Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1963)

1» ew NAB Code liead facing difficult period Howard Bell takes over new post 1 December Tin new NAM Codf AutlioiitN cli rt'iJor. Howard 11. lirll, is proh.ihK faciui; flu' most cTiicia! and difficult era in hroadtast advrrtisiiiii — and hv knows it. Kfffctivr I Dei . iicU will l\a\r ( snl)j{it to fxpctUtl NAIi board confirmation ) a joh lie fr.nikly c«)iKttli's is "not calculated to he a popn!arit\ contest." \\Iiatt\cr riH-oniiiicndations arc made hy tins veteran of 12 years" service at NAB when lie becomes C^)de director, he knows they will "please some and offend others. (io\. Leltoy Ciollins, in nanunu his present v.p. for planning and develoj^nuMit to the nt'w post, s.iid li«ll is "a man of hiiih idealism and intelliuence . . . with the courage of 'lis i-on\ ictions. Hell is steppin«4 into a situation liat could he touchy, in the wake 'I previous director lioliert D. Swe/.ey's resignation — plus the verbal tussle Ix'fween NAB presider)t (Collins and the N.\B e\ecuti\e tominittee over Broader powers for the lew joint tv-radio code authoritx lirector. Bell's loni: experience w ith indusfrx and in uo\ermnent liaison durini: retent hectic \ears, should stand him in <iootl stead in re'incilinu conflicting pressures with11 and w ithout N.\B. Bell is unwilling to get into an> 'premature'" discussion of his new luties. Init he did tell si'onsoh's ashinuton reporter that lie hopes "or strong cooperation from acKcrTs and agencies in the aim «)f engthening the N.\B codes. He •ks for new approaches, new (leas: "We hope they will come uji vith specific and concrete suggeslons. We hope our own answers \ill he concrete .uul specific. The\ •vill ha\e to he. " He has no illusions about goNcrnnt harassment diminishing, in [he battle to maintain inclustr\ selfetjulation in commcTcials and otlier lelds. "There will be no letup in his problem" — also a responsibilit\ the Ccnle directors job. Having worked ver> doseh with »v. ('ollins, the new Ccxle director keenK aware of the "(ju.dit\ ' and t liitit 1 .ispects of c'onnnerc i.ils that the NAB i)resiclent suggests be made .1 b.isis for a new direction tor NAB Code regulation. Ii<-ll do<s not altogctlu-r rule out us* of present type of NAIi ( !ode limits, if they are coiistantK re\iew«'(l, and if the\ pro\ ide a flexible, work.ible and practical solution. I^ut if present codes are not en<Migh — .is .i rising \ olmne of comment would indicate— the codes "will ha\c' to come up with new measures to keep uji w ith the constantK changing broadcast acKcrtising picture. The answers are far from clear, but Bell hopes that he will ha\ c concrete recomnu-ndations, and definite goals by year-end. lb hopes Januarx meetings of N.\B boards and N.\B C"ode boards here will produc-e a statement of goals and wa\s to implement them, that can be presented to the membership. His own first step: "To be knowledgable. Quite c.mdidK, he sees the task of mastc-ring all aspects of the* codes, technical and philosophical, .md the extensive research on both radio and t\ commercials now Uoing on at N\B. ,is forninl.iblc Slolh ll.>».ii<l II lull New Pacific Coast mgr. ofCBSTV Network Sales .\m account c\ecuti\« with (liS lA' Network Sales since l»).Vi, Boln-rt K. StolH has JM-eii ap|)oinled I'aciBc C'oast manager of that d«-partment. Stidfi joined ("BS in H>I9 in the op i-rations de partmiMit, latei moved to tin program department, lie join«-d network sales de\elopment in H)5l Fie succeeds Bobcrt l.i\ingston, who is resigning to become president of his own company. The hidek ("o.. North Hollywood, speciali/ing in research in (liscrsified fields. CBS stock split follows record nine months C>liS stock will split two-for-one if approved by stockholders at a special meeting 20 Detvmber. The news accompanietl a ninemonth financial report from the compain whicli is upbeat in every respect. Net income for the first nine months of this xcar was $2S..3T7,6S9 on sales of $395,145,^WW. (Comparable results for the first nine months of \m-2 w.-rc SH),1.57,177 and $.367.319.95.5 respecti\ely. Karnings for the January -September Ui63 |X'rit>d .irc ecjuivalent to •$3.(VS per share compared w ith •S2.(W per share ( adjusted for stock dividend ) earned in the first nine months of U>62. Third (juarter results were etjually bullish. Net income and sales were ^9.(;07.f)72 and S121.SftS.^>4(). resix'ctively. I^ist year's third rjuarter brouL'ht in .S4,.569.4.57 and $114.1S4.S()6. respecti\t'l\. Third cjnarter Ii^)63 earnings are e(iui\alent to 97 cents per share comp.ired with .50 cents |H'r share ( adjustetl for stock di\ idend ) earned in the same (juarfer last vear. The board declared a cash dividend of 4.5 c-ents per share on common stcK'k. payable 6 Decvmln'r to s'ockholders of record 22 No\emIn-r. It also declared a •3'"' stock dividend, piiyable 16 DecemlxT. to stcK-khoIders of record same date. IPONSOR IS NOVKMBFR 1963 49