Sponsor (July-Dec 1955)

Best Showplace In fo BALTIMORE TELEVISION WMAR-TV • • • * A CHANNEL Z ierv/ng .. MOST OF MARYLAND AND THEN^OME! ON MAXIMUM POWER TELEVISING COLOR SUNPAPERS TELEVISION, BALTIMORE, MD. Represented by THE KATZ AGENCY, Inc. New Vork Detroit, Kansas City, San Francisco, Chicago Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles i — w V SPONSOR BACKSTAGE (Continued) One hardly need hold a seance to see that the motion picture industry this fall will plunge into video as it has been inevitable for a number of years that they would. Sparked by the work ABC has done in this direction, not only with the highly successful Walt Disney alliance, but in several other ways, the leading Hollywood filmmakers this autumn will make their greatest impact in the tv medium since its inception. The Warner Brothers Present dramatic series and the MGM Parade, both slated for ABC, will only be two examples of the celluloid capital's active participation in tv. Before 1 September, for example, it should surprise no one if, in addition to products specifically made for tv, a huge chunk of important theatrical film material reaches the nation's video screens. It is only a question of time before someone like Howard Hughes makes a deal to let loose the vaultfulls of feature-length films for television. And that goes whether the current dickering between the Hughes group and Tom O'Neil and Elliot Hyman pans out or not. It is, of course, pertinent to any preview of the fall, that ABC has made substantial strides toward becoming a third major network, in a way which no previous web has ever challenged CBS's and NBC's supremacy. For, in addition to such influencing factors on top-level programing as the color drive and the free vs. fee fiasco, ABC's newly developed first line competitive position will force meaningful changes in programing activities at the two long-time top nets. The Mickey Mouse Club full hour, for example, has long since stirred NBC to reevaluate and make plans for changing and strengthening their Howdy Doody, Pinky Lee and other shows. And as ABC develops power in other programing types, these same healthy stirrings will take place. Not fully appreciated in the ABC surge, and in its over-all influence toward better and stronger programing on all webs and all stations, is the American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres move into the record business. NBC has long had its RCA Victor division, and CBS its Columbia records, and while there is no direct operational tie between network operations and record activities, programing is quite frequently and favorably effected by the family relationship. Apart from corporate kinships it has become increasingly apparent that the record-music business and the television business can aid and abet one another with ideas, promotion, etc. Our crystal ball shows a clear picture of ABC, with its new record division, making substantial contributions in this area, too, toward better programing. And talking of records, we believe the fall will find disk jockeys moving more strongly into the national programing picture than ever before. CBS's deal with Chicago's greatly talented Howard Miller (with his radio web show kicking off 18 July, to be followed by tv later) will go a long way toward proving the soundness of program of this genre. We have run out of space, so some of the pretty pictures in our glass globe will have to hold, but the wrap-up vision which appears to us for the fall is that advertisers and agencies will have a greater choice of more strong and exciting programs than they've ever had before. • • • 32 SPONSOR