Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

8 Telecasting Notes: Most expensive single-sponsor TV network shows of 1952, program-wise, were Texaco Star Theatre (Milton Berle), averaging $59,000 per week, and Colgate Comedy Hour, $50,000, both on NBC-TV, according to new Television Magazine data book. In section listing all network programs, advertisers, number of performances, time charges and average program costs, these were next highest-priced (from production standpoint only, not time costs) : Buick’s Circus Hour, NBC, $45,000; Blatz’s Amos V Andy, CBS, and Lucky Strike’s Your Hit Parade, NBC, $40,000 each; Philip Morris’ I Love Lucy, CBS, and Tide’s Red Skelton, NBC, $38,000 each; Gillette’s Cavalcade of Sports, NBC, $35,000; GE’s Fred Waring, CBS, $32,000; General Foods’ Our Miss Brooks, CBS, $31,000. Running at higher total costs, of course, were some multiple-sponsor programs — NBC’s Your Show of Shows & All Star Revue and CBS’s Omnibus & Jackie Gleason Show. All costs aren’t stratospheric, however, as can be seen by these averages at other end of scale: Burton-Dixie’s Remember These Things, ABC, $1000; Quaker Oats’ Gabby Hayes, NBC, $1100; Longines’ Chronoscope, CBS, $1500; Procter & Gamble’s Guiding Light, CBS, and American Home Products’ Love of Life, CBS, $1700 each; Proctor & Gamble’s Search for Tomorrow, CBS, and Norwich Pharmacal Co.’s Sunday News Special, CBS, $1800 each; Tide Water Associated Oil Co.’s Broadway to Hollywood, DuMont, Lever Bros.’ Hawkins Falls, NBC, and Serutan’s Life Begins At Eighty, DuMont, $2000 each . . . Headline in April 22 Variety that tells its own story: “Alert Radio (1st), TV (2nd) Scoop All Dailies (3d) on War Prisoner Names” . . . Fred Ziv’s burgeoning TV-radio program operations now represent $25,000,000 annual billings, reports Variety, of which $13,000,000 is derived from service to 80 TV stations . . . How TV stimulated growth of Alexander Film Co., Colorado Springs, Colo., into a top place among nation’s industrial film producers, is described in 5-col. article in April 20 Advertising Age . . . DuMont has signed East-West football game for benefit of Shriners’ Crippled Children’s Hospital for next 3 years, sponsor to be announced . . . CBS-TV signs Frederick DeCordova, veteran movie director recently with Universal, to long-term contract as producer-director . . . George Jessel’s first chore on ABC-TV will be quiz show titled The Last Word; he will answer questions about show business . . . Six years of cooperation between WFIL-TV and Temple U’s campus stations WRTI-AM & WRTI-FM, which it helped found, are reviewed in pamphlet titled Working Together, printed and distributed by Temple and listing all TV-radio courses offered there . . . WTOP-TV, Washington, April 1 raised Class A hour rate from $700 to $1100, min. from $140 to $165 . . . WBKB, Chicago, April 15 raised Class A hour from $1500 to $1650, all other program time 10%, but Class B spots were cut $50 . . . WICU, Erie, May 1 raises Class A hour from $500 to $600, min. from $90 to $120, sets up new Class C schedule, reducing daytime rates. EXTENSIONS OF CPs will soon be sought by quite a few 1952 new-station grantees in line with FCC rules requiring that construction begin within 2 months of grant and be completed within 6 additional months. Since uhf equipment was slow in coming off the line until only recently, FCC has been lenient in matter of granting extensions— but it can be assumed it will ask for progress reports from every laggard grantee. In that connection, of the 174 CPs granted last year, we’re proud to report that our continuing survey of upcoming new stations has been able to give you a progress