Variety (May 1955)

26 RADIO - VIDEp -TV FILMS P^RiEfr Wednesday, May 11, 1955 Chi’s Margin-of-Profit Dilemma As Radio Faces Up to Facts of Life -■By FARRELL DAVISSON * Chicago, May 10. Not since tv started taking he play away back in ’48, has there been as much first-string attention devoted to radio as has prevailed for the past several months at the top watters here. First off, it should be pointed out that all these “where do" we go from here” front- office huddles have none of the gloom of a bedwatch over a seri- ously ailing friend. Nobody is vriting off local radio as a prospect for the undertaker. In fact, among the 'better en- trenched indies, with their lower overheads, the theme song is that last year was great and this year shapes even better. And a sound- ing among the so-called majors in- dicates that the first quarter this year, in terms of local sales, is run- ning at peak levels, despite a .con- tinuing falloff in national spot biz. But what has the top execs at the bigger plants grappling with their ledgers is the fact that the gap between the sales curve and the cost curve has ominiously . nar- rowed. One of AM’s big sales pitches, aside. from its, saturation abilities and its flexibility, has been pegged on its price advantage over tv, whether through rate slashes, package deals or special “dis- counts.” While "the rate card can be lowered by the flick of the sliderule, it’s taking a powerful lot of plotting and scheming to get that operating hut burred down to size to fit the era which has found tv pulling off with the gravy train. Matter of Bookkeeping, . | It happens that three of the Windy City’s Class A stations have sister video operations. Just how the NBC and CBS o&o’s and; WGN and WGN-TV charge off their respective operating expenses is a matter known only by the brass and their accountants. But it’s no secret that such “fixed. costs” as the AFM staff musician quota i and the newsroom operations, especially at WBBM-TV and WGN- TV which have extensive newsreel setups, are borne primarily by the tele side. In short, were it not for tv, the pruning knife would be even sharper. Not that cutting costs to the mar- row is the completely accepted an- swer. At WBBM,' for example, where veep H. Leslie Atlass is still holding out against the deejay - trend (developed, incidentally, into /an indie bonanza by his brother Ralph at WIND) both-the sales and the sales promotion staffs have been expanded recently in a. new AM gtem-to-stern offensive. WBBM, with its live shows across the weekday strips featuring staff personalities, maintains a stable of six writers and five directors. Also holding to a generously- sized talent roster is WLS, jointly owned by the Prairie Farmer in- terests and ABC. But it’s known that manager Glenn Snyder is call- ing on all his wiles as a veteran broadcaster in keeping the gates (Continued on page 46) ‘Favorite Husband’ / Out; Jams Paige In Now that Simmons is out as a co-sponsor of “My Favorite Hus-- band,”;with Procter^ & Gamble en- joy inga solo sponsorship status on the Saturday night 9:30 to 10 CBS- TV time,'P & G is all set to scrap the show and replace it with the new Janis Paige-starring film se- ries .tabbed. “The Four Of Us.” Thus still another situation comedy gets the heave (although in this r ,instancy. being replaced by an- other). Yet only a .year ago “Hus- band” was regarded as one of the more successful entries in the situ- ation comedy sweepstakes. One .of the factors reportedly contributing toward the demise of the show has been the behind-the- scenes differences and bickering involving its two principals, Barry Nelson and Joan Caulfield, which neither the network nor the clients had been able to satisfactorily re- vive. . r , . M&L, Toast’ Dead Heat The 15-city Trendex on Martin & Lewis fronting “Colgate Comedy Hour” on NBC-TV Sunday (8) was 24 9 Ed Sullivan’s CBS-TV “Toast of the Town” clocked „a 24.5, making it virtually a dead heat. 1 1 ■ Status of DuM’s Remaining Live Sho ws in Doubt Most of the six remaining spon- sors of live video via DuMont face a problem next fall since there’s no assurance even what’s left of