Television digest with AM-FM reports (Jan-Dec 1951)

PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY RADIO NEWS BUREAU, 1519 CONNECTICUT AVE. N.W., WASHINGTON 6, D.C. TELEPHONE MICHIGAN 2020 • VOl. 7. NO. 36 September 8, 1951 Fabulous Upswing in TV Billings, page 1. Mn this Few New Stations Before 1953, page 2. Expanding TV Spans the Continent, page 3. Mssutt. Theatre TV’s Newest Sports Wrinkle, page U^ NCAA Football Telecast Schedule, page 5. Proposal to Obtain Theal re-TV Frequencies, page 5. RCA Color Showings — CBS Plans — Paramount’s Tube, p. 6. High Optimism Keynotes the TV Trade, page 8. More Metal Cuts Coming — And Then Some, page 11. Trade, Financial & Mobilization Notes, pages 9, 10 & 13. FABULOUS UPSWING IN TV BILLINGS: Sellouts of time on telecasting stations & networks are currently at such an amazing rate that one New York station alone will achieve 1951 billings of close to $8,000,000 after frequency discounts. That would mean gross sales of somewhere around $10,000,000, as ordinarily calculated in the trade. That's far more than any 50-kw radio station has ever grossed — most likely is highest for any TV station, albeit many other telecasters have gone into 7-figure grosses and we know several who admit "pushing $5,000,000. " The station is NBC-TV's New York key WNBT, with base hour rate of $5750 as of Aug. 15, one-minute rate of $775. It's possible Vl/CBS-TV, rival key, will do just as well, for its rates are the same and it's also reported to be a sellout. WNBT's astonishing achievement points up wave of prosperity that is being enjoyed by just about all the 107 TV stations. Most are operating in the black now, and the few that may show losses for year will do so because of deep red-ink starts and because they must yet pay off the huge costs of pioneering. The WNBT & WCBS-TV rates are highest in country, former's comparing with $1200 on companion WNBC, latter's with $1550 on companion WCBS (latter highest rate in radio). Other New York TV station base hour and one-minute rates are: WJZ-TV. $3100 & $650 (WJZ rate is $1200) ; WABD, $2200 & $500 (no AM) ; WOR-TV. $1500 & $300 (WOR $1200) ; WPIX, $1500 & $281.25 (no AM) ; WATV, Newark, $800 & $165 (WAAT $264). * 4= * * TV networks as such are still far from the black — but all owned-&-managed stations are now profitable. Indeed, NBC-TV's 5 outlets will gross some $17,000,000 this year (after discounts). From independent operators of TV with AM stations, most of them reluctant to disclose actual figures, this comment is typical; "Radio is up, but our TV revenue is now more than double our radio." We estimated $250,000,000 in time sales this year for networks and stations combined, just few weeks ago (Vol. 7:32). That figure now looks conservative! For network time sales are really zooming. August NBC-TV network sales (not including its own stations) will overtake dollar-volume of AM network's time sales. For September, we're informed, with season in full swing and new rates in effect, NBC-TV network volume will very nearly double NBC-radio network volume ! The other TV networks are going up, too — but it's the stations they own that offset network losses. ABC-TV's 5 outlets give it fiscal edge over DuMont with 3 and CBS with 2 plus 45% of third. But the hard-runner for second place in network TV billings is CBS-TV (see PIB figCires, Vol. 7:34). CBS now seeks more stations, proposing to buy Paramount's WBKB, Chicago, for $6,000,000, and proposing also to get them by way of new-station applications and grants at freeze's end. if if i;: if Same hard-headed facts of TV network life which impelled DuMont to enormous effort of drafting a nation-wide channel allocation plan as alternative to FCC ' s Copyright Ifi&l by Radio News Bureau I 0 1951