Sponsor (Jan-Mar 1962)

SP0NS0R-WEEK/5 February 1962 I METRECAL's $1 MIL. RENEWAL ON NBC TV Metrecal (K&E) purchased about $1 million of additional participations on NBC last week. The purchase included 31 nighttime minutes and 24 daytime quarter-hours. The nighttime purchase was estimated to be worth $930,000. Programs were Brinkley's Journal, Huntley Reporting, 87th Precinct, Cain's Hundred, Laramie, The Detectives, Saturday Night at the Movies, and others. WBC's McGannon foresees station-network closeness (Charlotte): Donald H. McGannon, president of Westinghouse Broadcasting Co., said here last week that he expects a closer and more coordinated relationship between networks and their affiliates as a result of the current FCC hearings. Such coordination, if it established "a better running liaison by preexposure and pre-monitoring," could solve the problem of control tv programing," McGannon stated. He asserted that "the ultimate and sole responsible person must be the station licensee" and denied that "licensing networks in and of themselves is going to solve anything in this particular area." McGannon's remarks were made to WBT-WBTV newsmen in an exclusive interview. Correction SPONSOR regrets the incorrect report published in its 29 January issue to the effect that Stephen B. Labunski, vice president and general manager of W MCA, New York, had tendered his resignation. The correct facts were contained in a release from WMCA on 18 January in which the station announced the resignation of John J. McSweeney as sales manager. Network tv c-p-m level steady Network t\ evening weeklj cost-pel -thousand levels hawn't reall) advanced on the whole in the past two years, reports NBC Research. According to the latest Nielsen Cost-Per-Thousand Report for November-December 1961, NBC's level was $3.80, lower than $3.89 in 1957 and $4.68 in 1959. The latest level for CBS is $4.06, not much over S3.90 for 1959; the 1957 level was $3.40. However ABC was up to S4.18, higher than $3.67 in 1959 and $3.83 in 1957. ABC's RETORT TO NBC JIBE: LOOK AT JANUARY RATINGS ABC TV last week whipped back at NBC TV for its "fury" at how ABC quoted ratings in its trade ads. NBC (see SPONSOR-WEEK, 22 January, p. 10) had criticized ABC for making up its own weeks and for switching among a dozen ratings sources. The criticism came in an inside memo dated 11 January. Says ABC: every single ad "has been checked for accuracy by the A. C. Nielsen Company." ABC eliminated Christmas eve "an atypical night," and substituted the more normal Sunday, 17 December. "Significantly," stated ABC, "NBC TV's criticisms cover only the interval of time up to Christmas and omit the three most recent 24-Market Reports, the average of which shows ABC TV in first position for the three weeks ending 21 January 1962." ABC cited a letter from William S. Hamill of Nielsen to Fred Pierce of ABC, in which Nielsen confirmed the three-week 24 Market average, 7-21 January, 7:30-11 p.m., was ABC, 19.9; NBC TV, 19.6, and CBS TV, 18.8. ABC was first twice and NBC once during the three week period, ABC noted. LYSOL TV SUCCESS BRINGS THEM BACK A major daytime tv and print campaign for Lehn & Fink's Lysol (GMM&B) has been launched and will last until June. It began 8 January on ABC TV with quarter-hours every two weeks through March. Eight shows are being used. "We are placing the bulk of our advertising budget in television," said brand manager A. M. Kidder, "following the spectacular results obtained last summer from our first use of tv during the hot and humid months." Kidder continued, "we obtained an increased on sales of 28 percent over the previous year's July and August, which had also reached a new high for the product, up 13 percent over 1959." McDannald on FTC idea, tv, radio practices Clyde E. McDannald, advertising manager of Brown & Williamson, stated before the Cleveland Advertising Club last week that there would be "disastrous consequences" for advertising if the FTC obtained proposed authority to issue cease and desist orders. He also criticized the "long list of credits, titles, promos, bumper cards, and teaser openings" at the beginning or end of tv shows, pointing out that commercials at the end of shows often lost 50% or more of their effectiveness. A fee for licenses? (Washington): A bill to make broadcasters pay fees for their licenses has been introduced by Rep. Charles S. Joelson (D., N.J.). It was immediately assailed by the NAB as contrary to the public interest. In addition, a swarm of stations have wired and written their Congressmen to oppose the bill. 10 h'onmh; 5 FEBRUARY 1962