Sponsor (Jan-June 1950)

Durinj; the past nine months K^Y's local and national spot billing Mas off less than !/•> percent from the same period during the previous fiscal year. It's proof indeed that KQV is doing an outstanding programming and selling job to offset the added competition. Ask Weed & Co. for details ami availabilities. KQV Pittsburgh, Pa. MBS 5,000 Watts 1410 ^/ntc'rested in tli i.i Potent Promotion Parley? RADIO: Network, Metropolitan AGENCY: $10 Million Billings NEWSPAPER: Local & Chain SELLING: Printing, Engraving • • • Interested in this man? BOX NO. 6 SPONSOR lion expense of a program and is negotiated directly between director and sponsor. A director's staff salary mav be reduced 1>\ $50 if his commercial fee runs much over his minimum salary, with the reduction representing a diminution in staff duties while the director is doing a commercial show. Salaries for agency directors, who generallj don't receive a commercial fee, run' from $200 to $350. AFL musicians have been playing at a minimum scale under agreements which expired 31 March. Negotiations for a new contract are going on now. I rider the old arrangements, a musician got $151.80 for a five-hour, fiveday week on a sustaining show, and > I'M. 45 for a commercial show. Conductors got one and three-quarters the minimum and the business manager, a member of the orchestra, twice the minimum for sponsored shows. Chief music costs embrace arrangements and rights, as there is little original music being composed for television. The price varies from $100 to $200 for stock arrangements and from $200 to $400 for more elaborate ones. A great deal of music is available for a nominal clearance fee. The United Scenic Artists, who design sets, paint, and locate costumes, have gone along with the growing medium at much lower wages than members in allied fields doing similar work. Their present contract, which expires in October, gives set designers $145; costume finders $100; painters $106. The new contract will be a good tip on how far the unions will go along in keeping costs down. The cost breakdowns computed by Ross Reports are straight production budget estimates for sample programs in each category. They do not include time charges. The Ross breakdowns are not averages of production costs in each program categon. but are computed on the basis of the most prevalent costs in each category. The 1 5' , listed in the breakdowns for "miscellaneous station overhead" is an optimum figure. Networks would like to net 10% profit from this. In practice, networks will frequently offer a package for whatever they can get. This will change as the industr\ grows and advertisers get more proof of TV sales r ffectiveness. Costs for a typical commercial halfhour drama run higher than for situation comedies of the same length because of sets, higher-priced casts, and longer rehearsal time. At the top of the cost ladder is NBC's Big Story at about $12,000. CBS" Silver Theatre is budgeted at about $8,500. ABC's Chicago-produced Your Witness runs about $3,500, Penthouse Players $2,000. DuMont's Hands of Destiny runs about $3,500, and famous Jury Trials about $4,500. A typical quality show breaks down like this: Typical drama (30-min.) Scripts _ $ 350 Cast _ 1,350 Sets, props, costumes .. 1 . K'li Sound effects, recorded music, art. film 250 Producer 350 Director 200 7 Hours Camera Rehearsal 1,575 $5,475 15', Suction Overhead 966 $6,441 1 •>' , Agency Commission 1.136 Total __ $7,577 Detective dramas are usually built around a single central character, use LJVNGWORJH FEATURE rl0«»"« SELL SOM". LANG-WORTH FEATURE PROGRAMS. Inr, 113 W. 57th ST.. NEW YORK 19. N. Y. .VrtHvrt Calibre Prearams at iWat Station Cost 58 SPONSOR