Variety (December 1954)

26 RADIO-TELEVISION Wednesday, December 8, 1954 NCAA’s Olive Branch’ on Grid Policy; Fear of Big 10, Coast Schism Factor Chicago, Dec. 7. <• The tv committee of the National Collegiate Athletic Assn, has left the door slightly ajar for some changes in its football policy next year. While framing a recommen- dation for next January’s national NCAA convention calling for the continuation of national control of gridcasts, the tele group at its meeting here last week let it be known that next year’s plan won’t ■necessarily he limited to the single “game of the week” program that has prevailed the past three sea- sons. The open-end nature of the com- mittee's resolution, wtih only, the principle of national jurisdiction spelled out. reflects the conflicting crosscurrents wiithin the NCAA over the proper handling of the tv “problem.” If the Big 10 and pacific Coast conferences carry their avowed regional control am- bitions into the national conclave in New York, the collegiate “trade association” would have a real fight on its hands. Just after the com- mittee meet here, Arch Ward, powerful sports editor of the Chi- cago Tribune and long a bitter foe of the NCAA tv controls, sug- gested, in effect, a rump organiza- tion be set up. Real Villain Other sports observers, however, argue that since the midwest and far west conferences are such king- pin leagues within the NCAA family, there’s little likelihood the parent organization would risk a Big 10 or Coast bolt over the tv issue. This school of thought sees Notre Dame as the real villain of the piece as far as the NCAA is concerned. While the Big 10 and the Coast league have “leaked” some en- dorsements of the principle of regional control, it’s been Notre Dame, from its highest brass on down, that has been blasting the NCAA program on every available platform. If video rights were thrown up for grabs, it's considered axiomatic that Notre Dame, with its national schedules and cross-coun- try fandom, would be the No. 1 school as far as an individual tv package is concerned. In short, (Continued on page 34) Dorseys Climb Way Up on Poll What seemed like an innocuous, almost postscript mention in a sur- vey of program likes and dislikes, has boosted Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey to the point where several sponsors along with telepix syndi- cators are interested in the veteran batonists. A sampling by Adver- test of 1,000 New Yorkers, pub- lished last week, showed among other values that the freres rated No. 3 among program “most de- sired” that are now off the screens. Interesting in the choice is that the Dorsey Bros. “Stage Show” was a CBS-TV summer replacement for Jackie Gleason, under the latter's own packaging. Thus it turns out that a brief return by the Dorseys will actually function as a “repeat audition” of the show. The musicians-conduc- tors will relieve Gleason again, this time w'hen the Saturday come- dian takes a two-week vacation, Jan. 1 and 8. The New Year’s show will guestar singer Johnnie Ray. ‘LUCY' RERUNS TO TAKE WINDUP OF ‘OMNI’ SLOT Reruns of “I Love Lucy” will be a late-season Sunday starter on CBS-TV. Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz telepix situationer was originally earmarked for 4:30 to 5, with a late January kickoff. Date has been set back to April 17 and the slot also pushed back, to 6 o’clock. This would be the last half-hour of “Omnibus,” whose sixmonth con- tract would then be expired. Should “Omnibus” return the following season via renewal from the Ford Foundation, “Lucy” time would be shifted. V.P. in Chara • of Bloopoft Jo Ranson hat compiled another 1954 Anthology of TV and Radio Fluffs of 1954 * * * a humorous byline piece in the forthcoming 49th Anniversary Number of VSrTETy ODE SOON NBC Nixes Texas Replay Of 5-Year-Old Gridcast Despite Bill Stern Okay Dallas, Dec. 7. Gordon McLendon, prez and gen- eral manager of KLIF, cancelled a skedded Saturday (4) rebroadcast of the last half of the Notre Dame- Southern Methodist U. football game, played in the Cotton Bowl here Dec. 3, 1949, because of Na- tional Broadcasting Co.’s protest. Five-year-old thriller, which saw Notre Dame come from behind to edge SMU, 27-20, was