Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

7 Network Accounts: Buick offered comedian Jackie Gleason 2-year, $8,500,000 contract this week for a 39-week half-hour filmed series confined to Gleason’s famous “Honeymooners” sketches on his current CBS-TV Sat. night show. During summer of 1956, about 13 of sketches would be repeated. Negotiations between Buick, Gleason and Kudner continued all week, with no decision announced as we went to press. Also undetermined was whether show would be on NBC-TV or CBS-TV, or whether Buick would continue current sponsorship of Milton Berle Show . . . Studebaker-Packard’s sponsorship of TV Reader’s Digest, dramatic adaptations of stories appearing in magazine, starts Jan. 17 on ABC-TV, Mon. 8-8:30 p.m., thru RuthraufF & Ryan . . . Bayuk Cigars replaces Gruen Watch as alt. week sponsor (with American Safety Razor Co.) of Walter Winchell Show on ABC-TV starting in Feb., Sun. 9-9:15 p.m., thru D’Arcy Adv. . . . Toni to sponsor So This Is Hollywood on NBC-TV starting Jan. 1, Sat. 8:30-9 p.m., thru Weiss & Geller . . . Borden Co. to sponsor Way of the World on NBC-TV starting Jan. 3, Mon.-thru-Fri. 10:3010:45 a.m., thru Young & Rubicam . . . Bristol Myers to sponsor filmed Your Favorite Playhouse as substitute for Honestly, Celeste on CBS-TV, Sun. 9:30-10 p.m.; latter was cancelled when star Celeste Holm dropped out in apparent dissatisfaction with script . . . American Chicle Co. to be alt. sponsor (with Quaker Oats) of Zoo Parade on NBC-TV starting Jan. 9, Sun. 4:30-5 p.m., thru DancerFitzgerald-Sample . . . Sheaffer Pen Co. to be alt. week sponsor of John Daly’s new panel show. Who Said That? on ABC-TV starting in Feb., Wed. 9:30-10 p.m., thru Russel M. Seeds Adv., Chicago . . . Reynolds Metals, climaxing weeks of indecision and speculation in trade press, this week renew'ed Mr. Peepers for rest of season on NBC-TV, Sun. 7:30-8 p.m., thru Clinton E. Frank Adv., Chicago . . . Camels drops Fri. segment of Camel News Caravan on NBC-TV, Mon.-thru-Fri. 7:45-8 p.m. . . . Helene Curtis drops plans to sponsor The Marraige, starring Hume Cronyn & Jessica Tandy, on NBC-TV (Vol. 10:50) after being unable to agree with network on acceptable time period, plus fact that show would have to go off in summer, one of busiest seasons for sponsor . . . Minute Maid Corp. (frozen juices) to sponsor Tournament of Roses in black-&-white on NBC-TV New Year’s Day, 12:15-1 :45 p.m., thru Ted Bates & Co. . . . Tootsie Rolls buys 64 partic. on Pinky Lee Show on NBC-TV Mon.-thruFri. 5-5:30 p.m., thru Moselle & Eisen, N. Y. . . .R. T. French Co. (mustard) buys Wed. segment of World of Mr. Sweeney on NBC-TV, Mon.-thru-Fri. 4:30-4:45 p.m., thru .1. W' alter Thompson . . . CBS-TV to carry Life vuith Father indefinitely as sustainer, following drop-out of sponsors Johnson’s Wax and Pet Milk (Vol. 10:49-50). McCann-Erickson expanded industrial service this week by merging with Marschalk & Pratt Co., industrial advertising specialists, .subject to approval of Internal Revenue Service. Under agreement, effective Jan. 1, Marschalk will function as div. of McCann-Erickson, continuing in pre.sent quaiters at 535 Fifth Ave. McCannErickson pres. Marion Harper Jr. said Marschalk would aid “special group” servicing of such big McCann-Erickson industrial clients as Standard Oil and others. International Boxing Club gets $24,000 a bout for 35 shows from Gillette, $18,000 a show for 52 shows from Pab.st, IBC pres. James Norris is quoted in Chicago Daily News interview. Fighters are guaranteed $4000 each from TV receipts — sometimes they get as much as $6500. “TV has subsidized boxing,” he said. “Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to put on more than a few matches a year.” Sels-in-use in Canada totaled 1,026,912 as of Nov. 1, up 