Variety (April 1953)

Wednesday, April IS, 19$3 PUB&Ett KADIO-TELEVISIOiV 81 AN AGENCY BY ANY OTHER NAME Entries Readi New High In connection with Variety’s 20th Annual Survey of Show- management, published on Pages 33 to 39, it’s heartening to note that the competition among United States and Canada stations for Variety recognition hit a new high this year in the number of entries submitted. In contrast to the approximate 175 entries from radio-televi- sion* stations last year,* the number submitting presentations for Variety appraisal this season neared the 300 mark. That’s by far tops to date—a reflection of the accelerated activity, particularly in the radio field, and the competitive. jockeying, mostly on a management level, to maint ain broadcasting’s stature. Houston U. Sees TV Educl Station Saving $10, in Buildings Washington, April 14. 4 Television without commercials will come to Texas May 4, when U. of Houston, in cooperation with the public school system of Houston, launches a non-commercial educa- tional station. The university station (KUHT- TV) will operate on channel 8, and start with a schedule of 20 hours a week, programming Mondays through Fridays from 5 p. m. to 9 p. m. Schedule will be stepped up in the fall. Although educational stations are generally regarded as a costly operation, W. W. Kemmerer, U. of Houston prexy, believes that JUJHT-TV will not only pay for it- self, but will also make money for the school. He estimates it will save, over the years, approximate- ly $10,000,000 in construction of classroom buildings. With TV, large numbers of students can be assembled in one place, and fewer classrooms, and teachers, required. The university has a three-fold program by which it plans to make KUHT-TV self-supporting: 1. It will use the station to reach more students per course for in school teaching. 2. It will give “telecourses” (at fees) to people at home,' who will receive credits toward degrees. Similar courses have been put on the air by Western Reserve U. in Cleveland and by WOI-TV in Ames, Iowa. 3. It will use the station as laboratory to train students for TV broadcasting and engineering, thus attracting greater enrollment. Kemmerer is also planning to be- gin work soon on a $1,000,000 TV center on the campus, to which he hopes to attract all video stations in Houston. He has already ar- ranged with KNUZ-TV to locate its transmitter at the site. • The university station may prove to be the most important develop- ment in the history of education, if educators’ claims for TV as an ed- ucational tool are borne out. The KUHT-TV operation should dem- onstrate whether education can be made entertaining, whether TV can reduce illiteracy, whether TV can be effective for in-school teaching, and whether educational stations, supported by taxpayers or by pri- vate endowment, can justify their (Continued on page 47) CBS’ ‘Love That TV Sat Night’ . Now that CBS-TV has estab- lished its enviable two-hour Satur- day night 8 to 10 commercial line- up, with the Jackie Gleason, Herb Shriner, ‘“Favorite Husband” spon- sorship parlay, thus giving its first solid competitive standing opposite NBC-TV’s “Show of Shows,” the Columbia program boys apparently are now out to further solidify its Saturday blockbuster. With the 10 to 10:30 segment of “Show of Shows” still formidable opposition, CBS apparently is out to strength- en the rivalry and wouldn’t be averse to Installing one of its. own major properties in the period. Present 10 to 10:30 occupants on CBS-TV are the alternating “Bal- ance f Your Budget” (sponsored by Seely Mattress) and ‘‘Quiz Kids.” (bankrolled by Cat’s Paw.) NBC Radio’s Circus Show NBC radio is cutting an audition record of a projected dramatic series, in cooperation with the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey circus, of a behind-the-scenes pro-, gram on the big show. Program is planned for late summer or fall debut. Campbell Warns Profit-Hungry AM Digging Own Grave Madden Resigns NBC Pub Relations Veepeeship; Press Dept in Revamp Dallas, April 14. “There’s nothing wrong with radio e'xcept the people in it.” That’s the opinion .of Martin Camp- bell, vet showman and supervisor of radio and television for. WFAA. Panic on the part of radio people at the prospect of lower profits has brought the industry to the point where it’s “digging its own grave,” he said. “In any other business, nobody expects a 20% profit. But radio has h a d that all along, and now that the .prospect arises that that profit is going to he reduced, they all go into a panic and make all kinds of deals.” With the growing practice of foregoing the rate card and making special deals, Campbell said, the industry is moving in a direction which can only bring it further downward. Another factor in the situation, he added, was the atti- tude on the part of the networks in making radio a stepchild, in “debasing” It. Campbell conceded the effect of TV in radio outlets in video areas. In his own case, he pointed out ’that in metropolitan Dallas AM was taking a beating from tele- vision. But since WFAA is a 50,000-watt clear channel station, only about 12% of its audience is in the TV area. WFAA last