Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

NARTB CONVENTION it would be a "great disaster if motion pictures or television absorbed each other," both, he said, "offer great possibilities and service to the public and should be independent of each other." He ducked a question as to the probable effect of the government's anti-trust suit charging Loew's Inc. with block-booking MGM feature films to television stations [B*T, April 1, 8]. When Robert D. Swezey of WDSU-TV New Orleans, who was putting the questions as "quizmaster" for the occasion, suggested that a possible result might be a consent decree and that the case might have "a salutary effect for everyone," Mr. Skouras laughed: "you said it — I didn't." Earlier, he had offered this bit of advice: "never come to grips with Uncle Sam on any basis." Paying tribute to NTA officials for "wholehearted cooperation and integrity" in the negotiations in which NTA acquired 20th Century-Fox films for distribution to television. Mr. Skouras said his company will make its entire physical, financial and creative resources available to tv provided there is a demand. He said 20th Century-Fox can supply at least 20 new shows a year for the NTA Film Network and also can make available one or two feature films a week for "many years to come." "We have 350 pre1948 pictures available and after we come to an agreement with the various guilds on the post1948 films, we will be able to have a permanent supply available." he asserted. He thought the "perfect time lapse" before motion pictures ar3 released to television is "between four and five years." He denied that motion pictures are "old," pointing out that "at most, only about 15% of the population see a film in theatrical release." Five years after playing the movie houses, he continued, less than 10% of that audience remain, so that tv "can draw upon 90% of the population when it schedules a socalled old film." Ely A. Landau, NTA Film Network president, and Oliver A. Unger, executive vice president, were hosts at the breakfast, with guests including Mr. Swezey; Dick Moore, KTTV (TV) Los Angeles: E. K. Jett, WMAR-TV Baltimore; Robert B. McConnell, WISH-TV Indianapolis; Sidney L. Cohen, KUTV (TV) Salt Lake City; Ted Webber, WGN-TV Chicago; Al Larson and Frank Fogarty of the Meredith Tv Stations; Steve Kockritz of Storer Broadcasting; John Scheuer, WFIL-TV Philadelphia; Julian Kaufman, XETV (TV) Tijuana, and NTA Film Network executives. Harwood to APBE Presidency; McAndrews, Brown Get Posts NEW officers and industry board members were elected by Assn. for Professional Broadcasting Education at meetings in Chicago last week, with Dr. Kenneth Harwood, U. of Southern California, assuming the presidency. Other officers named were Robert J. McAndrews, KBIG Avalon, Calif., vice presi dent, and Richard M. Brown, KPOJ Portland. Ore., secretary-treasurer. Elected to the 10-man industry-educator board of APBE were Ward L. Quaal. WGN Inc., Chicago, and Mr. Brown. APBE membership and directors discussed current organization programs, including industry-educator activities and the MOST violations of the NARTB Television Code are made by a few stations. This finding, based on a year of monitoring, was laid before the tv management conference at the NARTB convention last Tuesday by G. Richard Shafto of WIS-TV Columbia, S. C, retiring chairman of the Code Review Board. He said monitoring of 41 stations in 13 major markets, from sign-on to sign-off for a full week in each case, showed that in all of the locally originated advertising "90% of the violations were found on only onefourth of the stations." Mr. Shafto offered this breakdown of findings from the more than 4,500 hours of monitoring the 41 stations: "Of more than 8,000 commercial programs, only 271 exceeded the code's advertising time allowances. "Fourteen of the 41 monitored stations carried a total of 101 program-length commercials. "Of nearly 10,000 station breaks monitored, only 30 exceeded the code's provision of two spots plus the sponsored 10-second ID. "And, with regard to multiple spotting within program formats, in the 8,000 monitored programs only 69 violations were noted." From the positive standpoint of code compliance, he pointed out that 33 of the 41 stations carried no multiple-spotting; 31 carried fewer than 10 programs that exceeded code advertising time allowances during the entire monitored week, and three stations carried more than half of the 101 commercial-length programs noted. "These figures," Mr. Shafto asserted "effectively refute charges that commercial excesses are rampant in major markets. They do prove that commercial excesses are rampant on a few stations in major markets." While the figures related to compliance or non-compliance with commercial provisions of the code, Mr. Shafto pointed out that it was in the area of advertising, rather than programming, that virtually all violations were detected. According to frequency of occurrence, he said, the violations most often reported in commercial analyses based on monitoring are (1) commercials exceeding code limits in length; (2) program-length commercials; (3) multiple spotting, and (4) poor taste. He said monitoring indicates there is "very little" tv advertising involving misrepresentation or fraud, but warned that new Journal of Broadcasting, second issue of which was distributed during last week's NARTB convention. The magazine is published under APBE auspices and has drawn favorable industry-educator comment, according to Fred H. Garrigus, NARTB manager of organizational services, who serves as coordinator. "any is too much, and when we [Code Review Board] do encounter such commercials we pursue the matter vigorously." One of the board's most difficult decisions. Mr. Shafto pointed out, is in drawing the line between "poor" and "good" taste — a "highly subjective" question that is influenced by a viewer's "age, sex, religion, education, income, occupation, family environment, where he was raised and where he now lives, to name just a few factors." However, he said, as a direct result of a campaign waged by the code board, the showing of beer and wine being drunk "has all but disappeared from tv," and instances of beer or wine ads being carried immediately adjacent to children's programming are "rare, and often are the result of 'makegoods.' " Most questions regarding "poor taste," he continued, "stem from commercials for personal products: deodorants, depilatories, laxatives, drugs or medications for intimately personal body functions or distresses." He emphasized that while the code staff welcomes inquiries regarding code application, its views are given "in an advisory capacity only," and that although some code provisions are inflexible (as in the time standards table of allowances), "most problems still require decision and judgment by station management." He said some stations had "resigned" for failure to meet code requirements but that memberships have more than kept pace with resignations, although "we are not out of the woods by any means." "We had a brief meeting yesterday morning and considered staff reports regarding some stations who appear to be operating substantially inconsistent with the code's advertising provisions." he asserted. "Constructive action looking toward full compliance was taken in each instance." Code subscribers currently number 303 of the nation's 475 tv stations, plus all three tv networks. Mr. Shafto regarded monitoring as the "most significant single development" during his tenure with the Code Review Board. In the past year, he pointed out, 56 code stations in 18 major markets have been monitored, each for a full week, and 32 of these stations have been monitored twice. In addition there have been three-day monitoring surveys which provide an analysis based on 30 to 40 hours of a station's programming and advertising. "Altogether," he reported, "the Code Review Board staff has provided monitoring TV CODE CULPRITS FEW— SHAFTO • Retiring Tv Code Review Board chairman makes report • Main import: Violations concentrated among few stations Page 120 • April 15, 1957 Broadcasting • Telecasting