Broadcasting (Apr - June 1960)

RIVALRY FOR POST-’48 FILMS Theatre re-issue plan would preclude tv use local newscasts are sponsored at small stations; two-thirds at medium stations and seven-tenths at large stations. This table shows stations reporting an extra charge for newscast sponsorship (by number of reporting stations): Small Medium Large Stations Stations Stations No. Reporting Charge 43 Time rate plus 76 21 5% 1 ■ ■ — ■ 10% 13 20 4 12V2% — 3 15% 3 6 3 20% 9 22 3 25% 7 5 — 30% • — 4 3 35% — 3 — 50% & over 4 2 1 5 awards for KMTV KMTV (TV) Omaha took five of six awards in the tv division when the Omaha Radio-Television Council presented its Gold Frame awards two weeks ago. The station copped the educational, religious, special program or series, public service spot and news categories. WOW-TV won the Gold Frame award in the sports category. In addition KMTV won special commendation for three different special programs of a public service nature and WOW-AM-TV won special commendation for a series of talks on radiotv and public opinion by General Manager Frank P. Fogarty. In the radio division WOW was winner for educational, religious, public service spot and news. KFAB for sports, music (non-classical), special program and KMEO took the classical music award. Special commendations went to KSWI for a choir presentation and WOW for a corn-picking contest. A long-discussed project of theatrical exhibitor groups, where they would acquire post-48 features from distributors and (1) keep them off tv and (2) obtain re-issue product for theaters, appears to be making headway. A spokesman for 20th Century-Fox Corp. acknowledged last week that the company has reached an agreement in principle with a committee of the Motion Pictures Investors Inc. and the American Congress of Exhibitors for theatrical re-issue of 12 “blockbuster” features of post-48 vintage during the coming year. The Fox official said the proposal will have to be approved by stockholders. A meeting has been scheduled for July 6 in New York to consider the move. He refused to give any other details of the proposal. The joint M PI-ACE committee also has been discussing its plan with Columbia Pictures but it could not be determined if headway had been made there. The basic plan is to offer guarantees to distributors for theatrical reissues of top features, and have the original distributors handle this activity. Film packages will be chosen by exhibitors, who will be guaranteed that the features will be available to theaters for a set number of years and then revert to distributors for disposal in any manner. ACE recoups its guarantee, plus cost of advertising and prints, film distributors and ACE-MPI each receive 50% of the balance. MPI is a company formed by exhibi tors to raise funds for purchase of post48 features and to launch other projects that will assist the exhibition business. It was reported that a new agency may be formed to close transactions with film distributors on post48 films. An official associated with ACE said there are no precise figures on the number of post-48 features in existence, but “an informed estimate” places their number at between 2,500-3,000. He stressed that exhibitor groups are interested only in buying “the cream of the crop” and these may total less than 500. ACE-MPI executives believe the market can absorb as many as 100 features a year, drawn from various film distributors. They hope to convince distributors that the guarantees to be offered will be larger than revenue that can be expected from the sale or leasing of the films to tv. WiiB Chicago become big production center? The mushrooming growth of independent and station video tape facilities for commercial use in Chicago and the government’s crackdown on expenses associated with coast trips for radio-tv production activities might presage a new era for that city as a production center for tv commercials and syndicated programs. At least that’s the hope of Chicago Unlimited, an organization devoted to the propagation of local talent in radio, tv and allied fields. Also planned is a new municipal exposition center on Chicago’s lake front for legitimate theatre, broadcast and other purposes. The organization’s weekly newsletter, CU Digest, outlines these potentialities, stressing the economy that might be effected in distribution costs of commercials or programs “by reason of Chicago’s central geographic location.” Plans for the new municipal center were explored at a CU membership meeting by Edward J. Lee, general manager of the Metropolitan Fair & Exposition Authority. Among other ambitious projects, Chicago Unlimited’s president, Jules Herbuveaux, vice president in charge of NBC Central Div., and board have set the wheels in motion for a comprehensive dollar-volume survey on Chicago as a radio, tv, film and recording center and (2) CU’s radio-tv participation in the Second International Trade Fair starting June 25. CU will co S. F.'s tape center ■ San Francisco Television Arts has just ordered nearly $500,000 worth of tv and tv tape equipment from RCA for delivery in September, when SFTA hopes to begin operations as a major producer of taped programs and commercials for television. Principal executives of SFTA are (1. to r.) John Perry, Robert Swisher and Lawrence Bedford, all under 30 and formerly at KTVU (TV) that city. Their goal is to provide the Bay area with its own modern tv tape center and to produce 90-minute programs of all types exclusively for television. The length was chosen as the tv running time of most old movies, which SFTA expects to compete with by offering more up-todate entertainment to local tv stations. The equipment they have ordered from RCA includes three of the new AVi -inch image orthicon cameras, two tv tape recorders and transistorized video switching and special effects equipment. SFTA expects to have a permanent production staff of about 20. In addition, the principals are creating a tv workshop of performers in the Bay area. It will function as a repertory theatre for television. 64 (PROGRAMMING) BROADCASTING, May 30, 1960