91,374 from preceding month, i-eports Canadian RTMA. Station Accounts: Success of current Million Dollar Movie series, now syndicated, has led General Teleradio’s WOR-TV to undertake new series of multiple-showing first-run film features starting Jan. 18. It will be called Fortune Theatre, will comprise 82 feature-length films produced in English by European studios and featuring foreign stars. Package was purchased from Fortune Films Inc. Each film will open on Tue., coinciding with opening of new Million Dollar Movie feature, and will be shown 14 consecutive times — 9-10 p.m. Tue.-thru-Sat. one week and 11:30 p.m. -12:30 a.m. following week, with additional showings 3:30-4:30 p.m. alt. Sat. & Sun. Flexible advertising arrangement will permit up to 14 one-min. spot announcements per film . . . Nehi Corp., Columbus, Ga. (Nehi, Par-T-Pak & Royal Crown Cola) reported planning film series aimed at teen-agers, featuring Ames Brothers and Joan Benny, Jack Benny’s daughter, to be placed on about 200 stations, thru BBDO . . . U. S. Steel plans huge spot campaign in 1955 to promote wide range of products, using 117 TV stations, under direction of George Shenk, adv. dept. . . . Southern California Plastering Institute to sponsor Tournament of Roses parade New Year’s Day on 4-station hookup comprising KNXT, Los Angeles; KFMB-TV, San Diego; KMJ-TV, Fresno; KERO-TV, Bakersfieldthru Wm. Latta & Co., Los Angeles . . . Smith Funeral Home of Spokane reported well-pleased with results of sponsoring Liberace on alt. weeks on local KHQ-TV . . . Among other advertisers currently reported using or preparing to use TV : Allen V. Smith, Marcellus Falls, N. Y. (split peas), thru Barlow Adv., Syracuse; Campana Sales Co., Batavia, 111. (Ayds vitamin candy), thru Erwin, Wasey, Chicago; Thor Corp., Chicago (washing machines, dryers & ironers), thru Henri, Hurst & McDonald, Chicago; Stetson China Co., Lincoln, 111. (dinnerware), thru Schram Adv., Chicago; Scott-Atwater Mfg. Co., Minneapolis (outboard motors), thru BBDO, Minneapolis; Molson’s Brewery Ltd., Montreal (Molson's ale), thru Fay Adv., Albany, N. Y. Rate increases: New “Class BB” rate posted by KRON-TV, San Francisco, is $450 for half hours 6:30-7 p.m. & 11-11 :30 p.m., Mon.-Fri., $180 for 20 sec., $90 for 8 sec.; Class AA rate (7:30-10:30 p.m. daily) remains $1300 per hour, $780 half hour; Class A (7-7:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.) is $1100 an hour, $660 half. Efifective Jan. 1: WXYZ-TV, Detroit, adds new 7:30-10:30 p.m. daily Class AA $1700 hour, $325 min.. Class A remains $1500; WHIO-TV, Dayton, adds new 8-10 p.m. daily Class AA $800 hour, $175 min.. Class A hour remains $750; WWJ-TV, Detroit, raises ba.se hour from $1600 to $2000, min. $320 to $400; WFAATV, Dallas, from .$800 to $900, & $160 to $180; WNCT, Greenville, N. C., from $200 to $300 & $40 to $60; KXJBTV, Valley City, N. D., from $200 to $300 & $40 to $60. Recently effected : CFCM-TV, Quebec City, base hour from $200 to $300, min. $40 to $60; WEAR-TV, Pensacola, from $200 to $225 & $30 to $45. A. C. Nielsen Co. has negotiated option to buy out Broadcast Advertisers Reports Inc., Darby, Pa., it was announced this week by Arthur C. Nielsen and Phil Edwards, presidents of the 2 firms. For last 2 years, BAR has been supplying stations with regular reports on spot and local TV-radio advertising schedules in large markets, securing information through tape-recording of leading stations. .Tohn L. McGuire, ex-KOA-TV, Denver, opens new regional rep firm with offices in Denver National Bank Bldg., handling KCJS-TV, Pueblo; KRDO-TV, Colorado Springs; KFXJ-TV, Grand Junction; KFBC-TV, Cheyenne. WMGT, Adams, Mass, shifted this week from Ch. 74 to 19 following approval by FCC of shift to newly allocated channel (Vol. 10:36,38,40-43).