Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

8 Telecasting Notes: Even more optimistic about upward trend in TV billings than McCann-Erickson’s Sidney W. Dean Jr., who predicted advertisers will spend about $750,000,000 on time-&-programs by end of 1954 (Vol. 8:41), is DuMont sales chief Ted Bergmann, who told Philadelphia Television Assn, the other day that network and national spot advertisers in 1956 will be spending $1 billion on the TV medium. This, he noted, would be “2VS times peak radio dollars” . . . DuMont Network itself, said Bergmann, will exceed $10,000,000 in billings this year (Jan. -Aug. PIB figure: $5,988,966) and will triple this by 1956. They totaled $7,761,506 in 1951, about $4,500,000 in 1950, less than $1,000,000 in 1949 (p. 8, TV Factbook No. 15) ... Doom of 700 AM stations (out of some 2350 now operating) was forecast by Ted Cott, who manages NBC’s WNBT & WNBC, New York, at NARTB district meeting in Memphis; to escape being among those weeded out, Cott suggested low costs, originality in programming, more special events to “give listeners a reason for listening” . . . Hollywood will originate more than half of all CBS-TV network shows by 1954, said program v.p. Hubbell Robinson and Pacific Coast v.p. Harry Ackerman in Variety interview pegged on anticipated full use of new “Television City” studios to be dedicated Nov. 15 . . . Tieup of independent WOR-TV, New York, and ABC-affiliate WFIL-TV, Philadelphia, both with network time to spare, plus setup of new CBS-TV 5-station Pacific network, impels Oct. 15 Variety to foresee emergence of “netlets” or regional networks along lines of those that have flourished in AM . . . NBC’s WNBT & WNBC will have own electric “spectacular” at southwest corner of Times Square atop Hermitage Bldg, as of Nov. 15; animated electric sign 90 ft. long with 30-ft. high letters will plug TV-radio programs and sponsors . . . “Blurb boom” is the way Oct. 13 Wall Street Journal headlines its story on tremendous growth of production of filmed commercials for TV, noting that 77 such producers are located in New York alone, several grossing over $1,000,000 a year . . . Daily telecasts of UN sessions finally began on NBC-TV 11-noon Oct. 16 after 2-day delay caused when network engineers, members of NABET, refused to accept feeds from UN cameras operated by rival IBEW; dispute was resolved when NBC camera manned by network engineers was given space in booth assigned to still photographers. CBS-TV’s 30-min. coverage at 4:30 wasn’t affected since network has contract with IBEW . . . 20% pay boost for directors is embraced in new contract negotiated by Radio & TV Directors Guild with networks, agencies & packagers . . . Election night banquet, at which it will play host to 600 local bigwigs, planned by WCCO & WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, with staff of 70 handling news reports, including mobile unit for local returns . . . Unique promotion by Pittsburgh’s WDTV last week saw station deliver popcorn to several hundred local homes between halves of local pro football game it was televising . . . Old GE 5-kw transmitter of KSL-TV, Salt Lake City, has not been sold to Ed Craney for new KXLY-TV, Spokane, as originally reported, though deal was made and then fell through; purchaser is KID, Idaho Falls, not yet granted CP . . . Headley-Read named national sales rep for new WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Bai-re, due on air between Dec. 15-Jan. 15 (Vol. 8:41), with $275 set as base hour rate, $46 for 1 min. . . . Weed & Co. signs to represent new independent uhf station in Rockford, 111. (Balaban), due on air in Feb. . . . CBLT, Montreal, has increased hour rate from $500 to $750, with 5-min. rate now $187.50, 1-min. $150, 20 sec. $112.50, 8 sec. $56.25 . . . New CBS-TV rate card, dated Nov. 15 and incorporating all rate card changes plus new affiliations, due shortly . . . New uhf WAFB-TV, Baton Rouge, La., due in early 1953, signs affiliation with CBS. FIVE FOOTBALL TV substitutions so far this season of major games in National Collegiate Athletic Assn.’s NBC-TV schedule (Vol. 8:37), testify to problems inherent in drawing up pre-season one-game-a-week program. Nationally televised this week was Yale-Cornell contest, but public clamor forced TV substitution in Washington of sold-out Maryland-Navy game and of Oklahoma-Kansas game in Lawrence, Kan. Last week, Texas-Oklahoma appeared on local screens only, and 2 weeks ago, story was same for Michigan-Michigan State and Texas-Notre Dame. NCAA hasn’t yet permitted 2 major games on TV in same area, as U of Pennsylvania requested 3 weeks ago. At last minute, latter withdrew plans to telecast PennNotre Dame game (Vol. 8:39) when NCAA said it would necessitate “bumping” Princeton-Columbia contest off TV. NCAA’s plan calls for intermittent substitution of “small college” games in local areas (Vol. 8:23), but so far only 4 small colleges have appeared on TV. Growing practice of inserting one “big game” for another serves only to point up contradictions in NCAA’s program, despite fact that respected New York Herald Tribune sports writer Red Smith, in Oct. 17 column, called program “an effort to find a way for football and TV to live together, not an attempt to wipe football off the screens.” Importance of TV receipts to professional football was emphasized by National Football League commissioner Bert Bell, who said at Oct. 13 New York luncheon that, if Dept, of Justice wins its anti-trust suit against NFL’s restricted TV policy, only alternative will be to cut all games off TV if crowds are to be enticed to attend. He said that would “put players’ salaries back 10 years, because radio and TV contribute largely to the clubs’ incomes.” Justice Dept, spokesman pointed out this week that suit isn’t aimed at contracts by individual clubs, but only at league’s “conspiracy” to set TV rules for all members. SOME VITAL TV statistics on station operation are being produced by NARTB at its current district meetings— using material derived from surveys of stations and expert advice from panels of experienced telecasters. After studying reports from 6 smallest TV markets, labor relations director Richard Doherty gave District 5 meeting in Atlanta his “educated guess” that TV can make a go of it with annual revenues as low as $150,000 in markets as small as 50,000. On other hand, panel of telecasters at Oct. 14 District 3 session in Harrisburg said expenses should run at least $250,000 before adequate revenues begin to flow. Lawrence Rogers, mgr. of WSAZ-TV, Huntington, noted that his station’s expenses ran $10,000 monthly for first 6 months and that profit wasn’t achieved until expenditures reached $40,000 rate. Other panel members: Paul Raibourn, KTLA, Los Angeles; Roger Clipp, WFILTV, and Charles Vanda, WCAU-TV, Philadelphia; Freeman Cardall, WBAL-TV, Baltimore. Several statistics on rate of station growth were disclosed by Mr. Doherty at Oct. 16 District 2 meeting at New York’s Westchester Country Club. Analysis of 83 non-network-owned stations, comparing May-June with same period year ago, showed that station payrolls increased 24%, personnel 15%, hours of operation 20%. Other findings: (1) Average station employs 97 persons, 71 of them fulltime, with 10 smallest averaging 33. (2) Of fulltime employes, 41% are technical, 28% are program & production, 21% general administration, 6% sales & promotion, 4% film. First post-freeze stations to join NARTB are KFELTV, Denver, upcoming WWLP, Springfield, Mass., & KDUB-TV, Lubbock. Additions bring NARTB membership to 93 of the 112 TV stations now on the air.