Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

7 Kelwork Accounts: Financial loss on NCAA football sponsorships is cited by Oct. 2 Billboard as major reason for ABC-TV’s consolidation and reorganization last week, which resulted in more than 50 resignations (Vol. 10:39). Though netwoi'k maintained discreet silence, article reports “the blow-off was fused by ABC’s anticipated loss of an estimated $1,800,000 on the NCAA tilts, with the web believed realizing only some $700,000 from the cut-rate deals it has made on the games, which cost it about $2,500,000. This loss, falling almost entirely on the fourth quarter, would wreak havoc upon the balance sheet, inasmuch as ABC is on a calendar fiscal year which ends Dec. 31, and would make the network’s position for the full year seem far worse than it actually is. The result is that fast action was needed to counter this loss, and the axe has been falling in a broadcasting equivalent of the French terror.” Only few days before start of season Sept. 18, ABC-TV signed Zenith, Maytag and Amana Refrigerating Co. as national sponsors of NCAA, after Carnation Milk had previously signed for west coast. Humble Oil for Texas . . . Ralston Purina to sponsor Name’s the Same on ABC-TV starting Oct. 11, Mon. 7:30-8 p.m., thru Guild, Bascom & Bonfigli, San Francisco . . . Colgate-Palmolive to sponsor Mon.-Wed.-Fri. portions one week, Tue. & Thu. segments following week, of Feather Your Nest on NBC-TV start ing Oct. 4, Mon.-thru-Fri. 12:30-1 p.m., thru Wm. Esty Co. . . . Roto-Broil Corp. buys half of NBC-TV’s election night coverage Nov. 2, 9:30 p.m.-l a.m., thru Product Services Inc., N. Y. . . . Northam Warren Corp., Stamford, Conn., (deodorant) buys 117 participations on Today, Home & Tonight on NBC-TV, thru J. M. Mathes Inc., N. Y. . . . Procter & Gamble (Gleem tooth paste) to be alt. sponsor (with Hazel Bishop) of This Is Your Life on NBC-TV starting Oct. 6, Wed. 10-10:30 p.m., thru Compton Adv. . . . Paper-Mate Pens to be alt. sponsor (with Toni) of People Are Funny on NBC-TV starting Oct. 17, Sun. 7-7:30 p.m., thru Foote, Cone & Belding . . . Canadian GE to sponsor CGE Showtime on CBC-TV starting Oct. 3, Sun. 9:30-10 p.m. . . . Procter & Gamble of Canada to sponsor On Camera on CBC starting Oct. 2, Sat. 9-9:30 p.m. ■ “Re-evaluation” of DuMont programming will result in dropping of several sustainers, including the highly regarded Author Meets the Critics, Ernie Kovacs’ quizzer Time Will Tell and possibly The Goldbergs, whose sponsor Vitamin Corp. of America won’t renew after pact expires Oct. 19. As explained by DuMont spokesman: “The fall selling season is behind us now, and we think it’s better to conserve money on sustaining programs and try to build new ones that might be more salable after first of year.” Sialion Accounts: Banks’ use of TV is increasing steadily, even though newspapers continue to be dominant medium for them, panel of bankers agreed at convention of Financial Public Relations Assn, this week in Washington. Panelists said they recognize value of TV and main consideration was merely how to use it most advantageously. David E. Detrick, v.p. of Gem City Building & Loan Assn., Dayton, said his bank used TV-radio spots extensively, with times carefully selected. “Make sure your advertising messages appear w’hen and where your customers are likely to be looking and listening,” he said. Frank C. Helper, Gardner Adv., St. Louis, said bank’s objective must be kept squarely in mind in selecting program. “If you are trying to sell prestige, you won’t do it with animated spots. Savings deposits won’t be built up with longhair programs. If you schedule whodunits, you may lose community esteem,” he said . . . Park & Tilford, barred fi'om advertising liquor, makes TV debut this month with heavy spot campaign for its Tintex fabric dyes and Winx eye cosmetics, thru Storm & Klein Adv., N. Y. . . . U. S. Filter