Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1958)

landay, November 3, 1958 Motion Picture Daily 5 [/' Directors (Continued from page 1) Ijuire from MCA for future produc|n. MCA would use the studio for i television production and rent Iier facilities not needed to indet'.ident producers. lit was learned that several ranking liiversal executives whose employIn contracts expire next month will inain with the company without new fctracts. I Decca Shares at New High Renewed market interest in Decca jbords stock, after a lull of several leks, was observed on the Big Board I Friday, with a turnover in excess 131,000 shares and a price rise of I, setting a new high for the year $19%. Financial sources attributed I spurt to reports of the impending 1; of the Universal Pictures studio jperty. laff's Plans ( Continued from page 1 ) II one since 1948. Thereafter, I'll lisider several proposals now on lid." IDaff declined to comment on trade lorts that his employment contract Ih Universal which had two and |;-half years to run at $2,000 per |ek had' been settled by payment in ll over a period of years. Iby to Present V.C. litation at Charlotte I Special to THE DAILY CHARLOTTE, N. C. Nov. 2.lorge Eby, chief barker of Variety l.ernational, will present an honorlie mention citation to the Charlotte Iriety Club here Friday night. ■The Charlotte club was awarded inorable mention for its children's ii clinic at the recent convention 1 Variety International. ■The citation will be accepted by ly Ervin, newly elected chief barkI of the club, who will be installed img with other new officers. The Inquet will be held at Hotel Char IN OUR VIEW Television Today Detroit Variety Club egins Heart Drive Special to THE DAILY DETROIT, Nov. 2.-Variety Club ?nt No. 5 has launched its annual ircell Drive. This Heart Fund acuity was inaugurated when Edward ircell, formerly with Cooperative leatres of Michigan, was stricken id incapacitated. Since then, Variecontributes annually to assist in s support. The committee guiding the drive is ade up of Art Levy, DCA branch anager, and Dick Graff, U-I branch lanager. Want' Here Nov. 18 "I Want To Live!" Figaro Inc. roduction for United Artists release, ill open on Nov. 18 at the Victoria heatre here. FELIX W. COSTE, vice-president and director of marketing for the fabulously successful Coca-Cola Company, last week addressed the Fall Conference of the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington under the general heading, "New Responsibilities for Broadcasting." His remarks were of such clear-cut pertinence and significance as to merit repetition. In addition, they hew closely to a line we ourselves have often stressed. He told his hearers that the phrase "public responsibility" in his opinion has been much abused and mis-used by the broadcasting industry. It is time, he said, that the industry develop a new definition of the phrase, one more keyed to today's needs. Changes in public attitudes, he insisted, must be watched, noted and acted upon. "You should think about more of your shows in terms of audience appreciation instead of audience ratings," Mr. Coste said. • He made the important and thought-provoking point that the industry has lost the interest and good will of those opinion-makers, editors, preachers, top business men, bankers, who largely shape a nation's thinking, today and tomorrow. It is vital, Mr. Coste thinks, that local broadcasters realize fully their responsibility begins first and foremost with the communities they serve. The point was made by the speaker that the stationbreak identification at the same time as the "nerve-wrackers," the 10, 15 or 20-second spots, is bad timing from the local station viewpoint. Piling on of spot commercials is bed business, he told the group, and we heartily agree. The matter of the donation of free time as a "public service" came in for attention from Mr. Coste, who obviously had thought long and earnestly about television and its problems. With regard to that free time, he asked, "Who knows about it?" Not those opinion-moulders who should know, he feels. And all too often he finds that the donation of time is considered to fully discharge the obligation. That is far from true. The broadcaster should go far deeper than that. He should make every effort to become really a part of the local enterprise. "There is a vast difference between producing a show for an educational insitution and developing a show with one. • He cited the fact that the broadcasting industry, very young as it is, and maybe for that reason, has shown itself to be extremely susceptible to even the slightest pressures. But those pressures must be examined most critically, analyzed as to their value to the community as a whole, and where there is merit, turned to mutual advantage. There are in addition social and New NTA Series Set On Mantovani Music A new television series of half-hour musical programs featuring the music of Mantovani and his orchestra plus outstanding guest stars has been acquired by National Telefilm Associates, Inc., for U. S. distribution, it was announced by Oliver A. Unger., NTA president. The series is being produced in England by Harry Alan Towers. Operetta Emphasized Some of the programs will be devoted to the music of such world-famous composers as Rodgers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, Sigmund Romberg, Rudolf Friml, Victor Herbert and others. Paris, Rome, Vienna and other foreign capitals will provide the theme for the other shows. Also featured in the series of 39 shows will be such prominent guest stars as Vic Damone, Connie Francis, the Hi Lo's, the band of the H.M. Welsh Guards, Larry Adler, the Boscoe Holder West Indian Dancers and the London Festival Ballet. John Conte is the host and announcer. New Safes Division Announced by IK Independent Television Corp. has formed a new division called Arrow Productions to be devoted to sale and programming counselling on re-run product, it was announced at the weekend by Walter Kingsley, ITC president. Kingsley also announced the appointment of two veterans of the film sales and distribution field to head up the new division. Appointed as administrative manager of Arrow Productions is Alvin E. Unger. Unger has just joined ITC after having been with Ziv Television Programs for many years in several sales executive capacities. Three Years with TPA Stanley Levey has been named sales manager of the new division. Levey has been with Television Programs of America for three years in a sales executive capacity and prior to that for many years was with Ziv Television Programs. Detroit Birthday DETROIT, Nov. 2. Detroit's WjBK-TV celebrated its tenth birthday, via a proclamation by Mayor Miriani making it "WJBK Television Day." Channel Two has to its credit Michigan's first station to operate on maximum 100,000 watts, first to construct to maximum allowable antenna height of 1,057 feet, first with local color f acilities, first with instantaneous video tape recording equipment, first commercial station offering a regular college course with university credit. business responsibilities developing upon the broadcasters. Sell the profit system locally, Mr. Coste urges, and by indirection imply to those who look and listen the pitfalls which lie in wait in the direction of socialism and the welfare state. Utilize the vast inherent capabilities of the broadcast medium to persuade the thinkers and opinion-makers that our way is the best way, and so better discharge the social responsibilities which every broadcaster has. Politics, said Mr. Coste in effect, is everybody's business, and rightly so. And it should be the business of the broadcaster, since politics is the business of electing men to public office and "providing through legislation a desired form and philosophy of government." The broadcaster, he believes, has a positive responsibility to use the medium to encourage right thinking politically. Briefly, Mr. Coste sees a vast, as yet largely untapped area of public service, chiefly on the local level, where the broadcasting industry should be concentrating time and attention. It should be worth while. — Charles S. Aaronsov ABC-TV Program Dept. Realigns Executives Realignment of ABC Television Network program department executives was announced by Thomas W. Moore, vice-president in charge of programming and talent for ABC-TV. In the realignment, the following promotions, effective immediately, were announced: John Green, manager of the ABCTV program department, has been named network executive producer. Leonard Maskin, manager of ABCTV production services, becomes administrative manager of the program department, a newly created post in the network. New Post for Kneeshaw John Kneeshaw, plant services supervisor, is appointed business manager of production services. Moore also announced the appointment of Arthur Segal as plant services supervisor, successor to Kneeshaw. N.Y. TV Academy Unit To Honor Milton Berle Milton Berle has been chosen as the guest of honor at a dinner-show to be presented by the New York Chapter of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in February or March 1959. In time-honored tradition, Berle will be "honored" by being subjected to the ribbing of a host of his fellow stars of TV, movies and the theatre. Max Liebman will produce the spectacular show to be presented during the dinner.