Variety (May 1953)

23 Wednesday, May 6, 1953 PSMEff KABIO-TELEVISION " May 25 ‘Der Tag’ Los Angeles, May 5. Showdown between NBC-TV and its affiliates in the current facilities crisis will probably come on May 25 when the station operators meet In New York with the network brass to bare their . grievances. Rumors of single-station market defections from NBC to CBS were widespread at the convention, following strategy meetings, but it’s reported that any such drastic action would be held in abeyance until the New York meeting. Variously mentioned as those seriously contemplating deserting the NBC fold are, among others, the Bill Fay-operated WHAM-TV in Rochester, N. Y.; Dean Fetzer’s WDAF-TV in Kansas City, and H. W. Slavick’s WMC-TV in Memphis, The “trouble areas” extend into other single and multiple-station markets as well, it’s under- stood. • ... • It’s hot only the failure to get rolling on daytime TV that’s created the situation, the affiliates say, but the whole feeling of uncertainty in terms of the future due to the continuing cycle of NBC reorganizations that’s sparked the unrest. ! Sentiment of some affiliates at the convention was that “CBS has only to say the word and.it.can grab off some of the juicy NBC affiliate plums.” NBC Slapped Down by Its Radio Affiliates on Spot Sale Invasion’ Los Angeles, May 5. Reminiscent of the knockdown- dragout NAB convention days, here at the National Assn, of Radio-Television Broadcasters confabs, was the slapdown admin- istered to NBC by its radio affili- ates in the nej^vorks’ announced in- tention of projecting itself promi- nently into the spot sales picture. Even before the affiliate station operators met to pass a resolution flatly rejecting NBC's* “invitation” to participation in its spot pro- gram campaign (whereby the net- work would inaugurate a six- show parlay for sale to national advertisers on a spot basis, with the affiliates deriving 20% of the income), the station reps in at- tendance were mobilizing for dras- tic retaliation. Whether or not NBC will en- deavor to go through with its plan to get off the network sponsorship recession hook and move into the lucrative spot field now appears problematical, in view of the fact that the affiliates don’t want it. Just how large such a campaign loomed in NBC’s eyes is evident from the fact that the network has been on the prowl for a top "spot” administrator who would operate on a high-echelon level. Stations today are enjoying a veritable bonanza from spot sales and understandably resent any such move-in by the network. Odd- ly enough, the showdown with the affiliates came the very day that RCA-NBC board chairman David Sarnoflf, in his keynote address to the NARTB convention, appealed to the stations to help get the net- works off the hook, contending that such joint cooperation is ob- ligatory at a time when the webs are compelled to assume the ma- jor burden on coin outlays. NARTB Protests Radio-TV Bans Los Angeles, May 5. In its closing convention session here, the NARTB adopted a resolu- tion calling for the appointment of a committee to strive toward re- moval” of “discriminatory practices and o legislation” banning radio microphones and television cam- eras from public hearings. The resolution was one of several adopted by the association designed to give the two mediums greater recognition in the realm of public enlightenment. The NARTB maintains there has been evidence, particularly on a local and state level, of such undue censorship and discrimination ‘.‘in- imical to broadcasting and televi- sion and thus to public interest.” Following up NARTB prexy Har- old E. Fellows’ annual message in which he deplored the White House r.adio-TV brushoff, another resolu- tion urges President Eisenhower to augment his public information White House staff by the addition to the secretariat of an adviser especially trained in radio-TV. Moving Fast Los Angeles, May 5. As an indication of how speedily RCA is expediting its color TV experimentation, it was revealed here by FCC members attending the NARTB ‘convention that the Commission in a body will witness a demonstration of the improved RCA system at Princeton May 17. - This would indicate that the Commission plans an early hearing once RCA officially makes application, which is expected in about three months. , Quaal Elected As Member of NARTB TV Boasters’ BA Los Angeles, s May 5. Ward L. Quaal, of WLW-TV, is the newest member of the Tele- vision Broadcasters’ TV Board, named at the annual election here last week. Three incumbents were reelected. Returned to the board for terms to expire in 1955 were Campbell Amoux, WTAR-TV, Nor- folk; Kenneth L. Carter, WAAM, Baltimore, and William Fay, WHAM-TV, Rochester, N. Y. Those whose terms continue until 1954 are Paul Raibourn, Par- amount Television; Robert D. Swezey, WDSU-TV, New Orleans; Clair R. McCullough, WGAL-TV, Lancaster, Pa., vice-chairman; Har- old Hough, WPAB-TV, Fort Worth, and George B. Storer, head of the Storer stations. Network reps serving on board for two-year periods are Alex- ander Stronach, Jr., ABC-TV; Merle S. Jones, CBS-TV; Chris Witting, DuMont, and Frank M. Russell, NBC-TV. NARTB board chairman and general counsel Justin Miller pre- sided. Named to election