Variety (July 1957)

HADIO-TFIF. VI SIO\ Chi’s TV Strategy PfinlEFt i Continued from pace 35 ; riety, and sports film, in that or¬ der during the hour. WBBM-TV countered "with 15-minute seg¬ ments of news and weather, va¬ riety, local news features, and an interview show. The June '53 ARB gave the WBBM-TV hour a 2.9 Monday-Fri- day average for the entire hour against WNBQ’s leading 16.2. With no major changes in personnel or design, ARB results this past June scored WBBM-TV an 8.6 for the hour and WNBQ a 5.6. Latter went from first to last in the field of four Chicago stations. WGN- TV, with a nightly feature film, leads the hour with an overall 14.5 ARB. The shift in rank between the NBC and CBS stations are shown in best relief in the 10-10:15 seg¬ ment. WNBQ's longrunning weath¬ er and women’s combo, with Clint Youle and Dorsey Connors, held a, 26.0 ARB in June 1953. WBRM- TV's “Standard News and Weather Roundup,” with Fahey ^ Flynn; started with a 4.0. A tevr months later, P. J. Hoff was added as the WBBM-TV weatherman to attempt breaking through Youle’s weather monopoly, and the following June found the show making inroads. With each succeeding year the Flynn-IIoff show' gained ground while the Youle-Connors combo slipped. Last year, the June ARB gave the former a 13.9 and the lat¬ ter a 15.7. Latest ARB completes the table-turning, with WBBM-TV posting a 20.7 (high for the seg¬ ment) and the WNBQ shows an 11.8 (third). By this time, WNBQ had shifted the .Dorsey Connors; feature to the second quarter and slotted Morgan Beatty's news strip in tandem with Youle’s weather. Oddly enough, the other two sta¬ tions approximately have held the line over the four-y§ar period, al¬ though WGN-TV has advanced in position for the whole hour. In 1953, ABC’s WBKB, like the other two network stations, had a some-! thing-for-everyone strip too but abandoned it the following year for tw'o syndicated features. By 1955, the station was on a steady motion picture diet like WGN-TV. WBKB ratings have shifted from a 6.9 five-day average for the hour (in 1953) to an 8.3 today. WGN- TV went from a 13.4 in June 1953 to 14.5 in June 1957* showing little dramatic change in the strength of old Hollywood films. Comparative ARB ratings also point up a mass switchoff of sets at 10:15, after the news and weath¬ er shows. Ip. the second quarter- hour, WBBM-TV skids from a 20.7 to- a 6.7, while WNBQ drops from an 11.8 to 6.4. The other two stations, mean¬ while, register slight gains with their feature films in the second quarter, and then taper off in deci- mal amounts in the final half-hour. WBKB goes up from 8.0 to 8.5 at 10:15, and WGN-TV gains from 13.5 to 14.9 in the same segment In 1953, the ratings show, the loss of sets in use was not as abrupt, nor did the feature films register such gains after the competing news and weather telecasts. One further point reveals itself from the comparative ratings: while the something-for-everyonq formulas can often he stronger than feature films, they’re seldom as safe. Gould Vs. Webs i Continued from pact 24 - - al impression left by Gould that! the webs have their back against the wall. Hylan quoted PIB figures to the effect that CBS was lLl^ ahead of 1956 for the Janu- ary-May period, and also cited the spectaculars to which sponsors are committed; Treyz quoted similar figures for all three networks and declared that “network television sales are at an alltime high, and in the fall, will exceed — by wide margins — any level ever attained in this industry.” Both Treyz and TvB’s national sales director, Halsey Barrett, attacked the Times story with reference to newspaper lineage and circulation. Treyz pointed out that newspaper advertising lineage is down about 7% from last year, and declared that “just as news¬ paper advertising lineage is de¬ creasing in line with newspaper circulation, so television advertis¬ ing appropriations will grow in proportion to increased audience.” Barrett particularized: “We won¬ der why if tv business is front page newspaper news, the fact that general advertising in newspapers has fallen 11.6 million lines in five months (Media Records Measure¬ ments) is hot also front page news. And how about the news value of the 19% decline in New York nighttime newspaper circulation (ABC) this spring vs, last... or the 4% decline in circulation of just the two N.Y. morning papers with published figures available? And why are not the New York Times circulation figures available for the period following March 30?” Barrett also pointed put that Gould “overlooked almost a third of network revenues which comes from daytime television” and i "overlooked station/spot television j which accounts for half of tv’s total revenue." Actually, the networks weren’t overly concerned about the Gould | piece insofar as its effects on ad¬ vertisers were concerned, but were unhappy about it in its possible effect on the business community (particularly Wall St.) and the general public. Webs felt an immediate reply was mandatory, not so much to reply on a point-by- i point basis as*, to overcome the impression that tv was facing If /r'ry HUNTING BIG GAME? You’ll find it in the Northwest... a big, rich ready market for your product. This is