Variety (December 1951)

fdMait D ccw alw 26, 19&1 , hskk Staff—Tderism Ginger Rogers* three-year deal with CBS for a weekly television nrotfram gets under way in April, hut no decision has. been made yet ;J to whether it will be live or film. Present format calls for a pro- cram change weekly, varying between song-and-dance stuff, comedy, dramatic'sketches and musical. George Skinner, star of WPTZ’s, Philadelphia, new daily disk show “Let George Do It,” has every license to claim “foul” over the com- TiAtition Skinner recently made a series of film commercials for Col- gate They’re being used on “Strike It Rich,” over CBS-TV. The nroeram is carried from 11:30 to noon, in direct competition with the, last segments of Skinner’s WPTZ telecast. In a move designed to help sponsors merchandise their products in connection with,their TV advertising, DuMont has established a new merchandising department. Edward Kletter, former prexy Of Products Advertising Corp;, will head the operation. He’ll be responsible for the creation and administration of point-of-sale and merchandising activities for all DuMont bankrolled. I Second Freeze In ’52? - = Continued from page 27 ~ stations in the largest TV cities which still have channels available, which would likely' be the last to be processed under a priority sys- tem, might have a wait of five years before it’s decided who gets the permits. The result could be that it would be this long or longer be- fore a second TV station gets on the air in such cities as Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Memphis, Milwaukee or Seattle. In addition to examiners, the Commission will be short of law- yers and engineers to handle the avalanche of applications which will fall on it when the freeze is lifted. At least a half-doezn agency attorneys have left in the past year to enter private practice in the ra- dio field, and others can be ex- pected to leave as the boom in TV has its impact on the offices of Washington law firms and consult- ing engineers. The Commission, of course, will make a strong pitch for additional funds when Congress reconvenes. It’s probable that Chairman Wayne Coy will ask for an emergency ap- propriation to hire and train the necessary personnel as fast as pos- ible. With pressures on Senators and Representatives, particularly from non-TV areas, to get stations on the air,, it’s likely that Congress Will forego its economy minded- BILLY NALLE TV FRIDAYS ness in the case of the FCC. Cer- tainly, TV applicants, most of whom are radio broadcasters, will go to bat for the Commission—if they Want permits. But even with adequacy of funds, the problem won’t be solved, Ex^ aminers can’t be trained for TV hearings overnight. Young lawyers and engineers available to the Commission under government pay scales Will require Considerable in- doctrination and orientation before they can be put to work on TV ap- plications, either on the processing line or as agency counsel at hear- ings. Some observers suggest that When applicants realize the time lag involved in the processing of applications, they may take steps to eliminate hearings. One possibil- ity is that “marginal” applicants i may drop out, leaving the field to the well-established and well- financed broadcasters in their areas, It’s also suggested that some ap- plicants may pool their interests in some sort of cooperative arrange- ment, thus reducing the number of applications and avoiding hearings. How the Commission would enter- tain a joint proposal by radio broadcasters to operate a TV sta- tion, nobody knows. The agency admits that such an application would pose “interesting” questions. NBC-TV Census Continued from page 28 area the Pulse, InC., using a samp- ling technique, comes up with a 59 . 