Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1953)

FACTS & FIGURES My Line (Jules Montenier) were judged best public affairs and audience-quiz-panel programs, respectively. NBC-TV's Dragnet (Liggett & Myers) was picked as best mysteryadventure program. Paramount award was for Time for Beany, syndicated children's show. Jimmy Durante, of NBC-TV's All-Star Revue (Pet Milk, Johnson & Johnson), was called best comedian. Thomas Mitchell was selected as best actor and Helen Hayes as best actress. Local award was given KLAC-TV Los Angeles for Liberace, pianist, as outstanding male artist and best entertainment program. Betty White, feminine personality, received an award as star in KLAC-TV's Life With Elizabeth (Sears, Roebuck). A tie occurred in the children's group. KNXT (TV) Los Angeles was given award for Tim McCoy. KNBH (TV) Los Angeles won with Peanut Circus (Circus Peanuts). English Channel swim coverage by KNBH was called best special event. KTLA (TV) Los Angeles' City at Night (Santa Fe Railway) was named as best public affairs program. 60 Million Persons Watched TV Inaugural ABOUT 60 million persons in the U. S. saw Inauguration proceedings Jan. 20 some time during the five hours of telecasting between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. EST, Hugh M. Beville Jr., NBC director of research and planning, reported last week. Mr. Beville said this estimate is based 1 • on a special Trendex * #t&% ' average-minute coin cidental figures report representing 10 major TV markets with "maximum" competition. The figures show there were more TV sets in use (85% at one time or another) than for any other daytime telecast of major importance. Mr. Beville Format Frequency MOST frequent program types telecast during January were quiz-audience participation, drama, mysteries, news, and daytime variety shows, accounting for one-half the total TV time, according to The Pulse. Top 10 program types for the period, as reported by The Pulse, follow: Comedy variety Comedy situation Talent Drama & Mysteries Boxing Westerns & Serials Music Musical variety Kid shows Quiz-Audience participation Avg. Rtg. 29.2 21.8 21.6 19.6 19.2 15.9 14.0 13.9 11.6 9.9 the highest ratings of the past year, ARB reports. Firm terms the results particularly significant because the show is carried in only 23 markets and available to only 64% of the nation's set total. Lucy, however, reaches 98.7% of the video audience, and Comedy Hour goes to 99.9%. ARB listings of the top 10 programs and the homes reached follow, covering the week of Jan. 6 through 12. Program Rating 1 1 love Lucy (CBS) 68.2 2 Talent Scouts (CBS) 61.5 3 Godfrey & Friends (CBS) 52.9 4 You Bet Your Life (NBC) 50.6 5 Star Theatre (NBC) 50.1 6 Dragnet (NBC) 48.6 7 Show of Shows (NBC) 43.8 8 What's My Line? (CBS) 41.6 9 Comedy Hour (Abbott & Costello) (NBC) 40.0 10 Fireside Theatre (NBC) 39.8 Our Miss Brooks (CBS) 39.8 Homes in Millions Program (add 000) 1 1 Love Lucy (CBS) 14,270 2 Godfrey & Friends (CBS) 11,170 3 You Bet Your Life (NBC) 10,350 4 Show of Shows (NBC) 9,370 5 Dragnet (NBC) 9,290 6 Star Theatre (NBC) 8,900 7 Comedv Hour (Abbott & Costello) (NBC) 8,480 8 Talent Scouts (CBS) 8,290 9 Fireside Theatre (NBC) 8,120 10 What's My Line? (CBS) 7,550 Virginia TV Count Change COUNT of TV set saturation in Virginia, as recorded in April 1950 by the U. S. Census Bureau and first published in the Jan. 5 Broadcasting • Telecasting, contained transcribing errors in figures for Orange and Page Counties. The Orange County TV figures should have read: 3,290 homes reporting; 80 homes reporting TV sets; .02% with TV. Page County: 3,910 homes reporting; 75 homes reporting TV sets; .02% with TV. Godfrey's 'Scouts7 Climbs In January ARB Report TOP VIDEO programs continue to be / Love Lucy with Lucille Ball and Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and Godfrey & Friends, according to the January report of the American Research Bureau. / Love Lucy, No. 1 for the seventh consecutive month, exclusive of the summer hiatus period, also reached more homes than any other video show. Mr. Godfrey's Talent Scouts reached more homes than ever before, and showed one of New York State Leads 1952 Video Set Shipments NEW YORK state led the nation last year in shipments of TV sets to dealers, with 736,956 receivers shipped compared to second-place California, 577,186 receivers, according to Radio-Television Mfrs. Assn. Shipments for the nation totaled 6,174,505 sets in 1952 compared to 5,095,563 the year before. During December RTMA estimated that 965,891 TV sets were shipped to dealers compared to 680,141 for the same month of 1951. TV set shipments to dealers by states for the entire year 1952 follow: State Total Alabama 75,311 Arizona 25,141 Arkansas 16,394 California 577.185 Colorado 98,216 Connecticut 126,876 Delaware 19.756 D. C. 60,989 Florida 97,232 Georgia 109,508 Idaho 1.452 Illinois 348,412 Indiana 220,355 Iowa 106,571 Kansas 38,916 Kentucky 83,254 Louisiana 65,048 State Total Maine 11,022 Maryland 109,389 Massachusetts 244,688 Michigan 262,525 Minnesota 88,608 Mississippi 24,460 Missouri 161,736 Montana 193 Nebraska 52,862 Nevada 111 New Hampshire 22,706 New Jersey 242,864 New Mexico 9,425 New York 736,956 North Carolina 122,685 North Dakota 338 Ohio 462,010 Oklahoma 101,056 Oregon 44,413 Pennsylvania 531,021 Rhode Island 37,508 South Carolina 30,781 South Dakota 1,574 Tennessee 77,596 Texas 290,941 Utah 38,554 Vermont 7,311 Virginia 112,652 Washington 111,379 West Virginia 68,656 Wisconsin 95,361 Wyoming 2,507 Grand Total 6,174,505 Godfrey, Amos V Andy Top Nielsen Radio Ratings TOP radio programs for the week of Jan. 4-10, as indicated by the A. C. Nielsen Co. listings, showed Amos 'ri Andy as the leading weekly evening show in number of homes reached. Commentator Lowell Thomas' show led the evening multi-weekly programs. Heading weekday programs was Arthur Godfrey (Nabisco). Stars Over Hollywood and True Detective Mysteries were top Saturday and Sunday Shows, respectively. Listings follow: NATIONAL NIELSEN-RATINGS TOP RADIO PROGRAMS Regular Week January 4-10, 1953— Nielsen-Rating* Rank Program Homes EVENING, ONCE-A-WEEK (Average For All Reached Programs) (2,864) 1 Amos 'n' Andy (CBS) 6,892 2 Jack Benny (CBS) 6,265 3 Lux Radio Theatre (CBS) 6,265 4 Charlie McCarthy Show (CBS) 6,041 5 People Are Funny (CBS) 5,549 6 Our Miss Brooks (CBS) 4,565 7 Life With Luigi (CBS) 4,475 8 Suspense (CBS) 4,475 9 You Bet Your Life (NBC) 4,296 10 My Little Margie (CBS) 4,162 EVENING, MUtTI-WEEKLY (Average For All Programs) (1,566) 1 Lowell Thomas (CBS) 2,775 2 One Man's Family (NBC) 2,685 3 Club 15 (CBS) 2,596 Homes Rank Program Reached WEEKDAY (Average for All Programs) (2,059) 1 Arthur Godfrey (Nabisco) (CBS) 3,714 2 Arthur Godfrey (Liggett & Myers) (CBS) 3,535 3 Romance of Helen Trent (CBS) 3,446 4 Our Gal, Sunday (CBS) 3,312 5 Arthur Godfrey (Toni) (CBS) 3,222 6 Aunt Jenny (CBS) 3,222 x Arthur Godfrey (Pillsbury) (CBS) 3,088 8 Wendy Warren and the News (CBS) 2,998 9 Pepper Young's Family (NBC) 2,998 10 Ma Perkins (CBS) 2,954 DAY, SUNDAY (Average For All Programs) (1,164) 1 True Detective Mysteries (MBS) 2,327 2 New York Philharmonic (CBS) 1,969 3 Shadow, The (Sylvania) (MBS) 1,880 DAY, SATURDAY (Average For All Programs) (1,298) 1 Stars Over Hollywood (CBS) 2,640 2 Theatre of Today (CBS) 2,417 3 Fun For All (CBS) 2,103 (*) Homes reached during all or any part of the program, except for homes listening only 1 to 5 minutes. For 5-minute programs, average audience basis is used. Copyright 1953 by A. C. Nielsen Company Page 44 • February 16, 1953 Broadcasting • Telecasting