Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY RADIO NEWS BUREAU • WYATT BLDG. • WASHINGTON 5. D.C. • TELEPHONE STERLING 3-1755 •VOL. 10: No. 14 April 3, 1954 in this issue: ABC in Big Deal with Walt Disney, page I Jock Whitney Pays $4,000,000 for KOTV, page I 2 More Stations in Trouble, Suspend, page 2 WFAA-TV & KRLD-TV Propose Unusual Tower, page 3 One CP Issued, 2 Returned to Commission, page 3 Color Status — Price, Programs, Picture Size, page 4 650 Stations in 300 Communities by End of 1957, page 5 Transmitter Shipments & Upcoming Stations, page 6 Another $150 Set; The Business Outlook, page 8 RETMA's Plan to Halt Spurious Radiation, page 9 Many Transfer of Ownership Deals Still Pend, page 13 Network TV>Radio Billings — Jan.-Feb., page 14 ABC IN BIG DEAL WITH WALT DISNEY: ABC’s climb to stronger competitive status — it still riins poor third to CBS & NBC (see p. 14) — should get biggest push to date as result of "partnership" deal with Walt Disney Productions, finalized Sat. April 3. Perhaps even more important, pact breaks down another big barrier between the major movie studios and the TV broadcasting industry. It came as surprise to other networks, which had also been dickering with Disney, and it didn't even leak out until after AB-PT board on March 29 ratified tentative agreement between ABC div. pres. Robert Kintner and Disney pres. Roy Disney. Agreement reportedly runs into "millions of dollars." These are details; Contract runs for "great number of years." calls for Disney to produce minimum of 26 hour-long filmed shows annually, using both live action and cartoon techniques. They'll be filmed specially for TV — in color, though ABC doesn't contemplate televising them in color when series begins next Oct. They will be produced under Walt Disney's personal supervision, reportedly budgeted at SlOO.OOO each. "Entirely new concept of TV programming." is how joint ABC-Disney announcement describes format — based on variety, adventure, romance and comedy. A major food company is said to be interested in sponsorship (rumor centers around General Foods, General Mills, Standard Brands). ABC also acquires "exclusive rights to all present & future Disney properties for TV." This doesn't mean backlog of theatrical films will automatically be available for TV, but it does mean that whatever Disney decides to release for TV will go to ABC — and it's entirely likely that excerpts from some old Disney features and shorts will be integrated into programs. Disney and ABC will be joint proprietors of "Disneyland" amusement park and studios to be built at site yet to be selected, said to be in Anaheim, near Los Angeles. Admission will be charged. Completion is scheduled in 2-3 years. Deal with Disney would be plum for any network. His techniques and material have long been considered a "natural" for TV — just as his theatrical films and his character creations have won 21 Academy Awards, including 4 this year. Said Disney: "We are firmly convinced of the compatibility of the 2 fields. [We see a] bright future with motion picture and TV production working hand-in-hand with each other." Disney firm will continue theatrical film production separate from TV activities, has heaviest movie-making schedule in its history booked for next 5 years. JOCK WHITNEY PAYS $4J)00JN)O FOB KOTV: In the scant 10 weeks since our TV Factbook came off the press, listing some 3 dozen major TV station ownership changes between 1949 & 1953, there have been nearly a dozen more sale deals — including this week's $4,000,000 purchase of KOTV, Tulsa (Ch. 6) by J.H. Whitney & Co., big venture capital firm headed by John Hay Whitney. Deal was first hinted in our Vol. 10:11. Jock Whitney is a brother-in-law of CBS chairman Bill Paley. Significance COPYfll«HT l»84 BY RADIO NBW8 BUREAU