year hit an alltime high in billings. In those 5,000-watters and smaller stations in television cov erage areas, there’s a serious prob- lem to be faced, he said. The stations must reevaluate their functions and rates. But there’s no reason why the networks shouldn’t be able to supply high quality pro- gramming for the many stations that reach beyond TV coverage areas and for those on non-TV spots, Campbell said. PLYMOUTH’S 9-WEEK RIDE ON ‘ABC ALBUM’ The Plymouth division of Chrys ler Motor Corp., through N. W Ayer, has bought nine weeks of the “ABC Album,” new ABC-TV show- case which, preemed last Sunday (12). « Auto sponsorship, estimated $250,000, will run from April 26 through June 21. During that time, the show (Sundays at 7:30 to 8 p.nO will* be retitled “Plymouth Playhouse.” Thirty-two major sta^ tions have been cleared. Sale leaves only four programs (the first and last two) of the series sustaining, a major coup for the net since “Album” was designed to be a spring look-see An AM-TV bankroller or a time salesman* nowadays is apt to be befuddled, bothered and bewil- dered when he asks to speak to the top brass named in the title of an ad agency. An inquirer asking to see one of the high echelons in a scrambled alphabet agency, entitled “Smith, Hooligan & Doohickey,” say, might well be told, “Smith is dead, Hooli- gan left us 20 years ago to join the agency across the street. And Doo- hickey has long retired to grow dahlias in Westchester County.” Why, then, are the original names retained? Usually because a corporation by any other name would not smell so sweet as an established tradition. Custom lends dignity to age. To aid the bewildered, Variety has delved into the genealogy of the top radio-TV agencies, and herewith offers a summary of those whose titles are wholly or partially figureheads: N. W. Ayer & Son: Francis Way- land Ayer, 1st prez, named the agency in 1869 after his non-par- ticipating father, Nathan Wheeler Ayer, both long since dead; Warner S. Shelley now prexy. Batten, Barton, Durstine & Os- born: Bruce Barton is board chair- man and Hearst - syndicated col- umnist; George Batten is dead; Roy S. Durstine moved but about 1938 to form own agency, Roy S. Dur- stine, Inc.; Alex Osborn is board vice-chairman; Ben Duffy prexy. Benton -& Bowles: William Ben tion left in late ’30s; ex-Dem. sena- or in Conn., now looking after nvestments m Muzak and Ency- clopedia Britannica; Chester Bowles sold last agency stock in 1946, most recently Dem. ambassa- dor to India; Robert E. Lusk now prez. Calkins & Holden. Carlock, Me Clinton & Smith: Ernest Elmo Cal kins, “Dean of Ad Men,” now in, his 80’s, retired to Park Ave. house and Florida jaunts; Ralph Holden is dead; Merlin (Mike) Carlock ac- ive as one of six.owners of agency; Harold L. (Ray) -McClinton, prez and partner of agency; Paul Smith partner and v.p.; J. Sherwood Benny Set for ’53/54 Hollywood, April 14. Jack Benny will continue under the aegis of American Tobacco next season*both in radib and television. Agreement has been reached on all provisions of his contract. The deal will be firmed in a few weeks. It’s still unsettled, however, as o how many teleshows Benny will do next season. Understood that Luckies would like more than his current one monthly. NBC-TV Pares Sun. Aft. Rates In Bid for Biz Effective May 1, NBC-TV is re- vising downward its Sunday after- noon rate structure. The stations are so being notified. Some don’t like it, but the majority, whose local rate structure tallies with the new NBC thinking, have accepted it without quibbling. Reduced rate for the 1 to 5 Sab- bath afternoon slots will bring NBC into conformity with CBS- TV’s. rate pattern for the same hours. At present the NBC night- time rate also applies to Sunday afternoon, but after May 1 it will drop to 75% of the nightime cost CBS adopted the latter “come on to sponsors some time back—but in Columbia’s case it isn’t necessary to get the okay of the affiliates. Unlike two or three years ago, when it was practically SRO on Sunday afternoon availabilities, it’s lean pickings for NBC these Sab- bath days, with only two commer- cial entries riding in the 1 to 5 segments. These are “Kukla, Fran & Ollie (RCA) and “Zop Parade” (Quaker Oats). NBC hopes the low- er rate will invite some new spon- sor coin. 4 Spotlight in tfie continuing NBC administrative reorganization this week centers * on the public rela- tions-press divisions. Edward D„ Madden, veepee in charge of public relations and assistant to the pres- ident, is submitting his resignation, a move not unexpected in some quarters since his shiftover from sales chieftain to pub relations un- der the network’s re-integrated pattern promulgated last August. In addition to the Madden res- ignation, there will be a new di- rector of the press department, effective April 20. He is Richard T. Connelly, presently No. 2 man in the radio-TV press dept, at Young & Rubicam. He moves over to NBC radio-TV press as No. 2 man to veepee Syd Eiges. Connelly replaces Frank Young, who was named to the post last year when Jo Dine resigned to join the Fred Ziv operation. Young’s future af- filiation with the web is as yet