Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

THE KIDS REALLY GO FOR Captain Sacto! Captain Sacte's a real spaceship hero to the youngsters of Sacramento — a hero worth an average 16.3 ARB rating* daily on KCRA-TV. His live program now runs a full hour from 6 to 7 p.m. The Captain will also be a hero to your clients who want to sell merchandise in the rich Sacramento Valley. Ask the people at Carnation Corn Flakes and Bosco Milk Amplifier. They know what a job he's doing on KCRA-TV. "The Little Rascals" and "Crusader Rabbit" films help Captain Sacto give the younger set a show that has the endorsement of every parent. Put this super-salesman to work for your clients. Call Petry and get the full facts on Captain Sacto participations. OPEN MIKE •Source: American Research Bureau, Inc. A Special Report on the Sacramento Television Audience, November 7-13, 1955 Agencies' Spot Billings EDITOR: The article on page 31 of the March 12 B»T ["The Top 25 Agencies in Spot Broadcast Buying"] contains information that is valuable to every agency, advertiser, production firm and station representative. This is the first time that this material has been available. In order to be sure that all of our television and radio stations read this article, we have today ordered extra copies. You have set a precedent for the industry with this article. Few articles in any trade paper have caused as much agency comment as we have heard in the past two days. Lloyd George Venard, Pres. Venard, Rintoul & McConnell, New York EDITOR: This is interesting and I am passing it along to others in this organization. Walter S. Shelly, Pres. N. W. Ayer & Son, Philadelphia Oversight EDITOR: I'm sure it was no more than an oversight on your part that you failed to include us in the list of top 25 agencies in spot tv and radio. Last year we placed $3,175,000 in spot tv and radio for the following accounts: Block Drug Co., Manischewitz Wines, Rayco Auto Seat Covers, National Shoes, Berolio Import Co., Ronzoni Macaroni Co., Barney's Clothes, Bonomo Candies, Ferber Pen Corp., Gem Packing Corp. This, as you can see, is above some of those you had listed. Emit Mogul, Pres. Emil Mogul Co. New York Fresh Viewpoint Asked EDITOR: ... I think B«T could well stand to freshen up its editorial policies — to harmonize with the best and most responsible leaders in this industry, men who know the basis on which this industry can survive — rather than to carry editorials of the "leave us alone to do as we wish to do" stripe. Your editorials about what you think the FCC should do about such things as overcommercialism may lull some of the more money-hungry broadcasters into a false sense of security. George Brooks, News Dir. KSUM Fairmont, Minn. Down, Boy EDITOR: I note your story [B«T, March 5] that Ipana is smiling over its contest to supply a one-word name for a male puppy which looks like Lady. Christine? Bill Ladd, Tv Editor The Courier Journal and The Louisville Times Louisville, Ky. Religious Time — Paid or Free? EDITOR: We give approximately 3V4 hours of air time and production facilities each and every week to the churches of our service area — and have since the day we went on the air. The only control we can possibly exercise is to make all other religious programs commercial. Otherwise: 15 minutes to one group ... in all fair ness 15 minutes to all other takers. However, we'll go along when it's written into law that contractors provide free church edifice for each group, power companies free power, etc., on down the line. Also — this will have to be tax supported, so it will have to be on the basis of a state religion, I suppose, and religious groups will require state approval. This should make it a lot easier for the group referred to — by reducing their communions from 35 to 2 or 3. The politicians — the churches — everybody wants free time — no strings. As a public service, to keep the U. S. economy right up at the top, why don't all radio and tv stations just grant free time to everybody? Let's be socialistic about this thing — or realistic — preferably the latter. Boh Fouse, Co-Mgr. KCSR Chadron, Neb. Credit Lines EDITOR: Let's give credit where credit is due. WTMJ-TV long ago announced 30-second station breaks to replace a combination of 20-seconds and 10-seconds; and let's give credit to Hazel Bishop who was the first advertiser to see the advantage and contracted this service; then also to Oldsmobile and Bulova. Walter J. Damm, Vice Pres. WTMJ-TV Milwaukee TEDITOR'S NOTE: Mr. Damm's letter was evoked by a report [B«T, Feb. 27] of a discussion by executives of CBS Television Spot Sales and CBS-TV owned stations of feasibility of combining a 20-second spot and a 10-second spot into a 30-second break.] A Real Must EDITOR: The 1956 issue of Broadcasting YearbookMarketbook came in the morning mail and I've just finished leafing through it. It's really an impressive document. By way of an endorsement, let me say that the Yearbook is a real must for anybody in the public relations business. It makes my job as a public relations counsel much easier. Milt Dean Hill Public Relations Counsel National Airlines Washington 5, D. C. Thlinget, Too EDITOR: Your note page 99 of the Feb. 20 issue relative to United States stations broadcasting regularly in 40 tongues other than English is another indication how truly American is American Broadcasting . . . "regardless of race, creed or color." Does that 40 include the Thlinget (pronounced Klinket with much scraping of the throat) Indian? KSEW is owned and operated by the Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. and carries a daily program in the Thlinget tongue plus an Alaska Native Brotherhood newscast on Saturday, also in the native Thlinget language. The Thlinget Indian is the native indian of Southeastern Alaska, a very peculiar and distinct ethnic group, unlike any of the others of that race. They hunt bear and deer, fish for salmon and listen to KSEW Sitka's Totem Jamboree. . . . Hendrick Van Dyke, Gen. Mgr. KSEW Sitka, Alaska f EDITOR'S NOTE: Thinglet was not included in the B-T list of foreign languages broadcast by U. S. radio stations, published in full, station-bystation with languages used by each, in the 1956 Broadcasting Yeabbook-Marketbook. KSEW neglected to return the questionnaire sent in advance of Yearbook publication.] Page 18 • March 19, 1956 Broadcasting • Telecasting