Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1964)

SPONSOR WEEK I ABC-TV Head Lauds Billings, Ratings New York — Quick general inventory, with emphasis upon its strengthened competitive position, was outlined for eastern regional affiliates of the ABC-TV network Monday by network president Thomas W. Moore. Not only has the network moved into a strong intra-network competitive position, he said, but, with continued work and cooperation between web and affiliates the momentum will continue. Emphatic evidence of advertiser confidence in these new developments. Moore pointed out, is the number of major sponsorship buys announced by ABC-TV the past week (see Sponsor, Nov. 30, p. 4). Newest addition is a switch in emphasis by American Home Products through Ted Bates. The $15 million deal, which runs from the first quarter through the 1965-66 season, increases American Home Products' current 2 '/a minutes per week on ABC-TV to 6 minutes. That involves renewals for Lawrence Welk, The Fiii^itive, Ben Casey and Burke's Law, plus the addition of Peyton Place and others. (This season, American Home Products has placed some IVi minutes weekly with CBS-TV in addition to the 2'/2 minutes on ABC-TV). The $10 million worth of ad pacting announced last week included a $2 million General Electric order, plus a hefty S. C. Johnson quest for participations in some nine programs. Others placing more than $1 million billings include Consolidated Cigar Sales, John H. Breck, Procter & Gamble. Joseph Schlitz. Also addressing the day-long affiliates' session. Julius Barnathan, ABC vice president and general manager, gave what amounted lo a statistical count-down on ABCTV's (and competition's) performances. The ABC-TV showing has increased by 18 percent, Barnathan said, using national research material to pinpoint typical audiences by age, household size and the like. In terms of viewers, he emphasized, the network now reaches some 15 million adults per average minute. Four additional top network executives also appeared before the regional meeting ol' talk turkey: Edgar J. Scherick. ABC vice president in charge of tv network programing, said that shows-in-thcworks for the 1965-66 season "will provide the network with the best choice of new material it has ever had." Elmer Lower, president of ABC News, gave details of the new Daily Electronic Feed service to television affiliates and announced that John T. Madigan will head the new unit (see separate story). Rate structure for the service hasn't yet been decided. Edward Bleier, ABC vice president in charge of tv programing and sales, depicted how the network has improved its daytime lineup and sketched in some new proposals for new season. Sales, he noted, continue at a "virtual sell-out." Roone Arledge, vice president and executive producer of ABC's Sports Programs, Inc., gave affiliates a sampling of the American Sportsman series of specials, scheduled for next season. He also announced that new equipment is being developed to allow even more mobile and "creative innovations" in ABC-TV sports coverage. Diversified FM Programing Urged Atlanta — Elmo Ellis, WSB Radio general manager, has caused a stir here with his call for an end to specialized programing on FM radio. Speaking before an "Fm Day" meeting of the Georgia Assn. of Broadcasters last month, Ellis pointed out that, technically, FM is simply a superior signal, and asserted: "It is high time that FM got off its high class podium, removed its tuxedo and started talking plain American language." His remarks, reported widely in the Atlanta press and by the UP and AP, stirred up a hornet's nest among some classical music devotees, who accused him of wanting to "kill classical music." Ellis has since been busy explaining that he is not against classical music ("I love classical music") but rather the exclusive preoccupation of the medium with programing directed at one audience segment. Among broadcasters, Ellis reported "an excellent reaction" to his remarks. "I was surprised by the great interest," he added. Ellis said in his speech — directed to building the FM audience — that programing must be diversified if it is to hold an ever-increasing audience. Nevertheless, he maintained, "in city after city the FM stations are either pumping out classical music all day long, or perhaps standard instrumental all day long, or some equally restrictive diet." This was "duplicating services," he said, and causing FM stations to "divide a limited audience and handicap their sales potential." In calling for a change, Ellis said: "I think, in essence, that we should start considering Mr. and Mrs. FM listener as something more than patrons of the arts." "This in no way argues against the technical quality of FM in reproducing music," the Atlanta gen-, eral manager said. But he asked: "What is wrong is using the superiority of FM for transmitting voices and sounds and all of the i other wonderful attractions that, listeners also might welcome?" j In appealing for intensive pro i motion of FM among the general < public, Ellis called for pushing installation of more FM radios inj automobiles. li 18 SPONSOR H„j,^ J