Variety (January 19, 1955)

32 RADIO-TELEVISION Wednesday, January 19, 1935 Beirn Bites Dog, Or Ad Agency’s View of Newspapers Versus TV F. Kenneth Beirn, prexy of the Biow-Beirn-Toigo agency (ex-Biow), made pungent news last week in a speech titled "Newspapermen Must Bite the Dog to Win the Fight for , the American Advertising Dollar." i Beirn got lotsa lines and laughs ! off his chest in an appearance be- fore the N. Y. ehaper of the Amer- ican Assn, of Newspapers Reps at the Yale Club. Excerpts: "Sotr,* years ago the late Albert D. Lasker, a real giant among ad- vertising men, said there were only three things of major importance that had ever happened in the his- tory of our business. They were: first and foremost, when F. W. Ayer, of Philadelphia, made his original contract with a newspaper and with a number of newspapers, whereby the commission system of payment of compensation for an advertising agency came into being. As Mr. Lasker said, that made ad- vertising into a business. His sec- ond step, he felt, was when lie him- self hired a great copywriter by the name of John Kennedy, paid him the largest sum that far in tlie history of the advertising busi- ness—and dramatized copy, as the most important element in the ad- vertising business. And, the third great step was when J. Walter Thompson introduced sex into ad- vertising, in their ads headed, 'The Skin You Love to Touch.’ "It was the newspaper profession that permitted advertising to go Into business—and it was the news- paper business that had the vision to start something new. When Mr. F. W. Ayer suggested that the only practical way of handling agency compensation was th ough the sys- tem which is still in effect today, *o successfully, it was the news- papers of America who said ‘yes'— and wc, who call ourselves the ad- vertising profession, must never forget that. Came the Revolution "Fundamentally, there has been a revolution in the field of adver- tising. It started with the advent of the radio. Granted that the ad- vent of a new medium tends to expand the sum total, nevertheless, this meant that the advertising dol- lar had to be split up to provide for a new medium. When I refer, therefore, to the advertising dollar, 1 mean the percentages and pro- portions as they have been split up for the various media. Then, when a newspaper publisher coupled this problem at the time, with the steadily rising cost of production of a newspaper, it became a serious matter. But radio came—and has remained. And, now television, with its scientists, its research, and its ‘progressive dynamism,’ its preparations for color — cause a further demand on that same ad- vertising dollar. That advertising dollar is quite an unemotional ob- ject, so is the man who spends that advertising dollar. lie knows only one thing—results. "The history of American jour- nalism does not move him very much, when he cuts up his adver- tising dollar. The fact that news- papers are the fundamental of all freedoms is something he uses in speeches before patriotic groups— but he still asks one question of his advertising agencies: ‘Where will 1 get the greatest impact for my money? Where will I reach the most customers for the least cost?’ And, he is being conditioned very carefully to think more and more about television (and even radio). These two media are using every means possible to promote them- selves and to use new methods in everything they do - since they have no past methods on which to lely. They are doing a real promo- tional job for themselves. ‘Scoop’ llad Its Day "Let's take a look at your com- petitor, television. They televise hearings in the Senate—and have j the whole nation watching. Ed J Murrqw takes his camera into the i homes of famous people. His net- ! work (CBS) brings its correspond-1 ents to America from all over the l world for a round table discussion 1 of world affairs. The ‘scoops’ has become a thing of the past. You ! never hear an ’Extra’ on the street j any more. On every side I hear! newspaper friends of mine deplore this situation. "To me as an outside observer | (who never was a newspaper man once myself’) I think it is time that the newspapers of America took stock of themselves—and got rid of this defeatist attitude. ‘‘The newspaper is a very im- portant part of our American life. It is the core of our freedom. It is as important with your breakfast as your eggs and toast. (I do not mention coffee since we represent a company which sells White Rose tea.) It is the lasting impression on the mind. And, to be realistic, who ever heard of wrapping a fish in a television set? "But, seriously, what is