Variety (February 1955)

Wednesday, February 2, 1955 RADIO-TELEVISION 31 NBC-TV’S ‘SUN. MATINEE’ SPECS Everybody’s In a Meeting Everybody’s in a meeting these days. Call a network exec and it’s a 100 to 1 safe bet that the answer’ll be: “He’s in a meeting.” The surprising part of it, the secretary isn’t kidding. If there are more of them going on at NBC than at CBS, the chances are it’s because there aren’t as many meeting rooms at Columbia. Prob- lems, yes. The baffling part of the whole thing is that the meetings go on at such a clip and in such fast succession that there’s little time in between to do something about the decisions of the pre- vious meeting. NCAA Decision on TV Grid to Be Revealed Feb. 26; Set Web Parley Chicago, Feb. 1. Network, agency and advertiser reps have been invited to sit in on the public hearings the tv commit- tee of the National Collegiate Ath- letic Assn, has scheduled for Feb. 10-11 in New York. With its 1955 football policy still very much up In the air, the NCAA tv planners will use the two-day session as a sounding board for all and sundry proposals on how to handle the vexing video problem. On the surface, the two-day closed meeting held here last week was productive of little more than a timetable and a new tv commit- tee chairman. Elected was E. L. (Dick) Romney, commissioner of the Mountain States conference who succeeds Harvey Cassill, U of Washington athletic director. Rom- ney was chosen as a “neutral,” not being identified with either the status quo camp plugging for the continuation of the single national “Game of the Week” program, nor the regional jurisdiction camp spearheaded by the Big 10. Walter Byers, NCAA exec direc- tor and spokesman for the tv group, confirmed that the recent flurry of state legislative interest in the football tv situation as it ap- plies to tax-supported schools came in for discussion. After the Feb. 10-11 gettogether the committee expects to convene here again the following weekend 1he*’55 —It’s hoped to get the proposal into the mails on Feb. 25 for the member- ship referendum which closes March 8. Byers said he probably will be able to reveal the plan pub- licly on Feb. 26. ‘PERSON TO PERSON’ SLOTTINGS ON BBC London, Feb. 1. Telerecordings of a selected number of “Person to Person” pro- grams presented by Edward R. Murrow on his live CBS-TV show in the U. S. will be seen here dur- ing the first quarter of 1955, ac- cording to an announcement in BBC’s Television Broadcasting News. (Specific programs had al- ready been announced in the States. Among them was the screening last February of Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt at her home in New York and Captain Sorrell on the Queen Mary when berthed in Gotham.) In the programs, described as making considerable use of the technical process of inlay (dubbed “picture window” remotes in the U. S. when applied to “P to P”), viewers saw an interview with Lily Pons on Jan. 18 and with Eva Gabor on Jan. 26, and coming up are Eddie Fisher and Ralph Bunche on Feb. 17. In later slottings, the “Person” subjects are Earl Wilson and Jacqueline and Floyd Odium. Kukla at Sat. Whirl for Kids; Lamb Hearing To Resume On Feb. 9 Washington, Feb. 1. FCC hearings before Examiner Herbert Sharfman on Commie charges against broadcaster - pub- lisher Edward Lamb, will resume next week (Feb. 9) after a recess of nearly three months. The pro- ceedings had been twice postponed at the requests of attorneys for both sides. At a conference with lawyers last week, Examiner Sharfman upheld a contention by FCC counsel Joseph Kittner that the govern- ment has not “rested” its case. His ruling, in effect, disposed of a mo- tion filed by Lamb for an im- mediate dismissal of the proceed- ings on the grounds that the Com- mission offered no substantial evi- dence to sustain its charges. The motion was based on the premise that FCC had completed its pres- entation. Kittner refusing to disclose whether he plans to call more wit- nesses against Lamb and Sharfman denied a request by .Philip Berg- son, counsel for Lamb, to require him to do so. The hearings will resume with cross-examination of William Cum- mings, one of four government wit- nesses which Lamb’s attorneys have requested be recalled. Chicago, Feb. 1. | Burr Tillstrom, whose “Kukla, Fran & Ollie” family is now firmly entrenched as an ABC-TV dinner- hour co-opped strip, is strongly considering the web’s invite to en- ter the Saturday morning sweep- stakes with a new experimental for- mat angled for the kids. Gordon Baking, sponsors of the daily show in four markets, is anxious to cut itself in on the weekender in five major cities in its distribution area. Tillstrom’s present thinking is to give the Saturday show a whirl this spring on a shortterm basis, with the idea of rounding out a for- mat for a full-season ride next fall. His plans do not include an ex- pansion of the KFO family into the sixth day, but rather the develop- ment of a new stable of puppet characters and the use of fairy tales and fantasies along the lines of his Xmas treatment of James Thur- ber’s “Many Moons. ABC-TV will send out the Sat- urday program under the same “per program” deal