Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

VOL. 15; No. 41 3 Despite new sensations promised in advance by Harris, public itself exhibited no S.R.O. interest in getting close-up looks as contestants of defunct programs (Variety has called them "quizlings") retold their stories of quiz frauds — and re-lived their nights of isolation-booth triumph while kines of 3-year-old performances were flashed on screen. Press gave blanket coverage, however. Bannered Washington Post: ” '21' TV QUIZ RIGGED, 2 TESTIFY," in type usually reserved for international crises. Under streamer, 4 columns were needed to detail contestants' confessions — many of them heard before — about how NBC-TV show was rigged. Editorial in Post said heavily that TV "hoax" had "robbed people of a kind of faith which it is dangerous to destroy in a democracy." Similar splash play on quiz investigation was spread by other newspapers whose Washington reporters had no other Congressional developments to cover last week except dull Senate hearings on unemployment problems. And other editorial writers professed similar outrage over stale scandals. "Brazen fraud," said N.Y, Herald Tribune. "Millions of trusting people were outrageously deceived, deluded, duped, hoodwinked and put upon." It was "sordid," agreed Washington Evening Star, which mockingly pleaded for assurances from somebody that "rigged quiz shows were the only rotten apple in the barrel." PRINT-VS.-TV STUDY APPEARS: Magazines are giving their offensive against TV another shot in the arm. Aiming at nighttime TV, new fall presentation of Magazine Advertising Bureau, based on study by Mkt. Research Corp. of America, attempts to show that network TV reaches lowbrow, low-income audiences and that magazines deliver better market. MAB study is not "anti-TV," or so Newsweek publisher and MAB chmn. Gibson McCabe told preview audience of magazine executives in N.Y. when presentation's initial version was unveiled. Comparison of magazines-vs.-TV was made by research firm using 35 magazines (average cost-per4-color-page-per-l,000: $5.05) against 10 leading TV network shows. Net result, said MAB presentation, was that magazines delivered about 3 times as many households per dollar as TV. Most recent studies of media usage by TV networks & research firms have shown magazine readership — more so than any other media activity, including newspaper reading — hardest hit by TV. According to MAB member Richard E. Deems (exec, v.p., Hearst magazines), however, magazines have "competed successfully" with TV. (For more on this MAB study, see p 13.) ARMED FORCES STATIONS AT PLATEAU: Military TV stations at bases around the world have leveled off at 35, serving an estimated 350,000 troops, and no renewal of expansion is in sight. Lack of funds is reason, reports spokesman (who requested anonymity) for Defense Dept.'s radio & TV branch. Office of Armed Forces Information & Education. There's some hope for resumption of growth following current experiments with a low-cost do-it-yourself station on Midway Island, the latest military outlet, which started this summer. Called "STAR" (for simplified TV and radio), it was built for $15,000, can be operated by one man. This compares with $60,000-$80,000 for the other stations, most of them using Dage equipment. Another important cost factor is production of kines. Six kines of each show are produced at the service's Los Angeles office, bicycled among stations in 50-hour packages. HQ personnel are extremely grateful to industry for cooperation. Blanket agreements with the networks, guilds & unions and 98% of advertisers permit reproduction of virtually all programs. "The impact on troops is tremendous, a terrific morale booster," particularly in such dismal spots as Thule, Greenland, we're told. Favorite programs are "Westerns, movies, quiz shows — the same as here." About 55-65 hours are telecast weekly. Some live originations are offered, primarily news & weather. Broadcast day generally is 4-11 p.m. after duty hours. Stations aren't intended to serve civilians in areas surrounding bases, and attempt is made to keep grade A signal within 2-4-mile radius. (For directory of stations, see p. 293, Factbook No. 29.) Stations serve from 500 to 8,000 receivers each, the total estimated at 50,000-60,000. Each station's equipment includes 2 studio cameras, a film chain, 4-monitor video control, 2 sync generators plus transmitter & antenna. Staffs range from 3 to 19. More civilian help is desired because turnover of servicemen is so great. Each station is under control of the local area commander, but the program is coordinated in Washington under Lt. Col. John H. Lay.