10 out of 12 dollar-for-dollar sales effectiveness tests made by the ARBI method in Sears, Roebuck stores during the past 18 months, BAB reported last week. BAB said this superiority of performance referred both to traffic drawn to the stores and to volume of sales. Results of the surveys, which BAB said were conducted in "Sears stores from the Pacific Northwest to Washington, D. C," are summarized in a new 24-page presentation, "Sears Counts Its Customers," which has been sent to BAB members. Some principal conclusions of the presentation, similar to those contained in the larger "Count Your Customers" summary of ARBI tests which was issued by BAB earlier this year, were described as follows: "(1) Radio and Newspaper advertising seem to reach entirely separate audiences. "(2) Radio reaches a slightly larger audience than newspapers. "(3) There is relatively little over-lap between the radio and newspaper markets for retailers. " (4) Store traffic is created by daily advertising. Other factors including the carry-over effect of previous advertising seem to produce relatively little traffic even for the well-established Sears stores." "Sears Counts Its Customers" recounts some tests included in the earlier "Count Your Customers" brochure, some of which have been made and released since [B*T, Aug. 18], and some which have not been made public before, BAB officials reported. They said copies are being released to members only. Reynolds Radio Plans REYNOLDS Metals Co., Louisville, for its new product, "Liquid Aluminum," plans to distribute radio spots in cooperative advertising. Reynolds, which sells the "Liquid Aluminum" pigment and distributes labels and promotion material to paint manufacturers, currently does not plan any direct advertising program. Agency is Price, Robinson & Frank, Chicago. BROADCASTING • Telecasting November 3, 1952 * Page 29