as for the cross-the-boarder with the affili- ates. excepting those ordered out- right by Gordon, paying a percent- age of their rate card for the show' and then selling it locally. Meanwhile, the strip continues to gain “subscribers,” although now that it’s in its second 13-week cycle the tab has gone up from 10 to 20% of the stations' highest Class A hourly rate. Forty-two ABC out- lets are carrying the show 1 , includ- ing New York and Chicago where the baking firm bought the show direct, and Detroit and Elkhart where it came in under the co-op deal. Tillstrom has received bids to film commercials for some of the various local KFO hankrollers around the country and is studying a move in that direction. SET FOR 1-1 Spec-happy NBC is shooting in a new direction, now that its night- time 90-minute rotating rosters have been put in order. This time the network’s big tv noise is “Sun- day Matinee”—a $5,000,000 enter- prise which represents, at least in its blueprinting, the most ambitious venture yet into before-nightfall programming. Unless it’s pre-sold prior to kickoff date (and a lot of flexible sponsorship patterns are currently being evolved to expedite the ban rolling) the whole thing’s off. But NBC is confident the whole $5,000,000 kaboodle will be in the client bag long before the fall premiere, with agency nibbles and feelers already rolling in. This, in essence, is the plan (and it’s already been closed-circuited to key personnel, sales people, poten- tial clients, etc.). There will be three separate and distinct program operations—(1) A Maurice Evans series of eight 90- minute productions, in which Evans will star in at least two productions (“Hamlet”) and “Devil’s Disciple” which will be slotted once a month in either the 3:30 to 5 p.m. slot, or from 4 to 5:30, depending on what happens to existing sponsor- ship schedules. Kickoff date of the Evans series is Oct. 23. However, in the case of “Hamlet,” it will be expanded to two full hours. (2) An every-other-week produc- tion of “Wide, Wide World,” either in 90-minute or 60-minute form, in which NBC-TV camera crews will roam far and wide to bring dif- ferent aspects of Americana into the living room. This has been one of the long-cherished program am- bitions of NBC prexy Pat Weaver, and a full series complement is al- ready in working order. Only last week NBC tested the initial entry for execs of American Tel & Tel, which has indicated sponsorship in- terest. (3) A one-a-month slotting of the NBC-TV Opera Theatre, in 90-min- ute form, with the present sched- ule to be expanded to encompass a full season of every-fourth-week production from October to May. Thus; alL three separate produc- tions will be rotated week to week, with “Wide Wide World” to get the most frequent exposure. All the shows will be in color. Evans is down for a 90-minute tint production of Shaw’s “Man and Superman” in March, but this pre- dates the new series, going into the Hallmark Sunday afternoon period (as have Evans’ previous Shake- spearean productions on tv). George Schaefer will continue his longtime association as Evans’ director. NBC will sell the three program units (Evans, "Wide World” and Opera) to different clients, either wholly or participating, with each designed to bring in $150,000 week- ly ($75,000 cost of production; $75,- 000 for 90 minutes of Class B time). Evans, meanwhile, was pacted to an exclusive NBC contract last week. Already mentioned as possible guest stars when Evans will be pro- ducing and not appearing are Kath- arine Cornell, Katharine Hepburn and Vivien Leigh. Jack Rayel heads *up the Evans unit production staff; veepee Da- vidson Taylor is doing exec duty on “Wide World,” and Samuel Chotzinoff is production factotum on the opera series. NABET Strike Averted as NBC, ABC Come to Last-Minute Terms CANADA B’CASTERS FACE NABET STRIKE Toronto, Feb. 1. Trans - continental television screens of the Canadian Broadcast- ing Corp. will be dark and many radio programs will also be blacked out tomorrow (2) should the vole of technicians, held in 20 centres, call for a strike. Tomorrow’s de- cision would empower the Na- tional Assn, of Broadcast Engineers and Technicians Union (CIO) to call a walkout if satisfactory agree- ment is not reached by Feb 16. The union says the average wage of its members is $63 a week and w ants a 30 % increase. On stalemate, up to current threat of tomorrow’s action, NABET’s membership of 700 signed its first contract with the CBC in July, 1953. with this expiring in j August last year. Negotiations for a second contract were begun in May, 1954, with frequent talks in- volving three top issues—wa°cs, overtime rates and job classifica- tions. The dispute then went on to a conciliation board. Berle Still Can’t Make Up His Mind On Film Vs. Live Milton Berle still can’t make up h ? s mind whether he wants to go film or stay live next season, with result that, until the matter is firmly resolved, NBC is holding him off from sale for the ’55-’56 season. (His present sponsor, Buick, has cancelled out in prefer- ■ ence for Jackie Gleason.) Berle doesn’t want to work as hard next semester. He’s alternat- Ling_ wi-thu Martha Raye and