Variety (April 1953)

RADIO-TELEVISION Pffimnr Wednesday, April 8, 1953. Because Its $2,500,000 annual 4- outlay for longhair-type AM-TV programs has paid off so handsome- ly in sales, HaUmark Greeting Card Co. this week decided to go -v it alone in spending $100,000 to \bankroll NBC-TV’s entire two-hour /telecast of “Hamlet” on Sunday, c -2tyv-il 26, Over at least 40, stations. previously, in order to offset the * h* •• cost of this cultural venture, JvTEG-TV was seeking two adver- tisers, each to pay $75,712 time and talent for one hour ''of Maurice e Evans’ version of the Shake- spearean drama. -However, when all the bankrollers approached re-] fused to take the risk on such a highbrow production, Hallmark stepped into the breach with its solo offer. Decision marks what Ed Cash- man, Hallmark AM-TV supervisor at Foote, Cone & Belding agency, N. Y., hopes will be a beginning recognition among blue-chip adver- tisers that “longhair TV can pay off not only in prestige, but also in over-the-counter retail sales,” Cashman point# out that Hall- mark got excellent results with i,ts three-time sponsorship on NBC-TV of Gian Carlo Menotti’s opera, “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” - in 1951 and '52. It also has derived profitable returns, from its regular Sunday sponsorship of the “Hall- mark Hall of Fame,” emceed by " Lionel Barrymore over 190 CBS- Badio stations, and the “Hall of Fame,’’ emceed by Sarah Church- ill over 33 NBC-TV stations. Lat- ter stanzas have dramatized the need to get out and vote, such worthy institutions as the Travelers Aid and the Audpbon societies, biographies of Horace Mann, Flo- rence Nightingale, 'Robert Louis . Stevenson* As a consequence of these alr- ers, and its $50,000 Hallmark Art Awards competition, Cashman points out that Hallmark reached .a peak sales record in 1952, selling 1,500,000 cards a day. Quick Sales Reaction “When our commercials have demonstrated our May ba.sket, doll’s house and Walt Disney pi- rate ship puzzles,” he said, “deal- ers have reported an immediate sales reaction on Monday. School kids particularly, after listening to one oi our educational programs, have created a terrific demand for quality greeting cards. Our dealers throughout the country say that customers mention certain offers referred to on our programs.” From Kansas City, Hallmark’s president and founder, 61-year-old Joyce Clyde Hall, son of a Nebras- ka preacher, concurs that he feels “the U. S. is changing from the most to the least provincial coun- try in the worjd.” Expressing the belief that an untapped, quality audience is open to TV advertisers, Hall says: “Our radio and TV (Continued on page 36) Lawrence & Lee’s Musicals Robert E.- (Lawrence &) Lee re- turned to the Coast last night (Tues.) after huddles with Broad- way legiters. regarding production of the team’s new musical comedy. He also met with Benton & Bowles’ Walter Craig to go over plans .for an upcoming series of original musicals on “Railroad Hour” aire^ his summer. It normally uses stock rights operettas. He was accompanied by his wife, Janet Waldo, radio’s Corliss Archer. “Break Bank’ As i Fill-in for Berk As summer replacement fqr Mil- ton Berle, “Break the Bank,” out of its cross-the-board daytime spot, goes into the Tuesday night NBC TV hot-weather period, with Five- B^y Pad as sponsor. “Juvenile Jury” is being mulled as the sec- ond half-hour follower. In the “Show of Shows” Satur- day hour.- and a half, Hoagy Car- michael will emcee a Hollywood talent showcase, beginning June»7. Ray Anthony’s orchestra, With vocalists Bob Eberle and Helen O’Connell, will- be the eight-week replacement for Perry Como’s Chesterfield show on CBS-TV. Andy and Della Russell replace Dinah Shore on NBC-TV, July through Oct. 1. Danish’s Mutual Post Roy Danish, manager Of the Western Division of Mutual’s.sta- tion relations department, was named last week. director of the network’s newly-created Coipmer cial Operations department. Danish was western division manager since 1949. He’ll be as sisted by Alma Graef, manager of sales service. ' ABC-TV $2, 0&0 Power Kick With a