Variety (April 1953)

48 RABIO'TEUEVXSION PArZffirr 'Wednesday, April 29, 1953 Spot Biz Zooms Continued Yrom page 29 Fels Naptha, Minute Maid, Minute son agency, N. Y., report a flock Tapioca, and Sunkist Oranges. of bankrollers are prepping sum- One reason for the “exception- mer S p 0 t schedules well ahead of ally good" spot outlook this sum- j tfa usual time Among them 8re mer is explained by Reginald H. 1 u Rollinson, director of advertiser relations for the Station Repre- sentatives’ Assn. He has found that many ad agencies are testing spot in one to 15 markets for new advertisers, with a view to deter- mining ttfe wisdom of saturation buys. “I know of one -advertiser who tested spot in one city two months ago,” Rollinson said. “He’s now in 34 markets and plans to continue for the summer.” Herbert Claussen, timebuyer for Ruthrauff & Ryan agency, N. Y., said several of his clients, taking no chances of a lack of availabili- ties, had already skedded summer spot lists. Among them are Lip- ton’s Frostee, which will be in 130 radio and TV markets in June, and Bosco Milk Amplifier, which will use TV announcements in 30 mar- kets. Grab Up Franchises “Morning radio availabilities have become prime A time, be- cfiise there’s such a rush on after- noon and evening TV spot in video markets,” Claussen believes. “Aft- ernoon TV announcements are* rapidly becoming few and far be- tween. It’s now hard to get, and hold onto, a good broadcast prop- erty.” Lee Curlin, timebuyer for Wil- liam Weintraub agency, N. Y., ex- pounds the notion that bank- rollers are currently booming spot buys to keep up with the competi- tion. One of his clients, Revlon, is skedding a spot TV campaign in 39 markets for White Sable cleansing'cream and Moon Drops skin freshener, presumably to keep abreast with Helena Rubin- stein products, now heavy for the first time in spot TV. Another client, Blatz Beer, is prepping a particu- larly heavy spot TV campaign, via announcements and half-hour pro- grams, to maintain its position among rival beers who have re- cently foamed into a spot TV binge. Hmebuyers at McCann-Erick- Solons Deal Body Blow To U. of E TV Station Chicago, April 28. The U. of Illinois’ proposed ed- ucational TV station was dealt a legislative blow at the state capitol in Springfield, April 22. House majority leader Franklin U. Stran- „ , , ... . ,. .,sky introduced a bill which would Lehn & Fink, skedding a night and 3 p re y e nt any state-supported edu * mv r - — - — aammma* i r» i 1 ^ • « « • »j _ j • ' e day TV summer spot campaign m cational institution from spending ' funds for a tele station. University intended to use funds from the state budget for the construction of a teevee outlet. State House of Representatives is now’ considering a biU which asks for a $?,000,000 stake for the Chicago public schools and the unversity’s TV stations. The Taxpayers Federation of Illinois, an organization of busi- ness and industry seeking a reduc- tion of state taxes, were the suc- cessful' lobbyists in inducing Rep- resentative Stransky to introduce the bill. A successful block by Representative Dillavou, univer- sity spokesman, prevented Stran- sky from expediting the bill past the necessary committee hearing. Odds favor the TFI bill at pres- ent. Aside from Gov. William Stratton’s disapproval of the bill favoring university appropriations, the university legislation was thrown for a loss when the Senate executive committee approved a measure which created a commis- sion to study the educational tele- vision situation. The committee is to report to the legislature in 1955. POUND RIDGE near Stamford, Conn. — a thor- oughly modern, attractive Colonial - hour# with a lake for swimming and fishing. Secluded 10 acres of land with moro available. Con- tains, on first floor: large living room, library, bar, dining room, guest suite with bath, screened porch, servant's room, kitchyn, etc.; on second floor; large master suite with 2 dressing rooms, bath and study as well as 3 other bed- rooms and 2 baths. Bath house and tool houso, screened picnic house and outside grill on lake. Owner, moved West, offers bar- gain and immediate occupancy. KENNETH IVES & Co. 14 East 55th St. MU 8-1900 or Stamford 4-1414 40 to 45 markets for Etiquette cream deodorant, and Junket Foods going in heavy for summer radio announcements and partici- pations for Junket Sherbert Mix and Freeze Mix. Borax and Boraxo are still using the half-hour “Death Valley Days” in 60 TV markets, and are still mulling sum- mer plans. Congoleum-Nairn will return to its TV pioneer, Dave Garroway, to participate on the “Today” show for four to eight weeks in May, and will supplement it with TV spot. Nabisco is