Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1958)

In this space will shortly appear THE FORJOE FORUM A Periodic Discussion Column On Current Issues In Television and Radio 1938-1958 20 YEARS of perceptive and intelligent Station REPRESENTATION FORJOE & CO., INC. OFFICES IN NEW YORK— CHICAGO LOS ANGELES— SAN FRANCISCO PHILADELPHIA— ATLANTA SEATTLE FILM OUTLOOK continued •Our Gang" comedies are being prepared, and a sales policy will be announced prior to the NAB convention. "In its first year of operation, the commercial department hit the million dollar mark. The outlook for 1958 is very good, and it is anticipated that commercial business will double in volume." Oliver A. Unger, president, National Telefilm Assoc.: "This year's business is moving along at a rapid pace and in advance of last year's income. The first three months' net income, for the period ending Oct. 31, 1957. amounted to $269,577 compared to $236,920 for the same period last year. Exhibition contracts written for the same period totaled $4,310,604 compared with $3,040,783 in the corresponding period last year, for a 40% increase. Our features and syndicated shows are showing excellent results. "We expect our business to show continued growth. With our company diversifying its activities, we expect 1958 to be a banner year for us. While we expect our tv distribution business to continue at a strong pace but not in as spectacular fashion as heretofore, our other operations will contribute to NTA's growth. At the end of the year we expect to see NTA in a substantial growth position because of our television station operations, the NTA Film Network activities, theatrical distribution and expanding international business. "If business conditions are not up to par during the coming year, the television business no doubt will reflect that condition to some degree. However, the critical period, if any, will come in the 1959-60 season when the advertiser will be able to evaluate the 1958 business pattern and move accordingly." Ralph M. Cohn, vice president and general manager, Screen Gems: "Prospects for the near future in the television industry are very bright indeed. The public has accepted the medium as an important part of the pattern of living, and relies on it to a large extent for entertainment and information about the consumer goods and services that are offered by the country's leading corporations. "If there is any shrinking of the nation's economy, it will only serve to increase competition among suppliers of these goods and services, which will require intensification of advertising and merchandising. "It only remains for us to anticipate the entertainment tastes of the public and to find ways and means to satisfy these that are consistent with the size of the pocketbooks of the nation's advertisers, be they national, regional, or local. "We are well on our way to do just that." Milton A. Gordon, president, Television Programs of America: "lust a few weeks ago TPA reported a profit of almost $900,000 for its 1957 fiscal year, and I think this is the most cogent comment that can be made on how the company fared during that period. There is every indication that 1958 will wind up on an equally or even happier note. "There are good reasons for this optimistic, if hazardous, forecast. Mostly those reasons are our new properties. Lassie, which we will distribute in syndication (under a new, unchosen title) for Lassie Programs Inc., will unquestionably be one of the most sought-after series in first-run-off-network distribution. Adventures of Tugboat Annie, which we have just launched in U. S. syndication, has already established itself as one of the most popular series on the air in Canada, where it is sponsored by Lever Bros, and I know it will duplicate that performance here. "In a few weeks, we'll be in production on 39 episodes of New York Confidential and we have two other programs in production, Thunder Ridge and Cannonball, soon to be made for us by Robert Maxwell. "These, in brief, are some of the reasons we expect a record year in 1958." John L. Sinn, president, Ziv Television Programs: "From a film man's point of view, business was never better. In my opinion, 1957 was easily the best year so far for the syndicate field. Ziv's growth is easily illustrated by the fact that in 1956, Ziv had six new series in production, in 1957, eight new series. For 1958, the number is 12. Our earlier series, such as Mr. District Attorney, I Led Three Lives, Boston Blackie, continue to be best-sellers, in some cases even garnering higher ratings than their first-run showings. Our new series — for example, Sea Hunt, which we premiered in January — are off to excellent starts. "I expect 1958 to be our best year so far, due in large part to the fact that we have now departed entirely from the spring-summer release pattern, and have built a smoothly-functioning year-round production team. I cannot emphasize this point too strongly. My optimism for the year 1958 is based on the proven results of the year-round production scheme." |.illlllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^ 5 Complete listing of ALL Stations = 5 (USA-Canada-Cuba-Mexico-Etc.) = ] Jones' North American | | AM-FM RADIO-TV | Station Listings = B Quarterly = ■ 64 pages = E ■ 5000 stations = I Listed Geographically = = ■ Indexed by Frequency = = B Alphabetically by Call Letters = = Spring Issue Now Ready1. = j COMPLETE — ACCURATE 1 | UP-TO-DATE | = 50<f each — $4.00 doz. in bulk E ~ Order now from: = Vane A. Jones Co. = H 3749 N. Keystone Ave. = = Indianapolis 18, Ind. = fiiiNiiiiiMiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiih? Page 168 • February 24, 1958 Broadcasting