Sponsor (May-Aug 1957)

WILS 114% MORE audience than Station B ALL DAY! 5000 LIVELY WATTS Mar. -Apr. '57 Hooper In Lansing Shows MONDAY THRU FRIDAY 7:00 a.m. -12 noon 12 noon-6:00 p.m. WILS 61.4 53.7 Station B 23.5 30.1 LANSING MORE listeners than all other stations heard in Lansing combined. Mar. thru Apr. average C. E. Hooper, Inc. WILS flv\&s\t ne^s s^ft Represented Nationally by Venard, Rintoul & McConnell, Inc. 22 ' Sponsor backstage continued . venture holding the promise of multi-million dollar profits pay-asyou-see has its phony, gold-brick promoters. But it also has its financiall) sound and resourceful promoters, who have already sunk a few million dollars worth of time and mone) into the subscription video business, and mean to get it all back, and then some. And the) are not all high-level financier-business men of the Matt) Fox type. In the Southwest, for example, one of the furthest advanced closed-circuit fee-tv projects is under way. This is project of a currently thriving theatre chain, known as Video Independent Theatres, who own about 200 theatres in Texas. Oklahoma and New Mexico, of which about a fourth are drive-ins and the remainder closed-in bouse-. \ IT has worked out a deal with the Southwestern Hell Telephone Co., which will result in about 40 miles of new coaxial cable being laid around Bartlesville. Oklahoma. VIT would lease these closed circuit lines from Southwestern Bell, and transmit various types of television shows and events over the lines at a fixed subscription fee. Advertisers could lose potent sales vehicles It has, of course, been brought out at various FCC and other meetings that one type of cable system or another is already actually being utilized in many sections of the country for community television system projects. It should come as a surprise to no one to see the operators of main community television projects working closely with theatre chain operators such as VIT. Just how soon, if ever, subscription television will have anv real significance to tv advertisers or their agencies is a difficult question to answer at this point. It goes without saying that if pav-as-vousee-tv secures the rights to some of the nation's outstanding events i World Series, Kentucky Derby, basketball playoffs, etc.), advertisers such as Gillette could conceivably lose potent sales and merchandising vehicles. It is also within the realm of possibility, however, that closed circuit tv "networks"' may eventually be another advertising and merchandising medium. When, as and if it is more profitable for the promoter who controls a closed-circuit setup and some choice events to sell it to a sponsor rather than to individuals on a pay-as-you-see basis, just then will advertisers have a new outlet for promoting their wares. Of one thing we may all be sure: When as many bright men as have indicated their belief in subscription television go after making it a reality, there is an excellent chance that it will develop into just that. The balance of 1957. and 1958 should see some further fascinating, possibly highl) significant developments for advertisers and agencies in this field. ^ Letters to Joe Csida are welcome Do \ou always agree with what Joe Csida says in Sponsor Backstage? Both Joe and the editors of sponsor will be happy to receive and print your comments. Address them to Joe Csida, c/o sponsor. 40 E. 49th, New York 17. Veto York. SPONSOR 15 JUNE 1957