Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

JAPANESE viewers will see four CBS Tv Film Sales series under terms of the contract signed by Akira Kanamori, directing manager of Sekiya & Co., and Frank Iwanaga, New York director of Sekiya, with Fred Mahlstedt; director of operations and production for CBS Film. The series: Annie Oakley, The Adventures of Champion. Buffalo Bill Jr. and Terrytoons. France and French protectorates and possessions. Programs sold by ABC Film include Three Musketeers, Passport to Danger, Herald Playhouse, Kieran's Kaleidoscope, Code Three, Racket Squad and Sheena, Queen of The Jungle. According to ABC Film, certain Mexican producers are considering the production of syndicated film programs to be distributed in Latin America and possibly to U. S. stations with Spanishspeaking audiences. Official Films: This is an outstanding example of a U. S. company that enters into co-production abroad, having filmed The Buccaneers, Robin Hood and The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, in conjunction with Sapphire Films in London. The company has an interest in Sapphire Films' studios and has invested in the production of the three series. Though Official Films reports its main objective in filming these programs in England was to give them "an authentic flavor," the movie enables the American company to put the money it earns in England to work for it. Each of the three series was sold to U. S. tv networks coincidentally with its sale in Britain and subsequently sales were made in Canada, Australia, Japan and Puerto Rico. Official Films currently has sold 15 different program series in 10 countries, covering such series as My Hero, Foreign Intrigue, Cross Currents, The Star and The Story, This Is Your Music, My Little Margie, The Hunter and others. Markets showing these programs include Britain, Australia, Japan, Puerto Rico, Guam, Mexico, France, Italy, Venezuela and Cuba. California National Productions (NBC subsidiary): Its half-hour shows are running in the United Kingdom, Australia, Puerto Rico, Mexico City, Cuba and Belgium. Nearly all of the CNP programs overseas were sold some time ago, with CNP paid in dollars. Now, however, with tight currency, CNP is negotiating in other markets. At the same time, CNP is launching an expansion program overseas and by next fall expects to be in production of a filmed series in England. Toward that end CNP has just created a new London office that will be set up by June 1 with Gerald Adler, former NBC talent negotiator, heading it [B«T, April 22]. According to Herbert F. Solow, of CNP's foreign operations program arm, there has been little difficulty in dubbing films for CNP since most of its sales have been in English-language countries. CNP has seven shows in the United Kingdom and nine in Australia, and from one to four in the other countries. Among its shows: Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Life of Riley, Victory at Sea, Inner Sanctum, Dangerous Assignment, Steve Donovan, Western Marshal and about five others. It plans to dub another five series, and is eyeing about a half-dozen more countries. Some arrangements are made with countries near the Iron Curtain for playing of shows at no cost to provide a U. S. product on the airwaves and to secure a "foothold" for the future. Finland (Helsinki's tv outlet) is one such country. FEATURE FILM for tv is now in its infancy overseas. A few distributors with foreign rights to film libraries — among them Screen Gems (Columbia Pictures) and Associated Artists Productions (Warner Bros, features and short subjects and Paramount Pictures' "Popeye" cartoons and other films) — have begun opening foreign markets where possible for features on tv. Reportedly MGM also is moving in that direction. Here, the pattern generally follows the line of theatrical exhibition first, followed by tv showing. Drawbacks thus far to feature film are the few hours of telecasting time per day in most countries, and the varied restrictions in many nations. Some examples, as explained by Norman Katz, AAP's general manager in charge of foreign operations: the low literacy rate in NICARAGUAN viewers will see 10 Ziv Tv series under terms of the contract signed by (I to r) Dr. Jose del Carmen Urbina and Don Rafael O. Cano of Television de Nicaragua, S.A., and Ralph Franklin, Ziv Latin America sales manager. Fourteen Ziv series are seen in 11 countries south of the border. some countries barring titling of films (particularly in some Latin American countries), high costs of good quality dubbing for such countries as France and Germany which permit the showing of only dubbed U. S. films, and quotas placed on U. S. film product. AAP, which considers itself to be a "pioneer" in feature film for tv overseas, claims to be moving into all the major markets around the globe. Mr. Katz said AAP is in 14 countries, is moving into Australia and expects to be in all tv markets in Latin America. Attraction overseas is the pre-conditioned box office draw of U. S. motion picture stars. Currency restrictions do not affect , AAP to any extent since the distributor is able to apply currency to theatrical production interests. Mr. Katz, who estimates not more than 12% of the total gross revenue of film distribution companies now comes from foreign contracts, predicts that from three to five years hence, the percentage will climb to 30 or 40. Of interest are some pacts made by AAP with foreign groups for the production of live shows based on a feature film propertj (AAP holds the foreign literary rights). HOW PEOPLE SPEND THEIR TIME THERE WERE 122,529,000 people in the U. S. over 12 years of age during the week, April 21-27. This is how they spent their time:" 66.1% (80,992,000) spent 1,644.1 million hours watching television** 55.6% (68,126.000) spent 1.001.5 million hours listening to radio** 80.2% (98,268,000) spent 401.2 million hours reading newspapers 28.3% (34,677,000) spent 149.7 million hours reading magazines 23.1% (28,304,000) spent 261.5 million hours watching movies on tv 28.2% (34,578,000) spent 144.1 million hours attending movies These totals, compiled by Sindlinger & Co., analysts, Ridley Park, Pa., and published exclusively by B»T each week, are based on a 48-state, random dispersion sample of 7,000 interviews (1,000 each day). Sindlinger's monthly "activity" report, from which these weekly figures are drawn, furnishes comprehensive breakdowns of these and numerous other categories, and shows the duplicated and unduplicated audience between each specific medium. Copyright 1957 Sindlinger & Co. • All figures are average daily tabulations for the week with exception of the "attending movies" category, which is a cumulative total for the week. Sindlinger tabulations are available within 2-7 days of the interviewing week. ** Both television and radio time were up appreciably for the week, a fact Sindlinger attributes to the start of the baseball broadcast season. Page 30 • May 6, 1957 Broadcasting • Telecasting