Variety (February 1957)

26 RABIO-TBUBVISION U&bieSy Ve^nesday» February X3, 1957 WRCA-TV'S 9-FOR-l STATION BREAK GIVEAWAY STIRS PR04-C0N TEMPEST ‘ New York television timebuying market was thrown into a minor uproar last week when WRCA-TV, the NBC-TV flagship, unveiled a “10 Plan” under which a new ad¬ vertiser buying one Triple-A sta¬ tion break gets a bonus of nine free breaks, six of which are in Class D time. Under the plan, a new sponsor purchasing one Triple-A break (either 10 or 20-5econd), gets one Class AA, one Class A, one Class B or C and six Class D breaks of equivalent length free. In terms of money, the Triple-A break runs $2,300, and the “10 Plan” subscrib¬ er gets between $4,600 and $5,000 worth of spots under the plan. The 10-second arrangement bears a $1,160 pricetag with the bonuses projected in the same ratio. Purchases, however, are subject to two major conditions. All Triple-A spots purchased under the plan are preemptable without notice, and only a 30-day .price pro¬ tection applies to the plan. This means that when the station gets a fixed-position sponsor paying the straight rate, it can bounce the “10 Plan” sponsor from his spot. It can also abandon or re-price the plan at any time, with subscribers getting protection for only 30 days beyond their contract date. NBC o&o division is extending the plan to other markets as well. Salesmen, at WRCV-TV, Philadel¬ phia, broke the plan to clients there this week, and the prompt reaction of WCAU-TV and WFILTV was to advise any sponsors who asked about it to go ahead and buy it (presumably on the basis that it was a good media buy but also because an overflow of clients might cause too many free rides for WRCV). Understdod plan is being used in New Britain and is being considered for other o&o markets as well. The plan was created, according to Tom McFadden, NBC v.p. in charge of ofift) stations and Spot Sales, to combat a soft spot that appears to have developed in the sale of pHme station breaks, a spot that has become noticeable in the past month or so and that’s affecting ail advei'tising media arid particularly television. Where at one time the sale of Triple-A spots was almost automatic, McFadden states, now timebuyers are show¬ ing extreme care and tightness in the purchase of their spots, and this tight situation is particularly apparent in the soft areas of the NBC-TV nighttime schedule. Plan Is calculated to sell these soft areas. , An immediate blast came from the WRCA^TV competition, WCBSTV, which declared that the NBC flag is “giving away its schedule.” WCBS-TV exdcs declared that the nine bonus spots, along with a weak Triple-A. would, give a spon¬ sor a total of about 60 rating points, whereas the straight TripleA fixed-position sponsor on the station would continue to have to pay the same price for one single (Continued on page 75) Allen ReisHer In 7-Up Dickers ‘Zorro* Seven-Up is on the verge of a deal for half-sponsorship of “Zorro,” the upcoming half-hour tele¬ film skein to be produced for ABCTV by Walt Disney. It's understood an option on the other half of the stanza bas been taken by an undis¬ closed grocery advertiser. “Zorro” is tentatively set for Thursday nights at 8:30, according to a network spokesman. Tou Are There’ in Fall Fade; ‘lively Arts’ Or .‘20th Century’ to Suh “You Are There” ' won’t be around next season, from all cur¬ rent indications. Although the four-year-old series is due to re¬ sume for 20 shows after the cur¬ rent “Air Power” winds its 26-week run in the “You Are There” time slot on May 5, only four of the 20 episodes will be new films — ^the others will be repeats of old seg¬ ments in the series. Comes the fall, and CBS-TV will replace it with one of two possibili¬ ties, “The Seven Lively Arts” and “Twentieth Century,” a documen¬ tary-styled series being prepped by the public affairs, department with Burton (Bud) Benjamin as pro¬ ducer. “Arts” series, the other contender, is being prepped by John Houseman and Robert Herridge. If Prudential Insurance, the current “Air Power”-“You Are There” bankroller, decides to drop the Sunday 6:30 time, then the field will be open to still additional possibilities. Complicating the current situa¬ tion is the fact that NBC-TV is making a strong pitch to Pruden¬ tial to vamp CBS and some over as sponsor of the new Orson Welles series, in which Welles in a live-and-i'ilm format acts as a storyteller. Prudential is apparent¬ ly listening to NBC but at the same time waiting for a gander at what CBS has to offer. A final decision on the CBS entry may come later this week, but if anything is cer¬ tain, it’s that “You Are There” will be abandoned. Of the 20 “You Are There” shows to be plaj'ed off for the remainder of the series, some may be preempted for special news shows currently being prepped by John Day’s news staff, ANHEUSER-BUSCH’S $800,000 FOR RADIO Pressure from radio broadcast¬ ers is believed to have caused a change-of-heart in the advertising plans of Anheuser-Busch. Brew¬ ery has reportedly upped its an¬ nual budget, beginning in April, by $800,000. Several months ago, it was learned that A-B intended to spend $3,000,000 yearly exclusively in television spot, but the new fig¬ ure is $3,800,000. It’s expected that the increase will be radio’s share. Spot