Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1958)

at deadline KTNT ANTITRUST SUIT ASKS $15 MILLION OF CBS, KIRO; AFFILIATION SWITCH HIT Triple damage antitrust suit asking $15 million from CBS and Queen City Broadcasting Co., Seattle (KIRO-AM-FM), filed in federal district court, Tacoma, Wash., Thursday by Tribune Publishing Co., Tacoma (KTNT-AM-TV). Also named defendant was Saul Haas, president and majority stockholder of Queen City. Suit charges that condition of 1948 KIRO radio affiliation with CBS provided Queen City would have first chance for CBS-TV affiliation in area if it received tv station grant, offering similar first refusal to CBS. KIRO's clear channel facility (710 kc) was described as important element in negotiation. In 1952, suit charges, CBS asked Queen City to eliminate tv affiliation pledge but latter allegedly refused to release network from its promise. CBS and KTNT-TV signed affiliation pact in 1953, agreement specifying either party could end it on six-months notice. Queen City received tv grant for ch. 7 from FCC luly 25, 1957, complaint continues, and on Aug. 7, 1957, network noti fied KTNT-TV it would end its affiliation Feb. 7, 1958. CBS then affiliated with KIRO-TV effective Feb. 8, 1958, suit continues, charging Queen City made it "condition of continuing to affiliate its radio station KIRO with CBS Radio Network." Mr. Haas, according to suit, "has participated in and has caused Queen City to do the acts described" and is party to conspiracy to restrain trade and attempt to monopolize. Tribune alleges damages amount to $5 million, asking $15 million treble damages. Tying agreement , it is charged, "fenced out" competition for tv affiliation in Tacoma-Seattle area. KTNTTV contends it has been at disadvantage in sale of time to advertisers and its value as going concern has declined. Counsel for KTNT-TV are J. H. Gordon of Tacoma and Lloyd N. Cutler of Washington. Mr. Cutler, specialist in antitrust practice, has been counsel to Richard A. Moore, KTTV(TV) Los Angeles, in Mr. Moore's presentation of antitrust charges against tv networks before Senate and FCC. P&G Sinks $13 Million Into NBC-TV Daytime Shows New and renewal business by Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, amounting to $13 million in gross billing on NBC-TV daytime schedules, being announced today (Mon.) by Walter Scott, NBC vice president, television network sales. Orders are effective July 1 for 52 weeks and call for sponsorship of three 15-minute segments per week on Today Is Ours (Mon.-Fri., 3-3:30 p.m.); four quarter-hour periods per week of From These Roots (Mon.-Fri., 3:30-4 p.m.), and renewals on daily quarter-hour portions of Tic Tac Dough (12 noon-12:30 p.m) and Queen for a Day (4-4:30 p.m.) and two 15-minute segments of It Could Be You (Mon.-Fri., 12:30-1 p.m.). New orders were placed through Benton & Bowles, New York, and renewals through Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, New York. P&G business raises to almost $24 million gross billing placed on NBC-TV's daytime programming during May, according to Mr. Scott. Aid-to-ETV Passes Senate Senate Thursday passed unanimously, by voice vote, and sent to House bill (S 2119) authorizing federal grant of $1 million to each state for educational tv (story page 70). Bill was introduced by Sen. Warren Magnuson (D-Wash.) and received cosponsorship of Sen. John Bricker (R-Ohio). Proponents of measure predict House approval during current session. Broadcasting BUSINESS BRIEFLY Late-breaking items about broadcast business; for earlier news, see Advertisers & Agencies, page 28. FCC's Opinion on Editorials: Give Other Side Equal Chance FCC believes editorializing is fine but reasonable fairness requires presentation of other side of controversy same evening or at some time shortly after editorial program. Dicta given in May 28 letter to WAPI, WAFM (FM) and WABT (TV) Birmingham, Ala., which had licenses renewed after being held up on question regarding anti-pay tv editorial evening program last January. Commission's phraseology: "A standard of reasonable fairness would call for the presentation by a proponent of subscription tv during the same evening or at approximately the same time on a week day shortly thereafter." WABT put on discussion program three days later in morning program, with two station employes taking position of pro-pay tv adherents. Commission's action in renewing license taken as token of attitude toward other stations and networks it had queried following complaint by Skiatron's James M. Landis early this year [Government, Feb. 24]. Comr. Craven dissented to contents of letter to Birmingham stations. WHOO-AM-FM Sold for $350,000 Sale of WHOO-AM-FM Orlando, Fla., to Donald J. Horton of Lexington, Ky., announced bv Ted Estabrook and Red Weiss, owners. Price was $350,000. Paul H. Chapman Co., station broker, handled sale. Mr. Estabrook will remain at WHOO as general manager and Mr. Weiss as sales manager. GB&B GETS RIVAL • Rival Packing Co. (dog food), Chicago, appoints Guild, Bascom & Bonfigli, S. F., as advertising agency, effective Sept. 1, with budget fixed at estimated $1.7 million, covering sponsorship of spot tv programs and printed media, at a Thursday luncheon in New York. Account now being handled by McCannErickson, N. Y. THIRD FOR JOHNSON •SC. Johnson Inc. (waxes), Racine, Wis., already having added alternate-week sponsorship of Zane Grey to its Red Skelton program, has picked up third alternate-week buy on CBS-TV in Thursday, 8:30-9 p.m. slot this fall. Though no program is set, network hopes to convince Johnson to share tab with P. Lorillard Co. (moved out from Saturday, 9-9:30 p.m.) on new Wanted: Dead or Alive series [Business Briefly, May 26]. DIAL'S ON MUTUAL • Armour & Co. (Dial soap), Chicago, understood to have signed for three-month campaign on Mutual, utilizing 50 ten-second adjacencies to newscasts per week, starting June 16. Agency: Foote, Cone & Belding, Chicago. FACTOR ON NBC-TV • Max Factor & Co. (cosmetics), Hollywood, has signed for Opening Night, filmed dramatic series, for summer on alternate weeks over NBC-TV (Sat, 9-9:30 p.m.), starting June 14. Agency has been Doyle Dane Bernbach, N. Y., changing this month to Kenyon & Eckhardt (see page 31). TWO FOR CBS • General Mills (Hi-Pro), Minneapolis, and Hearst Publications (Good Housekeeping) N. Y., signed with CBS Radio, through Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, N. Y., and Grey Adv., N. Y., respectively. Hearst will sponsor ten IVi -minute units of daytime dramas June 28-30; Hi-Pro will have ten 5-minute units of daytime serials for eight weeks, beginning June 4. SPIKE FOR OASIS • Liggett & Myers Tobaccov(Oasis filter cigarettes) will feature Spike Jones on its Club Oasis time period during summer on alternate Saturday schedule (NBC-TV, 9-9:30 p.m.). Agency: McCann-Erickson, N. Y. HALO PURCHASE • Colgate-Palmolive Co. (Halo), N. Y., has purchased two segments weekly for four weeks of American Bandstand on ABC-TV (Mon.-Fri., 3-3:30 p.m. and 4-5 p.m.). D'Arcy, N. Y., is agency. June 2, 1958 Page 9