Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

ABROAD IN BRIEF SWISS PAPERS TO PAY: Since the Swiss government's latest rejection of commercial tv some weeks ago, the Swiss Newspaper Publishers Assn. has had to discuss how to make good its offer to subsidize the government system [BoT, Aug. 5]. At its most recent meeting the association made plans to pay 2 million francs annually to the tv broadcasting organization for 10 years, or 1.5 million annually for 15 years. The association has decided it is worth the price to keep the medium from making advertising inroads. The subsidy budget has been set up for 10-15 years on the theory that by that time set license fees will pay the entire broadcasting bill. ON WESTERN WIDTH: A Yugoslav Tv Development Plan, published in Belgrade early this month confirms that the independent communist country is adhering to West European tv standards rather than those of the eastern bloc of nations. (The main variation is one mc in bandwidth. Otherwise, standards are substantially the same, 625 lines, 25 frames per second, using fm frequencies.) The country also is reported planning tv links with Austria and Italy but not with the Soviet bloc. RCA is sending equipment for stations at Belgrade, Zagreb and Ljubljana and satellites, according to reports abroad. The package is said to include three 3-camera studio outfits and mobile pickup units for Belgrade and Ljubljana, to be delivered between October and January. British Marconi is understood to have contracts for relays of the interstation network and a mobile pickup unit for Zagreb. West German Siemens is reported ready to deliver three transmitters, 1 to 3 kw each, and satellite units by early 1958. BLURS IN BAVARIA PICTURE: Bavarian Radio, experiencing advertiser apathy during summer months, recorded a sales drop during July. Only 37% of a daily half-hour segment in an otherwise sustaining schedule was sold, compared to 61.7% sold in June. The station, one of two in the all-government system which have made a small part of their schedules available for sponsorship (Radio Free Berlin is the other), still is at the stage of selling advertisers on the tv medium. A new threat to the economic picture is presented, by a bill before the Bavarian Parliament setting limits on commercial time and providing for revenues to go to cultural institutions outside the broadcasting I HOWARD E. STARK ) and IT 58t NEW YORK 22. N. V EASTSS,h STREET EL S-040S 50 field. Earnings at present are used to support the total BR operation. VIENNA REVAMPS: The government of Austria has completed a plan for reorganizing the country's state-operated broadcasting system, it has been reported. Under the new setup, Oesterreichische Rundfunk Gesellschaft (Austrian Broadcasting Co.) will be capitalized at the equivalent of $4 million, a sum contributed 95% by the Vienna government and 5% by the Austrian federal states. There is no room in the system for private broadcasting, but observers have expressed doubts that mounting budgets of television can be met without commercial broadcasting. TV GIVEAWAY: Signal interference on London television sets led Scotland Yard sleuths to the hideaway of a Lavender Hill counterfeiting mob. Acting on complaints from viewers in the Lavender Hill section, detectives broke into the basement of a home. There they found a press — source of the tv trouble— and about £200,000 ($560,000) in forged notes, said to represent the biggest seizure of forged money in British history. It happened Friday, Sept. 13. Box Top Promotions Condemned By Board of Governors of CBC The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. board of governors last week warned stations that certain give-away shows would constitute a black mark on their records at license-renewal time. The board frowns on programs or messages which offer prizes in return for box tops or other proofs of purchase. Such promotions do not represent good broadcasting nor do they serve the public interest, the CBC fathers said. The policy, however, does not affect shows featuring contestants present at station studios or which require entries made in writing and judged on the basis of merit. INTERNATIONAL SHORTS Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reports it will start construction this fall on new Y-shaped headquarters building at Ottawa, Ont., to cost approximately $2 million. Building will be eight stories in height and located on Riverside Drive, with completion scheduled for sometime in 1960. In addition to headquarter offices for all departments, building will have viewing, audition and conference rooms. Swift Canadian Co. Ltd. (food products), Toronto, has started quarter-hour quiz show five times weekly on 50 English and Frenchlanguage radio stations. Show is based on Canadian facts and music, and was produced by G. N. Mackenzie Ltd., same city. Agencies are McCann-Erickson Canada Ltd. and J. Walter Thompson Ltd., Toronto. Halas & Batchelor Cartoon Films Ltd., London animation studio and commercial tv producer, has opened U. S. production and liaison office at 11 W. 42 St., N. Y., with Irene Lee, formerly of firm's London office, heading operation. NOW IN ROANOKE and Western Virginia WDBJ presents followed by the EARLY SHOW Famous Feature Movies Monday through Friday 4:00 to 6.05 P. M. Vour Peters, Griffin, Woodward "Colonel" can give you the full story concerning participations. Call him now! ROANOKE, VA. Owned and operated by the Times-World Corp. Broadcasting • Telecasting October 7, 1957 • Page 119