or target date report on all but a scant half dozen of the 1952 grantees — and, of course, on most of the 150-odd others granted thus far this year. The only 1952 CP holders from whom neither questionnaires nor repeated letters of inquiry have evoked replies— and on whom we have no reports from manufacturers that they have ordered equipment as yet — are WATR-TV, Waterbury, Conn. (Ch. 53) ; WSJL, Bridgeport, Conn. (Ch. 49); KCTV, Austin, Tex. (Ch. 18); KTVR, Galveston, Tex. (Ch. 41); WONN-TV, Lakeland, Fla. (Ch. 16); WARD-TV, Johnstown, Pa. (Ch. 56). In addition to these, WIP-TV, Philadelphia (Ch. 29) has replied but hasn’t ordered equipment yet or fixed target date ; nor has WRAK-TV, Williamsport, Pa. (Ch. 36), which is still casting about for a suitable uhf site (Vol. 9:16). Otherwise, this column has reported more or less definitely on all 1952 grantees, and will continue to do so on those and on subsequent CPs as quickly as l’eplies are received from the principals. This week’s reports from uhf grantees: KFSA-TV, Fort Smith, Ark. (Ch. 22) has rescheduled opening to May 31 from previously reported May 1 (Vol. 8:50, 9:4) due to delay in GE equipment delivery, reports mgr. Weldon Stamps. Pearson will be rep. WGOV-TV, Valdosta, Ga. (Ch. 37) has ordered RCA equipment, is selecting building site and plans November debut, according to v.p. W. H. Keller Jr., representing E. D. Rivers Jr., owner. New firm, Stars National Inc., 400 Madison Ave., New York, will be national sales rep. KEDD, Wichita, Kan. (Ch. 16) has moved forward its projected starting date again, now plans test patterns around Aug. 1, l’eports Stanley H. Durwood, of the Kansas City theatre family, who has charge. GE equipment has been ordered. Ben B. Baylor Jr., ex-WMAL & WMAL-TV, Washington, has been engaged as gen. mgr. WIBM-TV, Jackson, Mich. (Ch. 48), authorized last Nov. 19, still hasn’t ordered equipment or begun construction, but owner Roy Radner reports he expects to begin operation in Sept.; previously he had reported “early summer” tai'get (Vol. 8:50). WCBI-TV, Columbus, Miss. (Ch. 28) has not ordered equipment as yet, but plans to begin operation in “late 1953 or early 1954,” according to owner Birney Imes Jr. McGillvra will be rep. WCOC-TV, Meridian, Miss. (Ch. 30), granted CP last December, is proceeding with construction, has been promised delivei’y of GE equipment by July 15 and plans to begin operation “soon as possible after delivery,” reports Withers Gavin, pi-esident and gen. mgr. Rep has not yet been chosen. WTVU, Scranton, Pa. (Ch. 73), pi-eviously reported due in April or May (Vol. 9:10,13), now plans test patterns May 25 with Federal equipment and programming June 1, reports gen. mgr. Jan King. Rep will be Bolling. If it makes dates, it will be first on air of the 3 uhf scheduled for Scranton — others being WGBI-TV (Ch. 22), which last reported June 7 tai’get (Vol. 9:13), and WARM-TV (Ch. 16), scheduled for late summer or early fall (Vol. 9:10). WDAK-TV, Columbus, Ga. (Ch. 28), authorized last month to Allen M. Woodall’s WDAK and Martin Theatres of Georgia Inc., gets first transmitter to be shipped during May from RCA. It’s scheduled to leave Camden week of May 4. Tests are tentatively set for Sept. 1. HeadleyReed will be rep. Grantee in Watei’loo, Ind. (Ch. 15), headed by R. Morris Pierce, pi’esident of WDOK, Cleveland, has ordered RCA equipment, aims to “kick off” with World Series Oct. 1, hasn’t yet selected call letters or national rep. KAGR-TV, Yuba City, Cal. (Ch. 52) has plans partially completed for downtown studios but hasn’t ordered equipment yet because it may seek to amend CP for mountain-top location, reports Paul E. Leake, of Lafay