Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1953)

FACTS & FIGURES TRADE ASSNS. N.Y. Stay-at-Homes NIGHT television broadcasts have been cited by Maj. Gen. Hugh J. Casey, chairman of the New York City Transit Authority as factors contributing to the continuing decline of passenger traffic on New York municipal subway, bus and street car lines. Gen. Casey, who said there had been an 1 1 % drop in passenger traffic since July 25, when the 15-cent fare became effective, expressed the belief that thousands of persons, who once used transit facilities to go to places of amusement, were staying home to view television shows. UHF UPS VIEWING 25%, SAY ABC, ARB ABC reports on a six-city study by ARB showing that families able to receive both uhf and vhf programs use their sets 36.96 hours a week, those with vhf-only 27.83 hours. WHEN uhf comes into the home, viewing goes up 25% above the level in vhf-only dwellings. That's what a special survey made for ABC by American Research Bureau discovered, ABC states in a report for release today (Monday). Specifically, according to ABC, the ARB special study, conducted this month in six cities — Norfolk, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Kansas City — showed that of two matched-sample groups — one of homes whose tv sets receive only vhf programs, one where the sets can get uhf shows as well — the families able to receive the uhf service use their sets 34.96 hours a week, compared to 27.83 hours for the others. Just More Interested This finding was attributed by ABC not only to the wider program choice the uhf-vhf families have over those with vhf alone, but also because the families that have provided for uhf reception are typically more interested in television. Survey was announced last month [B*T, Oct. 26] at the time that ABC network issued its book, "The P's and Q's of V's and U's," in which the network stated: "uhf and vhf, together as a team, will bring tv to all America. Together they will make tv a truly national force, the greatest mass communications and advertising force in the world." Trendex Picks 'Lucy' TOP 10 Trendex ratings for evening network sponsored tv programs for the week of Nov. 17 showed CBS-TV's / Love Lucy and Talent Scouts in first and second place, respectively. Complete listing follows: 1 I tove Lucy (CBS) 52.3 2 Talent Scouts (CBS) 50.7 3 Dragnet (NBC) 43.5 4 Godfrey's Friends (CBS) 41.7 5 Jackie Gleason (CBS) 39.2 6 You Bet Your Life (NBC) 38.1 7 Toast of the Town (CBS) 37.4 8 Milton Berle (NBC) 33.6 9 Red Buttons (CBS) 33.5 10 Our Miss Brooks (CBS) 33.2 BAB HUNTS NEW PRESIDENT TO SUCCEED RYAN, WHO QUITS FEB. 1 OVER POLICY Robert D. Swezey, WDSU New Orleans, will head a committee which will seek an industry "name" such as Niles Trammell or Frank White to replace William B. Ryan, who is praised for his three years of leadership in bringing BAB to an all-time high membership of 834 stations. Mr. Ryan QUEST for a new president of BAB was started last week after the unanticipated announcement that President William B. Ryan has asked to be relieved of his duties upon the anniversary of his contract next Feb. 1. A committee headed by Robert D. Swezey of WDSU New Orleans was designated by BAB Board Chairman Charles C. Caley, WMBD Peoria, to recommend a successor to Mr. Ryan and reportedly was thinking in terms of an industry "name". Among those understood to have been mentioned as indicative of the type sought were Niles Trammell, former president and board chairman of NBC, and Frank White, former president of NBC and previously of MBS. Mr. Ryan, who will continue as active head of BAB until Feb. 1, did not disclose his future plans. Nor were the reasons for his resignation given, although they were generally understood to relate to differences over BAB policies. The Swezey committee, in addition to recommending a successor, also was authorized to "conclude arrangements with Mr. Ryan". This, authorities said, referred to a provision in his contract calling for a year's notice in event his services were terminated. His salary this year was said to total $50,000, having risen from $35,000 his first year in the post (1951) and then to $40,000 in 1952. Board Chairman Caley, reporting acceptance of Mr. Ryan's resignation with regret, noted that station membership and promotion activity are at an all-time high, and said: "Station membership under Bill Ryan's forceful direction and that of the strong staff he has built has brought BAB to a membership currently numbering 834 stations, the highest in the history of our industry association. Ryan's Achievements Cited "The board owes a lasting debt to Bill Ryan, who in his three-year term as president contributed more than any other single person to the transformation of BAB from an industryconceived idea into a going concern. I am certain that the fine work of BAB will continue and that we may shortly find a worthy successor to Mr. Ryan in this important office . . . "I am gratified that Bill Ryan has assured me of his continuing interest in BAB. It is my hope and that of the board that we may be able to work out an appropriate arrangement in keeping with his personal plans by which we may be able to utilize Mr. Ryan's outstanding abilities in connection with the BAB." The committee designated to conclude arrangement with Mr. Ryan and to recommend to the BAB board "an appropriate successor" consists of Chairman Swezey; Joseph E. Baudino, Westinghouse Radio Stations; William H. Fineshriber Jr., NBC; Adrian Murphy, CBS Radio, and Allen M. Woodall, WDAK Columbus, Ga. In addition to Messrs. Murphy and Fineshriber representing the CBS and NBC radio networks, Mr. Swezey also is chairman of the BAB Bylaws Committee, Mr. Baudino heads the Executive Committee and Mr. Woodall the Nominating Committee. BAB Board Meets The Ryan move dominated the fall meeting of the BAB board, held Tuesday in New York and preceded by the annual meeting of BAB stockholders, which was conducted primarily through the voting of proxies. Other developments included re-election of officers (Mr. Ryan among them); announcement of a record $750,000 budget for 1954, and expansion of the BAB board by the addition of five new members, while three other members retired. Officers re-elected, in addition to Mr. Ryan, were Mr. Caley as board chairman; Kevin B. Sweeney as vice president; Simon Goldman of WJTN Jamestown, N. Y., as secretary; John Patt of the Goodwill stations as treasurer, and Bill Morrison as assistant secretary-treasurer. Members added to the board were John Blair of John Blair & Co., station representatives; John C. Cohan, KSBW Salinas, Calif.; John S. Hayes, WTOP Washington; George J. Higgins, KMBC Kansas City, and Howard Lane, KOIN Portland, Ore. Members retiring from the board: Gene Cagle, KFJZ Fort Worth; F. Van Konynenberg, WCCO Minneapolis, and Arch Morton, KJR Seattle. Radio Study Planned Mr. Ryan, meanwhile, told B»T he definitely intends to proceed with plans looking toward a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative study of radio, which he said would be the first of its type and provide badly needed material that he regards as essential for the advancement of the medium. Mr. Ryan has espoused such a plan since he took over the BAB presidency in February 1951, and he told the board last week he plans to go ahead with an eye toward having concrete proposals ready for the board at its meeting in March. A group of industry leaders will convene shortly to work on details, he said. The plan, rejected in 1951 but now endorsed in top quarters, Mr. Ryan said, would measure radio's cumulative audience, show the composition of the audience at various times of the day and evening, and delve deeper into the question of radio's importance to people, in addition to providing figures on total number of radio sets, "extra" sets, automobile radios, etc. Uniformity and acceptability of data on such factors as these are vital to both buyers and sellers of radio time, Mr. Ryan continued. When such information is available, he added, it will enable the broadcaster to determine "how he wants to operate nighttime radio," for example, by helping him decide "what he wants to program and what he expects the advertiser to get out of it." The making of such a survey should be en Page 44 November 23, 1953 Broadcasting Telecasting