Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1957)

Ad Year Nears $10.4 Billion: Paced by 28% radio increase, biggest U. S. advertising volume in history is running at rate 5% ahead of 1956, should top $10.4 billion by end of 1957, Oct. 25 Printers’ Ink reports. Based on data for first 6 months of 1957, allyear estimates prepared for magazine by Robert J. Coen of McCann-Erickson indicate that network & spot radio revenue will total $295,000,000 vs. $229,900,000 in 1956, that network & spot TV advertising will be up 6% to $1,015 billion from $954,700,000 last year. Radio is “surpassing its first quarter pace,” TV “failed to hold its earlier gain” but still is expected to run $60,000,000 ahead of 1956, according to Printers’ Ink. Other media share anticipated gains for year in national advertising revenue: Business papers up 10% from $495,500,000 to $595,000,000, newspapers up 5% from $788,900,000 to $825,000,000; magazines up 3% from $794,700,000 to $820,000,000. Printers’ Ink, noting that advertising volume at end of first half this year was 5% ahead of 1956 after 3.4% increase in first quarter, pointed out that level nevertheless was below average 9% rate of annual increase in past 5 years. Underground Color TV: Installation of closed-circuit color TV system in Strategic Air Command’s subterranean headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, was reported Oct. 22 by exec. v.p. Theodore A. Smith of RCA industrial electronic products. System permits instantaneous transmission of briefing information, air intelligence, weather data from colored charts, maps, etc., duplicating them for any location within SAC nerve center. RCA equipment includes 5 live color cameras, 3-vidicon camera system for integrating film material, monochrome industrial camera for surveillance of operations control room, central control facilities, 21-in. color monitors. “First completely new film studio built in New York in over 25 years” was opened this week at 20 West End Ave. by Caravel Films Inc. The new 4-story $1,000,000 production center was made necessary by increasing volume of business, particularly TV commercials, according to pres. David I. Pincus, who added that expanded facilities will make possible production of complete TV series packages in addition to commercials. Founded in 1921, Caravel is a leading producer of industrial films. TV commercials aren’t overdone — “it only seems that way,” Oct. 21 Advertising Age says stoutly. Magazine totted up data for 401 TV stations in Barrow report to FCC (Vol. 13:39-41), found that they average less than 90-sec. of paid commercials for every viewing hour. Even in 6-11 p.m. period, viewers are exposed to less than 2 mins, per hour. Average for commercials from sign-on to 1 p.m. is 50-sec. per hour. Most common commercial runs 1-min. Doerfer’s Pet Peeve: “Protest” section of Communications Act (309c) was described as “instrument of extortion in the hands of certain people” by FCC Chairman Doerfer in Oct. 24 address to Federal Communications Bar Assn. “You know and I know that monies have been passed,” he said — adding that it is usually impossible to prove. He urged repeal of section, which he called “fit subject for Congressional investigation.” He said protest procedure delays new service to public while FCC hears “internal corporate disputes and other private differences.” Since last amendment of protest section in Jan. 1956, he said 72 protests have been filed, of which 64 were in broadcast field. Processing these cases required total of 11,395 professional man-hours and 5596 non-professional manhours, not including more than 1300 professional and 252 non-professional man-hours spent on these cases by offices of Commissioners. He estimated that total cost to Govt, in processing the 72 protests amounted to $71,963.55. Doerfer’s next speech is Nov. 14, before members’ council of New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, at Roosevelt Hotel. TV-radio audience measurements may be superior to sworn-circulation newspaper gauges, NBC planning & research v.p. Hugh M. Beville Jr. told annual ABC meeting in Chicago. Conceding that broadcasters’ systems for estimating audience size aren’t comparable to ABC’s methods of counting readers, Beville speculated on “enormous effect” on publishers & advertisers if newspapers adopted TV-radio techniques to show: (1) number of readers, page by page, for entire week, (2) how many men who read sports pages also read financial pages, (3) how many women who read society section also read amusement pages & comics, (4) how competing papers rate in such reader counts. Even if ABC service were available to broadcasters, Beville said, it would be complementary — not primary — measurement of audience. Political speech on N.Y. gangsterism was cancelled by WABC-TV Oct. 24 on ground station’s lawyers hadn’t had time to “digest & approve it.” Time for 15-min. speech by Robert Blaikie had been bought for about $1200 by Republican headquarters for mayoralty candidate Robert K. Christenberry, but they were notified by station just before scheduled 11:45 a.m. telecast that it couldn’t go on. Script hadn’t been submitted until about 10:15 a.m. Station substituted travel film. Rumors of TV deal for White House press secy. James C. Hagerty were denied Oct. 21. He told newsmen there was “nothing to” reports that he had signed contract to take industry job in 6 months— that “as long as the President wants me to remain ... I will do so.” Broadcasting scholarships for 4 years of college study are offered by Meredith Foundation, sponsored by Meredith Publishing Co., to 2 finalists in National Merit Scholarship competition. Preference will be given to boys in Meredith TV & radio station coverage areas in N. Y., la.. Mo., Neb., Kans., Ariz., Okla. One TV station application was filed with FCC this week, bringing total pending to 117 (34) uhf. Application was for Farmington, N. M., ch. 12, by local business group headed by attorney Wade Beavers. [For details, see TV Addenda 25-M herewith]. MARTIN CODEL, Editor and Publisher; ALBERT WARREN, Senior Editor; ROBERT CADEL, Business Manaoer; DAVID UCHENBRUGH, Associate Editor; JAMES S. CANNON. Trade Reports Editor Editorial Associates: Paul Slone, WIIGam J. McMabon Jr,, Wilbur H. BaldiuEer Published every Saturday, with TV Factbook Numbers (53rd and 54th issues) issued in February and August and AM-FM Directory (55th issue) published in January, by Radio News Bureau, Wyatt Bldg., Washington 5, D, C. Sterling 3-1765. COPYRiaHT 1957 BY ItADIO NEWS BUREAU