Variety (November 1963)

“bon lie Bo Grossing . potential. of. a class: A oft-network ‘half-hour: entry in today’s syndication: market varies from:$16,000 to $25,006. Factor to. be. considered, among others, is the number of episodes: inyolved. . Gross per episode’ on a’séries of a:moderate number of ‘episodes... < .-Maay be highér than. a comparable series with many episodes. Series.” of many episodes, though, brings in larger total dollars. . _ » Of€-network hours in the Class A~category.can-earn from $25, 000: a to. $35,000 -per: episode, according toestimates: furnished: by some. . distributors. The gross, of course, is along way off: in measuring. what: is actually: ‘realized. after residual’ payments, distribution ; “costs, and other. expenses. are deducted; There have beenoff-net° Work half-hour: syndication properties in the extraordinary ‘class, ~ after years of repeats, that have earned. froxm #50, 000 to $75,000 per’ . _otebment in the. market-by-market field. . .-modern television histery, “one, & tion:.:-(it, .match)” “dominates -. “evening. viewing habits in Detroit.” |. * .§tation cites an ARB report listing’ all of the top. 10 shows in Detroit—and 16. of the. top 20—on WXYZ-T" ‘Heading the ‘list: of “faves, ac|: cording: to report; are the “Donna | Reed Show,”. “"gtones;’ “McHale's Navy,” “Phe Greatest Show’ on_.Earth.”. . In. commenting on the sweep | ‘of of Let the ‘Tating. service, John F. Pival,. “prexy of WXYZ-TV,, said: ‘we are delighted. with the showing |--. ‘of the WXYZ-TV. evening lineup, we realize that the rating book is only. anindication: of. public ‘taste —a2. guide. for. future , Programming.” an “ML _ -Four Star’s syndication: wine. thas _ ‘ehaiked up$1,250,000 in total sales: “since the beginning of Four. Star | . Distribution.. Corp,’s new fiscal: _year;* which ‘started. July. 1, New ‘gross is 66%. ahead: of the gross ‘last: year *during. the. ‘comparable ; period, which was $750,000... ‘Boost: is’ attributed. to:the company’s . additional off-network. :en-. “tries; giving if a more varied“ pro-. gram catdlog. Company. states that. Fonte some. stations have. besun to stock| pile product by: buying series..with } ‘options. of. delayed starting | ‘dates; }- w Felt Gity Hal? _ General. manager . Len : Firestone. “listed ‘among’ the: Positive: factors: pushing his ‘company’s’ ‘sales, spe-.|. “*“eial: services offeredy‘bythe’ com ~ pany in the form of.trailers, slides, | photos. and. other’ ‘Promotional. ‘and }. ad. aids... -Gross. ‘sales figures were released | in the wake of a, ‘Four. Star sales ‘meeting. WBKB TAPS BOWEN ~AS SALES DIRECTOR. Chicago; Nov.. 5.. 7 WBKB. ‘has tapped. Donald .'C “Bowen to replace’ the departing Bob Adams as..director ofsales. station. Bowen has. been. a. sales: ‘Fep with ABC-TY “SPot sales sin’ New. York:. Earlier, | ‘Tom “Miller switched over from Midwest ABC-TV .spot|-dle. the -proposed . changes on an individual basis: and‘ file. separate |. { replies. after conferring: with sta|. ‘sales to. become ‘general manager. of WBKB,.-reporting ‘to. local .vee“pee Sterling (Red) Quinlan.’ G.m. spot had been. vacant and. assumed. me by. Quintan “ since’. January 1961: when, Matt. “Vieracker left to go. with ‘the web’s international. divi sion: It’s expected. that -John Me-| | ‘Elfresh will fill the Miller's: qa position . in ‘spot sales. “Unrelated ‘to the WBKB changes, _ “put in the same. general: family,: ‘was the appointment: of. Ed Mon_'fanus ‘(ex-MGM Films>.and once .:with NBC) fo manager. of ABC-TV central ‘division sales.' He reports Guide Tee trees — “Phe. Patty. Duke | §, “Show,” and.