originally play-by-played via NBC by Bill Stern when he was that web’s sports director. KLIF had heavily spot-plugged the revival for a 12:30 p.m. Satur- day (4) airing, preceding the ABC- TV telecast of the second local ND-SMU tangle at 2 p.m. in the Cotton Bowl. McLendon, in a 11:40 a.m. KLIF news bulletin, told lis- teners that for the skedded replay he had an okay from Bill Stern, now American Broadcasting Co.’s sports announcer, here for the NCAA game of the week telecast. Transcription was owned, he said, by a late sportsman, Connell R. Miller, once an exec of the Dallas Texans’ pro football team, and the rebroadcast was to be “a dedication and tribute” to Miller, who was killed in his sports car here last week. However, McLen- don repeated, “NBC has wired us this morning, threatening legal ac- tion if KLIF goes through with our scheduled rebroadcast of an SMU football game which aroused so much interest, and we must regret- fully cancel the transcribed plAy- by-play program. “We never dreamed the Nation- al Broadcasting Co. would protest the replay of a five-year-old game, or we would have requested that network’s permission in advance for the broadcast.” McLendon re- peated his statements every five minutes, interrupting skedded plat- ter shows until 1p.m. WPAT Sold to Exec The Passaic Daily News has sold Paterson (N. J.) radio indie WPAT to a group headed by the outlet’s present exfcc veep and general manager. D. J. Wright. A 5,000-watter, WPAT has been operating since ’41. From .’49 through ’50. when it folded, the Daily New's operated WPAT-FM. Consolidated Checks Out On DuMont ‘Accused’ Hour Consolidated Cosmetics has can- celled the Thursday “They Stand Accused” 60-minuter on DuMont. The web said, however, that an- other pitch to the br.nkroller to "reconsider’’ has been made, with an answer rapected by tomorrow (Thurs.). Account is handled through Frank Duggan agency, Chi, with show concluding its first • cycle. Stanza had been on the DuMont lineup a few years ago. U. of Minn. Defies NCAA on Vidgrid; Frames Own Plan Minneapolis, Dec. 7. U. otf Minnesota’s Board of Re- gents, the institution’s governing board, has been aroused to action in a fight to bring about the tele- vising of the school’s football games. Public clamor against the NCAA plan of restricted tv on Saturday college football contests, and a widespread demand joined by some state legislature members, impelled the regents to speak out. In a public statement which, in effect, contains an apology for inability to televise the games, the regents announced that they have instructed their administrative of- ficers to work for controlled re- gional tv of midwest schools’ foot- ball contests, to replace the NCAA plan. Making clear that they favor con- trolled regional tv, the regents at the same time pointed out that the U. of Minnesota cannot “go it alone” in defiance of the NCAA, which has the power to forbid members to play violators of its regulations. The NCAA also can declare athletes in violating schools ineligible to participate in national sports championships, the statement said. It called attention, too. to the fact that even U. of Minnesota efforts to obtain per- mission to televise its three home soldout games failed. Ike Armstrdng, Minnesota ath- letic director, has taken much abuse from state legislators and the public because he hasn’t been able to effect televising of the games. However, several moves in the state legislature to force the school to break loose from the NCAA failed. During the past season, U. of Minnesota was fourth in the na- tion in football attendance with a total of 351,966 for its six home games. Three were complete sell- outs of more than 65,000 payees and the average was 58,661 per contest with the entire stadium scaled at $3.25 and no reduction on season tickets. ‘PERSON’DELIVERS KO TO GILLETTE FIGHTS Trendex gave ‘“Person to Per- son” a clean decision over the Gil- lette fights last Friday (3). From 10:30 p.m. on, when the two stanzas were competing, the CBS-TV show grabbed 29.3 while the Frankie Riff-Orlando Zulueta match on NBC settled for 11.8. the fight .out more deeply into the first “P to P” guest, Bing Crosby, than into second, Mary Mar- garet McBride, because