Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

14 JUNE 22, 1959 Advertising Quizzing the Admen: FCC will meet the admen July 7 — and for about 2 weeks thereafter — when the Commission resumes its network program inquiry (Vol. 15:9 et seq.) with hearings in the U.S. Courthouse, Foley Square, N.Y. The purpose, as the Commission’s staid announcement put it: “This investigatory proceeding is concerned with the policies & practices pursued by the networks and others in the acquisition, ownership, production, distribution, selection, sale and licensing of TV programs.” FCC chief counsel in the case, Ashbrook Bryant, says that the hearing is expected to run about 6 days (3 days each week). Some 8-15 witnesses from large & small agencies, still unidentified, have agreed to appear — although some may prefer to be subpoenaed, to show they aren’t volunteering. Bryant says that witnesses won’t necessarily be the heads of the agencies, rather, “those on the firing line of programming.” There are no plans to call representatives of advertising associations. “We’re going into considerable detail,” Bryant said, “into the function of the agency in programming.” To guess who might testify, one can simply pick out the top TV men of the top agencies — Ted Bates, J. Walter Thompson, Young & Rubicam, Benton & Bowles, BBDO, etc. The N.Y. press will have a field day. Commerce Dept.’s new Advertising Committee, within framework of the National Distribution Council of business advisers, will hold its first meeting in Washington next Monday (June 29). NAB pres. Harold E. Fellows represents broadcasters on the Committee, which is headed by pres. Frederic R. Gamble of the American Assn, of Advertising Agencies. Other members: Wm. K. Beard (Associated Business Publications), Paul B. West (Assn, of National Advertisers), Robert E. Harper (National Business Publications), John C. Freeman (National Industrial Advertisers Assn.), Charles W. Collier (Advertising Assn, of the West), C. James Proud (Advertising Federation of America), E. C. Nash (Agricultural Publishers Assn.), Cranston Williams (ANPA), Robert F. Delay (Direct Mail Advertising Assn.), Robert E. Kenyon Jr. (Magazine Publishers Assn.), Harold B. Mers (National Assn, of Transportation Advertising), Edgar S. Bayol (National Editorial Assn.), Karl L. Chaster Jr. (Outdoor Advertising Assn.) . New reps: Transcontinent TV stations (WROC-TV Rochester, WGR-TV Buffalo, WNTP-TV Scranton-WilkesBarre, WSVA-TV Harrisonburg) to Retry July 1 (from Peters, Griffin, Woodward for all except WNEP-TV, which moves from Avery-Knodel). Skyline Network stations (KID-TV Idaho Falls, KLIX-TV Twin Falls, KOOK-TV Billings, KXLF-TV Butte) to Hollingbery July 1 (from Gill-Perna). KCIX-TV Nampa to Weed (from McGavrenQuinn). WAIM-TV Anderson, S.C., to Devney (from Headley-Reed). Radio WKFM Chicago is suing Pulse for $577,500, charging discriminatory practices because the rating service failed to list the station in a recent measurement study. Pulse dir. Sydney Roslow said that the charge is “wholly without basis,” that many stations are omitted from such studies. New agency for all Storer Bcstg. Co. advertising will be Peter Finney & Co., Miami, as of Aug. 1. James M. Woodman will be account exec. In Other Media: Look’s ad rates rise with magazine’s Feb. 16, 1960 issue, to meet increased production costs. 1 Simultaneously, circulation guarantee increases to 6 million from current 5,550,000 ... In the face of Life’s news ^ stand price cut, and Time’s 15< test, SatEvePost June 27 issue increases by 5c to 20C in three state.s — may presage j a national hike. Post circulation is at a new high of 6.2 j million and ad revenue for first-half of 1959 is $3 million j ahead of first-half 1958 . . . Thne this week devotes its cover story to Shirley MacLaine, of movies and TV ... | Another TV personality to get the cover treatment is ABPT pres. Leonard Goldenson, in the June 15 Forbes. Guided by the principle that the public must have what it wants, even if that means overloading on Westerns, Goldenson, says the article, has increased ABC revenues 5fold since 1953 . . . The Gallagher Report predicts forceful moves by the Sunday supplements to combat TV’s inroads. They’re losing ad pages in bunches, as figures for firsthalf 1959 vs. first-half 1958 show: American Weekly is off 41.89i, Family Weekly minus 19. 6(^, This Week down 14.5% and Parade off 9.4%. Printers’ Ink, in a survey of linage for first-half 1959 vs. first-half 1958, shows Sunday supplements off 12. 6'; -i, following a May loss of only 0.2%. Advertising People: Sylvester L. (Pat) Weaver, former NBC chairman and more recently advertising consultant to Kaiser Industries and McCann-Erickson, named McCannErickson (International) chairman. John Boyd, Clifford Dillon, Emile Frisard, Muriel Haynes, Gabriel Ondeck and Otto Prochaska, v.p.’s & asst, creative dir.’s, Compton Adv., named creative dir.’s. . . . Henry L. Musser named v.p., Doherty, Clifford, Steers & Shenfield . . . William D. Fisher appointed v.p. & broadcast programming dir., Gardner Adv. Vincent F. Aiello has resigned as senior v.p., MacManus, John & Adams . . . Victor W. Canever named senior v.p., D. P. Brother . . . Harwood Hull, exec, v.p., Publicidad Badillo Inc., San Juan, Puerto Rico, elected pres., Adv. Agency Association of Puerto Rico. James P. Wilkerson & Edward L. Bond Jr. named senior v.p.’s of Young & Rubican, operating in the international & contact divisions respectively . . . William T. Kammerer, William J. Kennedy, Winston W. Kirchart and Martin J. Murphy elected Ted Bates v.p.’s. TV ad dollars from toys zoomed 61% in 1958 vs. 1957, reports TvB, and the number of toy makers in TV rose 89%. The toy & games industry’s 1958 TV picture showed more than $3.5 million invested by 121 firms, compared with 1957’s $2,175 million by 64. Station Rate Increases Station Base Hour Minute Date WTTG Washington $1300 to $2000 $120 to $160 June 1 WKRC-TV Cincinnati 1200 to 1300 330 to 350 May 1 WLWA Atlanta 1000 to 1100 225 to 275 May 1 WBRC-TV Birmingham .... 850 to 1000 250 to 300 June 1 WAPI-TV Birmingham .... 800 to 900 250 to 275 June 1 KARD-TV Wichita . 750 to 700t 150 to 165 May 15 WFGA-TV Jacksonville .... 600 to 750 150 to 200 June 1 WMT-TV Cedar Rapids .... 625 to 700 135 to 160 June 1 WKRG-TV Mobile 500 to 550 120 to 140 May 1 WeSH-TV Portland, Me. .. dOO to 550 100 to 110 May 1 WRGP-TV Chattanooga .. 400 to 450 80 to 100 June 1 WLBZ-TV Bangor 325 to 375 65 to 75 May 1 •KID-TV Idaho Falls 250 to 275 70 to 82.50 June 1 K.MMT Austin, Minn 200 to 250 40 to 50. May 1 •KOOK-TV Billings 200 to 250 45 to 62.50$ June 1 •KFBB-TV Great Falls .... 225 to 2.50 65 to 75 June 1 KTRE-TV Lufkin 225 to 250 45 to 60 July 1 •Skyline TV Network (KID-TV. KLIX-TV Twin Falls, KOOK-TV BillinKS, KXLF-TV Butte, KFBB Great Falls) has rais^ base hour from $97.) to $1011. .50, rain. $275 to $303.50. tRecrease. t20 sec. only.