Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1963)

PROGRAMING Space coverage bill: over $2 million LESS THAN GLENN COVERAGE DUE TO FEWER DELAYS Network television and radio costs of presenting the manned space flight to U. S. viewers last week are expected to come close to $2,150,000 in combined coverage and pre-emption expenses, according to early estimates. The estimated cost, however, is subject to accounting by the networks, a process that may take several weeks. NBC-TV and CBS-TV, which had Gulf Oil and Metropolitan Tife Insurance as respective sponsors for the major portions of their space shot coverage, appeared to fare better than ABC-TV which sustained its total pre-emption cost with the exception of a "small segment" bought by Colgate-Palmolive. The $2,150,000 figure was considerably less than the estimated $3 million expended by the networks in February 1962 to cover Lieutenant Colonel John H. Glenn's flight. Expenses at that time were compounded by the numerous and lengthy delays before the actual launching. Specials Too ■ The coverage last week showed a now familiar pattern with each network presenting specials on the flight as well as full coverage before and during launch and "splashdown," and numerous checks on Major Gordon Cooper's progress throughout the 22-orbit, 34-hour flight. All of the networks used flash reports superimposed over regular programing when they were not presenting actual coverage of the flight. NBC-TV, which offered around-theclock service, beginning with its Today show at 1:15 a.m., Thursday, was be Film sales . . . Laramie (NBC Films): Sold to wnbq(tv) Chicago; kabc-tv Los Angeles; wsun-tv Charleston, S. C; weartv Pensacola, Fla.; kxtv(tv) Sacramento, Calif.; woi-tv Ames, Iowa; wtvm(tv) Columbus, Ga.; wtvc(tv) Chattanooga, Tenn. and wsjv(tv) Elkhart-South Bend, Ind. Now sold in 9 markets. Debbie Drake (Banner Films) : Sold to kgo-tv San Francisco; wfmj-tv Youngstown, Ohio; weht(tv) Evansville, Ind.; klbk-tv Lubbock, Tex.; wcpo-tv Cincinnati. Now sold in 114 markets. Jungle Girl (Banner Films): Sold to lieved to have spent approximately $750,000 on coverage costs alone. However it was reported to be the only network which had gained rather than lost money in its pre-emptions. The estimated cost to Gulf Oil for the space package was $250,000, or about $70,000 above what the network could have expected from its regular sponsors. The costs to CBS-TV were put at approximately $750,000. A share of this total was paid for by Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. In its space program coverage on the network. CBS-TV's pre-emption losses were expected to exceed slightly the revenue from Metropolitan's sponsorship. ABC-TV, which was handling the combined pool feed from Cape Canaveral for all networks, was reported to be taking a loss of close to $650,000 for its presentation. Switching Goof ■ Communication by satellite however, missed what might have been its finest hour. A complicated plan to transmit a taped summary of Astronaut Gordon Cooper's space flight to Europe via the Relay satellite only four-and-a-half hours after his liftoff from Cape Canaveral went awry at a video tape center in New York. Had this initial Relay attempt been successful, Europeans would have seen slow scan TV pictures transmitted from Major Cooper's capsule at about 5:30 p.m. their time. A second transmission by Relay described as "highly successful and remarkably clear" took place at 6:55 p.m. (on the satellite's next pass) which put the European viewing hour ktvt(tv) Fort Worth-Dallas and wsbtv Atlanta. Now sold in 20 markets. Bold Journey (Banner Films): Sold to koat-tv Albuquerque, N. M.; whastv Louisville, Ky. and kcto(tv) Denver. Now sold in 91 markets. Tarzan.. (Banner Films) : Sold to wctv(tv) Tallahassee, Fla.-Thomasville, Ga.; wjhg-tv Panama City, Fla., and walb-tv Albany, Ga. Now sold in 141 markets. Bus Stop (20th Century-Fox TV): Sold to khj-tv Los Angeles; whio-tv Dayton, Ohio; wfla-tv Tampa, Fla. and kggm-tv Albuquerque, N. M. Follow the Sun (20th Century-Fox TV): Sold to wnhc-tv New Haven, close to midnight. The portion of the tape which originated in the "Faith 7" craft was to make the following journey: Space capsule to Cape Canaveral where it was taped; transmission over the network pool feed; taped in New York; transmission to Andover, Me.; then to Relay; Relay to Goouhilly Downs, England and then transmitted over BBC in England, ROF in France and networks in the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Hungary and Poland. In the first attempt, the European audiences saw five minutes of the network's pool feed from Cape Canaveral (a space official describing the flight) instead of the five-minute tape which had been prepared at the New York production center. With this picture they heard an audio portion that had been carefully timed to dovetail with the five-minute tape. The mishap was attributed to "a simple switching error." The British and French networks and reportedly a number of others, had "cleared" for immediate pick up of the Relay transmission and carried the mixed up transmission. There were actually five trans-Atlantic transmissions to Europe. Relay was used four times, including the goof-up, Telstar was used once, in conjunction with Relay, on May 15. Reception was reported as excellent. Restrictions Invoked ■ Comprehensive TV coverage of Major Gordon Cooper's flight in space ran into a cen Conn.; khj-tv Los Angeles and wnys(tv) Syracuse, N. Y. Adventures in Paradise (20th Century-Fox TV) : Sold to wtvc(tv) Chattanooga, Tenn.; wsb-tv Atlanta, and wtar-tv Norfolk, Va. Now sold in 63 markets. Courageous Cat, 130 episode cartoon series (Tele Features): Sold to kcop(tv) Los Angeles. Now in 21 markets. The Steve Allen Show (WBC Program Sales) : Sold to TriggVaughn for programing on kvii(tv) Amarillo, krod-tv El Paso and kosa-tv Odessa, all Texas. Now sold in 38 markets. Century /, 30 feature films (20th Century-Fox TV): Sold to kptv(tv) 66 BROADCASTING, May 20, 1963