Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

6 Telecasting Notes: “A handful of men” in the 2 biggest talent agencies determine prices for the entire TV industry because of the scarcity of talent and a sellers’ market. This charge is aimed at Music Corp. of America (MCA) and Wm. Morris Agency in editorial in Dec. 20 Advertising Age. Control of shows by “the talent moguls,” says the editorial, is exercised through complete OAvnership of all ingredients in a package, control of the star who controls package, control of key personnel, or control of selling of a package . . . “The danger is that they will price many sound, long-range advertisers out of TV and back into print,” Advertising Age warns. “There is no question but what sponsors, ad agencies and netwox’ks have become lazy and careless about relinquishing control of TV programs to talent agencies” ... To help minimize price-setting power of the “talent peddlers,” editorial advises sponsors and agencies to: (1) Maintain control of show via the agency, insofar as possible. (2) “Resist buying a package — rather, buy ingredients on the open market and from several sources of supply.” (3) “Avoid the star system — TV has proved that stars can be made.” (4) Engage drama & mystery show writers & producers direct or through “minor representation.” (5) “Consider financing a smaller talent or package agency venture that shows promise in exchange for long-term price control and a return on your investment out of profits in re-runs” . . . Merger of sales forces of Gross-Krasne’s United Television Productions into MCA-TV Ltd. was formally effected this week, exactly along lines previously reported (Vol. 10:50) — with Wynn Nathan heading up sales structure (see adjoining column) . With 22 shows, 19 U. S. offices and branches abroad, MCATV claims to be biggest entity in film syndication ... New TV Inc., 9 E. 75th St., N. Y., station-owned, headed by Gene O’Fallon, KFEL-TV, Denver, for smaller-market stations only, claims 40 signed up for its projected group filmbuying operation, out of goal of 100. Its gen. mgr. is Herbert Jacobs, directors Ed Craney, KXLF-TV, Butte; Joe Floyd, KELO-TV, Sioux Falls, S. D.; Tom Bostic, KIMA-TV, Yakima, Wash.; W. D. Rogers, KDUB-TV, Lubbock, Tex.; Gene DeYoung, KERO-TV, Bakersfield, Cal. . . . End of network talent-raiding is predicted by Variety’s George Rosen Dec. 22 as hopeful sign for new year. He recounts that RCA-NBC Chairman Sarnoff is reported to have “passed along the word [that] there is to be no recurrence of the recent jack-up-the-price-and-get-him-atany-cost incident which resulted in Ed Sullivan practically tripling his income from CBS.” Rosen sees this as tip-off that talent raids — with their resultant spiraling costs — are at an end, that both networks now intend to “develop” their own personalities and stars . . . New profit for movies from TV: 20th Century-Fox to offer all of its big-picture premieres for commercial sponsorship on TV, following success of Dec. 16 Nash-sponsored opening-night telecast on WPIX from N. Y. Roxy Theatre ballyhooing There’s No Business Like Show Business . . . Awards for outstanding commercials — similar to those now presented to top shows, stars, etc. — are proposed by syndicated newspaper TV columnist Eve Starr (“Inside TV”) as method of focusing public attention on exceptional commercials and minimizing criticism of commercials generally. Music Corp. of America’s newly revamped MCA-TV film syndication div., with ex-UTP v.p. Wynn Nathan as v.p. & gen. sales mgr., reporting to v.p. David V. Sutton, will have these other major executives: Aaron Beckwith, v.p. & sales mgr., N. Y. office; Tom McManus, eastern sales mgr.; John Rohrs, v.p. & midwest sales mgr., Chicago; Robert Greenberg, v.p. & western sales mgr., Los Angeles; Ray Wilde, southwestern sales mgr., Dallas. Named field supervisors: Frank Brill, N. Y. territory; Darv Barton, Cleveland; Karl Von Shallem, Chicago; Layton Bailey, Dallas; Ed Simmel, New Orleans. Also announced were new program sales div. under Lou Friedland and merchandising div. under Frank Mincola. With 22 shows on list, MCA-TV claims to be biggest in film S3mdicate field. Fourteen new Vitapix-Guild film syndicate affiliates were signed this week, bringing total to 44. New ones are WDAK-TV, Columbus, Ga.; WFMY-TV, Greensboro, N. C.; WGR-TV, Buffalo; WILK-TV, Wilkes-Barre; WKRC-TV, Cincinnati; WMBV-TV, Marinette, Wis. ; WMT-TV, Cedar Rapids, la.; WPTZ, Philadelphia; WRDW-TV, Augusta, Ga.; WSLS-TV, Roanoke, Va.; KDUB-TV, Lubbock, Tex.; KTVH, Hutchinson, Kan.; KWK-TV, St. Louis; WFBM-TV, Indianapolis. Annual “Mike” awards to women in TV-radio by McCall’s Magazine : top award, Angela McDermott, MohawkHudson Council on Educational TV, for series TV Schooltime on WRGB, Schenectady; executive service to community, Dorothy Daniel, campaign director of educational WQED, Pittsburgh, for work in getting station on air; executive service to women. Bee Baxter, KSTP-TV, St. Paul-Minneapolis, for nursing series Operation Tender Loving Care; executive service to youth, Josephine Wetzler, WLS, Chicago, for good health poster-slogan contest on School Time; broadcaster service to community, Marian Young Taylor, the “Martha Deane” of WOR, N. Y., for sei’ies on juvenile delinquency; broadcaster service to women, Mary Jones, WFIL, Philadelphia, for establishing “Mary Jones Hearth” for homeless young women; broadcaster service to youth, Marian Koehler Rowe, KPIX, San Francisco, for series Adventure School. KTVQ, Oklahoma City (Ch. 25) has filed petition for reorganization under Chapter X in Federal District Court there, and since Dec. 1 has been operated by courtappointed trustees Duke Duvall & John Esau. Power increases: WATE, Knoxville, Tenn. (Ch. 6), Dec. 17 to 100-kw ERP; CBUT, Vancouver, B. C. (Ch. 2), Dec. 18 to 97.5-kw. All Westinghouse stations join NARTB Jan. 1, bringing NARTB’s TV membership to 236, out of 423 stations on air. Unauthorized TV showing of theatrical film is charged in $51,500 suit filed in Los Angeles superior court by Eagle Lion Classics against Benedict Bogeaus Productions, Quality Films and Benedict Bogeaus & Charles Weintraub, heads of the 2 firms. Eagle Lion alleges that Bogeaus gave print of My Outlaw Brother to Quality, and that film was shown by KFEL-TV, Denver, resulting in cancellation of $1500 in theatre bookings. Another $50,000 is asked for “depreciated value” of the picture. KOMO-TV, Seattle, this week applied to separate TV operations from radio KOMO and filed joint balance sheet dated Oct. 31, listing $877,289 paid-in & earned surplus under liabilities. Out of total $1,782,797 assets, it lists $1,417,715 real estate, $205,571 accounts receivable, $63,585 cash & investments. Application is for modification of CP to change name of TV operator to Fisher’s TV Co., radio entity remaining Fisher’s Blend Station Inc. Donald G. Roper is resigning from Peoria Star-Journal’s WTVH-TV to study for the Presbyterian ministry at McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, at same time serving in a student pastorate in Yorkville, 111. He is succeeded as production mgr. by Robert G. Holben. Fourth uhf station to become NBC basic affiliate is WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., which goes on network’s “Must buy” list Jan. 1. Other uhf NBC basics: Portland’s KPTV, Norfolk’s WVEC-TV, Youngstown’s WFMJ-TV.