Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

9 Siaiion Accounls: Ballantine Beer signed this week as first sponsor of Ziv’s Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre, buying 30-min. film series in 25 cities, including WABC-TV, N. Y., thru J. Walter Thompson. Success of 39-week Cantor show is being watched closely as possible forerunner of shift to locally-syndicated film by other comedians now live on networks. In signing for new program, Ballantine dropped Foreign Intrigue . . . Other new filmed series sold to multiple sponsors: General Teleradio’s Greatest Drama, to National Gypsum Co., Buffalo, in 19 major markets for 26 weeks, thru BBDO, N. Y. ; MPTV’s Sherlock Holmes, to Chase National Bank in N. Y., thru Kenyon & Eckhardt, and to Procter & Gamble in several midwest markets, thru Compton Adv. . . . Budweiser Beer buys 3 nights per week partic. on Million Dollar Movie on uhf WTVI, Belleville-St. Louis, which reports it paid $32,900 for 26 weeks; thru D’Arcy Adv., St. Louis . . . Henry Heide Inc. (confectionaries), as public service, buys series of one-min. announcements on WABD, N. Y., warning children about accidents resulting from playing with matches, crossing streets, etc., thru Kelly, Nason Inc. . . . Borden Co. (cream cheese) to sponsor Jewish Talent Unlimited on WATV, Newark, starting Jan. 5, thru Young & Rubicam; m.c. Abe Ellstein will serve as pres, of “Elsie’s Bagel and Cream Cheese Club” . . . Among other advertisers currently reported using or preparing to use TV : Chock Full O’Nuts Corp., N. Y. (all-method grind coffee), thru Grey Adv., N. Y.; Maryland Pharmaceutical Co., Baltimore (Rem cough drops), thru Robert S. Nyburg Adv., Baltimore; Savoy Foods, Chicago (sauces, dressings & canned goods), thru Robertson Potter Co., Chicago; Supak & Sons Mfg. Co., Minneapolis (Weather Winky snow suits), thru Friend-Reiss Adv., N. Y.; Autoyre Co., Oakville, Conn, (bathroom-kitchen accessories), thru Ben Sackheim, N. Y.; Tru-Ade Inc., Elgin, 111. (Tru-Ade beverages), thru Clinton D. Carr, Baltimore; Godchaux Sugars Inc., New Orleans (Godchaux pure cane sugar), thru Fitzgerald Adv., New Orleans; Lau Blower Co., Dayton, 0. (furnace & air conditioning blowers), thru Hutzler Adv., Dayton; Adler Sewing Machine, Palo Alto, Cal. (Adlermatic sewing machine), thru Walter E. Kline & Assoc., N. Y.; R. M. Hollingshead Corp., Camden, N. J. (Whiz chemical products), thru Campbell-Mithun, Chicago; C. Howard Hunt Pen Co., Camden, N. J. (Boston pencil sharpeners), thru Doremus-Eshleman Co., Philadelphia. a Canadian Broadcasting Corp. announces these new Class A rates in Rate Card No. 7 effective Jan. 1: CJCBTV, Sydney, $200; CBLT, Toronto, $950; CBOT, Ottawa, $280; CBMT, Montreal, $500; CKCO-TV, Kitchener, $300; CFPL-TV, London, $300; CKLW-TV, Windsor, $450; CBWT, Winnipeg, $280; CFQC-TV, Saskatoon, $200; CHCT-TV, Calgary, $200; CFRN-TV, Edmonton, $200; CBUT, Vancouver, $300; CBFT, Montreal, $700. Total billings of $3,200,000 are reported by NBC-TV for Home in 10 months since its 11 a.m.-noon debut March 1. Total of 38 advertisers used program. For 1955, some $3,500,000 billings have already been signed. NBC-TV’s first partic. program, highly successful Dave Garroway’s Today, grossed $1,500,000 in its initial 6 months in 1952 (Vol. 8:40), is expected to go over $8,000,000 this year. New reps: WFIL-TV, Philadelphia, to Blair (from Katz); KTVT, Salt Lake City, to Katz (from Blair); KREM-TV, Spokane, to Petry (from Bolling); WJMR-TV, New Orleans, to Bolling (from McGill vra) ; WACH-TV, Newport News-Norfolk, to Walker (from Avery-Knodel) . ABC-TV plans own “magazine concept” program. Your Better Home, a how-to-do-it show scheduled Sat. 11 :30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., as soon as at least 5 partic. sponsors sign. So far one sponsor has signed — an unidentified power tool