the cable will be kept. OnC or two have said it’s a problem facing any small network advertiser who wants to stay on live tv. They can’t afford minimum lineup standards of the other three Webs, and aren’t sure that they want vidfilm formats so that they can go national spot or stick, with DuMont. For the time being. Pharmaceu- ticals, Inc., has made no fall rec- ommendations, and will feature a‘ uew product, Zarumin, as of May 22 on its “Life Begins at 80” Sab- bath : stanza. The Lentheric-Bromo Seltzer alternator, “Chance of a Lifetime” doesn’t have its option coifie up for another couple pf weeks, although a decision from that quarter may be forthcoming sooner. DuMont, for its telesets, might want to do paneler “What’s the Story?” on the “electronicam” next fall as an example to other prospective users of the two-way camera. Western Union’s once- every-two-weeks bankrolling of “Down Yoii Go” is a big question mark. “All About Baby,” the Swift- Libby afternoon 15-minute alterna- tion is believed probably getting the axe, and Heinz’s four-station network for “Studio 57” is sure to go. Looks Like a Lot Of Twain’s Gonna Meet; Himber’s Huck & Tom First it was Filmcraft Produc- tions out on the Coast that claimed it had cleared sole rights for a vid- film string based on the Mark Twain Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn characters and, likewise, refuted MCA-TV’s right to shoot a similar yarn. That was less than a month ago, and.now batoner-magico,Rich- ard Himber and Sam Klein say they’re going to do a series on the two Twain kids, and that they “are the only producers who have a copyright on any series titled ‘The Further Adventures of Tom and Huck’,” reportedly fheyjsame - tag to be used by MCA. Himber says that the Twain works are in public domain, and if that’s the case, it’s seen likely that all three will go into , produc- tion, overloading the market with Twain tv’ers. Hence, since the legal ’argument, except over, the “Further Adventures” name (Him- ber says his copyright dates from 1951), is nil, most of the. hassling involves just, which production out- fit has the closest relative of Sam- uel Clemens (Twain) behind it. Filmcraft’s “Mark Twain Theatre of the Air” has cleared rights from the late writer’s estate and from his daughter, Mrs. Clara gamos- soud. On the other hand, Himber says he’s got the full cooperation and authority of the Mark Twain Memorial Assn, and Cyril Siemens, “the only living male relative of Samuel Clemens.” When it gets right down to it, Himber says he believes his tv film edition Will have the edge commercially over the other two, because he intends using Cyril, whom he describes as the writer's cousin, as host on the series. Moreover, he says that sanction by the Twain Assn, will ienhance the show's prestige. Desmond’s Sick Leave As Dodger Ballcaster; Vince Scully Moves Up Connie Desmond, Dodger’s No. 1 ballcaster on radio and tv in N.Y., started suddenly last week on an indefinite sick leave from the Lucky Strike - Schaefer sponsored games. Vince Scully*moved up into the lead gab spot, and AI Hei- fer was brought in to round out the play-by-play coverage. Dodger b&seball team office said that Desmond’s doctor told him to “take a rest for the remainder of the season at least.” However, it was disclosed a bit later that Des- mond might be allowed to return to his post as soon as he has re- covered, The nature of his illness was not disclosed, but he didn’t finish out the play-by-play in the last Wednesday (4) fray against' St. Louis and had to. be replaced by Andre Baruch, who normally does the color sidelights to the. baseball games. Under the new setup, which is temporary for the time being,'Scul- ly and Heifer, who did Dodger woi;k In pre-World War II days and more recently did the Mutual “Game of the Day” play, will alter- nate on WMGM radio and WOR- TV. Same arrangement held with Desmond ^and Scully. Heifer deci- sion came from-agency on both ac- counts, BBD&O. ABC Film Syndication is taking over' rerun rights to the “Ray Bolger Show,” which has been axed on the network. Acquisition of the 78 half-hours is in line with the pattern