un- announced. Meanwhile, prospects of Eiges moving into the public relations post being vacated by Madden (press and pub relations operate as separate divisions at NBC) has touched off considerable specula- tion. If Eiges moves and the de- partments remain divorced, it would entail another drastic re- shuffle within the press division. Madden, meanwhile, is reported- ly being romanced by the new ABC-UPT regime, with an automo- tive outfit also dangling its No. 1 administrative post for his consid- eration, Prior to joining NBC in 1950 Madden was a key veepee at McCann-Erickson agency for 10 years and exec veepee and general manager of the American Adver- tising Network. This will be Connelly’s second hitch in NBC press. Prior to join- ing Y&R he worked in trade press when Tom Knode managed that facet of the division. is Smith is board chairman and part- ner, but his name isn’t in agency title because of its present lon- gevity. Doherty, Clifford, Steers & Shen- field: Francis J. Doherty, exec di« rector; Donald - K. Clifford, prez; William E. Steers, treas.; Lawrence L. Shenfield, board chairman, all active in rare multi-named agency where this holds true. Erwin, Wasey: E. R. Erwin is dead; Louis R. Wasey is board chairman; Howard D. Williams now prez. Foote, Cone & Belding: Emerson Foote shifted to McCann, Erickson as exec v. p.; Fairfax M. (Fax) Cone is prez; Don Belding is L. A. direc- tor. Albert Frank-Gunther Law: Al- bert Frank is dead; Rudolph Gun- ther semi-retired board chairman; Russell Law is dead; Frank J. Rey- nolds is prez. Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample: H. M. Dancer is prez; C. L. Fitzgerald board chairman, Glenn Sample re- tired from agency. Kenyon & Eckhardt: Otis A. Kenyon is dead; Henry Eckhardt dead; Bill Lewis now prez and Thomas D’Arcy Brophy board chainnan. Marschalk & Pratt: Edward Pratt left agency 25 years ago; Harry Marschalk is prez. McCann-Erickson: Harrison King McCann is board chairman; Alfred W. Erickson died 1936; Marion Harper is prez. Ruthrauff & Ryan: Wilbur Ruth- rauif is dead; Frederick B. Ryan board chairman; F. B. (Barry) Ryan, Jr., is prez, J. Walter Thompson: Thompson is dead; Stanley Resor is prez. Young Sc Rubicam: John Orr Young left to form own public re- lations org; Raymond Rubicam re- tired to Phoenix, Ariz.; Sigurd rsig) Larmon Is prez and board chairman. Walker’s Swan Song As FCC Chairman At Ohio State Institute Columbus, April 14. FCC Chairman Paul A. Walker will be rpaking his last appearance in his present post before Ohio State University’s Institute for Ed- ucation by Radio-Television, which opens its four-day sessions Thurs- day (16). Walker is scheduled as one of the two main speakers at the In- stitute banquet on Saturday and will ‘recall some of his experiences during the many years of service with the Commission, discussing “The Role of Federal Regulation of Broadcasting in Our American Democracy.” Walker is strongly pro-education in his stand on the Commission. The other banquet speaker is Henry Cassidy, NBC director of news and special events who will speak on “The Way the World Looks.” Thursday’s opening general ses- sion on “The Telecasting Of Legis- lative Hearings” will feature Ed- ward Stanley, NBC manager of public affairs and education; Dor- othy Kenyon, attorney and Amer- ican Civil Liberties Union mem- ber, and Morris S. Novik, broad- casting consultant to organized labor. Crosley to Share TV ‘Hit Parade Lucky Strike, which finds TV programming too rich for its blood and thus favors sharing its proper- ties with alternate clients, has finally found a second bankroller to help pick up the cost on the NBC-TV Saturday night “Hit Pa- rade” next season. Alternate sponsor for the ’53-’54 ride will be Crosley, which, in turn, also shares the Paul Winchell NBC-TV Mon- day night show with Speidel. (Win- chell moves to Sunday at 7 for P & G next season, but both Cros- ley and Speidel plan continuing in the time with “What’s My Name’ 1 }. There were some doubts about “Hit Parade’s” continuance next season because of the program’s $40,000. weekly talent-production tab, with Luckies on the prowl the past couple of months looking for an alternate client. Ciggie com- pany has a similar arrangement on its Monday night NBC-TV “Robert Montgomery Presents,” with John- son's Wax helping defray the cost on an every-other-week basis. Chalmers to C-E William Chalmers has moved in as radio-TV director- at Campbell- Ewald agency. Previously he headed up the Grey agency's radio-TV dept, and prior to that dittoed at Kq von Sc c Eckhardt. EDUC’L TV IN ILL. FACES COMM’L GANGUP Springfield, 111., April 14. Operators of commercial radio and TV stations in Illinois meet here today (Tues.) to fight a pro- posed $2,000,000 appropriation fdr educational video. Bills sponsored by stale repre- sentatives Charles H. Weber and Robert E. Romano would give to the Chicago Board of Education and the U. of Illinois $1,000;000 each from race track funds to es- tablish and operate educational TV stations. Broadcasters are complaining of unfair competition, but its the solons’ thought that since these are non-commercial stations, they don’t compete with free enterprise.