Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1956)

November 26, 1956 Motion Picture Daily 15 OUR VIEW I .OLD E. Fellows, president of ie NARTB, addressed a Rotaryijiwanis Club conference in Balj last week, speaking on "FreeUnder License" as it pertains ladcasting. He made the point penses are granted by the Fedi Communications Commission ihat body has decided "the pubSerest, convenience and necesjwill be properly served, but mt clause is subject to varied fetation. Even the courts, he Lave called it "many different ire can emerge from certain injations a move on the part of liment to standardize program! or to channel it into certain ons. Broadcasters have learned oerience to achieve a balance igramming, with proper consign given to the communications , of the particular community. Allows then insists that this : be a "prerogative of industry" <iat Government must not disihe "balance of programming" ■ting "freedom under license." • to has reached the point where is full and selective service in :ally every home in the nation, ision of course has not yet d that happy and inclusive because of technical difficulties, communities have no access to ion, others are able to receive *nals of only one station, thus ,g the "right of choice." Pay don, Mr. Fellow points out with atal emphasis, also would divide tdience into those who can and who cannot pay, denying the p to some. 3 are dealing with something more than a commercial entersays Mr. Fellows. That is the onsideration of which the teleindustry must never lose sight, f its decisions must be pred upon an appreciation of the isibilities it faces constantly. — Charles S. Aaronson »' TV-Stations Set lagement Meeting CBS-owned television stations lold their third annual station ;ement meeting in New York and tomorrow. ' meeting will cover a broad of subjects with emphasis on plans for the coming summer, I affairs programming, and sales promotion for film packages. Television Joday Martin, Lewis Sign tor Individual Programs HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 25. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis have signed a new contract with the National Broadcasting Co. for individual variety shows by which the performers will earn about $5,000,000 during the next four and a half years. N. Joseph Ross, attorney for the performers' company, York Productions, also confirmed that a $6,000,000 breach-ofcontract suit that York filed against the network last August has been dropped. He said the "revised reinstituted contract" constituted a settlement. The new agreement, which runs through Aug. 31, 1961, provides for 34 hour-length programs. It is understood they will be of the musical variety type. The first is being planned for presentation in February, although NBC has net yet set a definite time. TV Set Shipments Show 55% Increase WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 The number of television sets shipped to dealers in September increased 55 per cent over the number shipped in August, RETMA announcd last week. The latest RETMA marketing date report shows 829,126 TV receivers shipped to dealers during September —a five-week month— including 1,253 sets sent to the territories. Total shipments in August had been 535,936 units while 1,019,191 TV receivers were shipped to dealers in September a year ago. Television set shipments to dealers during the first nine months of 1956 totaled 4,590,242 compared with 5,174,732 receivers shipped during the same period in 1955. NTA Sales Force Is Briefed on New Product Harold Goldman, vice-president in charge of sales for National Telefilm Associates, presided at two NTA regional sales meetings held in Chicago and Los Angeles recently. Goldman briefed the NTA sales force on the recently acquired 20th Century-Fox pictures which are to be offered to tv stations throughout the country. Two additional meetings are set for today and tomorrow in NTA's Los Angeles office. I.T.C. Starting 'Sabu' HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 25.-Ralph G. Branton, president of Interstate Television Corp., has announced that production will start tomorrow on a new series, "Sabu and the Magic Ring," starring Sabu. The half-hour film series will be offered for midyear selling. This Modern Age There's no telling where this automation thing is going to end. Now comes word that Peters, Griffin, Woodward, station representatives, with the connivance of RemingtonRand engineers, plans the installation of an electric system on the principle of Univac, to store information on programs, availabilities, rates and so on for tv and radio. When an advertiser or agency wants the dope on any phase of the operation, somebody pushes a button and out it pops— just like toast. Remington-Rand will start the installation about Jan. 1. FCC Looks to Cancel UHF 'Idle' Licenses WASHINGTON, Nov 25 The FCC has taken action looking toward cancellation of up to 83 UHF television licenses where construction of stations has not been started or where the stations were built and were thereafter forced off the air. The commission had previously asked these "idle" licensees to give a clear statement of whether and when they intended to start telecasting. The 83 concerned in today's proceeding responded to the effect that they could not take the risk of UHF operation until something is done about the overall UHF problem. The commission has now addressed a letter to all 83, telling them that unless there is something more to be said the FCC can only conclude that delay in construction has been a voluntary decision, not because of "causes not under your control." The letter gives the licensees until Feb. 15 to file "in triplicate" additional information about construction intentions, otherwise "your construction permit will be cancelled and your call letters deleted." Commissioner Lee dissented, saying, "I vote to renew these permits pending a resolution of the UHF problem." CBS-TV Spot Sales Sets 3rd Annual Meet CBS Television Spot Sales will hold its third annual general managers meeting this Wednesday and Thursday at the Savoy Plaza Hotel here, it was announced by John Schneider, general manager. The meeting was scheduled three months earlier than last year in order to work out comprehensive new patterns for summertime selling. The other main topic for discussion will be new sales and promotion plans, geared to take maximum advantage of the major feature film packages now owned by the majority of the stations. Who's Where Thomas W. Sarnoff, director of business affairs for the National Broadcasting Company's Pacific Division, was elected a vice-president of California National Productions, Inc. at a meeting of the NBC subsidiary's Board of Directors last week in Hollywood. Sarnoff had been a director in the organization. □ Thomas S. O'Brien has been named director of business affairs of the NBC-owned stations, it is announced by Thomas B. McFadden, vice-president in charge of NBC-owned stations and NBC spot sales. O'Brien joined NBC in 1952 as assistant controller of NBC-owned stations. He was appointed divisional business manager in 1954. □ Max Alexander, of M & A Alexander Films, will arrive in New York on Monday from the Coast for ten days of huddles with his eastern tv film representative, Larry Stern. □ Jack W. Minor, vice-president in charge of sales for Plymouth, has picked up the option on the Ray Anthony show, over the ABC-TV network, featuring Frank Leahy, former Notre Dame coach, for another 13 weeks. Grant Advertising executives Lawrence Mcintosh and L. W. Brown negotiated for Plymouth. □ John Highlander, assistant program manager of KPIX in San Francisco, has been named to receive the Northern California Industrial Safety Society's 1956 tv award for his contribution to the station's series of programs on highway safety entitled "Ten Seconds to Live." □ James W. Beach, director of the ABC Television Network's Central Division, has been elected a vicepresident of the American Broadcasting Co., it is announced by Leonard H. Goldenson, president of AB-PT. He was sales manager of station prior to his appointment as director of ABC-TV's Central Division in Mav, 1955. ON EVERY CHANNEL Lly) BROOKS COSTUMES 3 Wail 6ltl SI., N.Y.C.-Ttl. PI. 7-5100 NSCRIPTIONS FILM COMMERCIALS with FINE SOUND ore recorded at E SOUND Inc PL 3 5400 W int. 711.5fh Aye__ NYC