Variety (May 1952)

May* 21, 1952 BABIO-TKUE VISION *1 ■4“ The Paul 'W. Morency-guided Alf-Affiliate Radio Committee convened in New York yesterday (Tues.) for one of the most cru- • cial meetings on'the season’s AM calendar—the attempt to ward off the upcoming drpstid nighttime rate cut by the major networks! Even as the affiliate station operators convened, it was definitely conceded in high plaoes that a* 40 to 50% cut in the nighttime rate structure Was Inevitable for the fall, with CBS slated to take the lead and the others faffing in line. This would practically estab- • lish daytime-nighttime' parity on rates. A clearer idea of what the affiliates intend doing will probably be crystallized atk, today’s (Wed.) session! The ad agencies are exploring-^ a whole* new sphere of operation * in television, designed to elevate program standards on a local level and at. the same time in- crease their billings’ among major clients. As result, the “field producer” has come into .being—agency men with TV production-scripting know- how andv a familiarity with big- league program techniques. Oper- ating out o"f New York head- quarters, they move' into a city and open, a one-man office • on behalf of a client who wants to splurge on a major program campaign In that city. The agency grabs-itself a large slice of billings, entrenches itself more solidly with the client, and vests the program with all the desirable . productlonal ac- coutrements, BBD&O recently 1 set the pace in “field production,” moving into Pittsburgh to program some WDTV shows on behalf of a client' 1 which reportedly paid off. the agency with an increase of $1,000,000 in billings. Such activity has auxiliary over- tones viewed as significant by the trade, for it is seen as a straw in the wind on the decentralization of TV production centres, mow coin? fined to but a few major cities in the country. Eventually, it’s ex- pected, agency production offices could be expanded to include such cities as Boston, Cleveland, Phila- delphia, Dallas -and other points, where an increasing need arises for live programming 1 off a quali- tative level. It’s Studio 6-B (Like In Berle) Bigelow Shifts to Coast Joe Bigelow, producer of the NBC-TV “U. S. Royal Showcase” Sunday, evening: show, has resigned from that assignment and has switched his base of operation to the Coast. Bigelow is under, contract to NBCrTV to supervise new talent development and henceforth he’ll concentrate on that phase of ac- tivity while Hollywood-berthed. U. S. .Royal, dispossessed f|*om Sunday at 7 with Red Skelton mov- ing into the time for Procter & Gamble, is cancelling. etworks, Too, Crying Into Beer By GEORGE ROSEN Just, how close CBS came to blowing its friendly relations with American Tobacco Co. and BBD&O Two-Party ‘Line’ NBC’s inheritance of the radio agency is perhaps something board version of “What’s My Line,” chairman William S. Paley prefers which preemed on the web last <Tues.) night, under Philip Morris timates. Whether or not the net- auspiccSt £. strictly on a lend-lease work, is as yet in the clear Will j_ a i with of CBS and probably be resolved imminently ^aSd by Paul Hahn, American Tobacco’s Hi?,’ Cf’ * Goocison and just-returned-from-Europe prexy, 11 who by this, time has undoubtedly, been apprised.of how Lucky Strike, with an • option on CBS' much-en- vied “Our Misst Brooks” TV show, lost out on the property to General Foods. • r • Columbia's rejection of BBD&O’s 39-week firm order for the CBS- built TV property as only one in, . & series of intricate checkerboard ™ an Eddie Cantor show, ana maneuvering-has created a tense- ^ as a ?reed to permit Line Agreement whereby NBC has committed itself to erecting a TV studio for Red Skelton's exclusive Use in the. new’ television center under construction in Burbank, Cal., also has its counterpart in New York. It’s also been learned that Stu dio 6-B in Radio City, N. Y.,. is getting a complete overhauling—j. to fit the specifications of Milton Berle and his “Texaco Star thea- tre.” Berle has been scanning the Skelton studio blueprints for ideas and suggestions in patterning 6B to fit into the production schemes of “Star Theatre” and while the studio, as presently, will be used, for other NBC video attractions, the overhauling ' will be geared Primarily to meet’ the needs of the Berle showcase. NBC-TV Envisions New Prosperity In Film Syndication NBC’s ’move-in on the TV film syndication business is an upper echelon maneuver sparked hy the combined David Sarnoff-Frank M. Folsom-Joseph H. McConnell top- level thinking, with the appoint- ment of ex-Mutual prexy Frank White as the initial step in what the network envisions as an “era of new prosperity.” ' From all indica- tions NBC and the parent RCA company are ready to invest mil- lions in the ndw venture as an auxiliary adjunct to its television empire. When NBC-TV salesmen a few months back-initially began ped- dling the “Dangerous Assignment” vidfilm to stations, more than $500,- 000 worth of business was thrown in