Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

12 1 Telecasling NoIGS: Confidence is running high at ABC on heels of latest Nielsen report for Jan. 9-23, showing rating gains for almost every important ABC-TV show — network officials expressing view that turning point has passed in AB-PT’s effort to climb into “major network” category. Network’s top-rated show is Lone Ranger with 34.6, highest of any network show for its particular time period, as are Stu Erwin Show with 31.2 and Name’s the Same with 21.3 . . . But ABC’s especially proud of its newer shows, which showed these increases from Jan. 9 to Jan. 23: Motorola TV Hour, 16.8 to 27.7; Danny Thomas 22.9 to 23.7; U. S. Steel Hour 20.4 to 22.4 . . . Big step in plans to revamp NBC-TV program set-up was long-expected announcement this week that Sid Caesar & Imogene Coca will leave Max Liebman’s 5-year-old Show of Shows next June, Caesar getting own hour show and 10-year contract, Miss Coca probably slated for own 30min. show and Liebman continuing to produce Show of Shows with new stars and format . . . Instantaneous newsfilm distribution is being explored by UP Movietone, INSTelenews & CBS Newsfilm, states Feb. 24 Vanety, which says they plan to send it out on coaxial-microwave lines from N. Y. & Washington, with subscribing stations making kines for quick re-use; UP reportedly will test scheme within 3 months . . . WSEE-TV, Erie, Pa., uhf station due on the air April 15, becomes primary CBS-TV affiliate April 25, replacing pre-freeze WICU, which is expected to sign primary agreement with NBC-TV . . . Thar’s gold in them thar ratings: Merchandise sold with Lucille BallDesi Arnaz endorsements or tags grossed more than $20,000,000 in last 16 months, reports Desilu Inc., which gets 5% . . . Half-hour TV film series on N. Y. stations have more than doubled in last 10 weeks, Feb. 20 Billboard reports, its survey showing 72 vs. 34 last Dec. . . . General Teleradio, having purchased Phillips H. Lord TV package (Ganghusters), slated to enter TV film distribution field in April . . . Scoop for Ford Foundation’s Omnibus (CBSTV) : Its cameras will invade inner sanctum of Neiv York Times, probably March 21, to show how big paper is put together, first time TV has been permitted inside . . . Missouri legislature session was televised for first time this week as Gov. Donnelly’s address opening special session was carried by AT&T microwave from Jefferson City to KSD-TV, St. Louis . . . TV became meeting hall in Minneapolis when AFL Teamsters’ Union took time on WTCN-TV to notify Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Co.’s 9000 employees of terms of new contract agreement, averting strike . . . More Rate Increases: WXEL, Cleveland, adds new Class AA hourly rate of $1100 & min. of $300 for 8-10:30 p.m. segments daily and raises Class A hour from $900 to $1000, min. from $175 to $225; KONA, Honolulu, raises hour from $200 to $300, min. $40 to $60; W.TAC-TV, Johnstown, Pa. hour from $600 to $650 & min. $110 to $125; KIDO-TV, Boise, Ida., hour from $150 to $175 . . . WPAG-TV, Ann Arbor, Mich., on air since April, 1953, names Everett-McKinney rep. Two applications for new TV stations wei’e filed with FCC this week — both for newly-allocated Ch. 10 in ParmaOnondaga, near Jackson, Mich. They were submitted by Jackson’s radio WIBM and by group headed by C. Wayne Wright of sales dept, of Battle Creek grantee WBCK-TV. Five applications were dismissed, leaving 293 pending (49 uhf). [For further details about these applications, see TV Addenda 18-H herewith; for complete listings of all grants, new applications, dismissals, hearings, etc., see TV Factbook No. J8 and Addenda to date.] Interconnected stations now total 280 in 176 cities. Latest to be hooked to AT&T system was KTXL-TV, San Angelo, Tex., interconnected last week end. Next on schedule is WCOV-TV, Montgomery, Ala. Cost-per-1000 homes reached by average evening halfhour TV show is still higher than its radio counterpart, new Nielsen survey indicates. For Sept.-Oct. 1953, TV’s average was $7.81 vs. radio’s $6.73. But lowest show in TV group was $3.15, below radio’s lowest, $3.46. In breakdown of half-hour evening TV programs by audience size, Nielsen found the 18 most popular (7,000,000 or more homes) had highest total cost, averaging $48,900 for time & talent — but lower average cost per 1000 ($5.27) than all groups reaching fewer than 7,000,000 homes. Average soap opera has lowest cost-per-1000 in TV ($3.98). Mystery shows were lowest of evening programs ($6.11). To utilize all NBC talent to the hilt, pres, Pat Weaver is readying mid-March announcement of new div., NBC Enterprises under v.p. Ted Cott, aimed at every conceivable market. A few samples: movies, legitimate roadshows, records (distinct from RCA Victor label), home 8mm & 16mm films, drama and dance schools throughout nation (a la Arthur Murray), syndicated columns. Possibly biggest bonanza visualized is merchandise-franchising which has pi’oduced multi-millions in sales of toys, clothes, games, etc., for license-owners of Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Howdy Doody, Walt Disney characters and the like. Give up TV-radio for week during lent, suggests Archbishop John F. O’Hara of Archdiocese of Philadelphia in pastoral letter to be read in all churches of the Archdiocese Sun., Feb. 28. “Disconnect your set for a week, and then take an honest appraisal,” pastoral letter says. “Have you missed anything worth while? What have you gained? The art of conversation is restored in the family, perhaps; many duties are performed that might otherwise have been neglected; your own judgment may be more sound because you will have missed thousands of words of propaganda.” Lent begins March 3. First GPL vidicon film camera chains will be shipped next week to WNET, Providence, R. I. (Ch. 16) and j WJPB-TV, Fairmont, W. Va. (Ch. 35) says TV mgr. E. A. | Hungerford Jr. He adds GPL is also working on color TV film chain, and that it is now shipping to stations and net > works its new zoom-type Vari-Focal lens, which is capable ^ of 5-to-l focal length change; as studio lens its range is i 3-15 in. at f5.6, outdoors 6-30 in. at fl2. » FCC goes before communications subcommittee of i Senate Commerce Committee in closed session March 2 to i brief newly appointed group under Sen. Potter (R-Mich.). Subcommittee had organization meeting this week, scheduled hearing March 16 on S-2926, introduced by Sen. Ed ; win Johnson (D-Colo.), to substitute “nominal” filing fees 1 for FCC’s proposed schedule of fees (Vol. 10:5, 7-8). FCC J will be first to be heard on measure. ^ Power increases: Time-sharing WMIN-TV & WTCN ^ TV, Minneapolis-St. Paul (Ch. 11), boost ERP from 70 to 316-kw; KNXT, Los Angeles (Cb. 2) due to go from 46.8 \ to 100-kw this week end; KATV, Pine Bluff, Ark. (Ch. 7) *■ now putting out 172.6-kw ERP, up from 43-kw; WCOC I TV, Meridian, Miss. (Ch. 30), on air since Dec. with re • duced power, now on test pattern operation with 252-kw. j TV therapy: Laborite Kenneth Robinson told British | House of Commons there ought to be more TV in mental hospitals, and introduced motion for Govt, to provide more * “modern amenities” for patients. “It is wonderful,” said | Robinson, “to see patients who have never shown the .slightest interest in their surroundings sit positively glued to the TV screen.” Willys Motors will show studio vidicon camera chain for live and film use at IRE convention next month. Company’s fii’st uhf transmitter package (1-kw) is now slated for July 1 shipment, specifications to be released soon, following FCC approval (Vol. 9 :30, 39) .