commit- tee were Ralph Evans, WOC-TV, Davenport, chairman; Charles Batson, WIS-TV, Columbia, S. C.; Irving Rosenhaus, WATV, Newark; E. K. Jett, WMAR-TV, Baltimore, and Len Higgins, KTNT, Tacoma. DFS’ Samish Joins NBC Creative-Producer Set Adrian Samish, who resigned as veepee and radio-TV director of Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample a month ago, has joined NBC’s creative-pro- ducer group as of May 1. Group, known as “Barry's Baker’s Dozen,” is under the wing of Charles C. (Bud) Barry, web’s programming veepee. Samish left the agency after six years because of desire to return to the creative end of broadcasting. TOP BEEFS ON By GEORGE ROSEN Los Angeles, May 5. Unquestionably the most crucial issue to project itself at the Na- tional Assn, of Radio-Television Broadcasters conventioit—though something confined to bull sessions and corridor talk and not on the official agenda—was the undercur- rent of revolt stemming from net- work-affiliate relations. Most of it centered around NBC, which finds itself on the affiliate “hot-seat” over failure to program daytime commercial television. The fact that RCA-NBC board chairman David Sarnoff, in his keynote ad- dress to the convention, put such stress on the need for a fuller co- operation between network and af- filiates, underscored the mounting tension indicative of the stormy days ahead in resolving the net- work vs. station status. Some of the NBC-TV affiliates were beefing out loud over the present NBC-TV stalemate on day- time TV programming, feeling it’s high time the web got down tq tackling the problem in a serious way. Major squawk is that it’s costing them a barrel of money to program the daytime slots, now that NBC has thrown them on their own between the hours of 10 a. m. to 3 p.m. . Indicative of the seriousness of the situation is that some stations plan to retaliate by recapturing the evening and late-night station op- tion time availabilities for local selling instead of turning these pe- riods over to the network. But the stakes ^are much greater, since numbered among the disgruntled elements are some of the operators in the lush single-station markets who have thrown in their lot with NBC but who, on the eve of rival stations opening up, are reapprais- ing their network affiliation in terms of the future. Prestige Blow It goes without saying that NBC cherishes these bigleague VHF op- erations. It would be a serious blow to the web’s prestige in the era of CBS’ emergence as a seri- ous contender for topdog status— and with ABC reasserting Itself with a $30,000,000 bankroll—if these lucrative station operators should desert the NBC fold. That’s why they’rb demanding action prpnto to counter the CBS gains, As one influential affiliate manager put it: “The next six months may have a vital bearing on NBC’s future. The situation is that seri- ous.” It’s known that a critical breach in relations has developed between NBC and WBAL-TV, its Baltimore affiliate, which has served notice on the network and BBD&O, the Lucky Strike agency, that it will no longer carry the Saturday night 10:30 (station time) “Hit Parade.” In addition, the Baltimore station intends to recapture the Sunday night at 7 period (also station timfe) in which Red Skelton has been slotted this season. Station may even cancel out on the Friday night at 10 Gillette-sponsored fights, since it invariably runs over into the 10:30 station-time period. Although some of the late after- noon NBC-TV. slots have met with sponsorship acceptance (Kate Smith show, “Welcome Travelers,” “Big Payoff,” which has since moved to CBS), the web has found it tough going in daytime TV while CBS has forged way out in front. The affiliates maintain _ that, be- . cause of the rival Columbia’s pro- gramming lineup audience pull, even local sponsors have been shift- ing over to CBS. Admiral on DuM’t Bouts Admiral Corp. has signed to sponsor the International Golden Gloves bouts from Chicago June 16 over the DuMont network. Tele- vision and appliance company had previously bankrolled two prelim- inary Golden Gloves tourneys last month via DuMont and also on radio with Mutual. • Erwin, Wasey agented* Tor Broadcasters Only’ Status Gone As ‘New Faces’ Take Over NARTB Old Class Tie Los Angeles, May 5. This year’s NARTB conven- tion, oddly enough, was marked by the appearance of every former FCC chairman (not to mention five of the present seven Commissioners), with the single exception of Wayne Coy. The ex-chairmen putting in appearance included James Fly, (now practicing law); Charles R.. Denny (now brack- eted among the NBC echelon), Paul A. Walker, who just stepped down and is complet- ing his term as a member of the Government agency; Paul Porter (now in law practice), and E. K. Jett, who was a tem- porary chairman and now is a Baltimore station operator. ’53 Convention Refrain: ‘Never Had It So Good’ Los Angeles, May 5. Suggested theme song for this year’s National Assn, of Radio-Tel- evision Broadcasters convention: “We never had it so good.” Hardly a single major issue confronted the nation’s broadcasters, flushed with both radio and TV riches. They came on to L. A. “for-the ride,” and to catch up with what the fu- ture might hold in store in the way of color TV, plain