the 1 web’s laps within 12 days. That, plus a gander at the Fred Ziv gross intake .of $25,000,000 a year, a large' chunk represented by its. TV film . syndication biz, in- (Continued on page 34) ness and intra-trade excitement that’s shattered the mid-spring, lull arid hasn’t existed since the. days' when the NBC and CBS echelon were shuttling from N. Y. to Lever Bros.’ ex-headquarters in Cam- bridge, Mass., in a continuing jock- eying to wrest control of Lever radio/ properties. Until now very little of the “Brooks” saga had escaped the CBS-BBD&O precincts, but Colum'T bia, on the one hand, has stoutly maintained its innocence in doing [what it did 4 ,while to Ben Duffy, the agency’s prexy who guides the ad- vertising destinies of • its major blue-chips client, it was probably a bitter pill to inform Hahn upon his return from Europe that: Fact that NBC snared “Line” pc- casioned considerable trade sur- prise in. view of CBS’ long-stand- ing identity with the video version of the show. However, the Biow agency, which handles the ciggle account, found itself committed to the NBC Tuesday night time, where it was sponsoring the one- it td move in until expiration of the NBC contract, ' * Philip Morris has already bought a half-hour CBS radio segment for the eventual “Line” moveover. Skelton, Mayehoff When Procter & Gamble and tuui mmui juuavmc iAiat» n. *. it l * i* * * 1. There was to be no “Our Mtss ? ed Skelton negotiated their deal Brooks” In Lucky Strike's adver- } he f “ lc f switchover from ft-irior future • Sunday night at 10 to 7 o’clock, it 2, Not only was Lucky Strike to was ^^eed by NBCjTV that the lose out to General Foods In adjacent • 7:30 period ^go tp the 4- Strike within the beer companies, which hafc already had a telling ef- fect’ on local program sponsorships (in Pittsburgh, for example, prac- tically all beer* commercials have been wiped off TV) may also alter the network programming pictures in the fall. Becoming more coin-conscious, major breweries apparently have no desire to. splurge on TV pro- gramming as in past year-. It now* appeal’s that Blate, sponsors of the “Amos V Andy” CBS-TV series, may follow the trend toward alter 1 * nate-wpek sponsorship upon expira- tion of the 1 current cycle, Bud- weiser has already served notice on CBS-TV that it is going in on an every-other-week basis, instead of weekly, on the Ken*Murray show, when the company’s new contract for .the fall goes into effect. In fact,, for a while last week, there was some apprehension around CBS as to whether* Budweiser would even sign up again, as an .aftermath of the strike-situation, and in view of the schism between Murray and the network over a new contract. Schlitz, too, went on a* coin saw- ing* expedition recently when it trimmed its hour-long CffS-TV-Fri- day night dramatics tb a half-hour. Blatz decision to alternate poses the problem for CBS of ' finding clients for'the “other week” ride ’on fouV of Its major showcases,. These include, in. addition to. “Amos ’n’ Andy” and Murray, the Ed Sul- livan 1 “Toast of the Town” and “Studio. One,” with Westlnghouse also reported preferring an alter- nate-week sponsorship deal. - * acquiring the property, but by a ’stroke of irony “Brooks,” as a Mon- day night CBS-TV attraction back- to-back with “I Love Lucy” was| being thrown in as ammunition to KECA-TV, LA., RACKS UP 500G BIZ IN WEEK Hollywood, May 20. It was perfect timing that ABC’s television station, KECA-TV, should rack up $500,000 in new business during the week prexy Robert a . ner was town. It raised the April-May billing to a record high. Acme beer bought three pro- grams and five other local adver- tisers contributed to the upsurge "’hh time and program buys. Heinz Cancelling Out On Ozzie & Harriet; Paves Way for Video Hollywood, May 20. Ozzie and Harriet Nelson are be- ing pitched for television as well as. radio on ABC next season. Rea- son is that Heinz is giving up the Nelson stanza and the AM web next fall. The Nelsons, who have an ex- clusive pact with ABC, haven’t done TV because Heinz had the right to call the tune on their going video and kept them out of the medium. ‘ However, with the food outfit giving up the show, the Nelsons are attracting some keen sponsorship interest in a tele edi- tion. Latter would be on film, lensed here, with the Nelsons participat- ing in the production. Radio show, aired Fridays at 9, is among the top-rated network stanzas, hitting around a 9.1. It is the. strongest Friday night attrac- tion on any radio chain, and is a kingpin of ABC’s strong Friday schedule. Russel Seeds agency, : which enjoys a stake in Skelton's ■ AM-TV for- tunes. The 7:30 time becomes available by virtue of ’General Foods' cancellation of “Young Mr. help ^whittle down the Robert ■ Bot,bl]n * Montgomery - produced dramatics There’s been . considerable un- on NBC-TV, in which Luckies has certainty as to .what Seeds would a top coin investment as an alter- ,do with the time, but it now de- nate-week sponsor. velops that it has acquired