manufacturer. Network Accounts: Wave of cancellations by sponsors and talent hit networks this week, necessitating some program realignments and search for replacements. In most cases, cancellations were attributed to dissatisfaction with program ratings. Biggest was Kraft’s decision to drop its Thu. 9:30-10:30 p.m. Kraft Theatre on ABCTV, retaining its drama of same title on NBC-TV Wed. 910 p.m. and entering children’s field by buying Space Cadet on NBC-TV Sat. 11:30 noon, thru J. Walter Thompson. In same week, Brillo disclosed it was dropping Sammy Kaye’s So You Want to Lead a Band on ABC-TV Thu. 9-9:30 p.m. preceding Kraft . . . Johnson’s Wax and Pet Milk dropped Life With Father on CBS-TV Tue. 1010:30 p.m., and are interested in sponsoring Red Skelton Show as replacement, but only if they can get 9:30-10 p.m. period currently occupied by Nash Kelvinator and Block Drug with Danger. Also at CBS-TV, actress Celeste Holm announced she was dropping out as star of Honestly, Celeste Sun. 9:30-10 p.m., though sponsor Bristol-Myers (Ipana) is retaining time for replacement show; Miss Holm reportedly was displeased with show’s format, in which she is cast as unpredictable girl reporter. In addition, Plymouth Motors reversed original decision to sponsor Professional Father as replacement for That's My Boy on CBS-TV and instead will drop Sat. 10-10:30 p.m. time period . . . Pillsbury Flour and Green Giant Co. dropped sponsorship of Mickey Rooney’s filmed Hey, Mulligan on NBC-TV Sat. 8-8:30 p.m. . . . CBS-Columbia to be alt. sponsor of upcoming Phil Silvers Show on CBS-TV starting in Jan., Tue. 8-8:30 p.m., thru McCann-Erickson . . . State Farm Insurance Co. to sponsor Red Barber’s Corner on CBS-TV (except in N. Y. & New England) starting Dec. 15, Wed. 10:45-11 p.m., thi’u Needham, Louis & Brorby . . . Pharmaceuticals Inc. to sponsor Juvenile Jwry on NBC-TV starting Jan. 9, Sun. 4-4:30 p.m., thru Edward Kletter Assoc., N. Y. . . . Sugar Bowl football game Jan. 1 will be sponsored on ABC-TV & radio jointly by C. A. Swanson & Sons (poultry processors), thru TathamLaird Inc.; American Chicle Co., thru Dancer-FitzgeraldSample; E-Z Popcorn Co., thru W. B. Doner & Co., Detroit . . . Miller Brewing Co. to sponsor first half of pro football championship game on DuMont (except in northeast) Sun. Dec. 26 at 2 p.m., thru Mathisson &. Assoc., Milwaukee; in northeast it will be sponsored by Atlantic Refining Co., thi’u N. W. Ayer. Buick will sponsor second half, thru Kudner . . . Bauer & Black (surgical dressings) buys 9 partic. in Today, Home & Tonight on NBC-TV in Feb., thru Leo Burnett & Co., Chicago . . . Tootsie Rolls (candy) buys 2 partic. per week on Happy Felton’s Spotlight Gang on NBC-TV for 13 weeks starting Nov. 27, Sat. 10-10:15 a.m., thru Moselle & Eisen, N. Y. . . . Rexall Drug Co. buys 3 partic. a week on Morning Show on CBSTV starting Feb. 15, Mon.-thru-Fri. 7-9 a.m., thru BBDO, Los Angeles; Eastco Inc. (Clearasil patent medicine) 2 partic. a week, thru Ruthrauff & Ryan; Campbell Cereal Co. (Malt-O-Meal) 2 partic. a week, thru CampbellMithun . . . ABC-TV offers special Kuka, Fran & Ollie Christmas Day program 6-7 p.m. for local sale to 108 network stations; it will be sponsored by Gordon Baking Co. on ABC’s WABC-TV, WBKB & WXYZ-TV. ■ Revised rate card of CKLW-TV, Windsor, Ont. (Ch. 9), opposite Detroit, posts Class A hour rate of $450, min. rate of $90, as against originally announced $1100 & $220. CBC & DuMont affiliate started operation last Sept. 16. Rate increases: KTNT-TV, Tacoma raises base hour from $625 to $700, min. $135 to $150; WWTV, Cadillac, Mich, from .$200 to $250 & $50 to $60; CHSJ-TV, St. John, N.B., $165 to $200 & $35 to $45; CKSO-TV, Sudbury, Ont., $150 to $170; KRBC-TV, Abilene, Tex., $150 to $225 & $24 to $40. Rate decrease: WJNO-TV, Palm Beach, as of Jan. 1 cuts base hour from $300 to $250, min. $60 to $50.