the area which KSTP-TV serves and sells . . . $4 Billion in spendable income and 615,000 TV families. Let KSTP-TV start a sales stampede* for you. kstp-tv r* Basic HBC Mliliate StototC Edward Petty & Company, Inc., National Representatives tough times. It was also felt— by some more strongly than others — that this was a case of a compe¬ titive media throwing in an un¬ warranted dig at television. NBC refrained from issuing any statement on the Times story, hut at a press conference Monday (29) devoted to NBC’s lineup of specials, prexy Bob Sarnoff replied to a question on the situation by stating that he expects NBC to be sold out at night by fall. Sharis ‘Hi, Mom* As Ayem Strip WRCA-TV, NBC's New York flagship, is going back into the morning programming business as of Aug. 15, when it drops the local- only broadcast of the “Today”-' midwest repeat and inaugurates a new 9-10 a.m. strip titled “Hi, Mom.” New program, aimed at house¬ wives and kids, will star Shari Lewis (who does the flapship’s Sat¬ urday morning “Shariland” show) as femcee, registered nurse Jane Warren and cooking expert Jose¬ phine McCarthy. Miss Lewis will sing and perform overall femcee chores; Miss Warren will do a 15- minute baby care segment, featur¬ ing films produced in conjunction with the American Medical Assn.; and Miss McCarthy will do a five- minute culinary strip. For the past several months, WRCA-TV had failed to .program the 9 to 10 a.m. period, even though it’s station time, and instead had carried a third hour of “Today.” This hour was the repeat feed of. the 7 to 8 a.m. hour to the midwest stations. “Today” pattern is such that the 7 to 8 segment is carried live only in the east; 8 to 9 is car¬ ried live both in the east and mid¬ west, and a live repeat of the first segment is done at 9. for the mid¬ west. It was this repeat which WRCA carried. . Station is also making some changes in its five-minute "Today” inserts. Bill Ryan will do a local news capsule at 7:25; Lynn Dollar will do an outdoor weather show at 7:55; Leon Pearson will handle a commentary segment at 8:25 and Ken Banghart is. slated to do an¬ other local news wrapup at 8:55. SCIENCE SPECS IN SHIFT TO NBC-TV American Telephone & Tele¬ graph is moving its science spec¬ taculars — four of them — from CBS-TV to NBC-TV c«ne the fall, with the first of the quartet due to be shown on Oct. 25 in the Friday 9 to 10 p.m. series. Series bowed on CBS last season, but Columbia couldn’t find a spot for the four new ones in its fall schedule and AT&T thereupon moved to NBC. Series, which had been pro¬ duced by Frank Capra, is now being shot at Warner Bros., but one or two Capra pix remain to be shown. The first two Capra entries, shown on 'CBS-TV, were “Our Mr. Sun” and “Hemo the Magnificent.” Jerry Adler Joins Coast * Ashley-Steiner Agency Hollywood, July 30. Reflecting the upbeat in Coast-: originating dramas and the lush tv i field for Hollywood writers, the Ashley^Stelqer writer agenting di¬ vision continues on a major expan¬ sion. * A-S writer division now boasts a complement of. five men, with Jerry Adler the latest to be wooed over (he was with MCA’s literati dept, for three years). A-S is still on the prowl for additional per¬ sonnel. . TWSoothi Disturbed Edinburgh, July 30. Television has top value in helping. mentally-deranged types. That’s the conclusion of the General Board of Con¬ trol for Scotland, a body re¬ sponsible for tile nation’s 35 mental hospitals. Board’s .annual report says that tv has “a marked thera¬ peutic value,” Television sets are now in general use in mental hospitals here, providing ,a source of entertainment and interest to. . natiVritW/4 > l > * I -AS i I Clove. FM —US Continued lrom page 24 patrons should welcome both the information and the broadcasting material,” during, the length of the FM broadcasts. Exact hours for broadcasting have not been estab¬ lished. Protests by newspapers, editori¬ ally, also were poo-pooed by Turk who said the papefs are “anti- radio, anti-television.” As to pro¬ tests from other stations, Turk said “this is only an experiment. If we decide to do this on a per¬ manent basis* then the CTS board will determine whether all FM stations will be permitted to come in on a rotating monthly basis. It might be advantageous for our riders to hear a varied program of disk jockeys, news shows, etc. Meanwhile, he added, “we are go¬ ing ahead with a special series of FM programs planned by Richard Klaus, general manager of WERE.” CTS, Turk maintained, will not receive any additional funds when commercials are played. The tran¬ sit company has a contract with Mitchell, McCandless & Klaus, .car card firm embracing advertising at rapid transit stations. WERE’s general manager, Richard Klaus, son of Mayo Klaus of the car card firm, maintained there is no con¬ nection between the two pro¬ grams. Possibility also exists that spe¬ cial FM programming, to he heard at the station platforms, might be piped into rapid cars, but this step will await outcome of success of present enterprise. Neither CTS nor WERE feels re¬ cent Supreme Court decision on transit broadcasting affects Cleve¬ land operations. AFTRA Continued frbm pace 25 - mental agency to* the end the reg¬ ulatory powers