sked- ding a heavy summer radio cam- paign, and will spread its cracker messages in at least 60 TV mar- kets. f Donald Cooke, prez of Donald Cooke station reps, doesn’t know why spot is booming, except to exult, “My cup runneth over. I’ve never seen both AM and TV spot business so exceptionally good,” Cooke believes a source of the flourishing trade may possibly be attributed to bankrollers expand- ing their advertising appropriar tions, in the manner of Hood Chemicals infiltrating Florida with spot radio messages and Camp- bell’s Soup launching a summer spot TV campaign. The old re- liables, the automotive supply and the soap companies, are splurging especially in spot. Among them are Kaiser Frazer in spot.radio, alopg with Esso, Standard Oil, Continental Oil and Roots Motors, plus Lux and P & G. Cooke, who represents CKEY, Toronto, CKVL, Montreal, CKOY, Ottawa, CKY, Winnipeg and CKMO, Vancouver, also finds that U. S. TV network bankrollers are increasing their spot buys in Cana- dian radio. Gillette Razors, via the Maxon agency, is beginning to splurge heavily in Canadian AM spot, as is Campbell’s Soups A spokesman at the Katz sta- tion reps pointed out that “spot radio business looks as though it will exceed last summer’s, and* that was one of the best we’ve had in years.” As a sign that business was perking up, he pointed out that Wildroot was back in spot radio, and - Vitalis was mulling a heavy summer schedule. Other bankrollers who’ve been buying well into spot AM include Masland Carpets, Florists Telegraph De livery Service and 666 Cold Remedy. Donald Quinn, timebuyer at Doherty, Clifford, Steers & Shen field agency, N, Y., pointed to Feenamint and Chews, in 100 mar kets. with AM spot, and Minute Rub, of Bristol-Myers, prepping a good-sized radio announcement campaign, as indications of brisk trade. “All signs,” said Quinn, “show that you’ll have to get your availa bilities early, if you don’t want to get lost in the rush for prime sum- mer spot time.” From the Production Centres Continued from pjyje 44 the WDEL-TY Wilmington, Delaware market WDEL AM TV FM W > I fr> i n g l o n D <? I a * a r e I I I I Delaware, with highest per capita income of any state, is the heart of this market which also includes parts of New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsyl- vania. Buy WDEL-TV for an audience that buys. * A Steinmon Station Represented by M E E K E R N*W YorK Chicago toe Angeles San Francisco New Peak in Religioso Programming on L.A. TV Stations With 12? Hrs. * Hollywood, April 28, A new peak in religioso pro- gramming has been reached onthe seven L.A. television stations, with a steady increase the past year, to point where there are now 12V6 hours of such shows weekly on the channels, with seven hours and 45-minutes of that time sponsored. Figure for bankrollers would be higher, except for policy of soine stations, such as KTLA and KNXT, to nix bankrolling of religiosos, playing them as public service. Outdistancing all other channels is KECA-TV, which has six hours, 45 minutes of such programs, and all that time is sponsored.-= Pro- grams' are “Inspirational Guest Hour,” two hours, IS^minutes, par- ticipating; “Church in the Home, one hour, American Soul Clinic; “Faith for Today,” 30-mlnute, Faith for Today, Inc.; “Travelcade of Youth,” 30-minute‘, American Christian Crusade; “Hour of De- cision,” 15-njinute, Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn.; World Church, hour and 45 minutes, the Rev. O. D. Jagger. Neit on the religious roundup is KTTV, which has two hours and 45 minutes of such programming, with 1 Vi hours sponsored. Shows are “Youth on the March,” 30- minute; Victory Baptist Church, 30-minute; Bishop Fulton Sheen, 30-minute, Admiral;, “What One Person Can Do,” 15-minute; “Great Churches of the Golden West,” one hour, Inglewood Park Cemetery. KTLA, which nixes bankrollers for the shows, has the 15-minute “Televespers,” and “In God We Trust,” which runs an hour. KLAC-' TV has “Thought for a Day,” a ■daily five-minute program, plus one-minute spots for groups such as the National Council of Churches. Channel will not sell time to churches, donates instead. KNXT’s lone religioso is “Light of Faith,” half-hour show not open for sponsorship; KNBH has “Fron- tiers of Faith,” 30 minutes, and “Sunday Service,” 30 minutes, while KHJ-TV has 15 minutes. “The Christophers,” sustaining and not open for bankrolling. Whelan Expands "Date’ To Cross-the-Board Whelan Stores is expanding Its twice-weekly “TV'Dinner Date” qn WOR-TV, N. Y., to a cross-the- board status this week. Program re- places on Monday, Wednesday and Friday Coca-Cola’s “Do You Want to Be a Star,” which started Its hiatus. ‘‘Dinner