Broadcasting Telecasting (Jul-Sep 1956)

FILM LARGE MARKET SPONSORS PREFER FILM NARTB '1956 Film Manual' shows that live programming sponsorship trails in areas of over 500,000 sets but leads on an all-station basis. MORE tv station film programs are sponsored in markets with 500,000 or more receivers than is the case with live programs, according to the 1956 Film Manual published last week by NARTB. In smaller markets, more live than film programs are sponsored, it is shown, and on an all-station basis, the same trend prevails. A three-chapter volume covering basic film and program information, the NARTB study offers chapters on programming trends, case histories of film policies and procedures and the use of free films. The survey of programming was analyzed in the manual by Richard M. Allerton, research director. Dan W. Shields, assistant to Tv Vice President Thad H. Brown Jr., edited the manual. Mr. Brown said the survey, third of an annual series, shows that stations devote over 30% of their time to local film origination. He added that film programming increased from a weekly average 29 hours 24 minutes in 1954 to 32 hours 48 minutes in 1955. The survey is based on data for a typical 1955 week from 45% of the NARTB tv membership, or 26% of all tv stations. Average weekly operating schedule for the stations was found to total 104 hours 2 minutes, an increase of 5 hours 37 minutes from 1954 to 1955. Network and local film hours have risen slightly but local live hours have declined. On an all-station basis, the percentage of sponsored film programs increased 3% in a year. Sponsored live programming increased 1%. The percentage of time devoted to all local programming dropped 1%, with local live dropping 2% and local film increasing 1%. Groups with the smallest and largest number of tv families have highest percentages of film programming. By days, Saturday was found once again to be the day with the heaviest film programming. Sunday was second. More syndicated films are shown than fea AVERAGE HOURS OF WEEKLY LOCAL FILM PROGRAMMING BY TYPE OF FILM Short Subjects Morning Afternoon . Evening . . . Total . . . Film Produced by Stations Morning . . Afternoon . Evening . . . Total . . . Avg. Hrs. Feature Film Morning . . . 3.6 Afternoon . . 7.8 Evening 7.2 Total 15.8 Syndicated Film Morning . . . 1.4 Afternoon . . 2.5 Evening 7.4 Total 10.3 1.1 0.7 1.5 1.8 AVERAGE WEEKLY PRODUCTION COSTS PROGRAMS No. tv families Talent in market Costs Up to 100,000 $ 265 100,000-250,000 283 250,000-500,000 860 500,000-1,000,000 1,378 1,000,000 and over 6,741 TALENT AND OF LOCAL LIVE Production Costs $ 600 429 870 774 1,464 ture films, according to the survey, but the feature films occupy more total program hours than any other type of film because they often are two or more times as long as the syndicated types. All but 2% of stations were found to use syndicated films; 14% did not use short subjects; 55% did not produce any films of their own and 11% did not use free films. Greatest use of film is in the evening (6 p.m. to signoff), according to the survey, with 49% of the showings occurring in this period. On the other hand, it was found that more film is being used in the morning hours than was the case in 1954. Both live and film programming costs have risen, it was shown. The manual's chapter on non-rental or fre< film was written by Elaine Phillips, film direc tor of WSPD-TV Toledo, Ohio, and a mem ber of the NARTB Television Film Commit tee. Miss Phillips explains that although free film comprises only 8% of average program ming hours allotted to films, it is the third mosi popular category, with 89% of stations usinj the product. Topics discussed are sources ol free film, acceptance, usage by station and film; for special dates. The five case histories in the manual ar« based on KCBW-TV Salinas, Calif.; WFMY TV Greensboro, N. C; WKY-TV Oklahoma AVERAGE HOURS PER WEEK BY TYPE OF PROGRAMMING No. Tv Families in Market Up to 100,000 250,000 500,000 1,000,000 100,000 250,000 500,000 1,000,000 and over Network hours 31:48 53:36 64:48 53:06 59:48 Local hours 47:12 46:48 45:12 57:48 65:18 *Live 14:36 14:42 16:00 21:00 23:18 *Film 32:36 32:06 29:12 36:48 42:00 Total operating hours . 78:20 100:24 110:00 110:54 125:06 * The sum of live plus film hours equals local hours. All-Station Average 54:54 49:48 17:00 32:48 104:02 AVERAGE WEEKLY COSTS OF FEATURE FILM COSTS FILM PROGRAMMING LIVE TALENT COSTS Connected With Presentation PRODUCTION COSTS Connected With Presentation A verage Average Average Average Weekly Live Average Average Weekly Film Live Talent Weekly Production No. tv families Film Cost Talent Cost Production Cost in market Cost Per Hour Cost Per Hour Cost Per Hour Up to 100,000 $ 382 $ 29 $ 51 $11 $116 $16 100,000-250,000 570 39 50 9 136 17 250,000-500,000 858 62 95 21 113 23 500,000-1,000,000 1,516 75 151 26 126 19 1,000,000 and over 3,462 155 252 25 563 56 AVERAGE WEEKLY COSTS OF SYNDICATED FILM PROGRAMMING FILM COSTS LIVE TALENT COSTS Connected With Presentation PRODUCTION COSTS Connected With Presentation Avg. A verage Average Average Average Weekly Live Average Average Hrs. Weekly Film Live Talent Weekly Production No. tv families Film Cost Talent Cost Production Cost 1.7 in market Cost Per Hour Cost Per Hour Cost Per Hour 2.8 Up to 100,000 $ 926 $ 94 $ 39 $17 $169 $29 1.2 100,000-250,000 923 126 40 20 99 38 4.1 250,000-500,000 1,651 280 73 29 109 55 500,000-1,000,000 2,164 281 91 36 49 19 1,000,000 and over 5,712 571 354 53 510 69 AVERAGE WEEKLY COSTS OF SHORT FILM COSTS SUBJECT FILM PROGRAMMING LIVE TALENT COSTS Connected With Presentation PRODUCTION COSTS Connected With Presentation Average Average Average Average Weekly Live A verage Average Weekly Film Live Talent Weekly Production No. tv families Film Cost Talent Cost Production Cost in market Cost Per Hour Cost Per Hour Cost Per Hour Up to 100,000 $ 112 $ 49 $ 85 $45 100,000-250,000 166 49 $ 24 $20 250,000-500,000 217 78 77 43 52 25 500,000-1,000,000 353 74 150 38 102 41 1,000,000 and over 1,061 123 148 55 23 23 Page 68 • August 6, 1956 Broadcasting Telecasting a