Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1960)

the cash register, but also what is good for advertising as well?" Earl W. Kintner, FTC chairman, agreed that in the case of companies cited for alleged offenses, "full equity would demand naming a long list of equally guilty competitors," but he said FTC "simply doesn't have a police force big enough to police every violation of the law at the same time. Nor would this country want such a police force," he added. Mr. Kintner said the FTC withholds news releases for 24 hours after a citation has been issued to an advertiser, Final authority • NBC-TV President Robert E. Kintner said the broadcaster must assume final responsibility for program quality and ad reliability. which he said should give the cited advertiser adequate time to prepare his answer for publication. Mr. Kintner told the advertisers that they were "in the logical position to exercise leadership for tighter selfdiscipline, self-regulation in the advertising industry. Who better than you, for example, could guide the genius of the ad agencies to creating advertising that does not falsely disparage the competitors of their client or mislead buyers?" Veto Power • James T. Aubrey Jr., president of CBS-TV, maintained that networks must retain "the ultimate veto power over commercials." He said CBS-TV has been "actively at work for some time in an effort to formulate new principles relating not only to placement and length but also to the acceptance of commercials, particularly on personal products and remedies." He noted that "wherever practicable 46 (BROADCASTING ADVERTISING) we will dispatch our own representatives to witness, before acceptance, the actual demonstrations that are embodied in the commercials. Where this is not practicable, we propose to request fully certified descriptions of the circumstances and procedures of these demonstrations." Mr. Aubrey agreed that advertisers "should not be forced to sponsor programs incompatible with their objectives to increase sales, strengthen distribution and win public favor." But he reiterated CBS Inc. President Frank Stanton's assertion that CBS-TV would decide for itself what programming is best for its schedule, and would have its own rules of advertiser influence in serious dramatic programming (Broadcasting, Feb. 1 ). NBC Head • Robert E. Kintner, president of NBC, stressed that "the broadcaster— whether he is a network or a station operator — must assume the final responsibility to the public for the quality and the diversification of programs, for the good taste, acceptability and the reliability of the advertising message and for the basic obligation of serving the public interests." But, he said, "there is an equal responsibility on the advertiser — and in addition a legal one — for the honesty of his commercial claims." Mr. Kintner said broadcasters have a responsibility to present quality programs, whether they are westerns or otherwise; to present balanced programming, and to inform. Moreover, he said, the broadcaster should "review and evaluate the commercial messages he presents as to honesty of claims, good taste and suitability to the program on which they appear." Donald H. McGannon, president of Westinghouse Broadcasting Co. and head of the NAB Tv Code Review Board, said that among the things the code board would like from ANA was prior consultation from ANA members on commercials of a sensitive nature; dissemination of code material, a "mutual program of advice and guidance, continuing liaison with a committee of your [ANA] board" and "your insistence that the television code seal be displayed" on ANA members' programs. McGannon Requests • In addition Mr. McGannon asked that ANA make "available to our staff through your agencies any film, tape or copy on commercials which we have had a complaint or are involved at any particular time." Speaking for Robert M. Ganger, chairman of D'Arcy Adv. and chairman of AAAA, Richard L. Scheidker, senior vice president of AAAA, discussed the AAAA's "interchange" sys tem of checking on complaints about advertising copy. He said that in preparing the latest "interpretation" of the AAAA copy code, made because television's reach into the privacy of the home was considered so important (Broadcasting, Feb. 1), the association had sent working copies to NAB, Advertising Federation of America, and the three tv networks. The responses, according to AAAA, were "favorable." It said CBS had endorsed the interpretation and that "We hope others including the ANA will do the same." Other speakers at the one-day meet Network 'veto power' • James T. Aubrey Jr., CBS-TV president, held that the networks must retain "the ultimate veto power over commercials." ing included Gibson McCabe, president of Newsweek magazine and chairman of the Magazine Advertising Bureau of the Magazine Publishers Assn. He challenged the idea that media should shield the public against false advertising claims through censorship. But he said the MAB committee was constituting itself, at once, as a copy advisory committee to counsel any magazine advertisers who wished advice on the acceptability of any piece of advertising copy. Clients should help improve tv — Sarnoff Advertisers last week were asked to pitch in and help elevate and improve tv's program and commercial content. The appeal came from Robert W. Sarnoff, NBC board chairman. He spoke at a Detroit meeting of the Michigan Council of the American Assn. of Ad BROADCASTING, February 8, 1960