boost in power scheduled for April 12 for WABC-TV, N. Y., ABC television network will em- bark on a power expansion pro- gram for its five owned-and-operat- ed stations which upon completion in 1954 will have cost some $2,000,- 000.. Announcement of the plan follows by a week disclosure of a $1,500,000 construction project for the network’s San Francisco out- let, and is another in the series of physical improvements planned for the network since its merger with United Paramount Theatres* Boost in W ABC-TV power, which will coincide with the kick- off of the net’s “Album” series, will bring station’s power to 80,- 000 radiated watts, a fivefold in- crease. Station expects to increase its coverage area some 40%. In May, KECA-TV, LA. will in- stall a 25-kilowatt amplifier, with WBKB, Chicago, WXYZ-TV, De- troit'and KGO-TV, San Francisco, installing similar amplifiers by summer. Following this, ABC will erect new antennas at the stations, and then, by 1954, will have 50- kilowatt transmitters installed in all five stations. MUTUAL HAS OWN FORMULA: 15-5 PLAN Mutual this week set up an al- ternating sponsor plan for its co- op department that’s the first “step in the expansion of the now au- tonomous division headed by Bert Hauser. Plan, named the “15-5 Plan,” calls for local sponsors pact- ed on a cross-the-board basis, to alternate from day to day _on five Mutual co-op news shows* • Under the setup, local station would pact 15 advertisers, on a cross-the-board basis. These*would be grouped in threes. On Mondays first group of three would sponsor Fulton Lewis, while second group bankrolled Cedric Foster, the third Robert Hurleigh, the fourth Cecil Brown and the fifth the “Mutual Newsreel.” They’d alternate on all five shows on that ba$is. Plan is similar to the network’s nationally- sponsored “Multi-Message Plan.” Local advertisers would get one announcement each on each of the lo-minute shows, plus opening and closing identifications. Package rates would vary with each station. Entire plan calls for sale of over six hours of local time per week. Hauser is also surveying the net- work’s entire co-op structure in a move to eliminate the weaker shows and strengthen the better ones. He’s also looking at new shows for possibilities as co-ops. Montgomery Show Exbib On 10-City Store Swing For Wax, Luckies Bally A special exploitation project,] featuring .the “Robert Montgomery Presents” show, started a cross- country tour ort Monday (6) at Burdine’s department store in Miami. Stunt, dreamed- up by the ex- ploitation . group of NBC Press Dept., is actually two exhibition units, to be featured in the win- dows of leading department stores over the nation, of a behindrthe- scenes look at the production of a top TV dramatic show. Each package contains photo blowups of the various stages of the program’s production, film clips, a scale model of Montgomery’s TV stage, working scripts and costumes. A tieup push, with cooperation of the stores, NBC-TV affiliates and “sales personnel of the S. C. John- son Co., and the American To- bacco Co., Montgomery’s sponsors, is already scheduled in 10 cities. Idea may be used on other show units to whip up local enthusiasm. STORER’S $2,400,000 ALABAMA STATION BUY The Storer Broadcasting Co. last week bought stations WBRC and WBRC-TV in Birmingham, Ala., from Mrs. Eloise Smith Hanna for $2,400,000. Sale is subject to FCC approval. Storer, which moved headquar- ters to Miami last week, now has seven radio stations and the full quota of five TV stations. The Birmingham stations are NBC af- filiates. It is expected that Storer will now drop pending applications for Miami (Channel 10) and Wheeling (Channel 9). NBC ABC Meet In New Bid to Avert Joint NBC-ABC management dis- cussion of grievances with the Na- tional Assn, of Broadcast Engi- neers and Technicians (CIO) will be resumed today (Wed.) with the arrival in New York from Chicago, NABET national headquarters, of George Maher, the union’s exec secretary. Meetings, which were temporari- ly halted by Maher’s press of other business at Chicago, will be re- sumed at the Warwick Hotel. Talks, which