first envisioned When the syndication subsid was .organized in 1953—that aside from its regu- lar distribution activities with out- side properties, it would act as the distribution outlet for network film ■properties when the time was ripe for a residual return. Bolger segment is the first ABC property to revert to the syndica- tion arm. Actually, the 78 films have two separate formats and stars, . with supporting cast and femme leads different in the 1953 and 1954 series. Property started in the fall of ’53, with American To- bacco and Sherwin-Williams Paint sponsoring. This season it was bankrolled by Lehn & Fink, who cancelled and will check out on June 10. Fate of Bolger himself at the network is still in the nebu- lous stage, with the dancer dicker- ing on a new contract. But ( the show in its present form, at any rate, is definitely out, with the negatives going into syndication. TV Specs for Britain, Too London, May 10. The pattern of commercial tv in London is ndw taking shape. Prince Littler, head of Associated Broadcasting • Co., the outfit which will have weekend air time in the capital, announced details of their programming plans last week, together with an estimate that they would have at least 1,000,000 ‘viewers by the end of the year. ABC’s plans will be extended in the new year, when they start operating at Birmingham on weekdays, and they also intend to '.offer their programs to the other contractors. Highlight of their weekend telecasting'in London will be “Sun- day Night at the London Palladium,” a 60-minute spec feature from the stage of the theatre before an invited audience, with top of the bill attractions. Bob Hope will plane to London for one of the early. Palladium programs and other star's already contracted for regular performances include Grade Fields, Norman Wisdom and Richard Hearne. Main feature of the Saturday programs' will be /a drama series, “Theatre Royal,” currently being filmed on the High Definition process, at Highbury Studios. Stars in the series include Eric Portmari, Wendy Hiller, Sam Wanamaker, Ralph Richardson, Flora Robson and Donald Wolfit. TV’s Pushbutton Boy Cornberg, Designer of ‘Home’—‘Tonight*—‘Today/ Now Blueprinting ‘Automation* Studio * 'VENUS' SPEC'S TEX TUNEUP Eddie Albert-Vivlan Blaine Musical Plays Fair, Then TV “Peter Pan” hit tv oil NBC direct from Broadway (after, a 10-day gap timed from its closing at the Win- ter Garden), but “One .Touch of Venus” will undergo the tuning up process at a fairgrounds before claiming video, attention., “Venus,” Mary Martin-Kenny Baker starrer of a dozen years ago, will play Dallas Aug. 1-14 as a major entry of the State Fair Musicals, with Eddie Albert and Vivian * Blaine heading the cast. Sh<w is being blueprinted as. a Saturday tv spectacular on Aug. 27 with the Dallas troupe and produc- tion virtually intact. Storer Shifts His Stance; Thinks ‘0’ Washington, May 10. Storer Broadcasting Co. last week amended its deinterrilixture proposal for an all-UHF market in Miami by withdrawing that part of the plan which would require sta- tion'WTVJ to relinquish its VHF channel. Storer told FCC it now y Quietly at work building an “au- tomation” studio setup -for NBC- TV is Sol Cornberg, director of studio and plant planning and the technical expert responsible for the overall designs on such shows as “Today,” “Home’.’ and “Tonight.” Cornberg’s magnum opus is achieve- ment of pushbutton control of stu- dios, to the extent that, say, 72 hours of studio preparation neces- sary to produce a one-hour tv show, can be cut’ about 90%. According .to one. report, NBC is spending some $350,000 for this and other phases of the “Cornberg Plan,” which includes 27- drawings and. a plastic model envisioning a “TV City in New York,” in back of the Roxy Theatre, at a cost of $7,000,000. . Only last week Cornberg re- ceived extra-added attention on hie specialty via an Invitation to visit England as tv consultant to Sidney L. Bernstein, chairman of the Gra- nada (Theatres) - circuit.' He’U leave for London in July, to assist in the design of a tv city in Manchester, where Grariada operates several houses- on its 