Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1962)

Challenging subjects bring viewer interest Investigations into challenging subjects are not restricted to primetime shows. A daily, daytime series, Calendar (CBS-TV, Mon.-Fri., 1010:30 a.m.), has explored such vital topics as sterilization, smoking and lung cancer, atomic fallout, the role of religion in meeting today's crises, integration and college campus morality. Mel Ferber, producer of Calendar, noted in an interview last week that segments devoted to controversial issues usually touch off "the most mail pull." A recent program that suggested ways parents could answer children's questions about atomic bombs, he said, resulted in requests for 4,500 booklets prepared by the Child Study Assn. on this subject. Mr. Ferber acknowledged that Calendar cannot compete with daytime serials or audience-participation shows for ratings, but said that advertisers apparently are convinced that this daytime public affairs program reaches a responsive audience. He observed that it is offered under CBS-TV's daytime rotating sponsorship plan and is invariably "sold out." It has had approximately 80 advertisers in the 14 months it has been on the air and the list includes General Foods, General Mills, Alberto-Culver, Anahist, Vicks Cold Tablets, General Electric, Sears Roebuck, Mennen, Max Factor, Coca-Cola, Standard Brands and Scott Paper Co. Shown Live ■ The program usually is presented live from New York, often with pickups from Washing Mr. Ferber ton, D. C, with newsman Harry Reasoner and tv personality Mary Fickett interviewing one or more specialists in a particular field. The emphasis is on subjects of a cultural or personal interest to women. The live form is vital to the show, Mr. Ferber said, in order to keep Calendar "timely and topical." There are instances when parts of a show or all of it are filmed. These deviations are implemented only when it is physically impossible to produce the sequence in New York, according to Mr. Ferber. For example, an upcoming program will deal with a so-called "divorce plane" that flies periodically from New York to Juarez, Mexico. Cameramen and writers will accompany the planeload to Juarez and the courtroom to obtain this story. be counted." He indicated that the increase in network participating advertisers should make "editorializing" less difficult now that in past years. William A. Murphy, vice president and media director of Papert, Koenig, Lois, said an agency and client must have "faith in whoever is doing the [public service] program." The producer or network, he thought, can prepare programs on very controversial topics without offending the public or special interest groups. Mr. Murphy, whose agency is currently allocating about $2 million of clients' money to public service programming, felt sponsors provide a "real service" when they buy public affairs— ■ more so than by backing entertainment shows. Papert, Koenig, Lois has two clients that use public service programming — Xerox Corp., currently in NBC-TV's Chet Huntley Reporting and last year in CBS Reports, and Martin-Marietta Corp., which buys news specials. Arthur E. Duram, senior vice president in charge of radio-tv at Fuller & Smith & Ross, said his agency's major institutional client, Aluminum Co. of America, would (and has in the past) sponsor public service programs of controversial nature. The only exception, he said, would be "sordid" programs — those discussing anti-social behavior. Programs of national or international, political or economic subjects, whether controversial or not, would be of interest to Alcoa, Mr. Duram said, "as long as they are useful and important." He doubted that public service programs are becoming more controversial, but made the observation "there are more of them." An official of Grey Adv. voiced the opinion that news and public affairs programs generally have been effective, but suggested that television could develop as a broader journalistic medium if it expressed editorial viewpoints more frequently. He noted that television had not nurtured the "personal commentator," who was and still is a staple of radio journalism. Hal Graham, vice president for program sales, M-E Productions (McCann-Erickson), observed that the audience for television documentaries has matured to the point that programs considered "controversial" three years ago are regarded as "provocative" today. He stressed that producers do not aim for "controversiality" but seek a balanced viewpoint on sensitive issues. He felt that no one can question the integrity of today's documentary program producers. He noted that several McCann clients, including Westinghouse, Bell & Howell and the Savings & Loan Foundation, have used informational programming "profitably." He felt that even so-called "mass distribution" products can be advertised on public affairs shows to advantage, explaining they may well reach an entirely different audience from that delivered by entertainment shows. Doyle Dane Bernbach places business in three public service programs for Polaroid, and, according to John Egan, programming head of the agency, this type of program "does us a tremendous amount of good." Mr. Egan pointed out that viewers who tune in to such programs as CBS Reports, Eyewitness and Chet Huntley Reporting (the shows Polaroid is in), are "actively paying attention." "Tv needs this kind of programming," he declared, and DDB will do "anything to help." Mr. Egan said Polaroid buys public service programs of national or economic interest, as long as its commercials will not interrupt the mood of the show. He said the networks are "very cooperative and helpful" in the area of public affairs program sponsorship. An executive of Kenyon & Eckhardt said the agency and some of its clients have been "favorably impressed" with the "importance" attained by many public affairs shows on tv. He said the sophisticated advertiser has come to realize more and more the value attached to such "prestige" programming and has come to accept programs on critical subjects that they may have avoided a few years ago. Advertisers in general, he said, have "come a long way in overcoming their timidity" regarding sponsorship of documentaries, but said this attitude was by no means unanimous. 22 (LEAD STORY) BROADCASTING, December 24, 1962