Broadcasting Telecasting (Jul-Sep 1963)

COSTLIER COMMERCIALS? AFTRA-SAG bargaining team submits proposals for performers' payments after Nov. 15 A substantial boost in fees for performers in filmed and tape commercials is contained in new contract proposals made last week by the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists to the Advertising Agencies' Joint Negotiating Committee and the Film Producers Association of New York. The joint demands by the union are a prelude to the opening of formal negotiations in New York Oct. 21. The present three-year contract expires on Nov. 15. The proposals by SAG and AFTRA call for an increase from $95 to $120 for the "on camera" session fee, and from $70 to $90 for the "off camera" session fee for all performers other than group singers. The unions also are seeking increases in some (but not all) of the schedules covering use payments. They are requesting a revision of the "weighting" classification for program commercials so that New York, for example, would count as 1 5 cities as against the present 1 1 , and Los Angeles and Chicago would be increased in "weight" from seven to 11. The unions noted that commercial use payments are based on the extent of the geographical coverage of a commer cial and the number of times or length of time a commercial is telecast, thus compensating a performer for the period an advertiser "desires to use his image and his services to promote a particular product." They pointed out the session fee is applied against the use payments. The unions also are proposing increases for use and re-use of so-called "wild spots," which are commercials telecast by noninterconnected stations and used independently of a TV program. The rate for 13 weeks' unlimited use of a wild spot commercial in the three large cities of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, for example, would be raised from $345 to $400 "on camera" and from $227 to $300 "off camera" for all players except group singers, for whom a special schedule with lower rates is provided. Management officials declined to comment on the unions' demands until they had an opportunity to study them. This will mark the first time that agencies will be represented actively in the negotiation of contracts in the commercials area. In former years, network officials negotiated the codes in both the program and commercial fields, with agencies represented by observers. Sharp criticism over the conditions formulated in the TV commercial field TV network billing for July Network television gross time billings Source: TvB/LNA-BAR (in thousands) July % January-July °/ 1962 1963 Change 1962 1963 /o Change ABC-TV $15,708.7 $16,039.2 +2.1 $116,399.0 $125,214.3 +7.6 CBS-TV 25,793.4 27,401.9 +6.2 175,237.0 185,311.0 +5.7 NBC-TV 22,788.9 23,303.7 +2.3 160,427.6 167,338.2 +4.3 Total $64,291.0 $66,744.8 +3.8 $452,063.6 $477,863.5 +5.7 MONTH-BY-MONTH 1963 ABC-TV CBS-TV NBC-TV Total January $18,264.8 $25,912.7 $24,066.1 $68,243.6 February 17,435.7 24,057.7 22,850.0 64,343.4 March 19.378 0 26,694.3 25,166.8 71,239.1 * April 18,577.0 26,508.4 23,669.9 68,755.3 May 18,338.8 27,986.9 25,305.1 71,630.8 *June 17,180.8 26,749.1 22,976.6 66,906.5 July 16,039.2 27,401.9 23,303.7 66,744.8 * April & June figures changed as of Sept. 16, 1963. Network television gross time b llings by day parts Source: TvB/LNA-BAR July % January-July % 1962 1963 Change 1962 1953 Change Daytime $19,193.4 $19,565.6 + 1.9 $139,973.7 $157,253.4 + 12 3 Mon.-Fri. 15,689.7 15,956.7 + 1.7 115.360.7 125 757.7 + 9.0 Sat.-Sun. 3,503.7 3,608.9 +3.0 24 613 0 31.495 7 +28.0 Nighttime 45,097.6 47,179.2 +4.6 312,089.9 320,610.1 + 2.7 Total $64,291.0 $66,744.8 +3.8 $452,063.6 $477,863.5 + 5.7 48 (BROADCAST ADVERTISING) in 1960 led to the agencies assuming a direct role in the talks this year. The union team is headed by Donald F. Conaway, national executive director of AFTRA, and John L. Dales, national executive secretary of SAG. The management team is headed by Harold J. Saz, vice president of media services. Ted Bates & Co., and William Unger. partner in Elliot, Unger & Elliot. U.S. Rubber moves tires to Doyle Dane Bernbach United States Rubber Co. last week announced withdrawal of its estimated $6 million tire account from the N. W. Ayer & Son agency and assignment of the billings to Doyle Dane Bernbach. The switch was reported to have resulted from a disagreement over the advertising program presented to U. S Rubber by Ayer for the coming year. Ayer recently lost the Whitman candy account, worth a reported $1 million in billings, and six Johnson & Johnson products, which billed about $750,000 (Broadcasting, July 22). Sunkist ad budget to be over $4 million for year Sunkist Growers will spend about $4,045,000 to advertise oranges an lemons during 1963-64— $2,720,00 for oranges, $1,325,250 for lemons R. Z. Eller, advertising manager, said last week. The budgets include $233,J 000 for Canadian and $158,500 for export advertising, chiefly in Europe. Foote, Cone & Belding, Los Angeles, handles all orange advertising in the U. S. Leo Burnett, Chicago, handles all fresh lemon advertising and the orange advertising in Canada. All of the lemon advertising budget will go for nationwide TV network shows, both daytime and prime evening time. The orange advertising will use some children's TV shows, still tc be selected, plus magazines, newspapers and Sunday supplements. The advertising schedule runs from late November this year through late Au gust of next year. Business briefly . . . General Mills Inc. will sponsor The Story of Christmas, a one-hour specia holiday color show to be presented Dec 22 on NBC-TV. The program's com mercial periods will be used solely foi institutional announcements. Genera Mills agency: Doyle Dane Bernbacr Inc, New York. Procter & Gamble has assumed ful sponsorship of Petticoat Junction, a new comedy series which started last Tues day on CBS-TV. The Whitehall Divi BROADCASTING, September 30, 196: