Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1962)

BROADCASTING THE BUSINESS WEEKLY OF TELEVISION AND RADIO January 22, 1962, Vol. 62, No. 4 RED THREAT LIVEST PROGRAM THEME ■ Advertisers and audiences showing increasing interest ■ Networks, syndicators and multiple owners plan series ■ Although all attack communism, approach varies widely Communism has suddenly emerged as the hottest new program subject in television. Not only the three tv networks but syndicators and multiple-station operators are building a bandwagon out of a vehicle that first demonstrated dramatic pull with both audiences and advertisers less than a year ago. No fewer than 100 programs, including five series for syndication to stations, are currently in the planning and production stage, not counting a mounting volume scheduled or planned by individual stations. All focus squarely on communism, but from different angles ranging from the straight documentary to out-and-out anti-communist preaching. Producers Busy ■ The five independently produced series in work as of the first month of 1962 are almost equivalent to the syndication field's total production of new entertainment series in all of 1961. The entertainment total for last year came to seven series. Independent producers and group operators currently preparing programs dealing with one facet of communism or another include Storer Programs, in association with UPI-Movietone; Westinghouse Broadcasting Co.; B. F. Nielson Assoc.; U. S. Video Assoc., and Intertel. In addition, all three networks — which till now have been virtually the only nationwide source of programming in this area — plan to expand the considerable volume of programs they already have devoted to communism and the threats and problems it poses for the U. S. and its allies. A collateral development, authorities say, is a keener interest in, and better acceptance of, radio-tv materials supplied by such outspoken anti-communist organizations as the Christian Anti-Communist Crusade, the Christian Crusade and the National Education Program. Spokesmen for these groups say that over the past few months, requests from stations for audio and film recordings of an anticommunist nature have increased substantially. Dramatic Theme Lags ■ The surge in informational programming dealing with communism apparently is not being paralleled in the television dramatic area — yet. A striking example of several years ago was Ziv Television Programs' / Led Three Lives, which attracted huge sales as well as audience. Single episodes of anthology series may deal with a communist theme, according to network and producer sources, but no regular series are in the blueprint stages. One producer observed, however, that the subject lends itself favorably to "drama-documentary" treatment and that he "wouldn't be at Programs emphasizing the menace of communism have had feature billing on all of the networks and their popularity is increasing as more are planned for coming season (see story above). "The Land Beyond the Wall — Three Weeks in an East German City" was recently featured in prime time on CBS-TV. This scene (I) shows Bonn correspondent Daniel Schorr narrating a part of the program in an East German street. A scene from ABC-TV's "Close-Up" (r) shows the so-called anti-Red prince of Cambodia, Prince Sihanouck, working beside his subjects on a public project in the Communist-troubled southeast Asian country. BROADCASTING, January 22, 1962 27