Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

7 Station Accounts: National Assn, of Retail Clothiers & Furnishers, 1006 Munsey Bldg., Washington, D. C., reporting on ad practices of 72 men’s wear stores when TV entered their trading areas, states that 17 are now using TV, 38 radio; that the arrival of TV cut down use of radio by 21 stores; that in 27 communities without TV as yet, 20 stores use radio . . . Florida Citrus Commission allocates $620,000 of new $2,500,000 budget for TV, $120,000 for radio, $770,000 magazines, $703,000 newspapers . . . F. C. Russell Co. (Rusco metal windows) using TV-radio along with newspapers in dealer cooperative campaign, featuring contest for letters starting “I like Rusco because . . .” and pegged to celebration of its 10,000,000th window, going to baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N. Y. . . . Arrow Utilities Stores, N. Y. chain, to promote Fedders air conditioners and GE appliances, sponsoring Sunday Surprise Party on WABD, Sun. 11-midnight, with Hal Block as m.c. of comedy, music, fashions, quiz show . . . Regal-Amber Brewing Co. sponsoring Frosty Frolics, ice show, on 8 western stations, thru Guild, Bascom & Bonfigli, San Francisco . . . Among other advertisers reported using or preparing to use TV : Barberette Co. (home hair trimmer), thru Smith, Hagel & Snyder, N. Y.; Skinner & Eddy Corp. (Icy Point salmon), thru Paris & Peart, N. Y.; Blueberry Cooperative Assn, (fresh blueberries), thru Charles W. Hoyt Co., N. Y.; F. O. Pierce Co. (Pierce paints), thru S. R. Leon Co., N. Y.; Pepperidge Farm Inc. (Pepperidge Farm bread), thru Kenyon & Eckhardt, N. Y.; International Latex Corp. (Playtex baby products), thru Foote, Cone & Belding, N. Y.; Casco Co. (Casco sun-tan oil), thru Ted Witter, Canton, O.; Hairguard Co. (Hairguard hair treatment), thru John Shrager Inc., N. Y.; Reddi-Spred Corp. (Reddi-Spred for bread), thru Abner J. Gelula & Assoc., Philadelphia; Vaporette Inc. (bug killer), thru H. G. Sample Adv., Atlanta. fpOOTBALL schedule on NBC-TV’s Game of the Week ' next fall, as announced by sponsor General Motors, comprises 11 complete games and parts of 8 otheis, to be telecast over 12-week period starting Sept. 19. Schedule, arranged in cooperation with National Collegiate Athletic Assn., features “panoramic” telecasts Oct. 24 and Nov. 7, when portions of 4 games played in different sections of country will be seen. In addition to full nationwide schedule, GM also announced it’s prepared to sponsor one-station telecasts of important sell-out games as they come up during season. Full schedule: Sept. 19, Nebraska vs. Oregon at Lincoln, Neb.; Sept. 26, Dartmouth vs. Holy Cross at Lynn, Mass.; Oct. 3, California vs. Ohio State at Berkeley, Cal.; Oct. 10, Texas vs. Oklahoma at Dallas; Oct. 17, Alabama vs. Tennessee at Birmingham; Oct. 24 (panoramic), Princeton vs. Cornell at Princeton, Mississippi vs. Arkansas at Memphis, Illinois vs. Syracuse at Champaign, 111., Iowa vs. Indiana at Iowa City, la.; Oct. 31, Minnesota vs. Pitt at Minneapolis. Nov. 7 (panoramic), Florida vs. Georgia at Jacksonville, South Carolina vs. North Carolina at Columbia, S. C., Northwestern vs. Wisconsin at Evanston, 111., Kansas vs. Kansas State at Lawrence; Nov. 14, Michigan State vs. Michigan at East Lansing; Nov. 21, Southern California vs. UCLA at Los Angeles; Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving), Utah vs. Brigham Young at Salt Lake City; Nov. 28, Army vs. Navy at Philadelphia; Dec. 5, Notre Dame vs. Southern Methodist at South Bend, Ind. ■ More blame on TV : Bus company owner complains TV is forcing him out of business in Cumberland, Md. by keeping patrons home at night, adds he’s lost money last 4 years. TV’s impact on evening transit revenues is common lament in many