the pugs checked out at 10:52. Bouts start at 10 o’clock. Better Living Through Radio’ They say that a tv announcer has to believe in the product he pitches. Well, there’s one such pitchman who undoubtedly believes what he’s saying when he tells New York audiences that there’s Better Living Through Television. Announcer is Bob Bryar, and BLTT is the firm for which he works. It’s New York’s largest tv telephone and mail order house which sells, through Bryar and m crew of other announcers, everything from storm windows to sewing machines. No question but that Bryar now takes that BLTT tag literally. Together with ex-agency owner Harold Kaye, Bryar plunked dow’n $94,000 last week and purchased radio station WORC in Worcester, Mass. Deal, set via broker Howard E. Stark, was an outright purchase from George Taylor and Robert T. Engels, who will henceforth devote full time to their indie in Providence, WHIM. To prove that "living can be better through television,” Bryar is removing the pitchman garb to take over WORC as prexy, with Kaye as v.p. I From the Production Centres ii US 1SEW YORK CITY .. . John Porter named manager of NBC advertising and promotion with Edwin Vane tapped as manager of national sales promotion, Porter s erstwhile berth . . . WCBSingers Martha Wright and Lanny Ross to appear at Xmas party (Dec. 17) of Sales Execs Club at Waldorf . . . WRCA director -Draper Lewis, planed to Dallas to cover Notre Dame- Southern Methodist griddery at Cotton Bowl, then off for a three- week Florida vacation . . . WCBS merchandising chief Howard Laily to install officers of Pioneer Foods Merchants group at Statler . . . Julie Andrews, of legit musiclick “Boy Friend," guest of Bill Leonard’s WCBS “This Is N.Y.” tomorrow iThurs.) . . . Joe Bernstein, ex-Phil Alampi staffer, now directing Sydney Smith’s “Byline” on WRCA, with ex-stager John Fengler joining production gang of tv sister station . . . Erstwhile Life photog-critic (etc.) Gene Cook exhibiting his stills at N.Y. Camera Club until Dec. 18 . . . Don Walsh, ex-Steve Hannagan, Boston news row and Variety, joined Phil Dean’s p.r. office . . . Caro- line Burke, NBC producer, principal speaker at Orange (N.J.) Women’s Club Thursday (10) to discuss differences in daytime radio and tv “serialities” . . . CBS v.p. Merle S. Jones, is chairman of radio-tv divi- sion of N.Y. Visiting Nurse Service. Allen Dulles, CIA chief, to guest on WMCA’s “The Challenge” tonight (Wed.) . . . Bob Leder on two-week jaunt to Bermuda, first respite since joining WINS early in year . . . First concert at UN in behalf of Human Rights Day will be aired via WQXR Sunday (12). It’ll be the Boston Symph with Charles Munch batoning and soprano Irmgard Seefried soloing . . . Latest “Best Radio Salesmen of the Month,” via BAB, are Jack deMello, KROW, Oakland; Joe Winkler, WCAU, Philly, and Tom E. Beal, KLWN, Lawrence, Kan. . . . Daitch Dairy Stores riding WAAT, Newark, with 10 one-minute spots per week . . . Mike Ellis to preem in one-a-weeker, “Along the Ski Trails” on WINS to- morrow (Thurs.) at 10:30 p.m. . . . WMGM pitching for Xmas gifts for hospitalized servicemen and vets . . . Harry Green, attorney for sus- pended and reinstated Fort Monmouth scientists, discussed anti-Semi- tism charges Sunday (5) on WLIB’s “For the Record” stanza. Bill Strosahl, v.p. and art director at William Esty agency, having an exhibition of his watercolors Dec. 8-20 at Grand Central Art Gal- leries . . , Burry Biscuit Corp. to co-participate in the Tex Sc Jinx afternoon crossboard, “New York Close-Up” on WRCA for 13 weeks starting Jan. 6. Melody Miller feted the entire cast of “Helen Trent at the Hotel Trent” at the Hotel Delmonico Friday (3) . . . Grace Valentine, Alfred Shirley, James Meighan and Irene Hubbard added to the “Our Gal Sunday” cast . . . Jim Boles new*to “Stella Dallas.” Milton Allison, CBS Radio spot sales eastern boss and account exec Warren Jennings to Coast for a week of powwows . . . Into WMGM’s “American-Jewish Caravan of Stars” on Sunday (19), Harry Hershfield . . . Jose Ferrer into spouse Rosemary Clooney’s CBSer tomorrow (Thurs.) . . . Elizabeth Robinson to WQXR as merchandising factotum . . . 