Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

6 Network Accounts: Arthur Godfrey returns to CBS TV, with 2 additional daytime hours tentatively on the books for fall, making total of 7% hours weekly. He returns to Talent Scouts July 27, Mon. 8:30-9 p.m.; to Arthur Godfrey & His Friends July 29, Wed. 8-9 p.m.; resumes Mon.-thru-Thu. morning TV program Aug. 3, 10-11 — broadcasting from home in Virginia, where special microwave relay has been installed. Televised portion of morning simulcast is slated to be extended in fall to 10-11:30 a.m., with radio sponsors Gillette (for Toni products) & National Biscuit Co. alternating in 11-11:15 segment, and Chesterfields alternating with unnamed sponsor at 11:15-11:30, thru Cunningham & Walsh. Esquire Polish reportedly has bought alt. 10:15-10:30 segment, thru Emil Mogul Co., alternating with Star-Kist Tuna, thru Rhoades & Davis, San Francisco. Owens-Corning Fiberglas will take over Godfrey Digest Sun. 4:30-5 p.m., thru Fuller & Smith & Ross . . . Sponsorships for Howdy Doody on NBC-TV, Mon.-Fri. 5:30-6, are sold out for fall, with this lineup from Sept. 21 : Colgate Toothpaste, thru Ted Bates & Co.; Wonder Bread-Hostess Cakes, thru Ted Bates & Co.; Kellogg Co., thru Leo Burnett Co.; International Shoe Co., thru Henri, Hurst & McDonald; Luden’s Inc. (cough drops, 5th Ave. candy bar), thru J. M. Mathes; Standard Brands (Royal desserts), thru Ted Bates & Co.; Welch Grape Juice Co., thru Doherty, Clifford, Steers & Shenfield Inc. . . . Florsheim Shoe Co. sponsors one-shot Tam O’Shanter Golf Tournament from Chicago on ABCTV, Sun. Aug. 9, 7:30-8:30 p.m., in Chicago, Detroit & N. Y. ; program will be offered for co-op sponsorship in other markets . . . Pontiac negotiating to sponsor revival of NBC-TV’s Garroway at Large program, featuring Dave Garroway, who would also continue his early morning Today . . . Hamm Breweries buys Edward R. Murrow’s Person to Person on CBS-TV in 11 midwest markets, beginning in early Oct., Fri. 10:30-11 p.m., thru CampbellMithun, Minneapolis; Amoco Gas will be sponsor in 40 eastern markets, thru Joseph Katz Co., Baltimore; Aluminum Co. of America renews Murrow’s See It Now, moving to Tue. 10:30-11 p.m. . . . Remington Rand (electric shavers) buys Pentagon Confidential on CBS-TV on alt. weeks beginning Sept. 10, Thu. 10-10:30 p.m., thru Young & Rubicam; Philip Morris sponsors program 5 weeks beginning Aug. 6, then alternates with Remington Rand from Sept. 10, thru Biow . . . Philip Morris & Co. (Dunhill cigarettes) to sponsor Sammy Kaye Shoiv on NBC-TV 5 weeks beginning Aug. 8, Sat. 8-8:30 p.m., thru Biow . . . Brown Shoe Co. (Buster Brown shoes) buys Smilin’ Ed’s Gang on ABC-TV for 52 weeks beginning Aug. 22, Sat. 10:30-11 a.m., thru Leo Burnett Co. KMBC-TV, & WHB-TV, Kansas City Ch. 9 sharetime grantees, with DuMont equipment on hand, have advanced debut date to Aug. 1 from original “Sept. 1 or earlier” target (Vol. 9:26). Other recent vhf Kansas City grantee, KCMO-TV (Ch. 5), has Oct. 1 target. Though WHB-TV & KMBC-TV will share time and CBS-TV network affiliation, they will maintain separate studios and staffs except for transmitter engineers. Each plans to carry 9 hours of programs daily, mainly in segments of 1 % hours, KMBC-TV beginning at 6 a.m., WHB-TV taking over at 8 a.m. for an hour, then alternating every IVz hours throughout the day and evening — network programs to be carried by whichever station happens to be on at particular time. “It was a shotgun wedding,” says press release from WHB-TV this week, for the 2 radio stations have been intense rivals. But they took half-a-loaf each rather than go into competitive hearing, and they think “share-time plan is setting a new pattern for the TV broadcasting industry which may resolve similar conflicts in many another community where rivals have