85-theatre loop as well as Granada TV, Ltd., one of four companies with a commercial concession from the newly-ordained Independent TV Authority. Between times, Cornberg is busy writing, and Currently is updating “TV Techniques,” book written in 1947 by the late Hoyland Bettinger and which Harper & Bros.. pub- lished: Latter will issue the tome June 15. Cornberg’s own book, “A Stage Crew Handbook,” developed from his work in the theatre, was published by Harper in 1941. believes that UHF can “survive and prosper 11 nut xurceu to compete with more than one VHF station. „ Don McNeill Options Schindler Tome for TV Don McNeill, the Chicago “Breakfast Club” entrepreneur over ABC, has taken a sixmonth option on the current bestseller, “How to Live 365 Days a Year,” by Dr, John A, Schindler, which may be done by him on tv, in film and/or live versions.. McNeill’s personal rep, Ralph Bergsteln, Just closed for the rights with Prentice-Hall, the pub- lisher. Dr. Schindler’s $3.95 book has sold over 100,000 copies in the eight we.eks since publication. Winnah by —,000 Washington, May 10. TV films have now 1 reached the Inflation or “devaluation” stage. For some time WTTG, the DuMont o. and o. .outlet, has been showing and promoting what it calls “Million Dollar Movie.” This is a weekly change of bill of a not-so-oldie feature film, with the pic shown five times during the week. WMAL-TV, the ABC affili- ate, has now. taken, in a new line of old pictures to run once, each Friday night. They are being widely advertised as “Billion Dollar Movie.” C B E n a 7T“Cl H r? TT /» rip mf TT .*_i b *.• n 17 1-1 n n Simultaneously, WTVJ advised the Commission that the original Storer proposal was “an assault” upon its assignment and that It had under preparation a request for revocation proceedings against Storer’s WGBS-TV station in Mi- ami. However, said WTVJ, It no longer has standing to participate in the proceedings in view of the amendment. In its initial proposal, Storer argued that a shift by WTVJ to UHF would cost only about $80,000, after tax. allowance and sale of the VHF transmitter, and that this amount is less than WTVJ’s earn- ings in two months. Company sug- gested that WTVJ maintain’a dual UHF-VHF operation until viewers- have converted. Shortly after the proposal was submitted, a plan was* filed with the Commission to delntermix Storer out of its VHF station in Toledo in order to put all stations there on a UHF basis. The plan was submitted by Woodward Broad- casting Co. which holds permits for UHF'stations in Toledo and. Detroit. Woodward also proposed that a fourth VHF channel be allocated to Detroit and that the second VHF channel assigned to Toledo, now in contest between seven appli- cants, be given to the Michigan city (for Woodward). If his deintermixture proposal is adopted, Woodward said he would be pleased to purchase Storer’s VHF equipment for “a fair price” find usejjt in Detroit. > ‘Robin Hood’ Pix CBS-TV has snared a second sponsor with an’independent pack- age for its upcoming 7:30r8 strip in the fall, It’s Johnson & Johnson, which with Wildroot will ‘ alter- nately sponsor the new British- made “Robin - Hood” Richard Greene telepix starrer on Monday nights starting Sept. 26. Deal gives CBS-TV two out- of five nights sold, with Quaker Oats also in- stalling an-outside package, “Sgt. Preston.” . Deal for “Robin Hood,” which is being produced by Hannah Weinstein’s Sapphire Films in London and on location in Not- tingham, was negotiated by- Young & Rubicam for J&J and Official Films, which has U. S. distribution rights on the series (in One of a number of deals in which it reps Miss Weinstein). It marks Offi- cial's first national deal in a cou- ple of years, and also one of the few times a foreing-made package is going on the networks. Nat Wolff, Y&R tv Veep, planes to London Saturday (14) for two weeks of huddles with Miss Wein- stein, along with screenings of ad- ditional pix in the can. Detal was. made for J&J, then handed over to CBS, which got Wildroot as al- ternate client. Wildroot, incident- ally, makes its video bow on an extended basis after years of big spending in radio.