88er Teddy Wilson into regular Saturday showcase via CBS . . . Jack Curtis and Glenn Riggs into “ABC Weekend News” for A. C. Gilbert toys . . . WMGM fetes Dr. Jonah B. Wise’s 50 years as a clergy- man with a special stanza on Friday (17) . . . Sherril Taylor, CBS spot sales promotion manager, back after week on Coast. Beverly Chase, talent broker, taking a fortnight holiday in Florida . . . Eleanor Frank of Dan Edelman office, handling publicity for Henry C. Brown . . . Steve Carlin, who becomes executive producer-in-chief Jan. 1 for Lou Cowan. Inc., broke into broadcasting originally at WMCA, where he worked for Walter Craig, then the program director. Later Carlin was script editor for the NBC Thesaurus division, before the heyday of transcriptions. George Q. Lewis, who was talent coordinator for telethons for United Cerebral Palsy the past two years, leaves that organization Friday (10) to concentrate on radio-tv in the fund-raising field on a freelance basis . . . John LaFarge has resigned from Grey Advertising as copy group head to join Ruthrauff & Ryan in the same capacity . . . Beverly N. Hoflfer has just been appointed director of station relations at WPAW, Pawtucket, R. I. US CHICAGO . . . Newell Schwin, who as exqc assistant to Chi CBS veep H. Leslie Atlass did muOh of the groundwork in preparing the web’s case in the battle with Zenith Radio over Chi’s Channel 2, shifted to New York, where he’s now manager of CBS Radio Spot Sales development arm . . . George Heinemann, program manager of NBC’s WNBQ-WM \Q, vacationing in Arizona . . . Bob Byars checked out of his assistant ad manager post at Standard Oil to join D’Arcy Advertising, which han- dles Standard’s billings. Clare R. Wolf moved into the homeoffice berth . . . WGN chief Frank Schreiber popped for a “farewell” lunch last week for Dave Parsons, the station’s lawyer, whose switching from bachleorhood to matrimony . . . WBBM gabber Paul Gibson, off on a three-week European junket, with Lee Adams coming in from the Coast to pinchhit . . . With tv banned this year for attendance reasons from the Mayor’s annual Bowl game pitting the city’s top Catholic and public highschool football teams, WIND aired the game Saturday (4) as a pubservice for the Park District’s youth programs and Arthritic Foundation. Robert Elston called the plays . . . Needham, Louis & Brorby radio-tv director Jim Cominos and assistant Scotty Keck in New York last week on agency biz . . . WJJD deejay Stan Dale, invited back into the Army via the draft route . . . Everett Mitchell, 59-year-old Chi NBC farm commentator, passing out stogies on the arrival of a son. IN SAN FRANCISCO . . . Bay Area educational tv station KQED began live programming Dec. 2 with a kiddie program, “Buckskin Bob” . , . KGO-TV screening California and Stanford home basketball games with Tidewater Asso- ciated Oil picking up the tab . . . KROW's lineup of disk jockies, Bruce Sedley, Bob Holly, Pat Henry, A1 Levitt and Russ Coglin, pitching their audiences for mail for Sammy Davis Jr. to cheer him over his recent accident . . . KGO FM outlet began fulltime broadcasting of the regular KGO AM signal Dec. 1 . . . Don Sherwood’s KSFO show origi- nating from Mannings Market St. coffee shop from 4-6 p.m., starting Dec. 6 . . . KSAN-TV, UHFer, reports 10% penetration of homes in the Northern California area with a total of 125,000 UHF sets . . . John O’Rourke Advertising, Inc., has opened a film department under the direction of Cornelia Hanel. IN MINNEAPOLIS . . . Eighteen-hour cerebral palsy telethon, staged jointly by WTCN-TV and WMIN-TV, netted $121,000. Imported performers included Pat O’Brien, Constance Bennett, Helen O’Connell, Johnny Desmond, Sam Cowling, Fred Kelly, Steve Kovacs and Don Mayer . . . Dick Nesbitt, former college and professional football star, quitting WJJD, Chicago, to come here as KSTP tv and radio sports director. He succeeds Jack Horner, who resigned to take a similar post with KEYD-TV here*. . . WCCO here and WNAX, Yankton, S.D., received awards from National Safety Council for their services in furthering farm safety. WCCO was singled out for conducting a 4-H club safe highway contest and WNAX i (Continued on page 40) • * * ( 1 1 c »*» i. i* i / u ; * ■ v i .. * ■ «>» , *>, . * •. 4 <