Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

NETWORKS DEPT. STORE ADS SOUGHT BY NBC-TV 'Window/ new program concept for network owned stations, presented at dry goods dealers convention. Plan also will be offered to affiliates. A NEW tv program concept for the use of department stores was announced Wednesday by NBC owned stations during a joint RCANBC tv presentation at a sales promotion session of the National Retail Dry Goods Assn. convention at the Hotel Statler, New York (see story, page 32). The program has been designated as "Window" and will be made available to advertisers Feb. 13 on NBC owned tv stations, according to Charles R. Denny, vice president in charge of NBC owned stations and NBC Spot Sales. Mr. Denny said details of the plan would be made available to those stations his spot sales organization represents and to other NBCaffiliated stations. The programs will be five minutes each and will be slotted in or adjacent to "high-rated, successful local and network shows." Arlene Francis, of NBC-TV's Home, who was m.c. for the demonstration colorcast, said during the closed circuit show that the program probably would be scheduled after Today and before both the Home and Matinee Theatre shows. At the demonstration, rate cards for the "Window" shows — described as the first new type of program service of the tv industry "to help retail advertisers move merchandise at low sales-advertising cost ratios" — were distributed. The card provides rate information for WRCA-TV New York, WRC-TV Washington, WNBQ (TV) Chicago and KRCA (TV) Los Angeles. Rates on WPTZ (TV) Philadelphia, whose acquisition by NBC has been given FCC approval, will be announced later. For participation in the program on WRCATV, the one-time weekly rate is given as $325 net commisionable and the five-time weekly rate as $1,300 net commissionable on a 13week basis (price includes time, talent and production). Similar figures for WRC-TV are one-time weekly, $146.25, and $585 per 13 weeks. If five times weekly; WNBQ is $275 and $1,100 and KRCA, $160 and $750, for the corresponding categories. Price at WNBQ and WRC-TV includes time, talent and production with the strip rate of $585 at WRC-TV for the introductory 13-week period only. After 13 weeks, that station's price increases to $679.75. The KRCA rate is applicable only if the store provides the talent NBC Elects Hammerschmidt ANDREW L. HAMMERSCHMIDT, who last December succeeded the late Robert E. Shelby as NBC chief engineer [B«T, Dec. 19, 1955], has been elected a vice president of the network, Robert W. Sarnoff, NBC president, announced last week. Mr. Hammerschmidt was associate director of technical operations for NBC before he was appointed chief enmonth ago. since it includes time and production only. The shows will be telecast in color "where color equipment is available," NBC said, and will use a shopping format of commercials integrated with informative editorial material. The sponsoring store's merchandise will be featured by a station or store personality inserting the articles in program schedules at various times during the broadcast day. NBC said the program is designed to increase telephone and mail orders and store traffic, to better other media in "presenting a store's personality," to permit retailers to bring newspaper ads to life by demonstrating those products so advertised and to "sell a variety of items per program so that the advertising cost per item is lowered or spread over several departments." CBS-TV Sets Discount As Small Station Aid A NEW discount incentive — designed as further encouragement for advertisers to use the smaller market stations that make up CBS-TV's Extended Market Plan — was announced last week by William H. Hylan, CBS-TV vice president in charge of network sales. The new plan, which became effective yesterday (Sun.), lets an advertiser apply to his EMP gross billing the same total discount he earns on his regular station billing (station-hour and annual or over-all discounts). In addition, CBSTV will apply to the net the special discount structure already established for EMP use. Under the new set-up. officials said, EMP billing can be reduced as much as 36.75%. The new discount benefits, like the special EMP discounts, will be absorbed by the network, leaving station revenue undiminished. CBS-TV gave this example of the way the new procedure works: KOTA-TV Rapid City, S. D., described as a typical EMP station, is listed at $30 per nighttime half-hour. An advertiser earning the maximum of 25% on his regular station billing can now apply that discount to the cost of buying KOTA-TV, reducing the $30 cost to $22.59. Then, by using at least 19 other EMP stations he can earn the maximum EMP discount of 15% and reduce the KOTA-TV cost to $19.12. Under the old arrangement, $25.50 ($30 minus 15%) would have been the minimum cost for the use of KOTA-TV. Mr. Hylan said the success of EMP, which was established more than a year ago as a means of encouraging advertisers to include smaller-market stations in their network lineups, led CBS-TV to add the new incentive. Currently, 26 stations are members of EMP and 46 CBS-TV advertisers are using these stations to carry part or all of 59 programs. WROW-TV to Be CBS Primary WROW-TV (ch. 41) Albany-Schenectady, N. Y., currently servicing both ABC-TV and CBS-TV as an alternate affiliate, will join CBS-TV as a primary affiliate Feb. 1. Herbert V. Akerberg, CBS-TV vice president in charge of station relations, said Thursday that WROW-TV "has generated enough set conversions [to uhf] in the one year of its connection with CBS-TV as a limited alternate affiliate to justify the primary affiliation." WROW-TV is owned and operated by Hudson Valley Broadcasting Co. of Albany. MR. HAMMERSCHMIDT gineer for the network a hands? sesac sells it for you A time-tested program service, the SESAC Library is a sales-tested service, too. And selling time is just one of the jobs that SESAC can do for you. Write today for complete details on the SESAC Transcribed Library . . . the Library that brings you "the best music in America." TRANSCRIBED LIBRARY 475 FIFTH AVE. NEW YORK 17, N. Y. Broadcasting Telecasting January 16, 1956 • Page 83