Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

B*T INTERVIEW actually the main creative force in these programs, ABC is, in effect, in the production business. Q: Are they shooting any films in color? A: The only color that is being shot on our present shows is on the Mickey Mouse Club, which, except for one segment, is being shot completely in color, and the nighttime Disneyland show. Q: How is the station clearance problem? A: We think it is our most serious problem as far as the final development of ABC is concerned. As you know, we have petitioned the FCC several times for expansion and improvement of television facilities. We believe that until the FCC establishes standards whereby there can be at least three competitive television stations in the great bulk of the top 100 markets, none of the three networks can give the maximum service to the public. The problem is divided into two parts: ( 1 ) the delay by the FCC in reaching decisions on three such vhf station markets as Boston, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis, and (2) the reconsideration of intermixture so that uhf and vhf can be separated, in certain communities, to insure three competitive television stations in the bulk of the top 100 markets. ABC's clearance of stations has improved over the last year, primarily we believe, due to the quality of our shows and the quality of our advertisers. However, it still presents a terrific problem to all networks when such important markets as Boston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Louisville, New Orleans, Miami, etc., do not have three vhf's either on the air or allocated. I think that it is a national tragedy that the great populations located in the larger cities, in all parts of the country, do not all have a freedom of program choice among three networks. I don't believe that television will reach its full maturity until such action has been taken to make three, four or five comparable facilities available to the great bulk of the population. Q: How is business on radio? A: We are great believers in network radio. I say that in all the speeches I make, and I really mean it. Our radio network business in the past 60 days has improved. We had an unfortunate can ::msm cellation last spring on the Don McNeill show, but we now have it approximately 95% sold out. Through the use of the segmentation plan, we have a great proportion of the morning sold out. On the weekend, we have been extremely successful with our weekend news, and we hope that we can solidify that operation with further programs of a news character. In addition, we have maintained a large block of religious programs on Sunday. We are spending a great deal of money and creative effort to re-orient ABC radio nighttime, Mondays through Fridays, to changing times. I don't want to say this is a problem only for ABC because it is shared by NBC and CBS. We believe that the time will come when advertiser and agency interest will revive in nighttime network radio and that some semblance of its proper place as an advertising medium and a public information medium will be achieved. Q: Do you think there is support enough for four radio networks? A: I think if radio were properly used as an advertising medium there is room for four and perhaps five. If the industry is unable to interest the advertiser sufficiently to use the medium to the maximum, I don't know ... all I know is ABC is going to stay in the radio network business. Q: If advertiser interest is not reawakened sufficiently, what is the next step? Not necessarily for ABC alone, but for any radio network? A: I hesitate to think of any other step but the reawakening of advertiser interest. I believe that the industry as a whole has to continue and increase its efforts to sell radio. I think the individual networks have to spend a great deal more manpower and more money in presenting to the agencies and the advertisers the story of nighttime radio with its tremendous coverage and its low cost per thousand. In turn, as I said before, I think the agencies and the advertisers have an obligation to a very important medium — to give it the serious consideration that it deserves. Q: Do you think that there will be another rate cut? A: In my judgment, no. show produced by Lou Edelman; the Joan Davis Show, produced by Joan Davis, and several others. In this category, we are also preparing a weekly Theatre Guild show called the Guild Gaieties, which will be a live half-hour musical produced by the Theatre Guild." Mr. Kintner expects most of these shows to be sold on a multiple-sponsor basis but has no firm commitments yet: "If you know a prospect, I'd be happy to go around and see him because I pride myself on being a working president, and on being a selling president because that's a great part of our business." Where will these shows be spotted? "We actually have tentative plans on where we will put all of them but this plan involves moving certain existing shows and advertisers. We have no desire to get a reputation of 'pushing our advertisers around' [Editors' Note: ABC got Firestone Hour when NBC insisted on moving its time spot], so that we prefer not to suggest where we may spot them until we have a chance to talk to our existing customers about our plans." Another plan for 1956-57: To expand ABCTV programming into the morning hours, using both live and filmed shows. "We expect." Mr. Kintner said, "to start in the morning probably in the fall of 1956. and by January of 1957 to be programmed completely in all network hours." Less specific is ABC-TV's probable date for entering color. This will come, he said, "when there are sufficient sets" — three to four million — but he doubts this number will be reached before September 1957 at the earliest. When ABC-TV does start, however, it expects "to match any color broadcasting in the business." In radio, ABC is "spending a great deal of money and creative effort to re-orient ABCRadio nighttime, Mondays through Fridays, to changing times." New Sounds for You, which has been described as "a sort of organized Monitor," was introduced into the evening hours across the board last fall and has had "good" acceptance by public and stations although "unfortunately, the advertiser interest is not as important as we would like it to be." 'New Sounds' to Continue The New Sounds departure, which has gone unsponsored except at the outset, will be continued despite reports to the contrary, according to Mr. Kintner. He noted, however, that there will be "certain modifications in format," probably in the next few weeks. There is no plan to extend New Sounds to other segments "in its present form," but ABC does have other specific radio plans in work: "We are considering a plan for the afternoon, which we have not decided upon and which I would rather not comment on. We are considering the new plans for Saturdays and Sundays." If the single principal reason for ABC's overall upsurge had to be stated in two words, they would be: Walt Disney. "A major part of our success has been due to Walt Disney Productions, and to Walt Disney personally," says Mr. Kintner. He describes the length of the ABC-Disney contract as "a state secret," but scoffs at reports that Mr. Disney is going to other networks. "These of course are un true," he asserts. "We have a long-term contract, exclusive on television and radio, with Walt Disney Productions and with Mr. Disney personally." Disneyland, the hour-long film show which has been a Wednesday night staple and one of television's top-rated shows ever since its start in 1954, and Mickey Mouse Club, an across-theboard hour which began in 1955, have been the principal program results of the ABC-Disney alliance. They have been consistent standouts in both billings and audience. No doubt partly because of the Disney identification, Mickey Mouse Club was completely sold out — 20 quarter-hours a week — before it ever went on the air last fall, causing a jubilant network spokesman to remark at the time: "never before have so many paid so much for something they've never seen." It is pertinent to note that ABC-TV's gross annual billings from Mickey Mouse Club alone come to within approximately $4 million of the network's entire tv billings for 1952. Less productive has been the third Disney program, a 25-minute radio show from Disneyland Park called Magic Kingdom, which is on five times a week. It has had practically no sponsorships. How does one go about planning and executing a five-year program such as ABC's? Mr. Kintner explains it thus: "Under our 'five-year plan' our first objective was to program seven nights a week, 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., with good shows. As a second objective, we planned to enter the daytime — Page 70 • March 5, 1956 Broadcasting • Telecasting