Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1958)

sdav, January 15, 1958 Motion Picture Daily ^use, Pay -TV [Continued from page 1) Dund there should be full public gs before any decision, told the ! ttee that to permit test demon'ps was to "buy a pig in a poke" might later turn into "A spec'hog." Commissioner Ford said i abstained in October because s so new on the FCC, but that low convinced the majority was commission returns for further : Dning tomorrow. ■|;ning the hearings, committee ^jian Harris ( D., Ark.) promised ' .lly develop all the problems." committee finds the commission | nver to authorize toll-TV, Harris Congress will have to see "if the lould be modified to deny" this ; to the commission. On the other he continued, if it is determined ,,ZC doesn't have the power, per Zlongress must see how the com|n "can be granted clear and lent authority." A' ants 'Limits' Spelled Out ;if;rfer said no commissioner d countenance any operation" vould "place our free television i in jeopardy." He maintained mtil the FCC defines test limits equirements, "It is not possible e numerous segments of the inV to work out details of oper. He pointed out the FCC i nearly six years after the first ; 1 petition for toll-TV before act-£n it and that during this time 'Hgress has not seen fit to enact Ration directed specifically to this *ler said the FCC's action "has 1 upon us as legislators the rembility to act without delay." He ^cted that if toll-TV were success uhe networks would use the serand said this would contribute ri 11 greater concentration of inI control" in the hands of the ■^irks. B HI shington, Jan. 14— Still another ) ban toll television has been in,t-d in Congress, this one by i t Bailev. Democrat, of West Vir 'i (ischi in MPAA Post )LLYWOOD, Jan. 14 Luigi chi, Paramount, today was d to succeed Carl Schaefer as snan of the International Com: of the Association of Motion e Producers for another year. Stein, 94 RTLAND, Me., Jan. 14-Mrs. , : Stein, 94, mother of Joseph L. of Sargoy and Stein, motion e industry attorneys in New died here on Monday. 5 Meet Jan. 20 DLLYWOOD, Jan. 14. ican Cinema Editors iership meeting and annual elec)f officers will be held Jan. 20. The general Legality of Pay-TV Nod Still Unsettled: Doerfer From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Jan. 14-Federal Communications Commission chairman John Doerfer conceded today it is "perfectly possible" the FCC does not have jurisdiction to authorize subscription television. "If we take action," he told the House Commerce Committee, "the opponents could take us to court and the court could decide. If it didn't come to court, Congress could act to checkmate it. We feel this is better than not doing anything." Strickling Post ( Continued from page 1 ) learned yesterday, will be many additional ones, including the development of promotional campaigns for independent producers who make deals with the company. The plan is to begin work on the ideas of these producers for promoting their films at the start of production. Meetings in Congress Vogel has been holding meetings here this week on reorganization of the department, following the resignation last week of Howard Dietz as vice-president in charge of advertising, publicity and exploitation. Dietz is continuing with the company on a consultant basis. In the New York office Silas F. Seadler will remain as director of advertising and Dan Terrell as director of publicity, the Vogel announcement yesterday stated. At the meetings here this week the Loew's executives have also been discussing promotional campaigns for several upcoming releases. These include "The Brothers Karamazov," "Merry Andrew," "Gigi," "Underwater Warrior," and '"Saddle the Wind," among others. Top Echelon Attends Attending the meetings have been Vogel, Jack Byrne, general sales manager; Burtus Bishop, Robert Mochrie, Strickling, Seadler, Terrell, Emery Austin and Edward J. Churchill and other representatives of Donahue and Coe. Strickling joined Loew's in 1919 and later was named director of studio publicity and advertising. Roach Terminates Underwriting Deal Hal Roach, Jr. announced here yesterday that he has arranged with S. D. Fuller & Co. to terminate the underwriting agreement made last summer which called for a 375,000 share offering of Hal Roach Productions, Inc. common stock at $3.00 a share. Roach stated that the present market is not such as to encourage at this time the announced plan to offer to Gne Man's TViews » By Pinky Herman WHAT'S this we hear that ABC might be interested in the Masterson-Reddv-Nelson package "Bride & Groom" which was seen these past six months on NBC-TV? Seems to us that the series is one that is loaded with human interest and, based fundamentally on "love, romance and marriage"— three very important factors in milady's schematic outlook (us males, too) should hold wide appeal for the American housewife. . . . First package of the newly-formed Television Artists Corp. (Jack Bertel and John Greenhut) will be a one-hour musical revue with Earl Wilson emcee and Joel Spector, producing. Sponsored by Exquisite Bra, the program will be NBChanneled Fridav, April 18 from 8:30-9:30 P.M. . . . "The Thin Man," MGM-TV's initial TVenture which preemed over NBC last September, and after some difficulties has started to catch on strong, has just been renewed for an aditional 26 weeks bv Colgate-Palmolive. Series is produced by Sam Marx and stars Peter Lawford and Phvllis Kirk. . . . C. Edward Little, formerly manager of WITV, Ft. Lauderdale, has been named to head radio station WGMA, Hollywood, Fla. owned bv Barry & Enright. . . . Minstrelman Eddie Miller's new act was slightly sensational at the Saints & Sinners luncheon last week. So howcome TV producers don't sign this Millerdiller for guestints? it it it Hank Sylvern, whose baton-wielding has enhanced many a TV and radio program, is supplying the music for Frank Cooper's "Dotto" CBSeries, every morning on TV. . . . Prexy Maurice Zouary has added another million feet of exciting stock shots to the Filmvicleo library with the acquisition of the WalkerSiuart films (DeForrest Library.) . . . Don Morrow has been named by G. E. to do the commershills on the "Lowell Thomas CBShow." . . . When Dave Garroway on his "Today" program offered to send copies of the Rockefeller Report to TViewers of his program, he expected requests from about 1,000 people. The more than 200,000 letters asking for copies of the Report prompted the bespectacled philosopher of morning TV to remark; quote:— It proves what I suspected all along, the complacency is in the leaders and not the people, unquote: . . . Ken Silver is the new manager of Alexander International N.Y. headquarters. Hank Sylvern CBS Affiliates Will Fight FCC Net Report From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Jan. 14-GBS television affiliates today agreed to set up a special committee to fight recommendations of the special federal Communications Commission network study group. A resolution to this effect wound up the fourth annual meeting here of the CBS-TV affiliates Association. The resolution declared that "present network television is operating in the public interest" and that changes called for in the study group's report would weaken the affiliates' relationship with the network, "To the ultimate detriment of the public." the public a limited number of shares in his company. Roach added that a decision as to when or whether Hal Roach Studios will make a public stock offering will depend on general business conditions and upon future developments of discussions with one of the leading members of the New York stock exchange. NTA Appoints Schmid Station Relations V P The appointment of Robert A. Schmid to the newly created post of vice-president for station relations of the NTA Film Network, was announced yesterday by Ely A. Landau, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of National Telefilm Associates, Inc. Schmid resigned as vicepresident of the RKO Teleradio staff to join the NTA Film Network. Schmid has been a vice-president and director of General Teleradio, the TV-Radio Station subsidiary of RKO Teleradio, and was a member of the board of directors and vice-president of the Mutual Broadcasting System prior to its sale by RKO. FILM PRODUCTION FIRM WANTS Salesman or Independent Producer Accounts. Good opportunity. Replies held confidential. write or wire Bos 115 MOTION PICTURE DAILY 1270 6th Ave., N. Y. 20 with