cam¬ paign will be directed at buying minutes, 20-second spots and sta¬ tion identifications. SAMMY KAYE' this W'eek ' introduces BARRY FRANK, his new featured vocalist, on "MOUNTAIN OF KISSES,” a swing ’n’ svvay waits with a “folk” flavor, on Columbia Records. Re¬ verse has “I MET A GIRL,’’ a peppy instrumental from Kaye’s new album, "FOR DANCING. . .SAMMY KAYE SWINGS AND SWAYS BELLS ARE RINGING." ABCs Wed. Boots Take Pabst Count After much indecision, Pabst will drop its half-interest in ABC’s Wednesday night fights as soon as a replacement can be found. New Pabst prexy, Marshall Lachner, has decided it’s time for a change after seven years with the fisti'cuffs, though disposition of the, $2,200,000 spent annually on the network telecast has not been made. Co-sponsor RJennen is negotiat¬ ing a renewal of* its ABC contract through June 1, 1958. A problem o.f product conflict faces the network in finding a re¬ placement for Pabst on the Wednesday 10 p.m. simulcast. Sev¬ eral ciggie companies are said to have indicated an interest in half¬ sponsorship, but two other' pro¬ grams get in the way. Several stations carrying the Wednesday Night fights air CBSTV’s “I’ve Got a Secret” immedi¬ ately beforehand for Winston cigarets. Also, in the Central Time zone, the fights are immediately preceded by ABC’s “Navy Log,” which is 50% Pall Mall’s. Before reaching the decision to cancel its share of the -show, which began in 1950 on CBS, Pabst was mulling retrenching to a quarter sponsorship. However, a spokes¬ man for the company said, that at the time the details could not be ironed Out with the new quarter sponsor so the plan ultimately had to be ^ejected. CBS-ABC Dickers & Allen Reisner, the ex-dir^tor of CBS-TV’s “Climax,;-’ is mulling a return to video, having completed the first of a three-picture direc¬ torial assignment for RKO. This is an adaptation of the “Climax” property which he directed a cou¬ ple seasons ago, “The Day They Gave Babies Away,” which is scheduled for a June release under RKO’s new U-I distribution setup. Reisner has been in New York over the past week huddling on two fronts (1), with CBS on the possi¬ bility of returning to the “Cli¬ max'’ fold (but only if it doesn’t entail an every-other-week as¬ signment, since he had previously turned down a new three-year con¬ tract because of such alternateweek commitments; (2), possibility of helming a new 90-minute weekly live tv entry for ABC-TV, which would emanate from the Coast. Both deals are still in the talk stage. latineeV Permanent Niche Though “Queen for a Day,” as the highest-rated daytime tele¬ vision show, is the key to NBC-TV’s ratings & sales advances in the afternoon, the network is particularly happy about the solid entrenchment of “NBC Matinee Theatre” as a permanent entry in the daytime fold. It’s no secret that “Matinee” started out shakily and that NBC was ready to drop the whole project more than once during the show’s 21-month existence. But now, while it is still operating in the red, “Matinee” has assured itself of a permanent daytime berthing through its sales and audience advances over the past few months. Show has risen to a 12.4 Nielsen rating in the total audience category (9.3 average audience) with a 38% share of audience. It tops the Bob Crosby CBS competition (8.6 average audience) and is only slightly below “Big Payoff” (10.3). Total homes delivered are 4.402,000, while average-minute homes reached are 3,301,000,* In the sales end, the show is over 609b sold (19 participations per week out of a 30-participation capacity, with such blue-chippers as Procter & Gamble, Armour and KraH among the bankrollers. Though not completely out of t^ie woods on the show, the web feels it has turned in a major accomplishment via having gained audience acceptance and approval for an unprecedented .^break¬ down in viewing habits . A full-hour daytime drama was unheard of before “Matinee,’’ and NBC now feels it has proved that day¬ time televi.sion need not con.si.st entirely of soapers, audience-participationers and variety shows. Canada as TV Tiyoot Spot Ottawa, Feb. 12. / Canada appears to be assuming more and more Importance as a tryout area to “sneak” tv fare, much in the manner of U.S. legit . vehicles spreading their pre-Broadway wings In New Haven, Boston etc. Take, for example: (1) : “Strictly Normal,” hour-long tv ad agency satire by Red Skelton’s four writers, had its world preem Sunday 410) on Cana¬ dian Broadcasting Corp.’s “Television Theatre.” Produced by Leo Orenstein, leads were played by Carol Starkman and Bernie Orenstein (distant cousin of the boss). ' Writers are Sherwood Schwartz, Jessie Goldstein,, Mort Greene and David 0’Brien_ Leo Orenstein says locale was not shifted from Madison Avenue because “Canada probably wouldn’t accept, the wacky antics of the play as part of our advertising business.” But the ending was reworked “to allow the ‘average man’ to emerge with more dignity.” (2) : Canada gets Frank Capra’s ”Hemo the Magnificent” a week ahead of the U.S. — ^March 13 on CBC-TV’s net„ CBS shows it March 20. Trans-Canada Telephone System sponsors one-hour filmed $how telling story of blood and its circulation. Non-connected CBC stations (west of Winnipeg, east of Quebec City) will get it a week or two weeks later. « ■ Last of Wrangles Settled, New AFTRA-Network Pact S^d Back to NAB Hollywood, Fla., Feb. 12. NARTB * directors have unanimously recommended a referendum by the member¬ ship to change the name of the organization to National Assn, of Broadcasters (NAB), as it was before the advefit television, ■ If the members so vote, the change will become effective next Jan. 1. Pro Football a Sunday Certainty for CBS-TV, Also Some Sat. Tilts CBS-T'Y is all firmed up to carry pro football next fall. Final details on the schedule itself are still to be wrapped up next month, but from all indications most of the gameswill continue to be staged Sunday afternoons with the exception of some Saturday tilts next Decem¬ ber. Actual schedule was to have been worked out in a meeting be¬ tween CBS-TV and National Foot¬ ball League Commissioner Bert Bell this week, but the session has been postponed to March because Bell must undergo minor surgery now. Firming of the schedule puts an additional crimp in the “Omnibus” situation for next fall. The Ford Foundation series left CBS-TV last year because of the pro football commitment in its Sunday after¬ noon time, and switched to 9 to 10:30 p.m. Sundays on ABC. Now, by mutual agreement, “Omnibus” will be dropped from the Sunday night time and is searching for a new slot. The pro football deal blanks out any possibility of a re¬ turn to CBS. The Columbia public affairs schedule will follow the same pattern as this season — lim¬ ited in scope during the grid sea¬ son and fullblown expansion in January. ’ Games will again be offered first on a national basis, and then if no takers sold as last year on a regional pattern. Local stations will be allowed to co-op unsold portions. SAUDEK’S OWN CORP. With ‘Omnibus' Future Still in Air, Producer Provides a Cushion Robert Saudek, executive pro¬ ducer of Ford Foundation’s RadioTV Workshop and the man behind “Omnibus,” is building a cushion against the uncertainties Of the future. In the N, Y. state capital, Albany, last week, a corporation called Robert Saudek Associates, Inc., was authorized to conduct a radio-tv production business. Since Saudek has frequently been approached to produce tele-, vision ventures 'independent of the Workshop and since the fall status of “Omnibus” is once against up in the air, he feels the corporation in his name will prove both a money-maker and a safety valve. He said that he first sought incor¬ poration early this winter. RSA Inc. begins with a capital stock of $20,000, $1 par value. Sprague & Peck of New York City were filing .attorneys. The new Nov*. ’SO-Nov. ’58 Amer‘ ican Federation ‘ of Television •& Radio Artists Code of Fair Prac¬ tice was signed as the last, of the network holdouts, NBC, fell' 'into line oh Thursday (7). The union and NBC settled a difference over payments on station-breaks, and the five-month old negotiations with producers and networks end¬ ed. In the opinion of the union, the most Important single transaction of the long-running negotiations was the guarantee by networks arid stations to extend the Pension and Welfare benefits to radio perform¬ ers, a step that could mean several million annually, to .AFTRA mem¬ bers. Until now, only television performers got p&w benefits. Entire Code is retroactive to Nov. 16, 1956, the day after th« .previous two-year agreement end¬ ed. Four parts of the new pact are the divisions on network tv, network radio, radio transcriptions • and staff employment. As with tv, the new radio p&w benefits are based on payments into a collective union kitty by pro¬ ducers. These producer-employ¬ ers, who help administrate tha fund, pay 5% of the gross compen¬ sation due each performer for his radio services inta the fund. General increases in minimum payments to most of the radio and television performers who coma under the Code jurisdiction wera provided. The increases average out to approximately 10%. Written into the new Code was the Clarification Agreement made by the networks and the union which went into effect March 1, 1956. It reads, in part: “Code , , • applicable to network tv programs originating in N. Y., . Chicago, L. A, which are produced or recorded by means of any electronic viden equipment (including a combina¬ tion electronic and motion pictura or ‘slave’ camera) used either in connection With live broadcasting or in connection with electronic (Cont^ued on page 70) Day-&-Date SRO OnNBi; CBS News At virtually the same time, both the CBS-TV and NBC-TV news strips hit the SRO mark, with Douglas Edwards’ Columbia show at 7:15 filling in its last gap with a Hazel Bishop deal for alternate Fridays and the NBC Chet Huntley-Dayid Brinkley 7:45 p.m. stanza signing Quaker Oats to an 11-week deal for every-Tuesday sponsor¬ ship. (Quaker deal — with coin, inci¬ dentally, stemming from the cereal company’s cancellation of onethird sponsorship of NBC’s Sid Caesar stanza — started yesterday and was set via Needham, Louis & Brorby of Chicago. The Hazel Bish¬ op buy ^►n Edwards is a highly un¬ usual one — probably the first time a cosmetics manufacturer has sponsored a news show. It follows by only a week a two and a half quarter-hours weekly purchase by Brown & Williamson on the news stanza. Set via the Ray Spector agency, the Hazel Bishop deal starts March 29.