Broadcasting Telecasting (Jul-Sep 1953)

GUILD SPORTS LIBRARY a complete TV Station SPORTS PACKAGE I Motion picture action films of virtually every w/ell known sports personality . . . Here's what you get . . . 400 FILM CLIPS... Each Film-clip runs about half a minute; Is on its own ready-for-use reel! Name the personality you want . . . he's in the library! Every clip in its own numbered box! 10 UNITS MONTHLY... At no extra cost, you receive 10 new film clips monthly to keep your sports library up-to-the-minute! UNLIMITED USE... The unlimited use of the personalities in your sports library enables you to program your daily schedule however you please! CATALOGUE... Every catalogue lists both sports and personalities separately in alphabetical order. In addition, card index file contains individual synopses and timing. and the BIG PLUS! Three 5-minute scripts weekly built around the personalities in the sports library. These scripts were written by the famous Mac Davis, co-originator of the Bill Stern show. Each script is fast paced and well integrated . . . exceptionally easy to use . . . station merely provides the announcer. The use once a week of this one feature alone should more than pay for the entire library service. Send for complete details! TIPS FOR NOVICE FILM BUYERS In a smaller market station the general manager should keep close control over film buying and film handling. Costs are more apt to be kept in line if he is on the job. By Hugh M. Smith* PERHAPS nothing is so baffling to the new television operator in a non-interconnected smaller market than the organization of the film department. Yet there are a few simple steps that will eliminate much of the confusion that exists, mainly due to inexperience. First of all, the general manager of the station should devote his time to the selection of the film library and film service. This is true, even though he has employed an experienced film editor who is more aware of film programming than of film costs. A primary rule for the general manager to follow is to dicker on the price of films. Film producers may not like this statement, but it is a fact that film salesmen, who are largely theatre trained, seem to have bargaining blood in their veins. Free Ones First With this in mind, the first step is to assemble films that will not cost you money. These are known variously as "free films" or public service films. Your national representative is a big help in this case. Have your rep organization supply you with the list of firms that furnish these public service films. Admittedly, many of them are advertisements, yet the advertising is subtle and not obviously a presentation for business. A number of very large firms have excellent libraries of 5, 10 and 15 minute films that are really interesting to viewers. Right now in Montgomery, due to a polio epidemic, we have found unusual interest in films dealing with medical subjects. As soon as your TV grant is announced, you will hear from many film organizations. They will write you, telephone you, and call in person. Even then there may be some Mr. Smith is general manager of the Covington stations, WCOV-AM-TV Montgomery, WGWC Sehna and WGWD Gadsden, all Alabama. WASHIIMGTOIM SPOTLIGHT! featuring • MARQUIS CHILDS, : famed columnist ! • Front-Page Personalities ; • Exciting Issues of the Day • '/(-hour Discussion Program on Film ■ experienced * s"yndicated in 40 Markets j VA for Information • In Its 3rd Year • Syndicated in 4 MILTON HAMMER J . , Washington Building and prints: y/ashington, D. C. films that you will need and for which you are not approached, so go over the field thoroughly. Read trade papers for names of films and organizations that can supply you with what you need for your library. Having done this, you get into actual buying. There are several organizations which will supply you with from 200 to 500 annual film hours. These include features, westerns, cartoons, serials and comedies. In 5 to 60 minute lengths, you will have to select one package. We selected a 500 hour contract. In addition to this, there are some small selections you may want to make in groups of from 5 to 25 films. The selection of the above group is necessary as a sales and audience tool. After you have this group, you will look for your musical soundies which are comparable to records used by your disc jockies. Only a few firms make these, but you will have to have one musical soundie library. These are usually three-minute musical numbers, and by proper production they can be made into extremely interesting 15 or 30 minute shows with plenty of participation time. National agencies like these. Sports Sell Well The next item to take care of is your sports films. These are often wrestling or boxing, usually 30 minutes in length. We contracted for several of these in 13 week cycles and immediately sold them all to national and local advertisers. You will also need special films supplied by film organizations. These are reviewed and then bought, usually by local advertisers. We did not buy any of these films, unless they were sold from audition filming and we always have the local advertiser contract directly for the film. Having assembled your film, the next step is to thoroughly screen every film as received. To save money and space, we use the studio for screening. Incidentally, the biggest film contract we signed was for so many thousands of dollars that it made our AM library seem a bargain. The smallest film contract we have signed is for $12 a show. In this particular film, we have sold three sponsors who pay for time, film cost, screen TV COSTS GOT YOU DOWN? The Sportsman's Club 52 popular, well rated, 15 minute hunting, fishing and outdoor shows featuring Dave Newell and panel of experts. Write for audition prints. SYNDICATED FILMS 1022 Forbes Street Phone: EXpress 1-1355 Pittsburgh 19, Pa. HOLLYWOOD ' PORTLAND KANSAS CITY, CHICAGO 510 MADISON AVE'NEW YORK 22 Murray Hill 8-5365 Page 112 • July 13, 1953 Broadcasting • Telecasting