Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1960)

MILWAUKEE witi CBS NETWORK I bob nt\f tv TV Capital of Wisconsin the STORE R station backed by 33 years of responsible broadcasting THE MEDIA ABC, CBS OPTION TIME CUTS Both will drop opening half hour, with eastern schedule reading 8:30-11 p. m. on week nights CBS-TV and ABC-TV have settled on 8:30-11 p.m. EST as the hours for their evening option time under the FCC's ruling that option periods in each day-part must be cut from three hours to two-and-a-half. NBCTV was still working on its revisions last week. CBS-TV said it would comply with the FCC ruling by lopping the first half-hour off its current option hours in all three day-parts (networks do not claim option time in the fourth, latenight day-part). This will leave some variations, as in the past, between weekday and weekend and also between some of the different time zones. For instance, while CBS-TV's evening option time will be 8:30-11 p.m. EST on Monday through Friday, it will be 8-10:30 p.m. EST on Saturday and Sunday. ABC-TV's changes will produce a more uniform result — 8:30-11 p.m. EST seven nights a week, for example — but they are more far-reaching because currently ABC-TV is working from an option-time schedule that in several cases differs from night to night. On Tuesday evenings, for example, ABC-TV option time now is split up, running from 7 to 7:30 p.m. and then from 8 to 10:30; on Thursdays it is 7:30-10:30, and on the other nights it is 8-11. Jan. 1 Start ■ The changes are due to go into effect Jan. 1 , effective date of the FCC's cutback requirement. ABC-TV was planning to notify its affiliates late last week. CBS-TV informed its stations earlier and was planning to send out affiliation-contract amendments to make it official. The FCC decision has been taken to court, but the consensus was that the appeal probably would not delay the Jan. 1 effective date of the FCC order. The appeal was taken by KTTV (TV) Los Angeles on the ground that the FCC should have eliminated option time altogether (Broadcasting, Nov. 21J. The networks, although they opposed the idea of reducing option time at all, are defending the FCC's right not to cut back more. Just what effect, if any, curtailing the option periods will have on the networks — and their advertisers — appeared to be a moot question. General thinking among network executives appeared to be that the cutback would have no real effect immediately, since the 1960-61 season is already under way. They speculated that if there is 46 any effect it will not become evident until the 1961-62 selling season is in progress. The cutback is not expected to have any effect on the networks' programming— they'll continue to program next year with the idea of selling as much time as ever (and getting voluntary clearance for the lost half-hours of option time). But if this year's scheduling pattern is followed by ABC-TV and CBS-TV next year, they'll have fewer straddle programs — hour-long shows that are partly outside of option time — than they do now. CBS-TV ■ Here is the new optiontime schedule for CBS-TV: for stations in the eastern time zone it will be 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2:30-5 p.m. and 8:30-11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2:305 p.m. and 8-10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; for stations in the central time zone, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, 1:30-4 p.m. and 7:30-10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, 1:30-4 p.m. and 7-9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; for stations in mountain time zone, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 :30-4 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 3:30 p.m. and 6-8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for stations in Pacific time zone, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, 1:30-4 p.m. and 8-10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. ABC-TV ■ For ABC-TV the new option periods are: evening, 8:30-11 p.m. in the eastern and Pacific zones. 7:30-10 p.m. in the central and mountain zones; morning, 10:30-1 p.m. local time in eastern, central and Pacific Zones, and 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon local time in the mountain zone; afternoon, 2 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 3:30-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in eastern, central and Pacific zones and 1-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 2:30-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the mountain zone. KELP-AM-TV plans new studios KELP-AM-TV El Paso, Tex., has announced plans to erect new studios and offices early next year. Groundbreaking ceremonies are anticipated for January or February 1961. The move is planned as a further step in KELP's general expansion, according to Gene Roth, general manager of KELP-AMTV. To date the tv facility has spent in BROADCASTING, December 12, 1960