Date” stars Florence Grtirge (Mrs. Everett Crosby} and Ziggy Lime. is resigned for in-school use by primary grade pupils. KSUD, U. of South Dakota station, also copped an award, its “Candy Cane Lane” program for out-of-school listening doing the trick. in boston . . .' WNAC-TV upped its power from 26.6 kw to 220 kw over the week- end, Increase was slated to become effective about two months ago, but was set back when the $80,000 antenna toppled to the ground while being set into place . , . John D. Maloy has been appointed production supervisor of WNAC and the Yankee Network . . . Latest figures released by WBZ-TV and WNAC-TV show number of TV sets installed in homes at 1,043,130, an increase of 13,979 during month of March . „ . Due to serious illness in family, William Cody has re- signed as merchandising rep at WEEI and has been replaced by Richard P. Luetters . . . WEEI’s Priscilla Fortesque plans to fly to Glasgow May 16 Via BOAC, ultimately winding in London for the Coronation. IN PITTSBURGH . . . Hank Stahl resigned from WDTV staff to become program man- ager of WSAZ-TV in Huntington, W. Va. . . . Radio singer Bette Smiley has gone home from St. Margaret’s Hospital after undergoing surgery . . . Keps Electric Co. will pick up the tab for Johnny Boyer’s late-night, across-the-board sportscast, Monday through Saturday, on KDKA . . . Ernie Stem in town beating the drums for Don McNeil’s Breakfast Club broadcast from Syria Mosque here May 7. Every ticket was gone In first wave of mail to WCAE . . . Harold Lund, general manager of WDTV, in Hollywood for NARTB convention. He has relinquished delegateship to Variety Club international meet in Mex- ico City middle of May and A1 Weiblinger, first alternate, replaces him. Other delegate will be I. Elmer Ecker. Tent No. 1 is also to be represented by chief barker Carl Dozer, sales manager of WCAE, and his predecessor at Variety Club, Bill Finkel. IN PHILADELPHIA . . . WIP’s Mac McGuire and his Harmoifr Rangers guested on Wilson Line’s opening cruise down Delaware to Baltimore (26) . . . WFIL announcers Jerry Grove, Jim McCann and Allen Stone will serve as narrators for mammoth 1953 March of Scouting Pageant at Philadel- phia’s Convention Hall . . . Broadcaster Laraine Day in for guest appearance at Wanamaker Store (21) to promote fashion show . . . Jack Steck, program director of WFIL-TV, is back as emcee of Wood- side Park’s Sunday talent show “Starlet Stairway.” Latter half of show is broadcast over WDAS . . . Jim Learning, WIP sports director, was honored at closing ceremonies of Education for Blind Week, re- ceiving parchment scroll in Braille from group of blind athletes . . . WPEN’s singing deejay Bud Brees has formed organization for pur- pose of packaging radio and TV shows, personal management promo- tion and songwriters service, opening midtown offices . . . The Tele- vision Assn, of Philadelphia has elected Franklin Roberts as president, succeeding Art Borowsky. Other new officers elected were Walter Erickson, v.p.; Ethel Foster, secretary; Gordon Wahl, treasurer, and David Kaigler, Alexander Dannebaum and Robert'Dome, as directors. Jinx Falkenburg will do the commentary for the May Day fashion show (sponsored by Gimbels department store) which will reopen the Playhouse-in-the-Park, municipally-owned summer theatre ... Jack Creamer, WIP commentator, has parlayed another book, titled “Horses and Men,” an anthology of his favorite horse stories. Coward-McCann l-will publish May 3. IN WASHINGTON . . . TV sets in Northeastern Ohio total over 750,000 . . . Don McNeil’s May 5 WJW appearance is SRO, and the star is finding an “anniversary baby” dating to his start in radio to tie in with promotion for up- coming Press Club presentation of “Blessed Event” at Hanna Thea- tre . . . WJW’s general manager Bill Lemmon vacationing in Florida Paul Bedford, WTAM, picked up the Firestone tire road-test an- nouncing stint go ABC net Sid Andorn’s WXEL’s “Audition Ambition” may TV HOOPERATINGS UP TO 50 CITIES IN FALL C. E. Hooper, Inc., will extend its TV-Hooperatings from current 40 cities to 50 in October, with no increase in subscription rates to advertisers, agencies or TV sta- tions. Ten added markets are Roches- ter, N. Y.; Wilmington, Del.; Nor- folk; Huntington, W. Va.; Miami; New Orleans; Youngstown, O.; Grand Rapids-Kalamagoo, Mich.; Denver, and Portland? Ore. CHIROPRACTIC FOR HEALTH BERT SHERYLL, D.C. Chiropractor 1639 Broadway Circle 7-4438 Capitol Theatre Building Call for an New York City Appointment Upper Midwest 1 I I I I ■ it whether you sell kickshaws lo kids, winkies to women, or mix lo men, you’ll reach more of ’em more often, more economically with a KSTProduced television show! V