Sponsor (Jan-Apr 1958)

Daytime television's quiet littl ^ Soap operas may be making a comeback. Half hour serials on the nets will soon outnumber the shorter ones ^ Though ratings spurred interest in 30-minute drama strips, costs, better plot development are also factors by Alfred J. Jaffe I here's a quiet little revolution going on in network television. It's taking place during the day, and it may foreshadow a comeback for the soap opera — which never caught on in video as it did during network radio's halcyon days. Here's what's happening. The halfhour serial is unobtrusively moving into a position of programing prominence. Within a short time there will be more half-hour soapers on daytime network television than the quarterhour variety. There are currently four 30-minute dramatic strips on CBS and NBC contrasted with five of the conventional 15-minute shows. Two of the halfhour strips — NBC's Kitty Foyle and CBS' Love of Life — are recent additions to the schedule {Love of Life was lengthened from 15 to 30 minutes on 14 April). In addition, two half-hour serials will be moved into the hour vacated by Matinee, NBC's 60-minute live dramatic series which came acropper after high hopes. As for ABC, while there is nothing definite about its future daytime program plans (other than there's going to be more of it), there is a clear leaning toward the half-hour serial in preference to the quarter-hour version. Probable strategy will be to kick off a half-hour serial between 11:00 a.m. and Noon in the fall and then back it up with another. As might be expected, tv bellwether P&G is intimately involved in this programing transition. It was P&G which threw its powerful backing behind the first half-hour serials on tv — As the World Turns and Edge of Night. The pair made their debut on CBS two years ago. By virtue of P&G's buys on Matinee and its dominant position in daytime network television, the soap giant will also produce — via Compton or Benton & Bowles — at least one of the 30-minute soapers which will replace Matinee. A decision on the Matinee hour was imminent at presstime. No audience drop The rise of the 30-minute soaper does not portend cancellations for the quarter-hour soap operas now riding the schedule. Far from it. The current crop of quarter-hour soapers are doing well in terms of audience (see box) . They are the hard core of sur\ ivors which lasted out the long shakedown process in which more than a dozen 15-minute dramatic strips traveled the cancellation route, mostly on NBC. However, it is unlikely that the networks will experiment with the shorter-length serial during the foreseeable future. There has been some discussion, as a matter of fact, about converting the Wilbur Stark-Jerry Layton produced Modern Romances on NBC to the 30minute length. For a number of reasons, not the least of which is the competition of another half-hour soaper, nothing is planned at this point. It's been the ratings, of course, which have stoked the interest of the The current daytime drama lineup NAME OF SHOW NETWORK TIME SPONSOR' RATINCt STORY LINE, HISTORY Half hour As the World Turns CBS 1:30-2:00 P&G, Van Camp, Atlantis, Vick, Pillsbury, Swift 10.8 Day-to-day problems of lawyer and family; no radio counterpart; started 2 April 1956 Experiences of a detective lieutenant; Edge of Night CBS 4:30-5:00 P&G, Standard Brands, Florida 9.1 Citrus, Vick, Pet Milk, Atlantis, no radio counterpart, started 2 April Pillsbury 1956 Kilty Foyle NBC 2:30-3:00 Sust. Sust: Adaptation of novel of same name; no radio counterpart, started 13 January 1958 Love of Life CBS Noon-12:30 American Home Products, P&G 9.0 Two small-town sisters come to New York; no radio counterpart; started 24 September 1951; went to half hour 14 April 1958 hour Brighi.r Day CBS 4:00-4:15 P&G 9.4 Everyday life of a minister; was originally on radio; started on tv 4 January 1954 Guiding Light ( BS 12:45-1:00 P&G 10.8 Trials and tribulations of Bauer family; was originally on radio; started on tv 30 June 1952 Modern Romances Nii(. 4:45-5:00 Sterling Drug, Libbv, Brillo, Kraft 6.7 Self-contained dramas lasting a week; was originally on radio; started on tv 4 October 1954 Search for Tomorrow CBS 12:30-12:45 P&G 10.8 Story of a widow who remarries; was originally on radio; started on tv 3 September 1951 Secret Storm CBS '15-4:30 American Home Products 9.8 Problems of a widower bringing up three children; was originally on radio; started on tv 1 February 1954 •BPONBOB'i Coaparagraph. 15 Much 11 April perl'. Hirch report, average minute an dlencc. sus .tain, ratine not given.