Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

SIGNING a contract for WWL-TV New Orleans to become an interconnected primarily affiliate of CBS, effective about Aug. 1, are (1 to r): Edward P. Shurick, CBS vice president and director of station relations; W. H. (Slim) Summerville, WWL-TV general manager, and the Rev. A. B. Goodspeed, S. J., treasurer of Loyola U., which owns and operates WWL-TV. Nielsen 1957 Study Indicates Tv Audience at 'All-Time High7 NETWORK television's audience in 1957 has been at "an all-time high with every i month of the year to date exceeding the preceding year's comparable month's audience, [according to figures released last week by the Television Bureau of Advertising. TvB's figures, compiled from data provided by the A. C. Nielsen Co. (January through March each year), also showed that while the average daytime television advertiser reached 9% more homes in 1957 than 1956, the average evening television advertiser reached 20% more homes. The average network program, TvB reported, reached more than 1.5 million homes per broadcast in 1957 than 1956. The average increase for weekday daytime programs were 283,000 homes. TvB noted that the average evening program increase — 1957 over 1955 — was 41% and the average weekday program increase —1957 over 1955— was 28%. NETWORK TV AUDIENCES 1955-1956-1957 (January through March each year, Nielsen total audience basis) Average evening program 1955 (141) 1956 (137) 1957 (129) Rating (PSB) 23.7% 24.5 25.3 Homes (add 000) 6463 7593 9115 Average weekday daytime program 1955 (49) 1956 (51) 1957 (54) 10.4% 10.6 10.1 2805 3297 3580 1957-1956 per c nt change Plus 20 Plus 9 (Number of programs shown in parentheses.) NBC-TV Not to Renew Writers NBC-TV New York has confirmed that it has not renewed the one-year contracts of several "name" writer-producers on its Hollywood staff but denied this signifies a new Broadcasting • Telecasting program policy change by Executive Vice President Robert Kintner. The decision was made last December. Not renewed were Ellion Lewis, Leo Soloman, Milt Josephsberg and Carroll Carroll. NBC-TV noted recent Hollywood staff additions include Norman Panama, Mel Frank, Tom McKnight and Jack Chertok. NBC Radio Billings for Week, New and Renewal, $700,000 NEW and additional participation schedules amounting to $700,000 net, including a major 52-week campaign for General Mills, were purchased on NBC Radio by six sponsors in the week ending April 29, according to William K. McDaniel, vice president, NBC Radio sales. Advertisers placing new orders were: General Mills Inc., through Dancer-FitzgeraldSample, 10 one-minute and 10 30-second participations in Bob and Ray and new Fibber McGee and Mollie segments on Monitor each weekend for 52 weeks starting June 1; Princeton Knitting Mills Inc., through Ehrlich, Neuwirth & Sobo Inc., its first network radio buy, 10 Bob and Ray segments on Monitor for seven weeks starting July 20; Columbia Pictures Corp., through Donahue & Coe, 1 1 one-minute participations in NBC Bandstand, People Are Funny, and Monitor over three-week period starting June 24. Time Inc., through Young & Rubicam, has ordered two participations in Conversation; Ex-Lax, through Warwick & Legler, has ordered one participation in The Great Gildersleeve, People Are Funny, One Man's Family, and Monitor each week for 34 weeks starting April 30. Evinrude Motors, through Cramer-Krasselt Co., Milwaukee, has extended its Monitor schedule of five one-minute participations a weekend for three weeks effective June 21. These orders are in addition to the recently announced sale of one-quarter sponsorship of NBC Radio's News on the Hour (story page 66), and brings to $1.3 million the net revenue recorded by NBC Radio in one week. Leonard Hole, NBC-TV Head Of Program Development, Dies FUNERAL services were held in New York Friday for Leonard H. Hole, 49, director of program development for NBC-TV and a veteran of more than 25 years of television and radio production, direction, writing, programming and administration. Mr. Hole died Tuesday morning in New York after a long illness. Besides his duties as director of program development, Mr. Hole had served this season as NBC production supervisor for the Perry Como Show and Washington Square. He joined the network in 1950 as program procurement supervisor MR. HOLE Measuring markets by metropolitan data? Better take another look at Salt Lake . . . It's greater than you think. Salt Lake is more than a city, it's a vast marketing area unified by powerful KSL radio ... a market with greater retail sales than St. Louis or Baltimore. Get this Great Salt Lake story from your CBS radio spot sales representative. KSL radio 50,000 WATTS FOR CBS IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST May 6, 1957 • Pager 85 i