Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

THE WEEK IN BRIEF LEAD STORY GOVERNMENT Negotiators Agree on New ASCAP Licenses — Ticklish task getting closer to end. Four-year extension of current tv contracts reported to have found agreement between ASCAP group and majority of broadcast committee. Stations due to be polled for their reactions. Page 31. Free Speech and FCC's Role — These make up the topics to be studied by the well-heeled Fund for the Republic in announcing a special new study of the mass media of communication (starting with analysis of "The Relationship Between Government and Television"). Page 63. ADVERTISERS & AGENCIES ARB Unveils Its "Instant Ratings" — New Arbitron system giving tv ratings every 90 seconds is demonstrated and set to start in New York first of year. ARB also working on sevencity network service plus local services in Chicago and Los Angeles and hopes to get these in operation before end of January. Page 32. Don't Bother Pitying Radio — Medium's advertising take promises to be $650 million in 1957, an alltime high and 14% above 1956, according to NARTB estimate. Network radio "improved its position strikingly." Page 39. Buick-Kudner, 1935-1957 — Buick drops Kudner Adv. after 22-year association. Action is followed by realignment of the agency's top-level management staff and announcement of Kudner President Ellis' projected retirement. Question: Who will win the estimated $23 million Buick account? Leading contenders: Leo Burnett Co., Benton & Bowles, Foote, Cone & Belding, Ted Bates & Co., and Compton Adv. Page 34. Brower Elected BBDO President — Succeeds Duffy who becomes vice chairman of the board and vice chairman of executive committee. Page 36. B&B's Bolte Gives Advice — Know your client's objectives and pass them on to the media representative, says the agency executive in talk before RTES timebuying seminar. He also is asked about client-agency breakups. Page 34. Tv Prospects on Capitol Hill — Sen. Magnuson promises "further inquiry into television" by Senate Commerce Committee during second session of 85th Congress. Report on tv allocations by Bowles committee due soon. Page 66. FCC Will Tell Rep. Moulder — Commissioners promise answers to questtions concerning gifts, honorariums received since Jan. 1, 1949. Page 64. Action for Daytimers — FCC institutes rule-making on DBA petition seeking longer, stabilized hours for daytime stations; asks for comments by March 18. Page 66. STATIONS Blue Noses and Blue Laws — Eighteenth-century law resurrected in Pennsylvania as state attorney general moves to keep Two Guys From Harrison chain from operating Allentown store on Sunday. Page 56. KITE Challenges Hooper on Promotions — Station, its Hooperatings omitted from October-December report because of audience promotion, denies it was trying to inflate ratings, says it's singled out unfairly and business has been hurt. Hooper contends promotion made it impossible to tell whether people were listening or merely said they were, but hopes new technique will solve the problem. Page 58. OPINION FILM UA Enters Tv Production — United Artists Corp., now a publicly-held corporation already in (a) film and tv film feature distribution-leasing, (b) record production, (c) music publishing, (d) theatre management, goes into (e) financing of tv production. Page 50. * The Tax Spectre in Baltimore — Wilbur VanSant paints the bleak picture for radio and television in Baltimore if the recentlyenacted city taxes on advertising media survive the court test. The president of VanSant, Dugdale & Co., writing in Monday Memo, reminds that the same threat MR. VANSANT can also arise in other cities. Page 97. The AAP Future — Fog lifts as United Artists acquires 700,000 shares of AAP. Messrs. Chesler, Goldhar and Schwebel resign, and President Hyman speaks of business as usual. But some smoke remains. Though UA announces $8.4 million deal, there's still some litigation over NTA's transaction involving AAP. Page 48. Paramount Pauses — As theatre exhibitors bid for studio's backlog in attempt to block movie flow to tv. Page 54. PROGRAM SERVICES Pay Tv Approved in Los Angeles — City council greenlights two city ordinances required to put into effect franchises of Skiatron Tv and International Telemeter-Fox West Coast Theatres. Page 68. DEPARTMENTS ADVERTISERS & AGENCIES... 32 AT DEADLINE 9 AWARDS 80 BUSINESS BRIEFLY 42 CHANGING HANDS 58 CLOSED CIRCUIT 5 COLORCASTING 44 EDITORIAL 98 EDUCATION 80 FILM 48 FOR THE RECORD 87 GOVERNMENT 63 IN PUBLIC INTEREST 24 IN REVIEW 15 INTERNATIONAL 81 LEAD STORY 31 MANUFACTURING 78 MONDAY MEMO 97 NETWORKS 70 OPEN MIKE 20 OUR RESPECTS 26 PEOPLE 83 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES 81 PROGRAMS & PROMOTIONS.. 72 PROGRAM SERVICES 68 RATINGS 44 STATIONS 56 TRADE ASSNS 76 UPCOMING 95 Broadcasting December 23, 1957 • Page 7