the newspaper doing to fight these new', modern competitors for ttiat im- portant advertising dollar. Is the newspaper keeping up with tele- vision in creating new things—ag- gressive dynamic showing greater leadership of the the answer. In new methods — and leadership? In newspaper lies and progressive ideas that will take the American newspaper a step forward, to newer and better things, will lie the solu- tion. "One dare not just be angry or despondent about the fact that science has brought forth new me- dia to challenge the once singular place of the newspaper and maga- zine in the field of advertising. The question is—w'hat should be done about it? "The youngster who now wants lo write or who wants adventure, tries to get a job in radio or tele- vision. it is a more lucrative field, even from the start. Your com- petitive media, thus, are gathering to themselves the best young crea- tive men of today—the men capable of fighting for news; of creating new ways and means of getting greater reader interest—the new William Randolph llearsts, the new Joseph Pulitzers, the new Hechts and Mac- Arthurs, the Peglers, the Walter Howies, the McEvoys. the Adolph Ochses and the Bennetts, Reids, Roy Howards, and others of to- morrow. "This is a most serious prob- lem, in my view. Manpower alone solves all problems. Young man- power means that one is prepar- ing for tomorrow. Somehow, the newspapers must meet this com- petition—and they must meet it fast—to regain that fine group of creative young men who will find the way to fight back. Wan Who Forgot Yesterday "The chairman of our company is a man named Milton Blow. I have worked for, and with him, for a number of years. If I would sum up his unique approach toward life. I would call him: ‘The Man Who Forgot Yesterday,’ which means his keen awareness of the fact that the rewards go to those who offer something fresh and new and non-traditional. If he has a secret, it is just that—that plus plain hard work. Perhaps this philosophy fits our problem here today. It is about time that American jour- nalism too, ‘forgot yesterday’ and started to push forward again ag- gressively and with pioneering dar- ing. as they used to do. Let the ‘scoop come back into its own. "In a book by Frank M. O’Brien, entitled ‘The Story of the Sun,’ published back in 1918. he quoted John B. Bogart, who was city edi- tor of the New York Sun from 1873 to 1890, as saying something that all of us knew but often forget: ‘When a dog bites a man, that is not news, because it happens so often, but if a man bites a dog, that is news!’ "Another great newspaperman by the name of Winston Churchill (he does some work on the side, too), said, back in 1898: ’It is bet- ter to be making the views than taking it; to be an actor rather than a critic.’ "What does this really means? Perhaps it means that the news- papers themselves ought to go back to what made them great— making the news; making new ways of getting the news—creat- ing the news. A former news- paper friend of mine, who became quite famous in his youth, ex- plained how he did it. He said to me: ‘News is wherever you find it—and understand it. I got my scoops’ by watching where all the (Continued on page 36) Caroline Burke’s Tape, Film of World Tour Caroline Burke, NBC-TV pro- ducer, leaves on Feb. 19 for a world tour. She’ll be gone three and a half months and it will be part pleasure and part work. Miss Burke, armed with tape re- corder and camera, will bring back radio and filmed tv highlights of her junket for inclusion in some future public affairs stanzas, in- cluding a proposed documentary series on India. It’s possible that some segments will wind up on the "Home” show as well, notably film dealing with royalty. NBC-TV-Slorer Continued from pace 25 ^ ultra high tv station when the FCC last Friday approved the web’s purchase of YY'OKY-TV in Milwaukee and okayed an arrange- ment which enables CBS to acquire facilities of WCAN-TV, its former affiliate. The transaction, involving an aggregate expenditure of about $730,000, gives CBS its fourth o and o tv station. The web also has an application before the FCC to be permitted to purchase WSTV (channel 9) in Steubenville, O., for $3,000,000 and move the transmit- ter to the Pittsburgh area. In addi- tion, CBS is competing for channel 11 in St. Louis. The Milwaukee deal got through the Commission by a close vote (3-2), with Comrs. Frieda Hennock and Robert Bartley dissenting. Miss Hennock opposed the transfer largely on monopoly grounds, fear- ing that with additional stations applied for the web will have too much influence over the video me- dium. Second