Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

6 APRIL 13, 1959 Networks NETWORK SALES BRISK: What sales executives of each of the three networks term “the earliest sales season in years” gave every evidence in N. Y. last week of producing one of the biggest fall sponsor lineups in TV’s history. Currently, there is an over-all total of 69 nighttime half-hours of sponsored time weekly on all 3 networks. CBS-TV and NBC-TV have some 25 hours apiece, with ABC-TV carrying about 20 (the total shifts slightly from week to week because of shortterm deals). The unsold slack is about 20 half-hours weekly, and in terms of the fall outlook, is melting away with unusual rapidity. At ABC-TV — which again this year shows the most dramatic gain among the 3 networks — a total of 6% hours (nearly 12 half-hours) were still unsold in the fall lineup late last week. The ABC gain can be seen by a comparison with the sales levels of last year, when, in July, ABC still had 14 half-hours on its hands, and as late as Sept, a total of 10 (Vol. 14:29-36). “As of now we’re 75% sold out for fall,” was how ABC-TV v.p. & gen. sales mgr. Don Coyle put it to us. NBC and CBS are also enjoying an early and bullish round of sales. “I doubt that any of the networks will hit a standing-room-only level,” Edward F. Lethen Jr., mgr. of network sales development at CBS-TV, told us, adding, “However, we’re pretty well sold out for fall, with our problems centering on contingency deals & sales running at a definitely higher level for this time of year. Last year, the recession held up sales. This season, advertisers all want to lock up early.” NBC-TV expects to have its fall schedules virtually set by the end of April, and predicts “one of our biggest seasons,” according to Walter D. Scott, now exec. v.p. of the network. Scott’s general fall sales forecast to us is that “NBC will closely rival CBS and will still be ahead of ABC, even though ABC is now in a competitive program situation 6 nights a week.” NBC’s sell-out level isn’t clear, according to Scott, because of several time & program clearances still up in the air, chiefiy from major cigaret & auto advertisers. * * * * General outlook: Networks expect to be fairly firm in fall schedules at least by the end of May, and possibly before— a gain of nearly 2 months over the 1958 situation. All are in a strong sales position, although all still have unsold shows & time periods. Unlike the situation last spring when recession-nipped budgets caused sponsors to delay commitments as late as July and Aug., brisk sales are now causing traffic jams on key viewing nights, with all networks deeply involved in juggling schedules and shows. Some 450 disenchanted TV sponsors — the companies who were on network TV at some period between 1949 & 1957, but who disappeared in 1958 — are described & partially listed in April 6 Advertising Age. The list is counterbalanced with names of first-time 1958 sponsors. A typographical mishap reversed the totals for Jan. 1958 & Jan. 1959 in our network billings tabulation last week (Vol. 15:14; p. 7). To keep your record straight, please transpose these figures in your back-number file. ‘TAPE NETWORK’ FOR CBS OUTLETS: A non-network interchange of taped public service shows is planned to start May 30 for CBS-TV o&o stations— WCBS-TV N.Y., KNXT Los Angeles, and WBBM-TV Chicago. Craig Lawrence, v.p. in charge of CBS-owned stations, describes the plan — which sets a new pattern in public service programming among the networks — as follows : (1) Each of the 3 stations will produce on tape 13 half-hour shows, of a public affairs nature but in a different field from the others. Duplicate tapes will be “bicycled” to non-originating stations. (2) Each station will thus be airing 90 min. of public service programming each week, although actually producing 30 min. “The shows will be available for local or national spot sponsorship, and could even be bought as a group,” Lawrence tells us. (3) Apart from the show budgets themselves, Lawrence estimates that the costs for the tape interchange (making copies, shipping, etc.) will be “in the neighborhood of $90-$100,000 during the 13-week trial period.” (4) CBS-TV is “exploring” (but hasn’t made any firm deals yet) a broadening of the plan’s base to make the tape shows available for syndication to other stations, or on an exchange basis with similar shows overseas. Although the plan is termed by Lawrence “our first use of video tape in program exchanges by CBS-owned stations,” it isn’t the first swap arrangement evolved by the network’s o&o’s. For the past 3 years, 5 of the CBS stations have been exchanging Give Us This Day, a 5min. filmed religious show used at sign-off, with each station contributing its share of produced films to a pool. The programs due to be exchanged by the three stations are: Young Audiences, a WCBS-TV music appreciation series aimed at school children; Books Alive, a KNXT literature series featuring dramatic excerpts; and Out of This World, a WBBM-TV science show dealing with space travel & “popular astronomy.” ABC Building Specials: ABC, seeking to double the num 1 ber of spectaculars on the network next season (5 this season), is hunting for big names to star in one spectacular a month next year. Toward this end, program v.p. Thomas W. Moore is due on the Coast this week for conferences with ABC Western div. v.p. and program dir. Sandy Cummings & Hollywood producers. Bing Crosby is already set for 2 spectaculars next season, plus his Pebble Beach Golf Tournament. Frank Sinatra may star in 6 spectaculars, and the network will nego I tiate for Danny Kaye to make his live TV debut starring opposite Sinatra in one of them. ABC also wants Maurice 1 Chevalier to star in one of the Sinatra specials. Counsel for Fulton Lewis Jr., arguing last week for a new trial in Federal Court in Washington, characterized as “grotesquely excessive” & “a shocking injustice” the $145,000 damages which had been awarded Seattle educator Mrs. Pearl Wanamaker in her libel suit against the MBS commentator. Attorney Roger Rabb was referring to the jury’s award for a broadcast in which Lewis linked Mrs. Wanamaker with Communists (Vol. 15:6). William S. Paley, chmn. of CBS Inc., was scheduled for one of his rare broadcast appearances April 11, to discuss plans for next season’s CBS radio coverage of the Metropolitan Opera with Lauder Greenway, the Opera’s chmn., between the acts of “Tosca,” final broadcast this season. I I I