Radio annual and television yearbook (1953)

TV FILM— FACT, NOT TREND Now A Positive, Activated And Vital Institution By CHARLES B. BROWN, Vice President, Bing Crosby Enterprises, Inc. A FRIEND asked recently, "What is the trend in film for television?" Upon checking the word trend in our Webster, we found that "trend" means ". . . an underlying or prevailing tendency or inclination to drift. . . ." Upon this basis, there is no trend to film in television since the move to film is a positive planned, activated movement rather than an unpremeditated, uncontrolled drift into film production. Actually, the question of whether live shows or programs on film are best can never be an unqualified question because some programs, like special events, most quiz progrcms and others are best live while other certain programs are always best on film. As we see it, the why of film growth in television, however, is not one of sheer production values alone, rather it is that film is the solution to four fundamental problems only one of which has anything to do with respect to program production quality as such. There are four problems. With the readers' indulgence, we should like to expand each of these four elements into a few brief paragraphs. (1) Program Quality and Suitability: Full turn illusion as in dramatic programs can best be done on film for many reasons obvious to all. Fluffs can be edited, retakes are always possible and the fearful physical toll of continuous tension is eliminated. The week in and week out demands on live programs featuring a central character or cast is already too well known to require embellishment. Illusion can run the entire gamut of human expectation. A desert scene is just what it purports to be and the rapport of viewer with the unfolding story is doubly insured because of the sweep and scope of realism. No adjustment to scenic inadequacies is necessary. The second problem is: Time Zone Differences. Nothing can be devised to move the unmovable; time differential with a visual medium simply offers an unscalable obstacle to live TV other than special events of major significance. Seven o'clock Central Time is difficult for top-budget shows, but six o'clock Mountain Time and five o'clock Pacific Coast Time is out of the question. The viewer cost per dollar differential will not be accepted as a regular matter by any sponsor paying the tab for nighttime type program particularly when he can so simply solve his problem by spotting his program in these western markets at suitable time periods. Number three on our list is: National Marketing Problems. Advertising strategy, in my opinion will be applied more than ever before to meet the specific and peculiar merchandising and sales problems of each particular organization in given markets. Mass advertising will, of course, still be an important factor, but "directive-placement" of advertising funds will be both a common term and a policy in the rough competitive selling days ahead. (4) Local Advertising Requirements. Retail accounts will use television as they have never used local media other than newspapers in the past. Department stores, always slow to use anything but newspaper space, will be among television's strongest local supporters. From the standpoint of the film producer, the most encouraging sign is the desire of more national, regional and local advertisers to plrce business on a minimum of 39 and quite often a 52-week basis. The service nd sales impa^'t of a television film program can be much more effective if longer term buying is possible because story properties can be planned, written and/or purchased with long-term values in mind both as to writp" interest and story content. Besides these intricate values, there is continuing viewer growth potential of the longer lived program. Lastly, local advertisers or national advertisers using local markets desire program product which is equal to the best in network programming. There is obviously not sufficient high-level talent available for local programming thus, the only certain answer is a film program which alone can bring to the local viewer, during local station time, a standard of program performance which will secure and hold a viewing audience of sufficient size to pay the investment off with profit to spare. 93