Bob | Hope in the Tuesday 8 to 9 slot this season, but even if he goes live again next year, he may cut down to as few' as 10 shows. But also hanging in the live vs. film bal- j ance is disposition of the entire 8 to 9 segment, which in turn in- volves the future slotting of Miss Raye, Hope and several others. NBC is using its full persuasive powers in trying to convince Berle to remain live. ‘Stand-By Broadway’ To Preem in Philly Philadelphia. Feb. 1. Mike Ellis, who currently does “Tonight in Philly” five times a week on WPTZ, has a new one coming up on the station. It’s a Sunday 6:45 to 7 show' called “Stand-By Broadway,” which starts Feb. 13. Sponsor is Tronrite. Show will highlight talent quests, using a panel of name judges. Win- ners will get professional auditions, at Bucks County Playhouse and elsewhere. Tenn. Solons Relieve Radio-TV Stations Of ‘Defamatory’ Liability Memphis, Feb. 1. Tennessee’s State Senate passed a bill by a count of 27-3 at the Nashville state capital this week “relieving radio and television stations from liability for defama- tory statements” made during broadcasts by anyone other than persons connected with the sta- tions. The bill which was hypoed by broadcasters all over the state was engineered by the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters. The TAB also received the greenlight from the parent NARTB on the measure. The radio-tv bill was an after- math of the $2,000,000 law suits filed by Edward Lamb against Pat Sutton, defeated candidate for the U. S. Senate and WSM, WSM-TV and WLAC last year. Threat of a strike against NBC and ABC by the National Assn, oi Broadcast Engineers & Technicians dissolved this week when the net- works and the unions came to last- minute terms. NBC settled over the weekend, but ABC’s agreement didn’t come until the last minute, Monday night (31), the date of the expiration of the contract. Both three-year agreements are subject to ratification by the NABET mem- bership, with ratification probably lo take the form of a mail ballot. Final settlements represented compromises on both sides, with NABET finally dropping demands for a pension from ABC, one of Its major demands. Contracts call for a 10' o salary increase within the three years of the contract, with an 8% increase to come in the first 18 months, a 2% hike In the second half. A key compro- mise on the part of the union was its relinquishment of jurisdiction over film production at both net- works, a move which will enable the webs to produce their own tv- films (see separate slory in TV Films Section). Re the pension fund negotia- tions, ABC pleaded hardship, claiming that if it granted NABET a pension, it would have to insti- tute a pension plan not only for ABC’s 2,500 personnel, but for the 35,000 at United Paramount Theatres in order to achieve the tax writeoff. Web estimated this would cost $50,000,000 to put into effect. Union countered by pro- posing a 6 f 'h trust arrangement similar to NBC’s pension plan, but couldn't sell the proposal. Martin Romanoff, NABET New York top- per, said a strike was averted only through the desire of NABET re- gional directors to avoid one it pos- sible. ‘Watch Daly’ Cue To Ike TV Pickups ABC, which will carry half-hour television and radio President Eisenhower’s Wednesday press conferences, has set up a novel metjiod of notifying stations whether the press footage will be available that night. Web has no- tified stations that John Daly’s 7:15 news show will he used as the net- work "closed-circuit” wherein Daly will cue them as to whether the netw-ork will air the half-hour wrapup. Web is planning t<* air the show Wednesdays at 10 on tv and 9:30 on radio. Since there may be time* when the President either doesn’t hold the news conference or decides not to release its con- tents to television, the web has to face the problem of notifying sta- tions there will be no show, and notifying them in time. So the web has put out a special memo instructing stations to watch the Daly show. In the event there’s to be no television footage. this will be considered "sufficiently news- worthy” to be mentioned by Daly on the show, thus serving as the cue. In this case, there will be no network service for television at 10 p.m. Set Chrysler Stars Johnnie Ray and nitery comic Larry Storch have been signed by CBS-TV as costars with Harry James and Betty Grable in “That’s Life" on Chrysler “Shower of Stars” Feb. 17. It’s adapted from the legit musi- cal that played Las Palmas Thea- tre here last year. KRON-TV’s Cutback San Francisco. Feb. 1. In a cutback of personnel and live programming. KRON-TV has dropped four engineers and foui members of the art department this week and also cut Marjorie Trumbull’s live show from 30 to 15 minutes, dropped Bonnie Keever’s “Designs for Leisure” as a live pro- duction and let the Dick Lane trio, featured on the show, go. The engineers and art depart- ment men were not on the perma- nent payroll, although union spokesmen said that the net of the deal would be to give the station a smaller payroll than it bad prior to the successful contract negotia- tions of last fall. A similar situa- tion is reported brewing at KPIX. r— r