“Arrest and ‘Trial;”-in}. '. that order. Others are. “The. Fiat; Rated | “while | ‘ }'| Property, es “Astro Boy,” a ‘2ist century’ do..| may —s ~SEENTOOIEFY| “By “MURRAY. Hoxowrrz © "Rey: syndicators, backed. up ‘with’ 1 | off-network ‘product; Have begun }| the’ ‘feverish poker: game -Of : pro| “4 Jecting . what. ‘will. ‘profitable |. | product’ ‘to take out: Of the vaults | ~ 4 for. the market-to-market run... : | ‘Nétwork and ‘local ratings, time | es availabilities. Tater this. season. and] the: POP ‘nl 2 ‘gumber OF olt-netw properties 7 aa falling © intd the popular : program| “45° | Pibutea by ‘Westhampton Corp. -One..of the features group, on’ Dec:: 7, in ‘its “Best of ‘Broadway” feature © slot. ve . ‘NBC: “Filme” “Astro: Boy,” the =. half-hour cartoon show being co-. 1p -with:. Osarnu © ‘| Moosie. Production ‘Co:., Tokyo, has: _ | gone into rating orbit s0.swiftly in ag. [its. new-season”. syndication pre-| ~~ miere-on WNEW-TV, New: York, |: [and elsewhere, that: the. Japanese. [| producers’ are -in:New Yor. ; for negotiations on a possible } roduced ‘Tezuka’s swork show. and another syndic: tio ‘gooding: kid robot, had ‘his ty’ pre miere on. Fuji, headquartered in Tokyo: in January.this year and ‘how ranks seventh in the country’ si} ‘Nielsens. In. New. York, on the Metropolitan pendent, “Astro Boy,’’ slot—tlast week. shading Ng on WCBSTV, (Continued | on Page 40). . Met. ‘News. Directors” “Of New York Stations ~ Limitations “on ‘the: ‘scope of ‘press, radio and -television: inter|: ‘views with. persons in: police -cus|. . | -tody were understood to have been | proposed: by. N.Y. ‘Deputy Police “+ Commissioner :Walter..Arm to the ‘hews directors. of 15. radio .and| ‘video ‘stations. meeting at WNEW | Radio’s studios last: week.. Changes. j Were suggested as a result of.a| ‘court ‘decision f0.change the venue. ‘ofa frial because the defendants. -were int l in the latest of a series of ‘sales booked. m erviewed. Whi e being |: personnel changes at the ABC 0&0} The news directors decided to han tion -management. ‘Represented at ‘the meeting were WNEW,. -WABC WNBC/AM-TV, ABC, CBS, WMCA,. ‘WHN, WINS, WPATand :WJRZ: -... | _ Offshoot :of the ‘gathering of ‘the news: directors: was ‘a decision to ‘meet informally as required:to consider . problems ‘that’ affect them: AM-TV, “WCBS. :AM-TY; all. First. meeting’ is set. for. early . this month. to discuss: their. headaches over City. Hall,. particularly ‘coverage of ticker tape parades and: . Teceptions on. the Steps of City ; to network veep Bill: Gillogly here. ve Hall. 7 tV,.N. Y, picked-up the: action pix ‘dis in “the | “TY Bombed ‘Pearl Harbor” | has. been scheduled by: WABC-TV: : now | net-.} particular. category riding the off _Broadeastinginde-| ‘playing at | | 6:30: p.m. Saturdays, has risen | ‘steadily “in both thé” .ARB’s and | Nielsens. and now leads. the. time | NCAA. with a season. VI ohnny. Ringo," ” Gov. Hughes’ WABC-TV. || Suzmnezt_'2,°°. Rebuttal (11. Tes) | Broadea For: the first time since WABC-| #2 O°. “¢TV: ‘began: éditorializing: this: 7S | torial-: stance. . Richard“Huglies Tequested and’ was: statement last Thursday (31)... ming “niche, ‘are | all factors: up for | | i | Consideration. | Everyone. is playing | ‘nis “cards ad carefully and: tlece ‘to the vest. nel _.