Sponsor (Apr-June 1961)

19 June 1961 SPONSORWEEK Joseph Stamler (Continued from page 7, col. 2) what is an "efficient and competitive price" for a 30 or 40 sec. spot? Matthews said that Y&R intended to check station program schedules in order to determine whether "pious" promises that added station revenues from the expanded chainbreaks would actually be put into heavier public affairs program i ng. He suggested that stations which actually improved their programing patterns might be publicly commended. At the close of Matthews' remarks a running debate ensued between the Y&R executive and Joseph Stamler, v.p. general manager of WABCTV, New York. Stamler pointed out that ABC stations had committed themselves to using news and weather reports to fill any ten second vacancies in the new breaks. He asked Matthews if Y&R intended any disparagement of stations in its plan to subscribe to BAR reports for information on spot schedules instead of relying solely on station affidavits. Matthews replied that agencies have every right to make such checks because attested reports are sometimes incorrect. He cited an instance of an account being billed for commercials which had been off the air for three months. Stamler then asked whether the agency were considering any change of attitude toward product conflict. Matthews replied that it was a question for clients and not the agency to decide, that a degree of yielding was probable and that thinking on the subject now resembled a "rear guard action." APRIL TV UP 6.9% TO $59.8 MILLION Network gross time billings for April were $59.8 million, a rise of 6.9% over 1960, reports TvB. Cumulative billings of the first 4 months of the year were $242.3 million, which was 6.4% ahead of 1960. ABC TV was up 21.3% and NBC TV up 9.2%; CBS TV was down 4.5%. Overall daytime was up 18% and nighttime was up 1%. Negro radio rises "At least a 15 per cent rise in tha number of Negro-appeal radio program hours and a 30 per cent gain in the number of Negro-appeal stations" have taken place in the last oecade, reported George Wharton, Keystone Broadcasting System research director. SQUIBB'S TO NEWS Looks like ABC TV has broken the sales ice for its 6 o'clock news strip. The initial buyer is Squibb, viaj Donahue & Coe, and the commitment is for two quarter-hours. There's a 50% discount on time over 26 weeks for Squibb as a charter client. ABC TV had put a price of $25,0001 gross per quarter-hour on this newsi strip, covering both time and thej program. First world tv meet The First International Assembly of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has announced a 42part agenda for its gathering in New York this November. Events will be structured like a seven-day world university during the week 4-7 November. President Kennedy and Ambassador Stevenson will participate in the opening sessions. It is expected that 50 nations will participate; acceptances have already been received informally from 21 nations. Subjects will be special areas within television or tv's relation to literacy, politics, rural areas, unions, investments, education, religion, commercials, taste and taboos, technical developments, news, and many others. KENYON & ECKHARDT REARRANGES TOP ECHELON Significant changes at a high management level have I ken place at Kenyon \ Lckhardt. \\ illiam B. Lewis, chairman of the hoard, will assume active direction of all creative services of the agency on a full time basis. In addition to his corporate title, he will be director of creative services. W. Stephens Dietz, elected senior v.p. and to the executive committee, will lie director of all marketing services. Howard \I. Wilson lias been elected a senior v.p. of creative services and will assist Lewis. SPONSOR 19 Jl m: 1W>