Sponsor (Jan-June 1956)

for old movies Are agencies near billing limits? No press Detroit hits sales high REPORT TO SPONSORS for 9 January 1956 Auto firms hot It appears ever-rising tv ad budgets of auto firms are greasing entrance of films from vaults of major movie studios into network tv. While films recently released to tv by RKO, Columbia will end up in syndication, top pictures may appear first on network. West Coast sources say General Motors is reported to have made multimillion dollar deal with Matty Fox of C. & C. Super (which bought RKO library) for first-run theater. Ford is said to be dickering with Columbia for 6 pictures which would appear as 90minute shows on NBC TV. Columbia reportedly asking $125,000 per for such films as "Lost Horizon," "You Can't Take It With You." -SROne of top problems facing larger agencies is where do they go from here. Large agency told SPONSOR recently that expansion in its billings could only come from 2 sources — soft drink and airline. This doesn't mean that current advertisers can't spend more. They can. But it does mean that ceiling is zero after agencies have entered so many fields. Upshot of thing could be that old-time barrier against handling competing products will be overlooked as long as agency produces want-creating, sales-making ad campaigns. -SRFederal Reserve Board gives further evidence that strike of dailies in Detroit has had little effect on buying. Pre-Christmas sales topped anything previous. As in case of New York newspaper strike, tv and radio stepped in to carry advertising ball. It's another good axample of air media's ability to do job in department store field that has not exactly laid down welcome mat for air media pitches. -SRNeed for fast allocations action was pinpointed last week when 4 uhf station said they had had enough. One was owned by Mrs. Claudia T. Johnson, wife of Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson. SPONSOR last issue headlined top story: "Tv 1955: Big spending, big programs, but no station growth." Recent action in case of 4 ultra-high stations is dramatic evidence that lack of station growth is not situation that helps advertisers. -SRBusiness plight of uhf stations will not be ignored when the Senate Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee meets on 17 January to pry into radio and tv practices. Sen. Warren G. Magnuson (D. Wash.) has has had his say long ago on his personal disappointment in lack of FCC action in boil-sore ufh problem. Chief counsel for the Magnuson committee is Kenneth A. Cox, 40-year-old Seattle attorney. Cox says: "My object is to find out what the problems are and what FCC and broadcasters should do about them. " -SRWestinghouse, in saying goodbye to Philadelphia, pointed up challenge in Cleveland, making a point of vigorous expansion seen for Erie lake-front city. Part of excitement over move comes from St. Lawrence Seaway project. Another is natural expansion Cleveland is undergoing. Could be with these and other factors that Cleveland, as WBC pointed out, might become one of "booming, exciting sectors of the world." Entry into new market was tinged with regret in leaving the Quaker City. Roland V. Tooke, WPTZ general manager, takes over reins in Cleveland. Other top WPTZ staffers will join him. (Sponsor Reports continues page 107) Four uhfers toss in towel TV vs. politics on Capital Hill Another New York on Ohio Lakefront? SPONSOR