-fgame. is the: ‘counterpart .of the | <—| network ‘chess bit, as one. network | {slots a new. ‘show, .bets.on 2. par-| . 4 ticular type. of: -programming, ‘and jz | the other ‘networks, move , into} o~ ‘Position, with their: shows; alot by 7 slot. up of -.offtnetwork product, the | -projections’ of-what. will sell ‘are: comparably just as... much ~ of .-a ‘gainble—andpossibly -just as cost ly. To’ come into the ‘market: with . an unsaleable show results in. red. : i ink: of no gmall° proportions, con-| sidering residuals. and. distribution |. ‘costs. Today thére. ‘are ‘quite: ‘a “number : "eG of properties. which. tode on the network for a season, but for one‘wy |.reason or “another, .have. ‘never . Pgeen the light of day: in’ syndica|! g¢..|.tion. The producers of such shows |: {who thought that. if they didn’t | pre | market in, te sekor, fhe Soran | parlor ‘market. in s cation: ajLe themselves. indeed:: The network }™ : ‘tutkey—with . ‘mighty. few. excep~. tions--has | no. market in syndica1 profit. gravy train, . have tion. ; There are: other. ‘feasons. “why | net ‘circuit. Popularity of stripping may keep.a. good ‘the -. relatively * available: | cant properties: will. -the aetw ork by the. ea rent season.. Fr er ‘candidates : “Sunset S “Route “In syndication, now largely. made |4 : in aN} y Metro Are ea emerging patterns of tv news with. emphasis on expanded news for-. The. ty audience. in the greater. mats. There'll also be 2a discussion: Inetrapelitan: market, compris| tracing techniques and content of {ing 17 counties. in.New York, New. radiq: news. : g will ATersey>and Connecticut snd compassing some 15,000,600 people, . the |fv scfeen on creative Person to n average of five hours a day, [wary Gifted to College. _ = Jacksonville, Now..5. “Rahal Broadcasting. ine., of this. city, transferred ” “WQTY Hilla a as: sa gift t6 Jones College, Jacksonville. Sam and Farris. Rahall, owners of the outlet, valued ‘the gift. of the ” Jacksonville. radio : facility ‘at {300 road . : {affairs by Rusk and other high *, $200,000. Jones -College, a: ‘non-profit | _Basinens eped the gift upon on . acc upon “approval by ‘the FCC, and will se the station. as part of. its: school: curriculum and also. as a commercial ‘station brothers, Sam, Joe and i Farris, ‘continue. ownership of four other radio stations. rd In. are. ‘watching .jand. FCC’ chairman -E. William _ Four Satats ra the Elie Frankel ; quartet. — Secretary of. State Dean Rusk. Henry have been set as the princi-. -|pal speakers. at the fifth annual Conference on Public Service Pro Zponsoret: by the West in casting execs. on world State Dept. officials from “‘Washington. Agenda for the conférence is as ‘| follows: On Sunday (10) there'll be . Monday's working sessions. will Westimghouse day afternoon session will examine The Communiome the commumica | Gata taken ‘from Nielsen's, “sample ‘television: homes.. certain . series may: have been: kept. in the vaults. Situation. may: be. that the syndicator may. think that, entries of a : there are too many. es 0 2 TAL that ‘time, five of -the. seven ‘This is the second. ‘such cunwula-. tive four-week survey made-of the |. New York. market, the first having j been -done ‘by “Nielsen in-.. 