Sponsor (Apr-June 1964)

enough <>! .1 ialal\s| I" make M and 4 HI pax In HC .1 program the) mux haw access i<> foi nothing;. \111l I'll liki miii lo knnxx I'm hill) BWSK that main ill ihr ( \IN licenses granted In Una I authorities prohihil tin use of tin facilities for I'av-Tv, per BC. In addition lo their legal eagles who knoxx free cntcr priM is endorsed bj law and court, the Paj promoters rah mi help from local governments who always need inniicx. ;ui(l VOCal self-interest groups In demand the right ol sell-determination. Km xxiii the) be able i«> get month people lo sign up when the) clear their legal obstacles." Ibex will. It's Ihcir easiest job, because the) "ill attack the Mtti Bnderbefl) ni (he people, Ac desire i«>r multiple choice. One million CATV connections proxc il. Vnd the) "ill attack vour soft 1 1 1 1< 1 1r I »«.• 1 1 > too — the small markets — when people don't hare multiple choice. I bene promoters arc not going lo look lor trouble b) arousing the "rath nf the major mid medium si/c mnrkets. I he) waul them lulled into complacenc) he* 1 cause the\ don't need them to win. I lure's eBOUgh entertnimnciit-s(;ir\c<l people in the smaller markets to gi\e them 5 per cent and more without a struggle. I hat's \\ li \ it's New \nrk's, Detroit's, Dcincr's and Omaha's fight too. Because ever) new connection in in (he outlying markets will he another nail in their coffins. I he) can't saj it's not their husiness this lime — il will be their necks too, if the) don't help. If all hroadcasters wnuld ha>e pitched in and helped the Id ( rancxs and the Bill Grow ten \cars BgO in their fight to control or contain CATV, when there was still ool) a handful, < \ I n would not now be the most dangerous potential to the success of Pay-TV. today, no one would think of doing anything about ( \l\ without first consulting NCTA, because now, BUl's more than twice as main of them as there are of you — 1.300 s) stems, and growing like weeds. But if Pay-Ti is going to be that eas) to come by, because there are enough damn fools who want it, then I s.n . the) are the people too — let's gfee it to them. But first — let's protect the interest of the majority. I here can he no doulit of the legal anil constitution.il grounds OB which permission was granted, tor lu l'.i\-l\ tests. But what happened to morality.' has it lost its meaning? It was never intended that 5 or 10 percent of tlu maple — who are either uninformed, or starved. Ih-L'ause thcx can't receive multiple signals — should im)ose their will on the otei unclosing majority, as can lappen in this case. therefore, it is the nut] of Congress and the Com nission to protect all the people. If there are no laws B COTCr it. or it thcx are inadequate, it is their dut) to enact or change them — in the people's interest. But it is youi fob, as hroadcasters. to see to it that t is done, \111l it can onl\ he done b) putting all broadHBtittg — 1 ree ,m,| |';1X — under one roof. If this monster is allowed to fall into the hands of milliliters. everybod] xxill lose: the people, the Ireiroaih asters, the networks, and even the CAT! opcia ors. not excluding those x\h<> are also broadcasters. It won't matter who thex are — or how politic .ills nflueiici.il. Ihcxll he catered to. OUT) long enough lor he Pa) boys to become well entrenched — then t hi\ 'II •e gobbled up too. It's an old old pattern with some of these iin>\ ie pcoph . who don't know what lox.dn Is ■ e»< n la • m h other. \inl Ihev'll do it, In 1 aim lln > II t ontrol pro gramming. \ml Ihcx'll do il, iM'tausr mi main l.rn.uli.i-Iiis dun I know 1 lit1 r own strength ITonff power lies in .1 drug mori potent Ihan heroin. I'\e MCn ils uiagu .il work main linns ■ s I . . ■ ■ n usher in one ol m) theatres asked ■ patron fitting Im IWCCB two empn seals Iii phase moxc over sn .1 , • • 11 |i l< COUld sil together. I he patron would nunc, hut ss ■ 1 1 1 cms glued lO the si rein mesmerized. Hi M she. would not miss even a second ol Ihcii dream world — potent Stuff. Vnd lhe\'ll move omi In I * .1 s I s . willi'nil 1 * 11 knowing m — mesmeri/ed. lor whoever posesses iluii dreams. possesses them. \nd tin' Pay«boys know ii loo, but the) also know that everything isn't a dream. I h. it's wb) lln \ dnn'l want everything you've got, the) wouldn't lake d il miii gave it to them. It the) did. the\ wouldn't h.m anything lo use lor comparison, to shout about. 1 be) oul) want your beat knd it lakes sn little to get it — exen << 10 of one percent is enough ol ■ catalyst. I hat's wh) Phy-Tt is evervhodv's business — vnurs, the Commission's and Congress's, ^mi have DO more time for procrastination and indecision — because the moment of truth has arrived for all of yon. \"d BO matter what BUybod] BUyi to the contrarx the hroad enstfanj mdnstry, as we know it today, cant thrive Hdt Pa) Half Free — cant serve Hail Pay Hah4 Free. I here aren't enough dreams in go .in.iinil. But the hroadcasters are ahead) fighting each other, if the news reports are true, instead of their would i>i usurpers. In the name ol common sense miii can't do thh t" each other. In the name ol iuoralit\. the Commission and Congress can't do this In the people. Vnd BOUC ol m>u can afford to slick \niir heads in tin sand, and hope it will »n away, fhe I . v. boys ahead) have their one big attraction — after that the dclug. If miii divide — tbeyl conojner. If yon procrastinate — they'll conquer. If I were a station owner when this convention is OVer and wc got finished talking about 1 billet, mil forms, and piggx hacks. I wnuld BTgC im iintu-t r \ leaders In schedule another COUCfatVC — m SOOU .1 homant) possible. I would urge them to see i«. it that ever) broodcnstei in the COUntT) attended it. had I wnuld urge lln in hi invite the ( nmmission. as well as Members "i < oo> grens, and call ii a "Survival Meeting." I wnuld Uge them In keep all of Us locked 1111 until xxc ironed out our differences and raised the big war chest in our historv. V. I ess \\ ill \\ in. knd the slakes are high enough to warrant inch effort. Which wax miii choose is M.ur decision to make, tint mine. But I will pledge to <\<> whatever is asked id im. in. mailer what the decision. Vnd it the battle is to l>joined. I beg Oi xmi: Remove the xciicer. and gel rid of the well turned phrases — some ol (Ins, peoUU don't understand Ih. 11. Put on hrass knuckles and slug il out. knd get down in the gulli r. in the mud. and shout if miii have to sn UK) can hear m.u better, and know thai miii mean busin It's the oah w.n thcx will understand, .nnl 11 's the OUl) w ,i\ In M ill. It's M.ur hli — ll's M.ur iiiMsinnni. lis \nur industr\ — and it's M.ur ri^hl N) s.im it. Don't lei tin in -rind totl dowa 1 pril 13. 1964 31