old-fash- ioned black-and-white TV, UHF, and assorted innovations designed to keep radio thriving on a local level. Within such a framework, the NARTB, riding the crest of its most solvent period, laid out an agenda calculated to keep ’em happy. As such, prexy Harold E. Fellows and Clair McCullough, in charge of the convention arrange- ments, acquitted themselves in top- flight style befitting their longtime industry contributions. But whether the association would ever countenance a return to L.A. i? highly problematical. It was done this year on invitation of the Southern California Broadcasters Assn., and the NARTB responded in kind in a bid to woo more Coast broadcasters into the membership fold. But in terms of physical require- ments and comforts, the beefs were strong. The convention was literal- ly sprawled over the L.A. down- town area, with continuous shut- tling between the Biltmore, Am- bassador, Statler, Town House, etc. The TV film boys said “never again” ,and put in a pitch for a return to Chicago next year. Their major traffic is with the small TV stations requiring film product. And these small-station guys were conspicuous by their absence, be- cause it’s a long haul to L. A. from the east, midwest and the south, and that takes coin. Lewine to Create New Day Shows for CBS-TV Richard Lewine has been ap- pointed CBS-TV supervisor of net- work daytime programs. Post re- portedly will be a creative one, with' Lewine given the job of think- ing up new house packages for the Sunlit hours. Problem No. 1 is a new fall pro- gram to go into the 3:30 to 4 p.m. strip, vacated by the cancelling “Eddie Albert Show” on Friday (8). Thereafter the task reportedly will be the readying of other new programs for sponsor-weak por- tions of the daytime schedule. Lewine joined the web four years ago as a songwriter for. the* “54th St. Revue.” y Los Angeles, May 5. If anything, this year’s National* Assn, of Radio-Television Broad- casters convention offered reveal- ing testimony of the changing char- acter of the broadcasting industry. It was particularly apparent in the new faces in evidence at the Bilt- more Hotel convention headquar- ters here. In sharp contrast to 4 the ex-NAB days when the annual conclaves had an “of, by and for” broadcaster status, the TV expan- sion, bringing in its wake the mul- tiple auxiliary facets of a spread- ing industry, has relegated many of the oldtimers to a background position. " The emergence of films as one of the key factors in the TV boom was particularly illustrative of the “new faces” convention complex- ion and “format.” For example, the major panel discussion on “Role of Films in Television” found the exhibitors and distribu- tors—all “new faces”—sharing equal billing with station man- agers, whereas in past years the need to identify participants to the assembled broadcasters never existed. It’s now a sprawling industry, taking on added color and excite- ment. Last week’s’ convention was a “pitchmen’s heaven” with all the . features of the carnival midway. ^The floors of the Biltmore were jampacked with lookers from every available model agency, shilling for this or that TV film, transcrip- tion or equipment outfit. The barkers literally drowned out the rest of the convention, and the s.a. injected into the draperies of the souvenir-laden dolls took the play away from the routine convention proceedings. Word even spread around the city of the NARTB “show within a show,” so^that cas- ual strollers off the street added to the “new faces” dilemma as they mingled with the broadcaster ele- ment. < Many of the old guard failed to put in an appearance at this year’s conclaves, despite the “crossroads” pattern of an industry in transi- tion. The absentees for the most part represented veterans who, though still flushed with AM-TV riches, have become too set in their ways, manners and operation- al patterns to readjust to the “new industry” that played such a domi- nant role in the ’53 convention. Brown Blasts TV’s ‘Pompous’ Critics Los Angeles, May 5. Addressing a business session of broadcasters, Thad Brown, vice- president and counsel in charge of television affairs of the National Assn, of Radio-Television Broad- casters, took a swipe at self- appointed critics “who march with pompous phrases through the print of their vehicles in search of an idea.” He added: “And they thought they found one—in com- mercial television programming, a real fall guy.” “In an industry so heavily freighted with social interest and the goodwill of the public,” said Brown, “the time has come to en- ergetically disabuse such parties of the concept that television pro- gramming is a ready and submis- sive target. Everybody seems to want to get into the act, and the end result is often criticism—vocal and vociferous. Some is valuable, but all too often such abuse is biased and self-seeking in nature, “We are at the end of one po- litical era, as well as the end of the freeze. The latter has brought, and will bring even more in the next few months, what we term 'leading cases’ — for better or worse. In broadcast, at least, the Republican regime evidences that it is a party of rambunction, if not revolution. In law.and legis- lation there shall be no place for i complacency,”