1961. | lind ut veto aerles' off the} Far. syndie market simply: because: ‘of: few : “episodes: | It’s too. ‘early in the: season “fal greed te guess with .certainty ‘what seo | efforts. rel 0 bef ; rip,” “Marshal Dillon” petted ‘ stations .. was. willing ‘to (halt-hour “Gunsmoke”), “Twilight | this in: Zone,” “Alfréd’ Hitchtock ”. Ags the | ust -As to the dimensions of the .cur “rent . vaults of major. distributors, | here’s: a‘ partial’ rundown: in the category: of -westerns, MCA has}. “Buckskin”. “Tall Man” arid “Wells | j “Hotel del yp, Paree’® and: Four-Star has .“Black] ¢ -ing they were ‘ ‘worse. than ‘the ill-| Fargo"; “:CBS ‘has Saddle,” “Law: -and Plainsman,” ‘and... “Wichita Town.” . In. the. ‘comedy category, ‘there’ 3 ‘CBS" “Angel, "Four. Star's: “Jeamr“Arm ‘told the’ newsmen: that ‘the ps ‘proposals ‘would not be. applied | -until they had been carefully -studied and evaluated by. all media. {Continued ‘on “ontinued on page 3 34) ‘a difference of opinion’ has the station to grant air time to| public. official to rebut the edi New “Jersey's. Gov. granted time to challénge WABC+ TV’s position ‘against the. New Jer tey Turnpike bond ‘issue. “Hughes, in. fact, was ‘given. i spots over. last weekend . (2-3) to. state’ his. ‘position. WABC-TV. v.p. and ‘general manager John O..Gil‘bert originally. made. his. editorial progr as Nielsen | -| builds the season's rating history— | || the. candidates for. the: market-by| “| market. circuit will. become: _more . ‘apparent. a 1 ~ Whose: “insignificant ‘properties |: oo ‘axed. will just ‘gather. dust in ‘the | “ol vault. already. crowded by. Prop-} a ase ‘erties, of previous ‘seasons.: Some |. properties now: in’ the vaults: will |.” ~ be sprung: for .a.syndie route when |. ‘the ‘time ‘is considered propitious. |. Mary ‘McKenna’ ‘said ‘the la ness. he diagnoses.” Delivering his sharpest personal rebuke: of Henry yet, Collins blasted. the. ‘chairman for taking | | the position. “that the people of | a America should ‘be. taught. ‘bythe me 3 of. ra proadeasting.” Collins also .took:. “fn part, “with Henry’s pet theory that the public should be given a better chance to-air gripes and make sug:. gestions about. Programming and | stations’ service, : Collins said ¢ he: agreed: there | . should: be “more. meaningful .un-) derstanding” between broadcasters and the public, but that this was their responsibility, not the. gov: ernment’ | {Continued ¢ on i page 36) i fleet revenues for LN,Y. stations underwrote the stedy.| .Wedneslay sessions. will be Nex. Sations upderwrote the simay: | aivided in the morning ‘between none of the local network owned) radio and tv panels wich will re _ Telesynd, the syndication wing | of the WratherCorp., has bought for international syndication the “Cer 54, Where Are You” series which had a couple years run on . NBCTV. ,Grabbing off the syndiao ion rights is considered ; {) for the relatively stall 7 ® coup. since Tepor e reportediy Desiln, MCA mi Films. were also negotiating arket ‘within the. next few weeks. s. Telesync has been expand ing into foreign sales, recently putting its “Lone Ranger” and other series up for o’seas sale, and. Tecently setting a deal with Orient PY | Television of Tokyo for Far East : z| Tepresentation. ‘Medallion ‘Pictures Corp., which distributed. features te ty, will. re the. six months. ended Oct. $1, in excess of $1,000,000, accoding to Medallion prexy Ben Schrift. Earnings for the period were listed. at least 80 cents per. share. For the éntire fiscal year ended April 30, 1968, the company re ‘flected earnings of 81. cents, per Jshare on revegues of $1, 436,000.