larger cities, London transportation officials recently asking fare boost because of it. Jfeiwork Accounts: Ford Motor Co.’s spectacular 2-hr. anniversary American Road show June 15 was one of TV’s milestones — Variety’s George Rosen calling it “a dream show,” typical of many rave notices — which automatically evokes question why netwoi’ks don’t repeat such patently outstanding programs for benefit of millions who weren’t able to catch it first time around. Networks traditionally shy away from kine repeats, citing costs of talent, difficulties of clearing time, doubts about size of audience on re-runs, etc. but fact remains that cost problems have been overcome before, labor contracts have been amended, and millions of televiewers would be eternally grateful for opportunity to enjoy one of TV’s treats. (Consider, for example, how often old films are unreeled.) June 15 show cost Ford $500,000, of which $210,000 went into time costs on NBC-TV & CBS-TV (114 stations combined) and Trendex came up with preliminary rating of 57.7 (38.2 on CBS-TV, 19.5 on NBC-TV), estimating 92.5% of sets-inuse were tuned to show . . . General Foods (Post Cereals) to sponsor Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers beginning Sept. 12 on CBS-TV, Sat. 11:30 a.m.-12, thru Young & Rubicam . . . Ozite (rug underlay) reported buying 5 participations per week for 13 weeks on Today, starting in October, on NBC-TV, Mon.-Fri. 7-9 a.m., thru Krupnick & Assoc. . . . Pressed Steel Car Co., after testing exSen. Blair Moody’s filmed Meet Your Congress for 7 weeks in 4 markets, to start DuMont schedule July 7, Tue. 8:30-9 p.m., thru Albert Frank-Guenther Law, N. Y. . . . Lucky Strike replaces Your Hit Parade in summer with Private Secretary film series, starting June 27 on NBC-TV, Sat. 10:30-11 p.m., thru BBDO . . . Bristol-Myers Co. replaces Ken Murray Show during summer with Arthur Murray Party, starting June 28 on CBS-TV, Sun. 9:30-10 p.m., thru Doherty, Clifford, Steers & Shenfield . . . General Foods (Swans Down flour) sponsors Footlights Theatre as summer replacement for Our Miss Brooks, beginning July 3 on CBS-TV, Fri. 9:30-10 p.m. thru Young & Rubicam. ABC-TV has closed deal with Motion Picture Assn, of America (Eric Johnston office) to carry Hollywood Parade, weekly half-hour excerpts from new movies with appearances of screen stars provided by 10 major producers— Allied Artists, Columbia, MGM, Paramount, RKO, Republic, 20th Century, United Artists, Universal, Warner Bros. Pilot production is already planned for fall or winter start, with ABC western div. program director Cecil Barker having overall supervision. Arrangements permit series to be carried either commercial or sustaining. The big movie firms, some heretofore holding back on TV, aim to take advantage of exploitation value of TV. Colorado Sen. Ed Johnson’s bill (S. 1396) to allow major league baseball teams to bar telecasts and broadcasts of games within 50 miles of their cities (Vol. 9:24), ran aground temporarily in Senate this week when Sen. Dirksen (R-Ill.) objected to its passage by unanimous consent. It now will have to take its chances along with other legislation in summer rush for adjournment. NARTB renewed its opposition (Vol. 9:19) when board adopted resolution saying “it would be tragic” if bill passed. On other side of Capitol, Rep. Herlong (D-Fla.), who like Johnson is minor league official, introduced companion bill in House. TV’s “sound track” is becoming important pai’t~o*f Mutual’s business. In addition to carrying the audio of Bishop Fulton Sheen’s DuMont telecasts, it now also has Eddie Fisher Show, which originates on NBC-TV and is rebroadcast on NBC-Radio and then on MBS; beginning Aug. 31, Mutual will also carry CBS-TV’s 3-times-weekly Perry Como Show on simulcast basis.