NBC chimes (Jan 1953-Dec 1954)

New Fields for NBC in Films NBC's Film Operation. Now Separate Operating Division. Even Lists Four Foreign 1 Markets for Growing Services Last month Frank White, president of NBC. announced the establishment of the NBC Film Division as a third operating division of the company. The Film Division was set up as part of the NBC Television Network in June 1952. but since then it has expanded so rapidly and into so many areas which are really outside the scope of network operations that it had to be given this new status. Robert \S . Sarnoff. who is vice-president in charge of the division, now reports directlv to Mr. White. The new set-up is designed to make the Film Division a centralized source of film services to the network, to the owned and operated stations, to our affiliates, and to other enterprises which may want its help. Currently the Film Division functions with four major departments: sales, production, film and kinescope operations | which includes the devel Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd), seen here riding his horse. Topper, is star of NBC film series. opment of our vast film library I . and the procurement of films for showing on the network as well as on our owned and operated stations. The department heads report to Carl Stanton, director of the Film Division, which is a newly-created position. Mr. Stanton was formerly Television Program manager in the Networks Program Department. His task now is to operate the Film Division and shoulder much of the growing administrative burden so that more time can be devoted to the all-important job of longrange planning by the vice-president in charge of the Division. The growing sales force, managed by John B. Cron. now has offices in New \ ork. Chicago and Los Angeles — and will open additional offices as new markets and stations increase. Among the major film series which are currently offered for sale to local stations and local sponsors all over the world — Canada. Cuba. Mexico and Italy are already included — are "Douglas Fairbanks Presents." "Hopalong Cassidy."" "The Lilli Palmer Show."" "Dangerous Assignment.'" and a daily and weeklv film-news summary. Such outstanding NBC network television series as "Victory at Sea." and "The Doctor" | under the new title of "The \ isitor" i will soon be offered for local sponsorship in line with the Film Division's belief that a popular film program should remain available to the general public and to new television stations as they go on the air. Through re-issue, in other words, these programs will penetrate to millions of homes which may not have been reached on the first run. Fine network programs are a source for syndication after their first run. One of the advantages offered local sponsors and stations when an NBC Film program is sold is a complete, professional and streamlined advertising promotion merchandising publicity exploitation campaign to go with the program. The Production Department, under Stanton Osgood, manager, is responsible for supervising the production of film series — like "Douglas Fairbanks Presents " — made especially for the NBC Film Division. It is also responsible for the re-editing of programs like "The Doctor."" and the production of special film shows from footage now in the growing NBC film library. The plan is to be able to develop everything from quiz shows to weather, sports and special holiday services to local stations. Film and Kinescope Operations and Services, originally part of the television network, is managed by Frank Lepore within the new Film Division sphere of operations. This department handles the editing, printing and shipment of kinescopes of NBC network programs to our affiliates and to our owned and operated stations, as well as the shipping of our film programs which are svndicated in local markets. This has now become one of the largest film exchanges in the country, and the Film Division hopes to expand its shipping activities to include a shipping service for other film distributors. Plans also call for an expansion fori the scope of the business done by tl film library, which is now one of largest of its kind in the world. Ii nreproo f vaults at 105 East 106th Stre in New York City are row upon row metal containers holding more thaaj 15.000.000 feet of film covering n than 2.000 subjects and catalogec effectivelv that the most abstruse topiJ can be located within a matter ol minutes. With new film arriving at the rat of about 55.000 feet a week, principallj from the various NBC television newi programs, the film library is becominj a valuable source of film material fat operations within and outside NBC. j Another important aspect of th work of the Film Division involves procurement of films — features an shorter subjects — as a service to tl network, to the OiO stations, to Nrfl affiliates, and to any other potentuj customers. David Savage, who w^ formerly manager of the WCBSFilm Department in New York, noj heads Film Procurement for NBC 4 NBC Chimes