Sponsor (1964)

UHF Operator Says CATV Destroys Free Tv Putnam calls for same rules to govern both cable tv and broadcast; blames many failures on CATV \tlaiita. (ill. In a no-holds barred attack 00 ( \ I V . W illiam 1 owcll Putnam, president of Springfield (Mass.) l\ Broadcasting Corp., demanded an end to the double standard in broadcasting, arguing that the "rules governing one form of electronic trans mission should be the same as those governing the other." Addressing the Southeast Radio \\ Seminar, the UHF operator deelared that the "legal fiction" that the ail waves belong to the public "falls apart as a means of segregating cable t\ from free tv when one considers the main uses oi public rights ot way by cables" and the interstate transmission of C \ HZ via scr\ ice cables. "If a broadcaster is required to account for his actions, or lack of act urns, before a federal commission," Putnam told his audience, "so should the other communicator." Putnam continued: "It is high time we gave up this sillv fiction that a community antenna operator is a mere passive part of the television picture, for he is anything but. His actions can and in fact have brought on the death of main television broadcasters throughout this nation." Referring to the seminar, he s.nd. "Our debate is between the merits o( wire tv for which the viewer must pay. or free television for which the advertiser will pav . And please don't let us be confused into believing that if the advertiser doesn't pay. he will then lower his prices. An advertiser must advertise. He may not advertise on television, but that is not going to stop him from advertising through some other medium, and his sales costs are ultimately paid by the same consumer. Thus, today's cable viewer has to pay Kith these costs and is going to continue to pay double for a long, long time." Returning to his earlier theme. Putnam said, "let us tell the truth. Let's admit that the community antennas arc good money making properties. 1 et's admit that com munitv antennas are also desii ing local tree television set vice." Putnam added: "I hey could be good money makers and have no conflict with local free television operations, but somehow, and foi reasons 1 honestly don't unde; stand, community antenna open tors have a distinct and unexplain able dislike tor |<x not jUSt stations run bv txoub persons like mvselt. but all smaller and lovallv oriented hhk, ( oik luding w ith .1 discussion ot the economics involved in < \ I \ Putnam said, I find thai visible operating costs in one community ot io.imio souls runs to lomev under S4().<)ii(i pel ve.ir includ all overhead, and operating income 1 urn to somewhat over $100,0 (For a detailed discussion o! I HI bv w illiam I Putnam, see p 40) Cronkite Says He s Not Resigning Will Air Convention Newscasts New York ( omentum anchorman or not, CBS newsman Walter Cronkite says he has no intention o\ quitting the network. Also, he'll be verv much in evidence at the Democratic national convention in Atlantic Citj with his nightly multisponsored tv newscast. Cronkite. a victim ot what he himself called the "Madison Avenue ratings game" (sec SPONSOR, Vug 3. p. 3). was ousted from the anchor spin in favor of the two-man team o\ Robert Trout and Roger \1udd. Hack from vacation, the veteran newscaster said at a press conference that network officials assured him that he was still number one. "I wouldn't expect them to saj anything else." he commented. Whether or not Cronkite will be anchor-man on election night is still a question mark, hinging largely on the ratings picture at the Atlantic City convention. Although Cronkite. whose annual income from CBS has been estimated as high as $250,000, has denied that he planned to quit the network, he left the di>or open for any future move. He said he had received some "fifth hand feelers" which he wasn't entertaining now But. he added. "I've never shut the door to those things either " \sked why he thought NBC won the ratings sweepstakes. Cronkite credited the entertainment value of the Huntlcv-Brinklcv team — "something we have not directly eschewed and something that we must be seeking.*1 Cronkite indicated that he preferred working alone, but said he might have gone along with anj proposal to operate as part of a team, if the offer had been made ABC Radio West Posts Record Billings Hollywood — \B( Radio V an 11-station regional web with editorial and programing concepts aimed directly at western news and tastes, reports more than (300,000 in new and repeat business m the past five weeks, higher than any other billing period Commenting on the boost in business. Jack H Mann, vice president ol \BC Radio's Western Div . said. "ABC Radio West was created in 14M to meet the challenge of wt ern growth and to provide ac Users with strong news persona', and a medium dedicated to regional news and features ern manufacturers are beginning to n i/e that the west is ,ni and important market requiring special attention " Major advertisers using th< lonal network for the first time include Bristol-M S I W Fine Foods Inc . the lisher \ loui M Us Co and I fnde Sam' fast Food ( Auguit 10 1964