have gone on fore more than a week, began at the Belmont- Plaza. The metro New York chapter of NABET has threatened a shutdown at least twice in recent weeks over the prolonged grievance proceed- ings. To counter this possibility, it’s reported that NBC is grooming 50 to 60 people as replacements in an accelerated course at the School of Radio Technique, Inc. Grievances,* union spokesmen said, include among the major items (1) disposition of eight NABET members at KOA, Denver, which NBC sold last year to Met- ropolitan Television, (2) discussion of institution of an ABC pension plan, like that at NBC, now that the United Paramount Theatre merger has taken ABC out of the poverty class. ABC Radio heps Thesaurus' Jingles RCA’s Thesaurus has bought the complete UJlman Jingl-Library, consisting of 1,600 transcribed commercial jingles, and will make it available through Thesaurus to .station s HS!SlS. er S>... on Washington, April 7. What does a TV station metfh to a community? As told to the House Committee pn Appropriations by FCC Chairman Paul A. Walker, in testimony released last week, the following happens: “Within two years after a station goes on the air the great majority of families in the community buy TV sets ranging in price from'$200 to $400. This in turn creates business for the local retailer, the- local radio .serviceman, • and the local public utility. The TV station is also helping local merchants by .bring- - ing to the community a” new and effective medium to stimulate the sate of their goods. “Moreover, the' station which may have invested from $250,000 to well over $1,000,000 in going on the air—and that means creat- ing a market for manufacturers of towers, antennas, tubes, cam- . eras, and all the other variety of equipment which goes to make up a station—is a going enterprise in the community.- It is a * source of entertainment, news and information—an outlet for local . groups—a dramatic means of tieing in that community with the national community. 1 “And the station is paying out annually anywhere from $200,000 _ to over $1,000,000 in wages and salaries to local technicians, sales- men, entertainers, and other station personnePas well as paying taxes of one form or appther to the local, State and Federal governments.” * » .7 * ^ V Sen. Tobey Moving In to Protect Educl TV From Commercial Grab •Mil ^ ABC Radio is beginning to set its summer programming schedule, with three programs already set for hiatus-period airing. Web has scheduled “Front Row Center,” a panel show; “Platter Brains,” a rec- ord quiz and chatter stanza, and “ABC Promenade Symphony,” with the ABC Symphony and Jan Peerce as host. Latter tees off next Monday (13) in the spot occupied- by “Rex Mau- pino” It will feature ABC conduc- tors Bernard Green, Glen Osser and Ralph Norman. “Platter Brains” will feature music critic Leonard Feather, and replaces “Smilin’ Ed McConnell and His Buster Brown Gang” in the ‘Saturday all a.m. slot. “Front Row Center” will haye 'Bet- ty Furness, Emily Kimbrough, Mercedes McCambridge, Neil Ham- ilton and Eloise McElhone as ro- tating panelists discussing various facets of showbiz. “Front Row Center” replaces “Sparring Partners,” Lester Lewis package with Miss McElhone and Walter Kiernan. “Partners” is be- ing considered as a tele show by the network.. Lewis also packages i “Front Row Center.” . * i. i »»*■ / *"*■ *•* * « »**«, TV Throws Out 1st Ball Baseball season will get a solid video sendoff next Monday (13), with one network and several inde- pendent stations picking up the season’s opener, the Yankees vs. the Senators, from Washington. Network is ABC-TV, while Indies will carry a feed from WTTG, Du- Mont’s owned-and operated station in Washington. Falstaff Beer, through Dancer- Fitzgerald-Sample, is carrying the tab on ABC-TV. coverage in the south and midwest. Remainder of the ABC stations will have local sponsorship. CBS-TV Expands News, Pub Affairs The CBS-TV news and public affairs department, headed by Sig Mickelson, is in the process of ex- pansidn. About 11 men have been added to the production staff of the “Ad- venture” show, the