Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1963)

their own positions in the best possible light, and their competitors" in the worst. This competitive drive, evident also among some agency executives, contributed to the widest leakage of copyrighted and ostensibly confidential ratings that consumer and business papers have ever enjoyed. It appeared unlikely that leakage would be anywhere near so rampant again, however, at least in the immediate future, because the A. C. Nielsen Co. was preparing to put up new and firmer warnings against unauthorized subscriber-disclosure, effective with the 30-market reports that were due last Friday. Although observers felt that all these factors figured prominently in this season's rising excitement over the ratings, the one that seemed to add the ultimate nourish was the report that General Foods in particular, and probably other leading network users, were on the verge of major 1964-65 commitments. If so, it was felt, every extra rating point in the current, early-season reports could hold out the prospect of millions of dollars in business. Program Changes ■ The General Foods situation was spotlighted more than usual because one of its CBS programs The Jack Benny Program, is moving to NBC next year and another, the Danny Thomas Show, appears set for abandonment by its star after this season (Broadcasting, Nov. 4). But GF representatives and other insiders and close observers late last week appeared to scotch speculation that there might be wholesale moves by General Foods away from CBS next year. An executive in a position to speak for GF scoffed at reports that a move was contemplated, at least at this time. He also denied that GF would sponsor the Benny program on NBC. Other sources close to or in on the negotiations indicated that the fate of GF's commitments was much more up in the air a few weeks ago than now. It was reported that GF had earlier asked all three networks to submit proposals; that NBC proposed to shift Dr. Kildare and make room for a GF block, that CBS proposed retention of the block and addition of another hour later in the week, and that ABC proposed to spread the GF programing over several nights. The GF lineup on CBS currently consists of parts or all of I've Got a Secret, The Lucy Show, the Danny Thomas Show and the Andy Griffith Show consecutively on Monday nights, lack Benny on Tuesdays and the Phil Silvers Show on Saturdays. Because of the big chunks of time involved, insiders thought most other major network advertisers would wait until GF had made a final decision before undertaking major decisions of their own. Once General Foods is set, however, it was believed that other top advertisers like Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Lever and the tobacco companies would start sifting availabilities and begin 1964-65 plans. Even some competitors speculated that General Foods probably would stay put, at least on its big Mondaynight sequence. But until the contracts are signed, and so long as there seemed to be a prospect that GF might take on another hour — as some sources appeared to think — then none of the networks was abandoning hope of getting more business out of whatever the final decision may be. The importance in which ratings are held has been manifest in many ways throughout the season. One involved "the Evanston post office episode," (see story page 35). In another, NBC, having detected signs of a trend which it thinks will push it within overhauling distance of front-running CBS, took the unprecedented step of releasing its projections of what the second national Nielsen will show tomorrow, not only in network averages but program by program (story and list below). NBC confident of big gains tomorrow PREDICTS NIELSENS WILL SHOW IT LESS THAN POINT BEHIND CBS NBC laid it on the line last week, predicting that it will pull within four-tenths of a rating point of front-running CBSTV in the Nielsen national ratings that will be out tomorrow (Tuesday). It backed its prediction with the unprecedented disclosure of program-byprogram as well as network-by-network projection of what, according to the NBC research department, tomorrow's Nielsen will show. Using a formula derived from the relationship between the first October Nielsen report for 30 markets and the first Nielsen national, the NBC research department estimated on the basis of the second October 30-market ratings that the second Nielsen national tomorrow, for the two weeks ended Oct. 27, will show NBC-TV with an average rating of 18.6 against 19.0 for CBS and 16.0 for ABC. This would compare with the first Nielsen national's average of 17.1 for NBC, 20.0 for CBS and 16.5 for ABC for the two weeks ended Oct. 13. The projection also assigned estimated ratings to all prime-time shows on all three networks (see list) and predicted that in the top 1 0 NBC would have four programs amounting to seven half -hours, CBS six programs totaling seven half Week ended 9/22 Week ended 9/29 ABC Premier Week CBS Premier Week NBC estimates based on MNA report of the week. Here's how the three TV networks due out tomorrow will show. The chart have been faring week by week in the is based on one provided by NBC renational Nielsen ratings, plus NBC's search department. For formula see projections of what the national report text of the story. 36 (BROADCAST ADVERTISING) BROADCASTING, November 11, 1963