Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1955)

ADVERTISERS & AGENCIES COMPTON NAMES NEW ADMINISTRATORS Barton A. Cummings is the new president and Robert D. Holbrook, formerly president of the firm, advances to chairman of the board. ELECTION of a new board chairman, president and other officers and directors at Compton Adv., New York, was announced last week. Barton A. Cummings, vice president and director, was elected president of the agency, succeeding Robert D. Holbrook, who becomes chairman of the board. At the same time, other officers and directors joined Compton in 1947 as an account executive. He became a vice president and account supervisor in 1950 and a director in 1952. He has been in charge of several brands made by Procter & Gamble and has participated in agency management. Mr. Seaman, new vice president, has been with the agency since 1946, and is head of Compton's creative department. He was elected a member of the board last November. Mr. Fleming, elected senior vice president, joined the firm in 1944. He has been an account supervisor for various brands of the Procter & Gamble Co. and the Personal Products Corp., as well as participating in manage MR. HOLBROOK MR. STRUBLING MR. CUMMINGS MR. SEAMAN MR. FLEMING were named in a move described by Mr. Holbrook as "carrying out a long-standing Compton policy of developing able executives for more important positions in the agency as their work and talents demonstrate their ability." John K. Strubling Jr., executive vice president, is the new vice chairman of the board, with Alfred J. Seaman, creative director of the agency, succeeding him as executive vice president. C. James Fleming Jr., a vice president and member of the board, becomes a senior vice president of the agency. Newly-elected members of the board are: Henry Bankart, Willard Heceen and Olin A. Saunders, all of whom are vice presidents and account supervisors. Pointing out that Compton's billing has more than doubled since 1946. Mr. Holbrook asserted that the new officers and directors have "played a significant part in the progress of the agency." As chairman of the board. Mr. Holbrook will continue in the active management of Compton. Mr. Holbrook, who became president in 1946, joined the Blackman Co., predecessor of Compton, in 1933. Mr. Strubling, new vice chairman of the board, joined Compton in 1939. He was elected to the board in 1950 and became executive vice president in 1951. Mr. Cummings, the agency's new president. 32 Years in One Night IF SHAKESPEARE'S "Macbeth" played to capacity houses in an average-sized theatre, the production would have to run for 32 years to equal the audience reached Nov. 28 when the play was telecast. This estimate was given last week by A. C. Nielsen Co. which rated the program at 25.5. meaning 6.449.000 homes reached. "Macbeth," starring Maurice Evans and Judith Anderson, was produced in color on Hallmark Playhouse (NBC-TV, 4-6 p.m. EST). ment. He became a member of the board in 1953. The new members of the board — Messrs. Bankart, Heggen and Saunders — respectively joined Compton in 1945, 1944 and 1953 as account supervisors. Spot Radio Crusade To Finish March 31 SRA President Young sees overlap in work of Crusade and of RAB and urges more stations to join the latter. TWO-YEAR-OLD Crusade for Spot Radio, financed by stations and conducted through Station Representatives Assn., will end on March 31. its principal purposes to be served by the stepped-up activities of Radio Advertising Bureau [Closed Circuit. Jan. 10]. Plans for the Crusade's termination are being announced today (Mon.) by Adam J. Young Jr., head of the station representation firm bearing his name and new president of SRA, who at the same time urged stations which are not members of RAB to reconsider joining that organization. The Crusade currently has 315 members, of which approximately 115 are not members of RAB. Mr. Young said the Crusade Advisory Board had sent letters to Crusade members advising them of the imminent discontinuation of the project and suggesting support of RAB by stations that are not already RAB members. Reg RoIIinson, who has directed the Crusade for Spot Radio, will continue with SRA for the time being, authorities said. Increasing need for carrying the story of spot radio to advertisers and agencies through specific proposals was stressed by both Mr. Young and RAB President Kevin Sweeney. Mr. Young said: "The RAB's expanded national-level sales program which calls for more than 200 specific presentations monthJy accomplishes the major purpose for which the Crusade was instituted. "With RAB's greater financial resources and manpower behind the program, we feel th., stations which supported the Crusade but whicl have not heretofore been members of Ra] can reasonably shift their memberships froi the Crusade to RAB. In addition, by disccii tinuing the Crusade we will eliminate any ove l lap in function which might otherwise have dt! veloped." Mr. Sweeney said: "Without any diminutin of our efforts on behalf of the other parts c radio — network and local — we have been stead ily stepping up our efforts during the past 1 months to get national and regional advertiser started in radio through specific spot proposals "This activity, which now occupies a goo( share of the time of about half of our staff has been made possible by a steady increase ii station membership in RAB. The additiona funds that will become available when thostl stations which have supported the Crusade bu have not been members of RAB join our or] ganization will make an immediate, substanti. increase in these efforts possible." Crusade dues, for each station, were the j equivalent of the station's one-time daytime I minute rate per month. RAB station member .j ship dues are the station's one-time daytime, hourly rate per month. RAB membership is reported as 850 plus, consisting largely of stations but also including networks, representa-* tion firms, and allied organizations. Broadcaster-Brewer Unity Against Adv. Curbs Urged BREWERS must stand with broadcasters and other representatives of industry in fighting "unfair or unnatural control or limitation of the advertising of legal products," NARTB President Harold E. Fellows told the U. S. Brewers Foundation last week at its Miami Beach meeting. Mr. Fellows reviewed problems centering around the Bryson Bill (HR1227). which would limit advertising of alcoholic beverages on radio and tv. "To say that beer, an accepted and legal product, must not be advertised, or must be advertised under the impress of artific(A&A continues on page 58) Page 38 » January 17, 1955 THEODORE S. REPPLIER, Advertising Council president, and his wife, embark on a. flight which is to carry them to Southeast Asia, India, Italy, Germany, France and the British Isles and terminate with their return to the U. S. on June 30. Mr. Repplier is an Eisenhower Exchange Fellow and is to study and exchange ideas in other countries on the problems confronting information services. Broadcasting Telecasting