Sponsor (July-Dec 1951)

F . BETWEEN (-%/ COMMERCIALS BY KAY MULVIHILL ,j In the short time its been on the screen — "Around the Bay" — KPIX's weekly news show, highlighting local events around the Bay Area, has brought viewers the cream of headline news. Emceed by KPIX program director, Sandy Sp.llman, "Around the Bay" includes interviews with "names in the news," supplemented by exclusive news clips filmed by the KPIX Crew. Among KPIX's ex dusives, have been Spillman's interview with Galo Plaza, President of Ecuador; guest appearance of General Albert Wedemeyer; and the screening of the San Sandy Spilln.an Francisco amva! of the "General Pope" — Army transport which brought home 3500 Korean war vets. KSFO AIRINGS Dude Ranch Breakfast, now in its fifth year on KSFO, features Mel Fritze and Wanda Ramey in the Sunday morning Broadcasts from the Old Hearst Ranch in Pleasanton. Each week, Mel and Wanda don their Dude costumes for the show, interview members of the audience, exchanging conversations and gags, that make for an entertaining half hour. The mounting fan mail for KFSO's two hour afternoon musical series — "Parade of Melody" — gives good indication that the two hour afternoon musical series has met with overwhelming success among Bay Area listeners. The two hour airings feature a cavalcade of song favorites from leading musical comedies, operettas and light symphom< scores. by Robert J. Landry SAN FRANCISCO Bill Fineshriber of Mutual speaking the other day to the New York University Radio-TV Workshop pithily summed up why networks are in the package program business. As is often the case, a pat statement of familiar facts is worthy of repetition. Here are Fineshribers four reasons-why for network packaging: ll) To prevent kidnapping of stars and programs (2) To control placement of stars and programs for the network's own over-all advantage (3) To minimize sponsor "interference" with successful program format (41 (And first) To get in on the program-selling gravy * * * Clients and agencies will not fail to note in the above a basic assumption that the broadcaster, as such, should select, sequence and supervise programing. This is conspicuously a post-war revival of an old point of view. As to the present ascendancy of the view in radio, attribute same to the example, ego-drive and enthusiasm of Bill Paley at CBS, a rampant lion of determination when he returned, in 1946, from France. Not quite that simple or dramatic, of course, when the issue is carried further into television. Here the risks and costs at the moment, plus the infinitely magnified ( over radio ) importance of sheer studio facilities and craft know-how operate to give the networks an overwhelming advantage. * * * (Meanwhile, in this space we have heretofore asked, as a question worthy of cogitation, whether clients and advertising agencies may not, one day, rue their current "abdication" of direct control over programs, a system that has the considerable charm, in retrospect, of having worked admirably for advertisers from, roughly, 1932 to 1946.1 * * * Admen have been having themselves an esoteric argument as to whether it might contribute to the health and growth of advertising (the printed kind I if each piece nf copy was "signed" by its author. Pride of craftsmanship is advanced as a plus value. As detailed in the columns of Advertising Age, there are convinced brethren on both sides of the proposition. In general, agency management which favors the 'team" over the talented "individual" detests the suggestion. In general, copv -writers and artists are cheered bv the possibility of securing personal identification outside their own shop. * * * This "agitation" mav be taken as one more symptom of the long struggle, off staff and on staff, to "cut in" for publicity, prestige, and profits. No one person started this thing. No one incident. Actually it seems relatively late in hitting the ad agencies as regards their older and more conservative departments. Certain!) "credits" have been profusely bestowed in radio for years and in television the (Please turn to page 62 I SPONSOR