Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

— 12 — Stations Time & the Timeless Westerns: The Compton Agencyinspired magazine campaign to play on viewers’ alleged “guilt complex” (Vol. 15:12) is getting no help from the Luce publications. Time magazine’s March 30 issue ran six TV Western heroes on its cover, said in its story, “ In its finest expressions [the TV Western] is an allegory of freedom, a memory and a vision of the deepest meaning of America.” And, thoroughly alerted to the selling power of Westerns, sister publication Life announced it would start a 7-part (starting April 6) series on “How the West Was Won.” Meanwhile Life continued its show business cover binge — on March 30 it was Debbie Reynolds who adorned the cover. Meanwhile, other magazines whose advertising departments have turned to fighting TV more than each other, continued to try to reap rewards of circulation appeal of TV and show business personalities. The Sat Eve Post March 28 issue is carrying a Mary Martin story, with its newspaper circulation-promotion ads advising readers to tune in both of Mary’s March 29 NBC shows. The Post also will shortly get into the subject of Ed Wynn. Sister Ladies Home Journal for April is featuring Dave Garroway at home with his wife, 2 youngsters and 8 recipes and advising readers of its newspaper ads to tune Dave in on NBC-TV. Another woman’s magazine, McCall’s, is issuing its April issue with Fred Astaire’s life story. In other media news this week, SatEvePost announced an all-time high in ad revenue for its April 4 issue ($3,364,417) and Look’s house organ. The Lookout, pointed out that Life’s cut-price newsstand price of 19 cents, currently being tested in some areas, will be made available at least twice in a 12-month period. Macfadden Publications announced 1958’s gross revenue at $17,194,354, off from 1957’s $18,782,755; and net ’58 earnings as $616,089, off from ’57’s $737,689. Newsstand circulation was announced as “a little soft” for Macfadden, but “somewhat better” than the corresponding period of last year. Media Records announced that its annual tabulation of 397 morning, evening and Sunday newspapers in 132 important cities showed 1958 news content up, and ratio of advertising to total content down — to 58.7% from 59.9%. Alfred I. duPont TV-radio awards for “meritorious service to the American people” during 1958 were presented to KLZ-TV Denver for giving “clear evidence in its programming policies of a sense of obligation to participate intimately in community life,” to radio WSNY Albany for “its acceptance of responsibility for progressive leadership,” and to NBC-TV commentator David Brinkley for “exemplifying the best qualities of broadcast commentary.” TV is “the only advertising medium called upon to produce research material every day of every week,” Julius Barnathan, ABC-TV research v.p. told graduate students at Syracuse U. TV-radio center this week. “The measuring of advertising effectiveness is the job of all media, and not limited to TV alone,” he declared. “Brilliant” TV series on the air age — Flight, produced by NBC’s Cal. National Productions — ^was recommended to Congressional viewers this week by Sen. Goldwater (R-Ariz.). He lauded CNP “for having had the foresight & sense of national dedication to produce such a costly TV film series.” TV Defense Start: The “initial exploratory session” of the 9-man committee organized to draft a new, nationwide information program for TV was held in N.Y. this week (March 27), with C. Wrede Petersmeyer of Corinthian Stations presiding. All committee members (Vol. 15:12), with the exception of KPRC-TV Houston’s Jack Harris, were present. Petersmeyer told us the meeting was primarily a get-acquainted-with-the-situation session, with most of the all day meeting devoted to discussion of the present condition of TV’s “industry image” in the eyes of the public. No announcement was made of subcommittee formation or of committee members assigned to head such groups. “We expect to meet our own April 30 deadline for reporting back to NAB on this project,” said Petersmeyer. “At that time, we’ll be in a position to spell out more details of our plans.” ■ Plans for April 17 Conelrad test were made final this week, after FCC’s Comr. Lee & top staff members met with industry’s advisory committee (headed by CBS’s Davidson Vorhes) this week. The drill will run ll:30-Noon EST. About 1200 participating AM stations will remain on the air, while all TV, FM and non-participating AMs will go off. Each station leaving the air is to announce: “This station now leaves the air to cooperate with the U.S. Govt, in conducting a Conelrad drill. Please tune your radio to 640 or 1240kc for a special civil defense program. Normal broadcasting will be resumed in approximately 30 minutes.” One difference from previous tests: Conelrad stations in each “cluster” will remain on the air 3 to 5 minutes instead of 30 seconds. The drill is part of “Operation Alert — 1959” to be conducted by the Office of Civil & Defense Momilization. Mr. & Mrs. Samuel I. Newhouse, who own or have interests in 6 TV & 4 radio stations and 14 newspapers, have acquired controlling interest in Conde Nast Publications Inc., international magazine firm which publishes Vogue, House & Garden and other U.S. magazines as well as publications in Britain & France. The seller was Amalgamated Press Ltd. of London, and the price reportedly was $5,040,000. Conde Nast operated at a loss during 1957 & for the first 9 months of 1958, the last period for which an earnings statement has been issued. The Newhouses own WSYR-TV & WSYR Syracuse, satellite WSYE Elmira, WTPA Harrisburg, WABT & WAPI Birmingham, 50% of KOIN-TV & KOIN, Portland, 25% of KTVI, St. Louis. Modification of monochrome cameras for color may be possible using the system developed at Iowa State College and described by W. L. Hughes at this week’s IRE convention. Based on Iowa State’s already-demonstrated color TV film system, the method may make possible a 2-tube color camera or modification of existing b&w image orthicon for color cameras by adding a vidicon pickup tube and associated circuits. The technique uses one pickup tube for luminance information, the other alternating between red & blue pickups. Hughes said this system, now being constructed at Iowa State, should bring “significant” cost reduction in live and taped color TV. The personality of political candidates and their ability to “project themselves through the screen,” says John P. Cunningham, have given TV an “extremely important” role in political campaigning. That was the conclusion of the board chmn. of Cunningham & Walsh, in revealing details of the first research study by an ad agency which has attempted to measure how TV helps voters to judge political aspirants.