a half- When CBS brought the pilot hour situation comedy Starring Ed Brooks” film east from the Coast die Mayehoff, which will go into (Colgate.’as sponsor of, the radio the segment. Further,. Skelton has edition was given first refusal and, the right to produce the show from all accounts, nixed'it) prac- under terms of his new NBC con- tically everyone witnessing it ac- tract, claimed it as a “sure thing; another Just *what that does to CBS’ am- Lucy.” BBD&O took' a 48-hour op- bitions to star Mayehoff in a half- tion on it. The agency already had hour TV show built around his an option on Thursday night at 9, “That’s My Boy” pic characteriza- which it has since exercised, and tion has yet to be resolved, felt “Brooks” would be ideal for the spot, ^Originally Luckies had hoped to entice Jack Benny into the time.) Agency execs maintain that, hours short Of the option time ex- piration, it plunked down an order for a 39-week, firm commitment, only to be told by CBS that it was too late: “Brooks” had been sold to General Foods, and was going into the Monday night (opposite Lucky Strike) 9:30 period. CBS, on the other hand, claims the option time had run out, occasioning an agency exec to brand a top network of- ficial as “a liar.” There are auxiliary overtones in- (Continued on page 37) AFRA Paper Ex-Editor In Plea to NX Membership On ‘Unjust’ Dismissal Anita Grannis, former editor of Stand By, official monthly publica- tion of the N. Y. local .of AFRA. this week issued an appeal to the membership to “right the grave injustice” of her dismissal after 12 years in the post. The journal is now being edited by Dorothy Tete. Miss Grannig said this week that the ostensible cause of her dismis sal was her request for a “moderate .increase in salary (the first since 1947).” The union’s ‘local board voted to dismiss her with no rea sons stated, she said, and her re- Speidei; the watch band com- quest for a hearing at that board pany, which sponsors the Paul Win- meeting was denied. She asked for chell Monday night show bn NBC- a written statement on the reasons TV, has. purchased a new package from Ed Wqlff,- called “Masquerade Party,” which,, wffl go in for four weeks, effective July 14, as summer replacement fpi 4 Winchell; ‘ (Other five weeks of nine-week layoff will be taken over by “Quiz Kids” with Crosley sponsoring latter.) “Party” is a panel show moder- ated bv Bud Collyer, with panelites I the monthly, <l no question of com- i k-T _ n _ a. .1 J I U am a.«#am tiAA« »•#» 4 o/*i/4 ^ Cti a Speidel’s ‘Masquerade’ As Paul Winchell Sub Alcoa’* ‘Draw’ To Lose; Cancels Out Unusual instance of a sponsor cancelling out on a show before even going’ on the air with it cropped up this week when Alumi- num, Go. of America (Alcoa) changed its mind oh picking up the tab on the Henry Morgan quizzer, “Draw to Win.” Program, slotted in the Tuesday 8:30 p.m. (opposite Milton Berle) segment on CBS-TV, was slated by Alcoa as the summer replacement for Ed Murrow’s “See It Now.” It was pacted some weeks ago, even before It took over on a sustaining basis as the back-to-back Tuesday attractioh with Sam Levenson. It's understood • that Alcoa was disturbed over possible litigation threatened on the program (be- cause of its resemblance to another) but it’s known, too, that Alcoa' wasn’t too elated with the 4.7 Tren- dex rating of “Draw” and the aux- iliary payoff to Berle, who climbed 10 points from a 27 (against Lev- enson) to 37 (against the quizzer.) As result Alcoa’s in the market for another show. consisting of Peter Donald, Ilka Chase, ex-Ambassador John Young and Madge Evans. Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles is the agency. for her dismissal she said, and sev- eral weeks later was notified that “it was the feeling of the board after careful investigation and rc view, that in its opinion the per- formance of your job has not been satisfactory.” The dismissed editor said that of the 12 consecutive .volumes of <l no question of c petence has ever been raised.” She called the dismissal unjust because of the letter, because she wasn’t granted a hearing, and was given only two months’ severance pay. LEVER BROS. SHOW INTO CBS ‘STORK CLUB’ TIME CBS-TV and Lever Bros, this week are searching for a new 15- tninute show for Lever to use in the Tuesday and Thursday 7:45 to 8 p.m. slot which it bought* Soap outfit took over the time period following the-decision last week by Liggett & Myers- to cancel “Stork Club,” currently occupying the two quarter-hours. “Stork” winds up at the end of this cycle, with Lever picking up the slot in the fall. .Since the show will alternate with the Perry Como show, which is bankrolled Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays by Chesterfield, it’s expected that Lever will go for it musical of some type, in order to preserve the format of the strip. CBS program execs have tossed a number of package ideas at the. bankroller, but none has- been chosen yet. Lever product to be plugged is Chlorodent. v-»-, - v r* / 1 *