Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

closed circuit: $100 MILLION UP • Tight race is developing for win, place and show in annual agency radio-tv billings race as contest approaches year end. Top contenders at this point — in alphabetical order —are Ted Bates & Co. BBDO, Benton & Bowles, McCann-Erickson, J. Walter Thompson and Young & Rubicam. Forecast: winner will be at or over $100 million mark in broadcast billings for year, compared to $82 million for 1956 front runner (Y&R). • Harold E. Fellows, NARTB president, has been told by doctors to slow down. Strain of frequent travel plus heavy administrative load reportedly has Mr. Fellows on verge of exhaustion. While no reorganization in NARTB top echelon is indicated, it's reported Mr. Fellows will delegate more routine duties to key aides. • FACILITIES SHORTAGE • Unless AT&T comes up with facilities it now claims it can't produce, NBC-TV's ambitious plan to lick daylight saving time problem may not work for all affiliates. Network needs one more circuit than AT&T says it can supply to feed videorecorded repeats to stations in Eastern Standard Time zone. This area includes Detroit, Cincinnati, Huntington-Charleston, Indianapolis and other major markets in Michigan and Ohio. • Committee of affiliates in Eastern Standard Time zone is now trying to persuade AT&T of importance of providing appropriate facilities for NBC-TV repeats. EST stations are pointing out that there are more than 5 million tv homes that would be affected if EST stations can't take advantage of NBC-TV tape scheduling to keep programs on schedule at accustomed local times during summer. • WHA'D HE SAY? • WCCO-AM Minneapolis has developed audio version of subliminal perception. Station is experimenting with what it calls "phantom spots" — short phrases of no more than five syllables each — which are dropped into music and even into pauses in dialogue. In few days of use, new technique reportedly shows promise as aided recall device. • Boys at FCC have been viewing Lili St. Cyr movie — but no stag party implications are to be inferred. Commission received couple of letters protesting (but not vigorously) exotic's remarks about marriage in Oct. 5 Mike Wallace interview (she didn't think ceremony was important if you loved the guy), so Commission got kine of show, viewed it, decided it wasn't censorable — although individual commissioners expressed distaste for Miss St. Cyr's casual views on love and marriage. • GOING NORTH? • Key ABC executives, including Frank Marx, vice president in charge of engineering, are studying possibility of moving west coast network operations from Los Angeles to San Francisco. It's believed there might be savings in communications charges and other advantages to be gained in moving headquarters to financial capital of West Coast. Program originations would continue to be concentrated in Hollywood. • Radio showed up so strongly in recent farm radio survey that Radio Advertising Bureau is going back for another look in greater depth. Survey in three states showed more than half of farm families have three or more radio sets in working order and virtually eight out of ten (78.8% ) reported they "listened today." RAB is so impressed it plans new survey in twice as many states and with even larger samples. • THE BENCH • There's reserve FCC ready to step in and regulate country's communications in case of war or other disaster which might incapacitate current commissioners. Last week in Washington reservists had first opportunity to get together. Meeting at executive reserve conference was "substitute" FCC — former FCC Chairman Paul A. Porter; former Comrs. E. K. Jett, George E. Sterling, Robert F. Jones; Maj. Gen. Willard S. Paul (USA, ret.), president of Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pa., former ODM assistant director in charge of plans and readiness, and Joseph E. Baudino, Westinghouse Broadcasting Co., Washington vice president. Comr. Robert E. Lee is present FCC defense commissioner. • Use of Conelrad for disaster warnings is next step in defense program. Arrangements are being made by Weather Bureau, Civil Defense authorities and FCC to permit government agencies to alert whole populations regionally to oncoming storms, hurricanes, tornados, etc., via 640 kc and 1240 kc Conelrad frequencies. FCC Comr. Robert E. Lee virtually promised FCC cooperation in talk to state civil defense directors meeting in Washington last week. • A SLEEPER • WCBS-TV New York's early-morning (6:30-7 a.m.) Sunrise Semester great books college course, produced in conjunction with New York U., may be syndicated nationally by CBS Television Film Sales. Program surprised industry last month by garnering advertiser in Barnes & Noble bookshop — first time station got "sponsor" that early in day — and it is understood that considerable number of stations (and some advertisers) would like to import Sunrise Semester into their markets. • Marlboro cigarettes (Philip Morris Ltd.) is emerging as major network tv sports sponsor, its latest buy being one-third of national leg of CBS-TV Saturday afternoon hockey coverage. At same time, network is inching closer to objective of telecasting sports events 52 weekends, year around, with only few blank spots left. Marlboro, which past year has bankrolled baseball, pro football and now hockey, is reportedly considering proposed CBS-TV Sunday afternoon baseball schedule in 1958, though details remain to be worked out. • HOLIDAY SPECIALS • NBC TV under stood to be interested in new concept for "specials" created by David Susskind, partner of Talent Assoc., program-package organization. Mr. Susskind's plan is to run 12 one-hour specials with "tie-in thread" of continuity from one show to next with holidays as theme. Each monthly show would feature different holiday. • All day conferences in New York and Detroit Friday by network, agency and advertiser officials pointed to sponsorship by Plymouth Motor Corp., Div. of Chrysler Corp., of Bob Hope Show one-hour specials, five more of which are set for this year and spring of 1958 on NBC-TV. Plymouth will pick up tab dropped by Timex, which bowed out of programs after Mr. Hope appeared on show sponsored in part by competing watch firm. Johnson Motors (Div. of Outboard Marine & Mfg. Co.) has signed for one-half of 1958 special, and Plymouth is understood to have signed for sponsorship of portions still available. Agency: N. W. Ayer & Son, N. Y. • NEW DEAL, NO SALE • Negotiations for MBS to acquire ownership of Don Lee Broadcasting System [Networks, Nov. 4] are virtually concluded with no purchase, no sale, but completely revised affiliation agreement between national and regional networks is expected to be formalized this week. New deal will allow Mutual to expand its programming on West Coast through curtailment, if not full elimination of Don Lee sustaining programming. Don Lee, however, retains its independent identity as regional network and will continue to originate its own programs for west coast listeners and advertisers. As part of new arrangement, MBS is assuming responsibility for all line charges. Broadcasting November 18, 1957 • Page 5