8 % penetration, three points less than NBC’s figure, 63%. Pos- sible reason for the difference is that Pulse is counting 12 coun- ties, while NBC is covering 22. However, AM-only statisticians rea- son that the wider area NBC takes ih should show a smaller rather than a larger TV penetration. Another beef is that the NBC estimates are made, in most mar- ker Tag* Tag With "NBC-TV having spent a small fortune in promoting its upcoming early-bird show under the title “Today,” it’s now revealed that DuMont es- tablished first rights to the tag two weeks ago by putting it on the air first, It’s expected, though, that DuMont will re- linquish the title to NBC be- fore Jan. 14, when the latter web’s 7 to 9 a.m. programming is scheduled to preem. " DuMont ran a one-shot, on- the-air audition of a new teen- age educational show Dep. 4 and labeled it “Today." Prior to using the title on the air, the net followed the usual procedure of having its legal department check with the other three networks to deter- mine if the tag was clear, NBC, for some reason, put in no bid. for the title itself at that time. DuMont currently has a 15-minute news strip on the air titled “Today.” CliL Radio-TV COl JlUtd from pi(e 28 ■. past 12 months, not all the Chi format shift to daytime shows that AMers ended the year with bigger can be sold on a spot or participat- nets than they registered in 1950. ing. basis rather than as per-pro- But almost without exception the grain availabilities. Practically all stations report increased billings of indie WBKB’s day timers are the past year. And advance book- packaged as spot-catchers and the ings indicate a rofcy 1952. Other three stations have been Take the two fulltime network following suit, stations, for example. NBC’s As for nighttime farerit’s cellu- WMAQ winds the year with a 15% loid by about twp-to-one. A recent business hike. CBS’s WBBM, the check showed there were an aver- town’s biggest coin earner, is hand- age of 75 motion pictures running ing out no billing figures but a through the Chi vidcircuit each spokesman points out the station week. That’s nearly double over has only nine local quarter hours 1950 and the price tags ditto. With currently unspohsoredv As the the exception of the $5,100 per- local Pulse leader, WBBM is mak- pic tab shelled out by a local car ing much of the fact that surveys dealer for 30 Edward Small-Sol show radio listening is at an. all- Lesser films, the top hovers close time high within its 50,000-watt to the $2,000 mark, coverage area. Since 1951 was the network’s Over in the independent field, year of. decision as far as Chicago WIND finished a record-breaking originations are concerned—with year with billings up 18% over the decision being “no,” espe- the previous calender. The. station cially at NBC—major , plant expan- kets, by the web’s affiliate. Critics claims its out-oMiome listening sion took place at: indie WBKB, of the service claim that this is ratings alone are enough to justify Station, shortly, will take over the not an objective source. In some ita rates on a cost-per-thousand Garrick Theatre, which Balaban A multi-station cities, the data is basis. After a slow first quarter, Katz, WBKB’s parent company, has gathered by a joint-station com- a summer and fall upbeat at WLS converted into a tele studio, mittee or an electrical association, leaves that indie riding on par NBC’S WNBQ soon will activate and in a few areas a college ban- f° r the year, New year biz already a new studio in the Merchandise dies the research. inked is running above the January Mart which has been revamped NBC explains tKat estimates for 1?M ***• •* a cost of $500,000. each market are checked against Other AM Indies Up WGN-TY, the best off ^pacewise, reports from Radio-TV Manufac- Same bullish reports come from j* now completely ensconced in turers Assn., including data on pro- WGN, WCFL, WJJD, WAIT and i ts f? ult i; n ?i llion ^ olla1 ^ lay ° u * duction, inventories, shipments, WAAF. Incidentally the last four e . WENR-TV sales, etc. Also, special surveys ase indies all have had management.straddles., the Chicaigo River occasionally made to count in- changes the past year which have n/iij « s u -4 V? c ~!P®ra stallations. resulted in a revitalization at each and Daily News Critics also note that the NBC Plant. u n g * data makes no allowance for sets Here’s another significant point which have been junked (which marking radio's resurgence, De- £«) r aa CETTI CM EDIT NBC puts at Wo). NBC’s count spite the fact tnat the local teeveb iMjI lLClvlCni also includes sets in public places daily schedules have expanded **v Anna Iff ATI AIT CVtIT (estimated at less than 1 %) and greatly, there’s also been an in- IN VExAInAllUll uUll secondary receivers (put at under crease in AM airtime. For the first . 2%). NBC admits there may be lo- time in its history WMAQ is run- Chicago, Dec. 25. 