Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1955)

RTES BRIEFED ON CBS-TV SATELLITES Shurick says network has devised formula which could be applied in revising its tv affiliates satellite rate structures. CBS-TV in consultation with its rate committee, has been working out a formula, still in the formative stage, which possibly could be applied as a basis for revised rate structures for satellite tv operations of its affiliated stations, it was acknowledged publicly last week. Edward P. Shurick, CBS-TV director of station relations, a SDeaker at Tuesday's Radio & Television Executives Society timebuying and selling luncheon seminar at Toots Shor's restaurant in New York, was asked about CBS-TVs plans on tv satellites during a question-answer period. Mr. Shurick said there is a "place" for satellite tv coverage where a station's original coverage in an area proves to be inadequate. He also told the audience, made up of timebuyers and time salesmen, that the present thinking is that satellite stations should not have separate rates but if increases are necessary, they probably would be combined with the parent station's rate structure. Later, Mr. Shurick explained that CBS-TV's view at the present envisions an increase in station rates where it is justified by additional circulation — likened to the circulation boost enhanced by a station's increased tower height. Also speaking on the topic of station coverage was Julia Brown, director of media research, Compton Adv. In the question-answer period. Miss Brown explained that agencies want coverage data that will reveal the area where the station's signal can be reached and that measurement of people listening to the station. (Miss Brown's talk is printed on page 39.) In his talk, Mr. Shurick urged an all-industry study of listenership to stations — providing such information as "X" number of families tune in one, three, five and seven times a week to a given station. It would be helpful, he said, to know these findings consistently on a month-in and month-out basis, "or at least on a quarterly basis." He said CBS-TV research investigations revealed that the cost of such a study would be more than $500,000 should the network go it alone. He said CBS-TV was willing to pay its share. "Shall we pass the hat?" he asked. Mr. Shurick reviewed the techniques in determining station coverage (on a network basis), how that information is applied by CBS-TV and what need the network has for such data. Techniques, or sources of coverage data, are several, Mr. Shurick said. These include engineering computed contours (all of that area to which the station delivers a signal having the minimum required field intensity); actual measured engineering contours (actual field tests by an accredited engineer using an equipped truck to measure the signal along radiants from transmitting points); A. C. Nielsen circulation and reception data; evidences of mail responses (he agreed with Miss Brown that this method was "hardly conclusive," satisfying only a curiosity where the station can be seen); television dealer comments on installations; American Research Bureau-uhf studies (he said this throws some light on uhf set purchases and uhf set conversions), and on-the-spot inspection of a given station's reception (by engineers or by members of the station relations department). Information gathered, Mr. Shurick said, is used to determine a "composite picture" of complete coverage by the network's stations; it also is applied to determine the coverage for a specific program's station line-up. In this regard, he noted, a "two-level definition" is used — intensity, counties in which reception is at least 75% as good as the home county, and secondary coverage, those counties in which reception is 25% to 75% as good as the home county. Another use of this data, he explained, is for determining individual coverage for network rate-setting. Shortcomings in station coverage information, according to Mr. Shurick, include the lack of knowledge beyond the theoretical line of how far a signal reaches in distance from the transmitting point. Neither, he said, is it enough to know via mail response that with ideal weather conditions a viewer in an outlying area could identify the station since there is no corroboration from the identifier's neighbors. In speaking about A. C. Nielsen's circulation and reception data, which CBS-TV updated a year later in May 1953, Mr. Shurick noted that generally it is accepted that the "important thing is not where a signal can be seen but where it is seen consistently." Mr. Shurick recalled that CBS-TV in November 1953 invested $75,000 to recount sets to determine reception. The network also converted this data to show circulation and the stations' areas of intense signal or secondary coverage. N. Y. Broadcasters Elect Mike Hanna MICHAEL R. HANNA, WHCU Ithaca, New York, was elected president of the New York State Assn. of Radio & Television Broadcasters at the first meeting of the organization