Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1959)
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6
NOVEMBER 30, 1959
Net TV Up Sharply in Sept.: The national ad volume
romped to a 15% gain in Sept, over Sept.. 1958, with all major media but network radio contributing strongly to the increase. The latest Printers’ Ink index shows that network TV gained across the board — 16% ahead of a year ago, 10% for year to date, and 6% in Sept, over Aug. The Sept.-over-Sept. gains were paced by magazines, up 21%, and newspapers, up 20%. Network TV, however, racked up the biggest Sept.-over-Aug. gain. Newspapers were up 4% total magazines down 1%. The poorest performances were scored by network radio; down 31% from a year ago, down 13% for year to date, down 5% in Sept, from Aug. Best performance; general monthly magazines — 30% ahead in Sept, over Sept.; 18% ahead cumulatively; 5% ahead Sept, over Aug.
Index
% Change from
% Cumu
Medium
Sept.
Sept.
1 month
1 year
lative
1959
1958
ago
ago
Change
General Index
... 230
200
+ 2
+15
+ 8
Total Magazines
... 173
143
— 1
+21
+11
Weekly
Women's
... 190
157
+21
+ 9
... 118
107
— 8
+10
+ 9
General Monthly ...,
... 235
181
+ 5
+30
+18
Farm
... 107
96
— 2
+11
+ 4
Newspapers
... 216
180
+ 4
+20
+ 7
Network Television
... 462
400
-t 6
+16
+10
Network Radio
... 20
29
— 5
—31
— 13
Business Papers
... 241
218
-f 2
+10
+ 5
Outdoor
... 149
145
—10
+ 3
— 3
ABC-TV is leading by a hair in a close race among the 3 networks for top honors in Nielsen’s 24-city rating reports on fully competitive TV areas. The measurements reflect viewing in about 40% of the nation’s TV homes. For the week ending Nov. 15, the prime-time (7;30-10;30 p.m.) standing, in terms of audience shares between the networks, went like this; ABC-TV — 30.6; CBS-TV — 30.4; NBC-TV — 29.7. Mathematically, it’s a dead heat — for the first time — between the 3 networks, since the differences between the audience shares are within the “probable error” in ratings calculated by Nielsen. However, it reflects a 10% gain for ABC over the comparable week of a year ago and, according to ABC-TV researchers, points to a stronger showing in the national Nielsen measurements covering the first half of Nov.
Walt Disney Productions moved in N.Y. federal court Nov. 25 to take depositions of AB-PT Pres. Leonard Goldenson and 12 other ABC-TV executives in connection with a Disney suit against AB-PT. Disney is seeking an antitrust action against ABC-TV for dropping Zorro & Mickey Mouse Club.
MBS added 8 affiliates last week. They are KLOQ Yakima, Wash.; KBKC Mission, Kan.; WROD Daytona Beach, Fla., WGTM Wilson, N.C.; WESX, Salem Mass.; WORD Boston; WTWN St. Johnsbury, Vt. and WIKE Newport, Vt.
NETWORK SALES ACTIVITY
NBC-TV
Journey to Understanding — Vol. II, 7-part program covering President Eisenhower’s trip abroad. Brown & Williamson (Ted Bates)
Texaco Huntley-Brinkley Report, Mon.-Fri., 6;45-7 p.m., renewal through 1960.
Texaco (Cunningham & Walsh)
Jerry Lewis special, May 20, 1960, 8;30-9;30 p.m., first network venture for advertiser.
Proctor Electric (Weiss & Geller)
‘Support Code,’ Warns NBC: In still another move to tighten broadcaster control of programs & commercials before there’s a concerted move toward more govt, control, NBC-TV last week told its affiliates flatly that they should get behind the self-regulatory NAB code, and stay there.
The no-nonsense stand of NBC in support of NAB was in the form of a letter to affiliate management from David C. Adams, senior exec. vp. Adams made it clear from the outset that his letter was intended “to underscore the importance of the NAB TV code as an embodiment of the concept of industry self-regulation.”
To make the NAB code work (in terms of providing “balanced, diversified programming” and in eliminating anything that will “violate standards of good taste & integrity”), Adams offered a simple 2-point plan. All TV broadcasters, he stated, should subscribe to the code, and all should comply faithfully with “its standards & spirit.”
The letter wasn’t to be considered as a join-NAB-orelse order, Adams pointed out, adding that the whole idea of self-regulation could be destroyed by “pressured action.” But Adams strongly urged non-NAB outlets to “weigh the position of broadcasting and your position in it, and make the right decision about subscribing to the code.” There was little doubt any more about what NBC considered the “right decision” to be.
Adams’ letter followed by less than a week the creation by CBS-TV of a new “program practices” dept, headed by vp Joseph H. Ream (Vol. 15; 47, p3). It also served notice on Sen. Magnuson (D. Wash.), chmn. of the Senate Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee who has stated he doubts NAB’s Code is “adequate,” that NBC has every intention of seeing that it is.
Flying tape studio, to be used by CBS News in covering President Eisenhower’s trip through Europe & India and reported by us last week (Vol. 15;47, p23), was scheduled to leave N.Y. for London Nov. 30. The tape-equipped DC-4 is being operated for CBS by Mobile Videotape TV Co. (MVT-TV). It carries 20 passengers, 3 live cameras, U.S.-standard Ampex recorder, portable power plant and dormitory facilities for the CBS & MVT-TV crews. The tape equipment is ground-mobile, and will be transferred to recording trucks in Rome & New Delhi for on-thescene coverage of the Presidential trip.
Single TV-radio rating service “such as publishers’ Audit Bureau of Circulation” was proposed in Chicago Nov. 23 by MBS Pres. Robert F. Hurleigh. “In the past few years the use of the rating as a crutch has nullified Madison Ave.’s selling creativity,” Hurleigh said. Ratings services “should consider developing a standard rating service that can check a larger percentage of the population than the 3/10,000 of 1% now providing the base.”
CBC manual of video-tape charges to advertisers & agencies employing taping services at its Toronto & Montreal stations has been issued by the Canadian network. The rates cover video-tape recording & playback, tape-totape recording & dubbing, cutting & splicing, storage, other services. Copies of the rate manual are available on request from W. R. Johnston, CBC, Box 806, Ottawa, Ontario.
CBS-TV is negotiating with several oil companies for exploration under its Television City property in Hollywood. This makes it the second TV company to seek “black gold.” Desilu Productions has a deal with Continental Oil for drilling of its studio acreage in Culver City. Continental also has MGM. And 20th Century-Fox has 26 wells.