applied for the same channel.” Free & Peters is KMBC-TV rep, Blair is WHB-TV’s. BALANCE SHEET and profit-&-loss statement of Comhusker Radio & Television Corp., Lincoln, Neb., operating KOLN-TV & KOLN, which it proposes to sell to Fetzer interests (see p. 3), reveal “distress” condition into which relatively new Ch. 10 station fell after only short period of operation. It went on air last Feb. 10, and for 6 mo. to June 30 combined TV-radio showed operating loss of $78,557. Against assets of $326,856 (including $284,400 plant) , its total loss before income tax credits came to $113,576 and its earned surplus deficit was $112,017 as of June 30. Statements filed with FCC showed gross TV revenues of $51,860 from time of commercial debut March 1 to June 30 (4 months), gross radio revenues of $51,055 for 6 mo. from Jan. 1 to June 30. TV sales were $25,454 from local spot, $13,683 local programs, $9252 national spot, $2117 national programs, $1353 network programs (DuMont). Radio sales were $22,473 from local spot, $17,779 local programs, $4842 national spot, $1069 national programs, $2450 auction shows, $2439 network (MBS). Direct expenses were: technical — $18,935 TV, $12,315 AM; program — $74,190 TV, $21,282 radio; selling — $9073 TV, $9703 radio. Combined general & administrative expenses ran $32,192, making operating loss $78,557 and total loss $113,576 before income tax credits. The 4-mo. TV technical expense items were broken down thus: salaries, $8566; tubes, $3201; depreciation, $4861; outside engineering $1240; technical maintenance $996 — total $18,935. The 6-mo. radio technical expense items were: salaries, $7463; depreciation, $2727; outside engineering, $760; technical maintenance, $501; power & light, $424; tubes, $232 — and miscellaneous other items for total of $12,315. TV program costs were: films, $44,639; salaries, $17,661; sustaining news services, $5423; and miscellaneous other items to total $74,190. Radio program costs: salaries, $15,181; sustaining talent, $2141; sustaining news services, $1334 — and other items to total $21,282. TV selling costs were put down as $9073, radio $9703; combined general and administrative expenses, $32,192. Fight between stations reps and networks, smouldering and flaring sporadically for years, was stoked anew this week when Station Representatives Assn. Inc.; through counsel James Lawrence Fly, wrote FCC chairman Rosel Hyde and requested Commission to halt network “encroachment upon the station national spot representative field.” FCC had held hearings on matter in 1948-49 then announced it would withhold decision until it conducted a general network investigation. Reps now say that FCC workload is likely to forestall such investigation but that rep question can be settled separately. Reps’ basic position is that networks exercise undue control over affiliates, contrary to spirit of Communications Act and FCC rules, when they represent them. Letter lists NBC as representing these non-owned TV affiliates: KPTV, Portland; KONA, Honolulu; KSD-TV, St. Louis. CBS has WMBR-TV, Jacksonville; KGUL, Galveston. In AM, NBC has KSD, St. Louis; KGU, Honolulu, and CBS has WMBR, Jacksonville. Letter also attacks network film productiondistribution, saying: “Contrary to the statutory definition of network broadcasting, the networks force the recognition of this service as ‘network broadcasting’; station revenue is diminished accordingly and licensee responsibility further impaired.” New priority rules governing processing of competing applications (Vol. 9:29 and Special Report of July 18) were expected to be published in Federal Register either July 25 or early next week, to be effective 30 days thereafter. Official list showing status of each city will be released on effective date. For illustrative list as of July 1, see Special Report.