Museum of Natural History project debuting in May, which is under the wing of producer Perry (Skee) Wolf. Another dozen are joining “The Search” unit, CBS-TV project in cooperation with 26 leading Uni- versities scheduled^ for the fall, headed by producer Roy Lockwood. About 12 more men, most of them camera crews, are being hired for the CBS-TV news film section, which will be the web’s own operation to replace the Tele- news service. \ Also in the works is the transfer of newsman Walter Cronkite from Washington, to New York, where it is said he will start a new CBS- TV news 'show in the fall. Cron- kite, formerly moderator of the “Man of the Week” program, is now on “You Are There” and also has a WTOP-TV news show locally in Washington. Luckies, Schaefer Into . New Haven for Dodgers Lucky Strike and Schaefer Beer will extend their television cov- erage of the Brooklyn Dodger games via weekend pickups by WNHC-TV in New Haven. Games are currently aired by WOR-TV and WMGM on radio. WHNC-TV will pick up the games via wire from WOR-TV. New Haven station will carry games on weekends only, and in case of double-headers, will carry the first game. Pact was set via BBD&Q, which agents Luckies and Schaefer on its regular AM-TV sponsorship of the contests. NBC-TV's 'Say When' Option NBC-TV has taken an option on “Say When,” a Lester Lewis pack- age starring Walter Kiernan* Audience-participation giveaway contestants will decide the amount to be won—if question is answered correctly—on a slot, machine Washington, April 7. A legislative move, to protect the set-aside of educational TV chan- nels against possible encroachment by commercial interests, is be- lieved to be under way*by Chair- man Charles W, Tobey (R-N.H.) of the powerful Senate Committee on Interstate Commerce, which has jurisdiction over the FCC. It’s ex- pected that the subject will be ex- plored when members of the FCC meet with the Committee at an executive session Sen. Tobey has called for April 16. Indication of the move appeared at a Committee hearing last week on confirmation of John C. Doerfer as a member of the FCC. In ques- tioning Doerfer on his views on educational TV, Sen. John W* Bricker (R-Ohio) said he felt “very strongly” that the nation would lose a great opportunity in the edu- cational field “unless we are (pro- tected by FCC or by act of Con- gress.” Sen. Tobey’s yjews on the sub- ject were revealed In his reply to fears expressed by Sen. John M. Butler (R-Md.) that reservations of educational chinnels in some com- munities would result in one sta- tion having a monopoly in the com- (Contihued on page 36) RCA s TV Color Show (or Solons A 20-minute demonstration cf the RCA color television system will be viewed by members of the House Committee on Interstate Commerce, the Federal Communi- cations Commission and a limited number of the press next Tuesday (14) at Princeton, N. J. , For the occasion, a special NBC program, with Dolores Gray as mis- tress of ceremonies and featuring Kukla, Fran & Ollie and Burton’s Love Birds, will be-telecast from the Colonial Theatre in New York City. Clark Jones will direct the show, which will include produc- tion numbers. After the noon color demonstra- tion, designed to prove the feasi- bility of the RCA color system over a distance of some 50. miles, the Governmental representatives' will visit RCA laboratories at Princeton and then motor or entrain to the Colonial for a view of the color equipment setup. At the theatre all the orchestra seats have been removed to fprm a giant color-television stage. Au- dience sits in the second and third balconies. Large viewing monitors have been erected above the stage lighting. u *• i* Martha Lou Harp As ABC Disk Jock ABC radio has set Martha . Lou Harp for a Saturday afternoon disk jockey show ^starting April 18. Move jvas made following drop- ping of her live-music “Dream Harbor,” which was on the net four nights weekly, to make room for the Virgil Pinkley news show. Program will be built during the summer with an eye toward mak- ing it a regular fall entry. Gal just [ completed an w ^uiR for ^olu^ibia* .