Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1958)

announced his resignation to head two new firms which will produce tv commercials on video tape, a new service undertaken in association with Ampex Corp. which will provide the financing [Deadline, March 31]. CBS-TV at the time said it did not intend to name a replacement for Mr. Meighan in his former position. Mr. Robinson also announced the promotion of Guy Delia Cioppa from director of network programs, Hollywood, to CBS-TV network vice president and program director, Hollywood. Mr. Dozier has been with CBS-TV since 1951 when he became head of the network's story department in New York and director of the search for new talent. The following spring he was named executive producer of dramatic programs. In January 1955 he was transferred to Hollywood as director of network programs. In the fall of 1955 he became vice president of production at RKO under Tom O'Neil's ownership and returned to CBS-TV Hollywood two years later in charge of live network originations. Mr. Scalpone before going to CBS-TV Hollywood had been vice president in charge of radio-tv for McCann-Erickson. Governmental Proposals Called Network Threats Dr. Frank Stanton, CBS Inc. president, urged Wednesday in an off-the-cuff talk that radio-tv executives give "serious consideration" to "recommendations in Washington" which in his opinion would "wreck the networks." He related what he called proposals to "tamper" with the "structure of the networks" with the depth and range of CBS' news broadcasts which, he said, included news, public affairs and religious programming. Dr. Stanton made his impromptu remarks after accepting on behalf of CBS a George Foster Peabody award for the network's performance in radio and tv news during the year. The awards were presented at a luncheon in New York attended by about 800 persons (see page 82). Dr. Stanton led off his comment by noting that if it is important to have news in range and depth and if it is important to keep radio networks in business, executives must devote time to the "reports on our desks" dealing with proposals current in Washington to curtail network activity. The CBS president has testified before the FCC in Washington on the so-called Barrow Report [Lead Story, March 10]. That report recommends changes in network option time and of multiple ownership. It was submitted to FCC by Dean Roscoe L. Barrow and his staff. Dr. Stanton warned then that prohibition of option time would abolish tv networks as they exist today and commented that parts of the Barrow Report indicated "tinkering for the sake of tinkering." The network structure has made possible such shows as those CBS programs specifically mentioned by the Peabody Award Board, Dr. Stanton said, adding that perhaps not all shows are as good as the net Broadcasting LATE LATE SHOW NBC-TV and its affiliates carrying The Jack Paar Show put on an aftermidnight "Paar appreciation party" a weekend ago, filling New York's Plaza Hotel grand ballroom with people, comedy, music, dancing and buffet dinner. The party, which attracted close to 600 guests, started at 1 a.m. March 29 — when the Jack Paar Show was over for that night — and ran to about 6 a.m. It was designed to pay tribute to Mr. Paar for the success he has achieved with the show since he took it over late last summer. A recent NBC compilation showed that during the first week of March 1957, when it was known as the Tonight show, it carried only two advertising participations a week, whereas during the first week of March this year i* had 21. Harry Bannister, station relations vice president, presided over the proceedings. Entertainers on the program included Jan Murray, Jonathan Winters, Jack Carter, Vaughn Monroe, Jack E. Leonard, Louis Nye, the Meadowlarks, singer Connie Towers and, of course, Mr. Paar. Representatives of some 60 NBC-TV affiliates were among the guests. works desire "but it is important that we try." (The CBS shows specifically mentioned in the award were Face The Nation, See it Now and Twentieth Century, all network programs, and a fourth program This is New York, a local radio program broadcast by CBS Radio's flagship WCBS New York.) In 1957, Dr. Stanton continued, the category of news-public affairs-religious programming cost the network $21 million, and, he said, sponsorship failed to clear the cost leaving a "net cost or loss" of $11 million. He reminded that these are "the toughest kinds of programs to sell," and that "it is not easy to make a decision to spend $1 million or $2 million" when the network does not know the program will be successful. Dr. Stanton, during his testimony before the FCC, had pointed to unrecovered costs of nearly $1.7 million for the Gerald McBoingBoing color series and of nearly $1.4 million for The Seven Lively Arts, both of which failed to remain on the air. Three Promoted in NBC-TV Sales Walter D. Scott, vice president, NBC-TV network sales, announced three promotions last week. Stephen A. Flynn, formerly manager, tv sales traffic operations, appointed director, sales services, reporting to Mr. Scott; Joseph J. Iaricci, since 1956 manager, sales order services, named manager, contract services, reporting to Mr. Flynn, and Angus Robinson, network tv salesman in NBC's central division since 1953, appointed manager, television network sales, central division, reporting to Edward R. Hitz, vice president, tv network sales, central division. AUBREY JOINS CBS, LEAVING ABC-TV POST • Named creative services vp • ABC promotes Moore, Mullen James T. Aubrey Jr., ABC-TV programming and talent vice president, resigned last week to join CBS Inc. as vice president for creative services. Thomas W. Moore, ABC-TV sales vice president, was named to succeed him, and William P. Mullen, manager of the ABC MR. AUBREY MR. MOORE MR. MULLEN TV Detroit sales division, was advanced to the ABC-TV sales vice presidency. At CBS Mr. Aubrey takes over the post held by Louis G. Cowan before his promotion to the presidency of the CBS-TV network division last month [Networks, March 17]. Dr. Frank Stanton, CBS president, said Mr. Aubrey "will be responsible for assisting executive, operating and service management in obtaining maximum effectiveness in each of the company's operating divisions having to do with creative product. Mr. Aubrey will have no direct operating responsibilities; his position is advisory to both the chairman of the board [William S. Paley] and the president and, upon request from the divisions, to CBS Radio, CBS Television, CBS Television Stations, CBS News and Columbia Records." He also will serve on the CBS Editorial Board. Mr. Aubrey's appointment is effective April 28. For him the move will be a return to the company he served as manager of tv network programs, Hollywood, before taking the ABC-TV post 15 months ago. Mr. Moore, ABC-TV's new vice president for programming and talent, also is a CBS alumnus. He was general sales manager of CBS Television Film Sales, and had been with that organization since 1952, when he moved into the ABC-TV sales vice presidency last November. Mr. Mullen, also with a CBS background, joined the ABC-TV sales department in May 1955 and was named head of the Detroit sales division in 1957. WJIM-TV Becomes CBS Primary WJIM-TV Lansing, Mich., has changed from a secondary to a primary affiliate of CBS-TV, it was announced Thursday by Edmund C. Bunger, CBS-TV vice president and director of station relations. The change was effective April 1, when WJIMTV dropped NBC-TV programs which it also had carried. WJIM-TV becomes CBSTV's 58th primary affiliates. Station is owned by Gross Telecasting Inc., of which Harold F. Gross is president. April 7, 1958 • Page 57