Time — Continued from page 29 sen report was the info on whether summer reruns on web shows were any different from non-summer re- runs. Nielsen said there was only a negligible difference in length of view ing and share and that any dif- ference in ratings from summer to non-summer second runs was due to the fact that number of sets in use in the hot months was down. In the summer vs. other times study, the original shows averaged 28.1 against a non-summer rerun average of 22.5 and a summer re- run average of 18.6. In share of audience, the shows with non- summer replays fell from an orig- inal 43.3 to 38.7 while those web shows with summer reruns fell off from an original-showing average of 42.5 to 39.3. And non-summer replays ran almost neck and neck in the amount very slight each was dow n in length of viewing from the original. Shows Involved in the study were: "Fireside Theatre,’ "This Is Your Life,” "Zoo Parade.” "Drag- net.” "GE Theatre,” "Four-Star Playhouse,” "Topper,” "Make Room for Daddy,” "Where’s Ray- mond,” "Margie,” "Private Secre- tary,” "Burns and Allen.” "I Mar- ried Joan,” “Big Town.” "Caval- cade,” "Best of Groucho,” "Lo- retta Young,” "Ford Theatre,” "Our Miss Brooks,” "Ozzie and Harriet,” "Ethel and Albert,” "Life of Riley,” "Mr. Peepers,” and “Stu Irwin Show.” BBC-TV Continued from page 29 ^ costs, the BBC-TV topper said they were going all out to meet the challenge of the new system. They had the ability and the will to fight and hoped to do this by more and better programming. BBC-TV had spent roughly $17,000,000 in the past year, of which about $5,000,- 000 comprised capital expenditure. They’d increased the number of programs by 240 to a total of 3.616 and hours of transmission by 307 to a total of 2,133. Their staff now numbered 1.700, an increase of 380 on the previous year. The BBC web extended to 97% of the population and produtcion of new receivers was better in 1954 than in the Coronation year. And there was still no sign of saturation. Their main policy in the coming year would be to invest their in- come in talent and inventions rather than bricks and mortar. In this way, until they got their alter- native program in 1958. they hoped to answer the competition of the rival web. ij From the Production Centres ij IN NEW YORK CITY . .. Bill Randle, WCBSaturday deejay, running a teenage bash Jan. 29. Incidentally, after only four shots on his 2:05 to 5:45 p.m. platter session, Randle broke out with four participation stockholders in Canada Dry, Piel’s Beer, Loew’s Theatres and Bonnie Bell Cosmetics . . . Tex (Uncle YVethbee) Antoine subbing for Allyn Edwards on WRCA this week as latter vacations in the Dominican Republic. Also vaca- tioning is farm and garden editor Phil Alampi (Miami Beach), with Gene Hamilton pinchhitting . . . Jack Sterling is SRO on four days of his six-day WCBS wakerupper . . . Ted Ayers, producer of the CBS "Face the Nation," to the Florida keys for a fortnight of sailing on his 28-foot sloop . . . Tex A Jinx McCrary farewell partied staffers Bill Adler, who leaves to join WRCA news and special events dept., and Josephine Nelson, off to Spain . . . Tom Hamilton, CBS account exec, leaves Feb. 1 to become sales mgr. of WNDU-TV. Notre Dame U.’s new commercial tv’er . . . Herman Hickman resting in the Bahamas with Bill Hickey pinchhitting . . . Irving Gitlin, CBS pubaffairs director, vacationing in Key West, and program veep Lester Gottlieb back alter a week’s Coasting . . . Fleetwood’s WRCA "Music Through the Night” pulled renewal parly last week to celebrate Regent Cigs’ continuance . . . Arthur Hull Hayes Jr., son of CBS’ Frisco vp, awarded a Rhodes Scholarship . . . Lester J. Rlumenthal elected a v.p. of Weintraub agency . . . NBS news director William R McAndrew, reappointed to President Eisenhower’s Committee on Employment of the Physically Handicapped . . . Albert L. YVarner subbing for Quincy llowe on the latter’s ABC newscasts while Howe vacations for two weeks . . . Mort Lindsey added a pair of live musicians to his WABC deejay show, giving him a live combo with himself on piano, Arnold Fishkin on bass and Tommy Kay on guitar. James F. Baker Jr. shifted from promotion manager at WTRY, Al- bany, to local promotion scribbler at Radio Advertising Bureau . . . Reuben Ship, author of CBC’s "The Investigator,” gave Radio Rarities sole record rights to the stanza lor the next 28 years ... Jo Ranson, flack chief at WMGM, off with wife, Nancy, on two-week vacation in Florida . . . Bernard Grant doing male lead on "Hilltop House” . . . WQXR. in hitting its best sales year tp date, notes that 64% of its biz is via