Broadcasting Telecasting (Jul-Sep 1955)

FILM Fri., 9:15-9:30 a.m. PST) on 62 Pacific Coast and mountain stations of ABC Radio, effective today (Mon.). Agency: Roy S. Durstine, S.F. Bristol-Myers Co., N. Y., will sponsor Alfred Hitchcock Presents effective Oct. 2, on CBS-TV (Sun., 9:30-10 p.m.), effective Oct. 20. Show is filmed at Revue Productions, Hollywood. Agency: Young & Rubicam, N. Y. Chevrolet Motors Div., General Motors Corp., Detroit, will sponsor Crossroads on ABC-TV (Fri. 8:30-9 p.m. EDT), effective Oct. 7. Agency: Campbell-Ewald Co., N. Y. AGENCY APPOINTMENTS Red Top Brewing Co., Cincinnati, has appointed Ruthrauff & Ryan, Chicago, for Red Top beer and ale. Agency previously handled account in 1950-51. Arthur Mertens Steak House Co. (quick-cooking frozen cubed steaks) has appointed HonigCooper Co., S. F. A&A PEOPLE Margery Carleson, formerly with KUTV (TV) Salt Lake City, to Axelsen Adv. Agency, same city, as radio-tv director and copy chief. A. von Gontard, vice chairman of board, vice president and director of sales and advertising and executive committee chairman, AnheuserBusch Inc. (Budweiser beer), St. Louis, retires Oct. 1. Jerome M. Cowle, formerly copy supervisor, Campbell-Ewald Co., Detroit, appointed copy chief, Grant Adv., Detroit. Marshall Clark, vice president, Benton & Bowles, N. Y., appointed advertising director, Scott Paper Co., Chester, Pa., succeeding Harry C. Pardee, retiring. Marvin L. Rand, account and promotion specialist, Klau-Van Pietersom-Dunlap Inc., Milwaukee, named director of newly formed public relations div.; Winston C. Williams to agency's account staff. Joseph Close to Honig-Cooper, S. F., as research director; Harold Ford to agency as merchandising director. Lionel Ormsby, for nine years account executive, Dozier, Eastman & Co., L. A., to Charles Bowes Adv., same city, in same capacity. Charles Fabler, formerly brand manager, Swift & Co. (food products), Chicago, and Robert Joselyn, formerly brand manager, Armour & Co. (food products), Chicago, join Simoniz Co. same city, as brand advertising managers; Kay Nyblad named consumer service supervisor. Jean Van Eskay, formerly with national edition, Tv Guide, Phila., to radio-tv dept., Feigenbaum & Wermen Adv. Agency, Phila., as timebuyer, also handling radio-tv accounts' promotion and publicity. Marguerite Nash named media assistant, Stromberger, LaVene, McKenzie, L. A. Nancy Lovejoy Breuner, formerly staff correspondent, Women's Wear Daily, to Bernard B. Schnitzer Inc., S. F., as copywriter and assistant account executive. William R. Baker Jr., chairman of board, Benton & Bowles, N. Y., named vice chairman, $400,000 golden jubilee fund-raising campaign for Travelers Aid Society of N. Y. Chester Stover, Reach, Yates & Mattoon, N. Y., rejoins Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, N. Y., as copywriter. Lawrence A. Rockelein, Grant Adv., N. Y., to Ruthrauff & Ryan, N. Y., as copywriter. Broadcasting • Telecasting REPUBLIC CONSENT DECREE MAY ALLOW TV-USE OF 3-YEAR-OLD FEATURE FILMS Republic Pictures, government agreement implies top star and story motion pictures will be available to tv and non-theatrical use after three years from release date. IT LOOKS like tv stations may be able to get their hands on Hollywood feature length films about three years after they are released for theatrical exhibition. That's the portent for ending the tv feature film famine implied in the consent decree signed by Republic Pictures Corp. and subsidiary and the government last week. That seems to be the period of protection for theatre exhibitors which the Justice Dept. agreed should be maintained for top star, top story motion picture films. The Justice Dept. announced last week that it had entered into a consent judgment with Republic, the terms of which will make available in 16 mm form feature pictures for tv — and for other, non-theatrical use (clubs, veteran's hospitals, schools, churches, etc.). The trial of the other defendants in this antitrust suit is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles District Court tomorrow (Tuesday). In the judgment entered last week in Los Angeles, Republic was given 90 days to offer for licensing on tv 80% of its feature films produced and released for exhibition before August 1, 1948. It was then given an indeterminate period to negotiate with "interested parties" (unions, performers, and other right holders) regarding release of post Aug. 1, 1948, films. Within two years thereafter, Republic must license for tv 25% of its feature films three years old or older. Each year thereafter, Republic will be required to offer to tv at least 50% of its feature product three years old. The consent decree also requires Republic to offer for licensing to outlets other than tv 80% of its feature films two years after such films are released for national theatrical exhibition. Non-Competitive Films It is understood that films shown in so-called "club" dates are not considered as competitive to movie house exhibition as is tv. Therefore the two-year protection period, instead of the three-year lag for tv. Among the tv defendants is RKO Pictures, recently bought by General Teleradio Inc. for $25 million. GT owns a number of radio and tv stations, including WOR-AM-FM-TV New York, and is the majority stockholder in Mutual Broadcasting System. GT is 90% owned by General Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio, and 10% by R. H. Macy & Co., New York. Other defendants in the government's suit are Twentieth Century-Fox, Warner Bros., Universal-International, and others. The government filed its suit in 1952. It charged that the 12 producing companies conspired to withhold 16 mm prints of feature films from tv and other non-exhibitor use. Feature films for tv mainly have been secured from other than major studio owners. In many cases, rights are held by individuals or nonHollywood firms. Tv has also used an increasing number of foreign made films, especially British. More recently, however, some of the studios have made older feature films available to tv. Republic was one of these and protested initially when it was named as a defendant. Republic President Herbert J. Yates said last Wednesday that his company already has released 300 features for tv, and thus has met the first requirement to permit 80% of Republic feature films, produced and released before Aug. 1, 1948, to go to tv. Other studios have always maintained that there was a two-fold reason for not releasing feature films for tv showings. This was, they explainded, that (1) tv could not pay enough for the films which had, in some instances, estimated theatrical re-run values running into the millions, and (2) they could not afford to alienate their exhibitor customers. Exhibitor groups — Theatre Owners of America and Allied States Assn. of Motion Picture Exhibitors are the principal trade associations — are generally opposed to the release of any feature film for tv. There are, it is believed, about 5,000 feature films on 16 mm width. About 2,000 of these would be worth using on tv, it is understood; the remainder are outdated. Scanlon Elected V. P. ERNEST SCANLON, former studio manager at RKO Radio Pictures Corp., has been appointed vice president and treasurer of United Productions of America, Burbank, Calif., television film packager, it was announced Thursday by Stephen Bosustow, UPA president. Mr. Scanlon has been financial consultant and a member of the UPA board. An additional dollar's worth of product promotion for every advertising dollar. . . . (me equals two on WLW ■* RADIO ... a distinguished member of the Crosley Group Exclusive sales offices: New York, Cincinnati, Dayton, Colurribus, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami September 19, 1955 • Page 197