Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

ADVERTISERS & AGENCIES* Pabst Renews Wed. Fights On ABC-TV for 52 Weeks AGREEMENT for a 52-week renewal of the Wednesday evening fight series on ABC-TV under alternating sponsorship of Pabst Brewing Co. and the Mennen Co. was announced in Chicago last Wednesday following a meeting which involved executives of the Leo Burnett Co., ABC-TV and the International Boxing Club. The renewal, effective June 1, was jointly announced by Harris Perlstein, board chairman of Pabst, and IBC President James D. Norris, and marks the seventh consecutive year for the mid-week bouts on network tv and the second straight on ABC-TV after being relinquished by CBS-TV. Gathered for the signing are (I to r): seated, Harris Perlstein, chairman of the board at Pabst; James D. Norris, president of the boxing club; standing, Harold Morgan, ABC vice president-treasurer, and Leo Burnett, chairman of the board of the agency that bears his name. Mr. Perlstein reported that the Mennen Co. would go along again as co-sponsor. The Pabst account is handled by Leo Burnett Co., Chicago, while Mennen (on the fights) is serviced by Kenyon & Eckhardt. Terms of the new agreement call for 52 bouts (through the traditional summer hiatus) at the rate of $18,500 per program, with main event contestants receiving $8,000, according to Mr. Norris. Packard Dealers Meet Via Tv PACKARD-CLIPPER dealers will gather tomorrow (Tuesday) in 24 principal U. S. cities to hear plans, via closed-circuit tv, for broadening the Packard line. James J. Nance, president, Studebaker-Packard Corp., will head the group of executives who will outline a $3 million advertising program during the second quarter of 1956. Bayuk 'Champions' Simulcast BAYUK Cigar Co., which sponsors Meet the Champions on NBC-TV Fridays, following the conclusion of the Cavalcade of Sports (usually about 10:45 p.m.) and continuing to 11 p.m. EST, has ordered a limited eastern regional block of 31 NBC Radio stations for simulcasts, scheduled to start last Friday. Agency is Al Paul Lefton Co. Hi-C Enters Network Tv MINUTE MAID Corp.'s Hi-C Div., through J. R. Pershall Co., Chicago, will bow into network television with alternate-week sponsorship participations on NBC-TV's Tennessee Ernie Show, starting May 16 and also has lined up a schedule of spot tv and radio business in assorted markets. The firm plans to utilize tv spots in perhaps a dozen markets and radio in three other cities, along with the network tv show, to buttress an extensive newspaper campaign, it was reported last week. The NBC-TV Ernie Ford program has been scheduled by Hi-C for 13 weeks with an option for 13 additional weeks. Niles Foster, general manager of Hi-C, announced the campaign's inception. Grant Plans Before City PLANS of Grant Adv. Inc. to construct a new $700,000 three-story building on Chicago's north side depend on a vote by city zoning officials. The agency has requested that the area, overlooking Lake Shore Drive north of Oak St. be reclassified from an apartment house area to a business district. The Chicago City Council Building & Zoning Committee is expected to vote on the rezoning matter soon, after having twice deferred it. Roto-Broil Buy ROTO-BROIL Corp. of America, Long Island City, N. Y., Thursday launched a $600,000, 60-day, one-minute tv saturation spot campaign in 70 major markets backed by extensive print media for a special consumer offer of a 1956 RotoBroil golden king size 'Fiesta,' a mobile table and a 32-piece silverware set for eight at $59.95. Agency for Roto-Broil is Product Services, New York. Drug Campaign Staged on Tv IN COOPERATION with the Brunswig Wholesale Drug Co., the NBC-TV Merchandising Dept. last Monday launched a one-week promotional campaign, designed to help retail drugs take advantage of tv's sales impact. The network and Brunswig, which covers about 10% of all retail drug stores in the U. S., staged NBC-TV "Value Parade," a promotion of drug products of 48 sponsors on NBC-TV in retail drug stores on the West Coast and in the mountain regions. LATEST RATINGS NIELSEN Top Television Programs Two Weeks Ending Feb. 18 Number of Tv Homes Reached (000) f Total Audience Rank Rating 1. Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) 17,690 2. $64,000 Question (CBS) 17,375 3. Disneyland (ABC) 16,883 4. I Love Lucy (CBS) 16,637 5. Max Liebman Presents (NBC) 14,953 6. Perry Como Show (NBC) 14,882 7. December Bride (CBS) 14,391 8. Dragnet (NBC) 14,145 9. Jack Benny Show (CBS) 14,110 10. You Bet Your Life (NBC) 13,759 t Average Audience I Love Lucy (CBS) 15,971 $64,000 Question (CBS) 15,935 Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) 14,321 Disneyland (ABC) 13,829 December Bride (CBS) 13,443 Dragnet (NBC) 13,303 Jack Benny Show (CBS) 12,882 You Bet Your Life (NBC) 12,882 Private Secretary (CBS) 12,074 George Gobel Show (NBC) 11,969 Percent of Tv Homes Reached* t Total Audience Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) 53.0 $64,000 Question (CBS) 51.5 Disneyland (ABC) 49.7 I Love Lucy (CBS) 49.1 Perry Como Show (NBC) 44.8 Max Liebman Presents (NBC) 44.5 December Bride (CBS) 42.8 Jack Benny Show (CBS) 42.5 Dragnet (NBC) 41.2 You Bet Your Life (NBC) 40.3 t Average Audience PULSE Top 20 Regularly Scheduled Once A Week Tv Shows Rating Feb. Jan. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 9. 10. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. $64,000 Question (CBS) 46.5 Ed Sullivan (CBS) 44.0 I Love Lucy (CBS) 40.0 Groucho Marx (NBC) 35.4 Disneyland (ABC) 33.2 Perry Como (NBC) 33.2 Climax (CBS) 33.0 December Bride (CBS) 32.9 Dragnet (NBC) 30.9 Burns and Allen (CBS) 30.1 Lux Video Theatre (NBC) 29.8 George Gobel (NBC) 28.7 Godfrey's Talent Scouts (CBS) 27.8 Bob Hope (NBC) 27.4 Jackie Gleason (CBS) 27.2 Red Skelton (CBS) 26.7 I've Got A Secret (CBS) 26.3 Robert Montgomery (NBC) 26.3 Studio One (CBS) 26.1 Medic (NBC) 25.6 48.7 42.2 30.2 34.6 33.5 31.5 33.0 30.2 31.1 26.5 29.1 28.9 26.9 26.4 26.6 27.0 25.1 Top 10 Regularly Scheduled Multi-Weekly Tv Shows Rating Feb. Jan. Mickey Mouse Club (ABC) 19.9 18.9 Guiding Light (CBS) 11.4 11.6 Love of Life (CBS) 10.9 11.1 Search For Tomorrow (CBS) 10.8 10.7 Big Payoff (CBS) 10.2 10.6 Art Linkletter (CBS) 10.0 9.7 News Caravan (NBC) 9.9 9.9 Arthur Godfrey (CBS) 9.7 9.5 Dinah Shore (NBC) 9.6 CBS News (CBS) 9.4 Valiant Lady (CBS) 9.4 1. $64,000 Question (CBS) I Love Lucy (CBS) 3. Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) 4. Disneyland (ABC) 5. December Bride (CBS) 6. Jack Benny Show (CBS) 7. Dragnet (NBC) 8. You Bet Your Life (NBC) 9. Private Secretary (CBS) 10. Perry Como Show (NBC) t Homes reached by all or any part of the program, except for homes viewing only 1 to 5 minutes. t Homes reached during the average minute of the program. * Percented ratings are based on tv homes reach of station facilities used by each program. Copyright 1956 by A. C. Nielsen Co. 47.2 47.2 42.9 40.7 39.9 38.8 38.7 37.7 35.9 35.5 within TRENDEX' Top 10 Programs for Evening Network Tv ' Week of March 1-7 1. I Love Lucy (CBS) 45.0 2. The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) 38.9 3. $64,000 Question (CBS) 36.9 4. Person to Person (CBS) 28.6 5. Perry Como (NBC) 28.3 6. December Bride (CBS) 28.2 7. Jackie Gleason (CBS) 28.0 8. Disneyland (ABC) 27.6 9. The Lineup (CBS) 27.4 10. Lux Video Theatre (NBC) 27.3 I've Got a Secret (CBS) 27.3 Page 42 • March 19, 1956 Broadcasting • Telecasting