be employed so that the interests of all people be best promoted and protected." Some Factions Want It It’s known that there were fac¬ tions in the Chicago, Los Angeles and Frisco locals, at least, who fa¬ vored pay-tv, and it’s known that Los Angeles delegate Jack Ed¬ wards made a strong speech on the subject which didn’t agree with the violent Conaway-Nelson set against pay-tv. “Personally,” said Conaway after the vote, “I don’t think the public is familiar with the issue ... we certainly think will bring more en¬ lightenment to it.” The convention also: 1) Heard a report on educa¬ tional tv to the effect that AFTRA was giving NBC special rates on its educational programs; 2) Heard actuary -Martin A. Siegel in a resume, followed by q- and-a period, of the union’s pen¬ sion and welfare plan; 3) Instructed the national board to negotiate rates, still an open question in its code, on com¬ mercial cutins bn liiagnetic tape— Conaway earlier asserted that there was no question of tape jurisdic¬ tion, that AFTRA “thinks the util¬ ization .of an electronic device is the dermining factor”; 4) Heard that membership had increased 393 in a year; 9) -Heard of a number of pen¬ sion-welfare benefit increases; 9) Studied a pension-welfare program fop AFTRA’s 55 em¬ ployees; 7) Heard that $786,973 for 7,- 308 members in 12 locals was col¬ lected' in the pest year for con- I tract violations. TVFoUowips I hjas Continue! from page 28 asaac night Josephine.” The echo effect used throughout his renderings proved to be disconcerting, and badly balanced. Excellent accom¬ paniments by the Geraldo orch, often came close to drowning out the singer. Ugo Fradiani, a French juggler performed some pretty intricate tricks and earned himself a hefty ovation, and three Italians, Los Olivers, raised quite a lot of laughs with their antics on parralel bars. George Carden Dancers were up to their usual high -standard* but Bill Lyon-Show’s production and Wednesday, July 31, 1957 Dennis Janies Dickers Client Deals on New TV Network Entries Dennis James planed into New York for a quickie weekend (27- 28) business trip revolving around one, and possibly two, television programs now in the works for which he is being dickered by sponsors. The names of the lat¬ ter were under “diplomatic wraps” by the emcee-host-salesman. James came in from Chicago, where he’s in the midst of wind¬ ing up a sixmonth stint heading the NBC-TV “Club 60” show emanating from there. He is quit¬ ting “Club 60” as of Aug. 16 .with Chi disk jockey-personality How¬ ard Miller stepping Into the spot. The daytime variety hour,. riding co-op in the 1:30 to 2:30 slot, got a new lease on life when It was renewed for another cycle (into November) after “proof positive” of an overwhelming mail response against ratings of 3*s and 4’s. But James, though lauding the Chi NBC studio, the technicians and the talent as “wonderful in facili¬ ties and cooperation,” had mean¬ while resigned the chore, with his Gotham visit aimed at returning him to network originations from what has been his home base for . some 17 years in tv. Before returning to N. Y. per¬ manently, James will be part of a troupe playing a Sunday (Aug. 17) date at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. Polly Bergen Continued from pare 23 available due to the'CBS commit¬ ment. After trying other stars, with¬ out success or agreement among the parties, NBC and the two spon¬ sors came back to MCA with a suggestion that the agency make a try at prying Miss Bergen loose from the CBS pact. MCA agreed, and intimated there was a good chance of succeeding, and con- contracts were written (but not signed) for a deal conditional upon her "availability in September. When word got out, CBS hit the roof, presumably because MCA had allowed the negotiations to proceed so far without consulting the web. MCA and CBS huddled virtually throughout the day and every day since last Wednesday (24) when Variety broke the story on the deal, right through this week, but MCA was unable to budge CBS from its position. As far as NBC and the sponsors are concerned, they are simply marking time-to allow MCA to try to straighten out the situation. If Miss Bergen can’t be pried loose, then the search will start again. SCARSOALE WESTCHESTER COUNTY , UNI9UI — NEW LISTING On 3 beautiful acre* with all facility* for entertaining on a large scale, in¬ cluding 45x30 rwimming pool. Modernised Early American- with 7 bedrooms. 7 baths. Ideal for Stage, Screen or TV Stars; for whom enter¬ taining is essential. AAfef $*5,909 Per Appointment call ROBERT PRESS. Reciter II Popham Hoad, Scandal*, N. Y. SCandat* 3-M77 BROOKS COSTUMES ' S P. ( M-fX.-TeL n.7.W IIP-SYNC MIMING IN JAPANKI thr*ueh *ur n*Wly *«t*MI«h*d branch In T*ky«. Th* l*wast rat** In the w*rld Ovar twenty *fli*r Janevae** ayallabl*. INTERUNOUAUNTHtNATlONAl, INC* Mont* V*rd* A Oc*m Av*., POl 1921/ C*rm*l/ Callfonil*. TV BUSINESS EXEC shirtsleeve type: mlley Biker aaf detail •xeurttrj tat 3*1 B.t.; toeslallila* lateraa- tlsaal nerket; 10 years dlvaralfled TV Hi TV-Olm man ate Beet eiperleaee; iMludlni gnaaclaf, sales, reeeereh, le«*i, leehaleal; lanaatet; will retaeata; awallaWe SepteialNr Sex V-2J4M7 VARIETY ^ 114 W. JOw.iYertiH ; j . t