Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

6 Motion Picture Daily Television Today USIA Cites Growth Of TV Overseas May Revise Television Code As Result Of Testimony on Quiz Shows: Fellows From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Oct. 18.-Harold E. Fellows, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, said at the weekend that the industry's own selfregulatory arm is prepared to set up additional safeguards in the Television Code if necessary to prevent "rigging" of TV quiz programs. He declared: "This industry has proved, in its four decades of service, in can clean its own house when necessary." Fellows spoke before the NAB Fall Conference, first of eight to be held throughout the country, at the Mayflower Hotel here. Attending the conference are more than 300 radio and television executives and others connected with broadcasting. Is 'Personally Concerned' The NAB president said: "I should like to take a moment at this point to express my personal concern, and that of your Association, over certain testimony presented to the House Legislative Oversight Committee during the past several days relating to the 'rigging' of television quiz programs. "I will not try to explain or justify this unfortunate episode in broadcasting, wherein outside packaging producers have hoodwinked the public and the broadcasters whose facilities they use. I assure you that we at NAB are fully aware of the broadcaster's responsibility to the viewing public. "Nor should I have to remind you that the result of these hearings may ments pointed out in the USIA survey: East Germany continues to aim anti-American propaganda at West German television audiences. Communist bloc countries have intensified attempts to tie in with Eurovision, the Western European television network. In the USSR, where television covers about 25 per cent of the Soviet Union, two new stations and 18 relay transmitters were reported to have gone on the air since last April. According to a Moscow broadcast, Moscow residents soon will be able to receive TV transmissions from Warsaw and Berlin, and to follow sports events in foreign capitals on their TV screens. be a challenge to our system of voluntary self -regulation, which has attained much stature among viewers, government, and our own industry. "We are recommending to the NAB Television Code Review Board that serious consideration be given to such facts as are developed during the course of these hearings. "Should the Television Code require additional language to further safeguard the viewing audience against misrepresentation or deceit, in this or other areas of programming, the needed steps will be taken. Cites Responsibility to Public "May I emphasize— and I am sure that I speak for all broadcasters— we are disturbed by this situation. Equally so, we are not unmindful of the responsibilities to our viewers that exist under the American system of free broadcasting. "The industry has proved, in its four decades of service, it can clean its own house when necessary." Miami's Educational TV Station Receives Funds Special to THE DAILY MIAMI, Oct. 18.-A check for $100,000 has been received by the Dade County School Board to help finance expansion of its educational TV station on Channel 2. The money is the State ETV Commission's share of the cost of a $200,000 tower in Hallandale which the School Board is in the process of buying. The other $100,000 is coming from Dade funds. "We expect to have our antenna erected on the tower by Dec. 1," said local TV director Vernon Bronson. "We should be ready to operate by January." The tower, formerly used by station WITV, will enable Channel 2 broadcasts to reach from Palm Beach to South Dade. From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 18. Television overseas is continuing to expand rapidly, with more African and Near East countries coming into the picture, the U.S. Information Agency said today. In a report to its overseas posts, the Information Agency noted that, as of Sept. 30, there were 985 TV transmitting stations of all types (originating stations, relay stations, experimental stations, etc.) and 28,047,700 sets in operation abroad. USIA officials pointed out that the current figure of 985 TV stations compares with 639 on Sept. 30, 1958a step up of more than 50 per cent for the past year. The number of TV sets in use today, USIA officials said, represents an increase of nearly 30 per cent during the past 12 months. For the six-month period (April 1Sept. 30, 1959) covered in the report, 130 new TV stations went into operation, and TV sets increased by more than 2,400,000. Communist Bloc Behind Free-world countries overseas now have 819 TV stations and the Communist bloc 166. The USSR added 20 new stations during the past six months. Czechoslovakia and Poland added two each, and East Germany one. The free world gained 2,200,000 sets since last April and now has 24,000,000. The Communist bloc, with a gain of 200,000 sets, has 4,000,000. (This increase in Communist bloc figures is based on data from satellite countries; no firm figures of increase in sets in use were available from the USSR.) Three Stations in China The report added that Communist China (with three TV stations) has announced, for the first time, that it has 5,000 TV sets in use in the Peiping area. Several countries in Africa and the Near East, the report said, are planning to inaugurate TV shortly. The Central African Federation (Rhodesia and Nyasaland), expects to have TV next year; Ghana is considering it, Liberia plans to have it by December, and television in Western Nigeria is expected to go on the air at the end of October. Service Started in Lebanon The USIA report also noted that Lebanon has inaugurated TV service, and that the United Arab Republic has launched an ambitious TV construction project. Israel expects to have TV within two years. Other overseas television develop Inaugurated Sept. 15 All India Radio's experimental television service was inaugurated on September 15. In Japan, six government-owned and 12 commercial stations went on the air in the past six months, and the set count has almost reached the three-million mark. The television report excludes the U.S., its territories, Canada, and the U.S. Armed Forces stations. Stern in CBS-TV Post The appointment of Ernest E. Stern as director of press information, CBS Television Network, Hollywood, was announced by Charles S. Steinberg, vice-president, information services, CBS Television Network. Currently director of advertising, promotion and publicity for ABC-TV's Western Division in Los Angeles, Stern will assume his new duties in approximately two weeks. Public Likes WABCTl \ Show Critics Panned WABC-TV, Channel 7 in New Yo ' and flagship of ABC-TV, introduc a new comedy variety show on Se 29 called "Everything Goes" (11 P.M. to 12:15 A.M., EST) in the 1 conviction that it had a "winner." % next day, however, the progra which is broadcast "live," was si agely blasted by two top TV critics L. metropolitan newspapers. Smarting from the blows, but s certain it had a good audience she*: the station took ads in seven Mi York dailies reprinting the bad notii in full and in an "open letter to j viewers" asked them to send in thy opinions of the program. The respoi was large and unanimously in fa' of the program, Joseph Stamler, vir president and general manager WABC-TV, told the trade press ajd conference on Friday. Also present at the conference Lester Dinoff, newly-appointed p licity director of WABC-TV. Admire Station's 'Guts' TV viewers were particularly i pressed, Stamler said, with the "gu the station displayed in printing adverse reviews. They also suppl some constructive criticism, he add as they had been asked to do in ads. This advice is now being follow in several respects. Stamler feels that WABC-TV l1 inaugurated a practice other stati might adopt in order to counteract I bad publicity poor notices can brif' "Everything Goes," Stamler poiij ed out, is now in its third week and already 45 per cent sold out. Letti" on behalf of the show are still comi|j in, and it's on the station's schedtf to stay. ABC Executives to Me> With TV Affiliates Bl From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 18.-I.eona; H. Goldenson, president of Americ ; Broadcasting Paramount Theatr,! Inc. and Oliver Treyz, president L the ABC Television Network, head t executives who will meet with £1 board of governors of the ABC Te': vision Affiliates Association Oct. and 23 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The two-day conference is one [ several held each year to discuss t"' progress and problems of the nf work. It will follow a two-day mef ing of the board of governors of W Affiliates Association in Beverly Hil Chairman of the Affiliates Associ tion board of governors is Joseph Hladky, president of KCRG-T Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Norman Felton Upped Norman Felton has been appoint, general program executive, CI Television Network, Hollywood, \ was announced by Guy della Ciopp vice-president, programs, Hollywoo