in Syracuse last Wednesday. New York is the 43d state in which radiotv associations have been formed by broadcasters. Other officers elected were Bill Doerr, WEBR Buffalo, first vice president; Gordon Gray, WOR-AM-TV New York, second vice president; George Dunham, WNBF and Elliott Stewart, Members of the board of directors are: Ham Shea, WRCA-AM-TV New York; Sam Cook Digges, WCBS-TV New York; Fred Keesee, WMBO Auburn; Joe Bernard, WGR Buffalo; Morris S. Novik, WL1B New York; William Fay, WHAM Rochester; Joel H. Scheier, WIRY Plattsburgh, and E. R. Vadeboncoeur, WSYR Syracuse. Others at the meeting included: John R. Titus, Albany attorney, who was retained as counsel: Norman E. Cash, TvB Roy L Albertson Jr.. WRNY Buffalo; Phil Cameron' WELM Elmira; A. C. Lloyd Jr., WENT Gloversville; Carl S. Ward, WCBS New York; Don deNeuf, Rural Radio Network; Kay Hanna WHCU Ithaca; William L. Thompson and Leighton Hope, WKRT Cortland; Neall Moylan, New York State, Albany; George W. Bingham, WKIPWGNY Poughkeepsie: George P. Droelle Jr. and Gordon Jenkins, WCLI Corning; H. Stillwell Brown, Rural Radio Network; William O. Dapping, WMBO Auburn; Donald Curran, WNHG Hornell; Tom Cunningham, Associated Press, New York; R. B. Hanna, WGY-WRGB Schenectady; Harold Goldman, WROW Albany; Louis Saiff Jr., WWNY Watertown; James W. Higgins, WCNY-TV Watertown; Earl R. Kelly, WWNY Watertown MR. HANNA Binghamton, treasurer, WIBX Utica, secretary. Page 70 January 17, 1955 Thomas L. Brown, WBBF Rochester: E. F Lyke WVET-TV Rochester; G. S. Delanev. WHEC-AMTV Rochester; Mike Cuneen. WDLA WaltonDale Taylor, WENY Elmira; Leo Rosen, WPTR Albany; Nick Dardano. WGAT Utica; John Henzel. WHDL Olean: Dale Johns and Kirt King United Press; Ed Gamble, WBTA Batavia; R \ Clark. WRUN Utica; C. A. Henderson, WLEA Hornell: Paul Adanti, WHEN-AM-TV Svracus -■ Daie Rob-rt?o-, WWSC Glens Falls: Andre* Jarema, WKOP Binghamton: F. H. Brinkley WENE-WDOS Endicott-Oneor.ta; Martin Kan?' WWSC-WIPS Glens Falls-Ticonderoga; Richard O'Connor, WSPN Saratoga Springs; Charles F Phillips and O. F. Soule. WFBL Svracuse: Jack Burfpss. WOSC Fulton, and George Lansing WBRV Booneville. National Tv Favored In Informal NCAA Vote INFORMAL POLL of delegates attending the National Collegiate Athletic Assn.'s 49th annual convention in New York [B*T. Jan. 10] showed there was overwhelming sentiment for a 1955 football television program stressing national, rather than regional, control. It was pointed out by NCAA officials that the poll, tajcen on Jan. 8, was "strictly unofficial," as no effort had been made to insure voting by more than one delegate from each institution. NCAA officials stated the voting was not intended for the guidance of the 1955 television committee, but was taken at the insistence of several delegates. They added that the confidential "straw" vote, taken officially by the NCAA at a session on Jan. 6, will be turned over to the 1955 tv commitee for guidance purposes. The informal vote showed 81 preferred the 1954 plan with national controls; 84, the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Assn. plan with national controls but less rigid than the 1954 plan: 37. regional tv plan; 4. unrestricted television plan, and 1, the "one-rule" plan. Five new members were elected to the 12-man 1955 television committee. They are: Warren P McGuirk, U. of Massachusetts; ' Max Farrington George Washington U.; Earl Fullbrook, U. of Nebraska; Douglas Mills, U. of Illinois, and Ted Harder, Santa Barbara State College. Holdover members of the committee are: Robert J. Kane, Cornell U.; Howard Grubbs, Southwestern Conference; E. L. Romney. Mountain States Conference; J. Shober Barr. Franklin and Marshall College; Harvey Cassill, U. of Washington; Asa S. Bushnell, Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference, and Walter Byers, executive director of NCAA. The new television committee is scheduled to meet in Chicago today (Monday) it was reported last week. Once the group works out the routine organizational matters and elects a new chairman to succeed Mr. Cassill, the Big Ten is expected to renew its fight for regional football tv controls, even within the framework of national restrictions. The Big Ten went on record at the NCAA annual convention as saying last year's national plan was "unacceptable." The committee is expected to work out details of the 1955 television program by the spring when it will submit its recommendations to the NCAA membership for a mail referendum. Michigan Forces Tv Issue TWO state-supported universities — U. of Michigan and Michigan State — would be required to permit telecasting of all home football games despite the one-game policy of National Collegiate Athletic Assn.,. under terms of two resolutions introduced in the Michigan Legislature. If adopted, the resolutions might draw other Big Ten colleges into revolt against NCAA and force a regional policy, in the view of some Big Ten athletic officials. 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