Products Corp., Newark, buys 5 spots a day on WOR-TV for 26 weeks to test effectiveness of its Aquafilter cigarette holder before national distribution, thru Adolf F. Gottesmann Adv., Newark . . . “TV’s oldest continuously sponsored program,” Midweston Hayride, Oct. 2 celebrated 6th anniversary with its original sponsor. Bavarian Brewing Co. over WLWT, Cincinnati, WLWC, Columbus and WLWD, Dayton . . . Scabrook Farms (frozen foods), following reorganization completed this week, plans heavy TV-radio spot campaign, thru N. W. Ayer . . . RCA buys lai’ge block of one-min. spots for 52 weeks on WNBQ, Chicago, on 5 programs: Close-nil, Let’s Look at Sports, But Not Forgotten, Sports Star Time, Hawkins Falls . . . Among advertisers currently reported using or preparing to use TV: Campbell Chemicals Inc., St. Louis (Camicide insect spray), thru The Ridg^vay Co., St. Louis; Destroy Laboratories Inc., Allentown, Pa. (De-Nic-Lets stops smoking habit, De-Stroy pest control), thi*u Mackes & Taylor, Allentown, Pa.; Sinclair Refining Co., N. Y. (Power-X premium gasoline), thru Morey, Humm i .Johnstone, N. Y.; Williamson Candy Co., sub. of f 'neral Candy Corp., Chicago (Oh Henry candy bar), thru Aubiey, Finli-y, .Mailey & Hodgson, Chicago; ( hathani Health I’roducts, N. Y. (Appedrim weightreducer), thru Duane Jones Co., N. Y. Telecasting Notes: World Series was carried live by 179 stations in 173 cities, according to AT&T’s long lines dept. — in addition to unspecified number picking it up via private links and off-air — vs. 113 stations in 108 cities last year & 69 stations in 66 cities in 1952 . . . On radio (MBS) it’s on 675 U. S. stations, 225 in Canada and other foreign countries . . . Hooperating of first game Series telecast was 28 in New York, home of the winning Giants, 37 in the Indians’ Cleveland; second game rated 20 in New York, 33 in Cleveland . . . Second run for I Love Lucy films definitely planned by CBS-TV next year, probably Sun. 6-6:30 p.m., first runs to continue simultaneously in usual time slot. Producer Jess Oppenheimer plans to continue shooting new Lucy episodes for 3 more years at most . . . Film clips from new and forthcoming Hollywood productions, along with guest appearance of stars, make up new weekly Hollywood Prevue, produced by Bruce Balaban & Dave Sanders on WOR-TV, N. Y. . . . Course in time buying & selling, organized by Radio & TV Executives Society, will present leaders in TV, radio, advertising and station rep field for 13 luncheon sessions Tuesdays starting Oct. 26 in Toots Shor’s Restaurant, N. Y. . . . Live telecast of Caesarian-section birth climaxed series of 10 medical programs, Let There Be Life, Sept. 22 on WLWT, Cincinnati and WLWD, Dayton . . . University-owned commercial WOI-TV, Ames, la., has “placed approximately 40 people in the industry one way and another — networks, stations and in some cases other colleges,” writes director Richard B. Hull. More than 100 of its productions have been aired on nation’s educational stations . . . Covering field from Ozark folk songs to robot machines, ambitious new CBSTV weekly educational program. The Search, more than 2 years in preparation and based on research projects at leading universities, makes debut Oct. 17, Sun. 4:30-5 p.m. . . . Canadian TV talent search, conducted this summer by CBC, in which more than 1500 performers were auditioned, bears fruit in new CBC-TV show, Pick the Stars, 39-week series which began this week . . . Biow Co. becomes Biow, Beirn & Toigo Jan. 1, when pres. Kenneth Beirn and v.p. John Toigo assume partnership, joining chairman Milton Biow . . . H-R Reps opens Dallas office, under Clarke Brown, former Blair southwestern mgr. . . . WSAZ-TV, Huntington, W. Va., to open Charleston studios at 208 Dickinson St. . . . Wl'OM-TV’ are new call letters for WILS-TV, Lansing, Mich., transferred last week to Inland Bestg. Co. (Vol. 10:39).