the national route . . . Not too far north of N.Y.C.. in Platts- burg, WEAV celebrates its 20th anni. George F. Bissell has topped the radio indie all that time . . . WWRL has upped its German sked to 20 hours weekly. In the move, Arthur Steiner, columnist of the N. Y. Staats-Zeitung, gets two Sabbath shows on the outlet. IIS CHICAGO . . . Chuck Wiley has departed the Zenith Radio public relations depart- ment to handle PR chores for Republican mayoral candidate Robert Merriam . . . Bill Oliver moved over from the WBBM announcer stable- to the station's sales erew r . . . Ruth Ratny handling Kling Films adver- tising. promotion and publicity, vice Chris Petersen who’s specializing in syndicated sales . . . Cy Nelsen, ex-WGIO, Galesburg, has taken over as WJJD’s morning deejay. replacing Stan Dale who’s off to the Army . . . Broadcast Advertising Council has scratched its January teeoff luncheon session due to a guest speaker cancellation . . . Alumni Patsy Lee and Jack Owens return to ABC’s Breakfast Club" next week during the show’s Hollywood visit . . . Deejay Hal Fredericks new WAAF spinner . . . Chi Pepsi-C'ola bottlers re-ordered 42 weekly time signal plugs on WGN . . . WGN farm director Norman Kraeft, to chair next month’s annual meeting of Livestock Conservation. Inc. at the Union stock yards . . . Pleasure Tours for Latin America ordered a 15-minute slice of Charles Chan's "Reo Rhythms" via WMAQ. IJV WASHINGTON ... Joan Carol King has been upped to manager of advertising and pro- motion for WRC and WRC-TV, the NBC o. & o. outlets, first woman to hold such a job in this area . . . WWDC to commence broadcasting ha4{-hour programs of dance music from Statler Hotel’s Embassy Room each Saturday night, with Dick Lawrence as announcer . . . J. Mahion Glascock, former sales director and advertising manager for NBC in Washington, has become copy chief at the J. Gordon Manchester ad agency . . .. WMAL disk jockey Milton Q. Ford has started a local listeners’ hassle by inviting comment on 45 rpm platters played at faster and slower speeds . . . Pick Temple, cowbay singer over WTOP has signed his 100.000th local youngster as a "Giant Ranger” in connection with his show. Rangeis pledge themselves to follow rules of good health and safety. IN CLEVELAND . . . Joe Finan, former announcer with NBC, slated for a Monday-thru* Friday afternoon disk stint at WJW . . . Promotion Manager Clem Scerback and Merchandising Manager William Dallman, WTAM-WNBK, named winners of RCA advertising-promotion campaign . . . Shell Oil shifted news stint from YVGAR to WERE . . . March of Dimes pre- sented' WTAM’s Bandwagon performers Johnny Andrews, Jackie Lynn and Henry Levine with special scrolls for their year-long efforts . . . Ex-WGAR sales manager John Garfield with WXEL sales . . . Glenn Rowell and Dot Godfrey penned two new songs . . . Ailing announcers Joe Mulvihill and Tom Halev back at WTAM-WNBK . . . WERE’s YY’ayne Johnson home from Florida. IN DETROIT . . . A wag suggests that Bob Murphy (known hereabouts by his nick- name: "Tall Boy in the Third Row” because lie’s 6 feet 7 inches tall) will only have to stand up to test the weather when he begins handling Sunday eve vveathereasting duties in WJBK-TV . . . WYVJ-TV was off the air for two hours between 9 and 11 p.m. last Thursday because of failure in a transmitter circuit . . . A1 Nagler, hockeycaster for YVJBK, has been named to newly-created post of news and sports director of station . . . WTVS, ultra high frequency station operated by Detroit Educational Television Foundation, will begin beaming its all-cultural telecasts about June and Detroiters are being informed their sets can be converted at "nominal costs” ranging from $8 to $35 . . . Chuck Davey, former welterweight contender who has conducted an after- light show on YVJBK-TV for several montsh, has been signed by Canada Dry Ginger Ale to a public service program highlighting the "High School Athlete of the Week” . . . Bob Reynolds, WJR’s sports director, made 108 speaking engagements on the lettuce and salad circuit last year and says 1955’s schedule is even more appetizing. IN MINNEAPOLIS . . . KSTP-TV ace personality Bee Baxter has become the first person ever to win McCall Magazine "Mike Award” for womanhood air- lane achievement a second time. Frank Hogan, representing the pub- lication, honored her as the result of the selection of her 1954 KSTP tv series, "Tender Loving Care,” a salute to the nursing profession, as the year’s outstanding feminine public service video program . . . Merle Edwards, longtime late hour WMIN disk jockey, now has the (Continued on page 42)