2%). NBC admits there may be lo- time in its history WMAQ is run- Chicago, Dec. 25. cal variations on these items from ning around the clock and WCFL The $1,000,000 defamation suit the norm. It’s also charged that is .back on a 24-hour basis after fti ed against Robert Montgomery while NBC tries to eliminate dup- a 1950 hiatus. ABCs WENR has . ca„ wnu#m 1 lication, m areas covered by over- added a late evening nitery remote and Dy a»tate ben., wiiuam J. lapping stations some' sets may be and WBBM, with its 21-hour day, Connors was settled out of court counted twice. is working its longest log. WGN last week for $2,500. The tap was Ttv nnintpri nut hv NRr that thn continues its non-stop weekday op- paid by the Lee Hat Co., which most cornplete°census in radio was «ation. was sponsoring the Montgomery made by BMB, but that, this was With surveys showing 4,200,000 ABC commentary on Which the slow, exceedingly costly (in the radio homes within the range of charges to which the Chicago poli- miliions) and that BMB managed the 50.000-watters, as compared to tician took exception were aired, to make only two in its career. To the 1,000,000 TV-equipped homes, Connors turned the settlement do a BMB-type survey on TV the radio lads are pegging their over to charity. would not Only be very expensive, pitches on the circulation frame- ■». 1 1 ... , ■■ ■ NBC spokesmen say, but the fig- work. That’s the sort of AM argu- 1 1 " i..-—i—.i. . ures would be quickly out of date, ment which is proving even strong- due to the medium’s phenomenal er when applied against printed growth. Eventually, as the Indus-, media than against video, M ' try matures, an all-industry group All«this doesn’t mean that things R ’ _ J may take over the census func- fl re amiss on the local television ID tion, but In the meanwhile NBC front. There are signs, however, Wv’-J® f will continue with its cuffo service, that from here on in the sales vR'V although it welcomes participation digging will come a. bit tougher. ul KVV v from others in the industry. Nighttime video is pretty general- ly sold out but daytime programs fflM are proving harder to move. Con-. 4^MWnlnl2 tinually rising local time charges, together with the still relatively Now tfarrlne on NBC's small sunlight audience, Is meeting all. stab bbviib buyer resistance. Saturday's m p.m., BIT the preceding week and was played *•*-• wmi«5t Moncv up with full emphasis on sensation- trend of th * h “ b * en the » ' I alism by the tabloids in N. Y. and throughout the country. That'fac- tor, it’s believed, might have served to boost the audience for the Dec. 16 broadcast, even though Miss Bankhead and her head scripter, Goodman Ace, received strict orders from NBC brass to steer clear of any mention of the trial. On the 20-city survey, Trendex showed “Big Show” in the 6:30 to 7 period with a 9.9 ratiiig and a 22 .2% share of audience, as com- pared with the 8.3 rating and 18.7 share for CBS’ “Our Miss Brooks.” In the following half-hour, ‘‘Big Show” had an 8.8 rating and a 17.9 share, as compared with the 13 rating and 26.5 share for CBS’ Benny show. From 7:30 to 8, the NBC program drew an 11.3 rating and a 22.6 share, as against the 9.8 rating and the 19.6 share for CBS’ “Amos ’n’ Andy.” In N, Y. alone, average ratings for the full 90-minute spread oh NBC have “Big Show” with a 9.4 rating and a 17.6% share, com- pared with the 3.6 rating and 6.7 share for Benny. Cities covered by Trendex, in addition to N. Y., in- cluded Philadelphia, Buffalo, Port- land, Ore.; Des Moines, Indianap- olis, Kansas City, Providence, New Orleans, San Francisco, Atlanta, Omaha, Cleveland, Chicago, Den- ver, Hartford, Louisville, Birming- ham, Dallas-Ft Worth and Wash- ington. j Scranton—Bill Pierce of WQAN here marks start of his 25 th year in radio Jan. 1-?—all of It in Scranton. Tallu Continued from pare 28 ■ Now itarrlnt on NBCs ALL STAB BiyilB Saturday's 8-f p.m., BIT Met.i William Morris A«ancy ' \ Profitable TV Audience exclusive w ith WGALTV LANCASTER, PENNA GHv TV r — ori 1 , T > station , o ■ ■ ^ — ,n !c r -- fh P .> pV's . ! -/ a n 1 O ~ Represented by ROBERT MEEKER ASSO Now York Loft AngeltB San Fiancisco Your Top TV Sales opportunity Wilmington which has high^^' - : - ( a rr, ■■ I v ■ t h p : o 'J ” 1 ' ■ ■” ' ROBERT MEEKER ASSOCIATES