Variety (November 1957)

50 RADIO-TELEVISION Sen Langer Sez His Postcard PoB Of Okla. Shows Huge Antj-ToB Washington, Nov. 5. 4 Latest returns from a survey by Sen, William Langer on feevee sen* timent in Bartlesville, Okla., show 1,755 residents against the system and 140 for it. Another 231 fami¬ ly heads said they were In favor of Tdemovies but opposed to pay tv. These returns, as compiled by Langeris office yesterday (Mon.), represent approximately 25% of the 8,500 tv families being surveyed by postage-free cards returned by yesterday. Washington, Nov. 5. Sen. William Langer (R-N.D.), one of the least reserved members of Congress and a passionate anti¬ monopolist, is conducting his own survey of toll-tv sentiment in Bartlesville, Okla. Using a “load¬ ed’' letter which he has sent to every one of the 8,000 tv families in the Oklahoma community, he has asked for “yes” or “no” an¬ swers to -enclosed postcards solicit- ; ing votes on the issue. Last week, Langer announced , the first returns on the basis' of 89 cards received in which the send¬ ers take a definite position. They show 10 to 1 against the closed, circuit subscription system. Of the 81 who registered opposition. 18 wrote letters commenting on their views. There were also eight cards from families who took no posi¬ tion. Langer reported the results last Wednesday 130). He had announced the survey two days previously but the letters he sent out bore the date of Oct. 24. He urged return of the enclosed cards by Nov. 4, advising recipients that those re¬ ceived after that date might not be counted. The cards were not post¬ paid but he agreed to pay postage on receipt. Langer told Bartlesville foljc that “personally and as a U. S. Senator I have been opposed to pay-as-you- j see television, because I believe it will ultimately result in poor peo- : pie getting poorer programs, while those who can afford to pay will get better programs.” The Senator, a member of the ! Senate Antitrust and Monopoly! Subcommittee, also took a crack at the feevee article in the Oct. 14 ; j issue of Life mag which he quoted ;; as saying that 472 families in [ - t Bartlesville are "enjoying the rare ] privilege of paying cash to watch ! j television in their homes.” ] Referring to the life piece, he i said: “Sometimes these magazines j do not tell the truth, but are mere j propaganda sheets.” In a statement on the Inaugura- i 1 tion of the survey, Langer said the results “would give a good indica- M tion of how people feel toward this }* proposed service and could be a i f significant factor to be considered | J by the Federal Communications; < Commission in determining the j s people’s Wishes toward pay-tv and i - by the Congress in voting on sev- f eral bills.” He added that he will j 1 introduce a measure on feevee in !■] January when Congress convenes. ■ i He said he selected Bartlesville j ' for the survey “since that is the \ only city that has been allowed by j' the FCC to try out the pay-as-you- ;< see program.*” He further stated ; 1 that “it has been reported that the l FCC is planning to authorize sev-! J eral other cities to try out .pay-as-p you-see television.” j 1 Apparently the Senator was un- ! ^ aware that the Bartlesville system \ ] operates through a wire system i . over which the FCC has not exer- \ 1 cised jurisdiction. His statement ' j regarding plans of the FCC to ( authorize trials in other cities evi- i 1 dentlv refers to the agency’s or- I der, effective March 1. to act on ; j applications for on-the-alr sub- j 1 scription in cities with four or 1 ] more stations. Ban Both Way* Washington, Nov. 5. The bill which Sen. William Langer (R-N.DJ will introduce in January to prohibit sub¬ scription-tv will cover wired- tv as well as one-the-air opera¬ tions, Variety learned. In its present form, the measure will make it unlawful for any per¬ son to levy a fee, directly o t indirectly, on the general pub¬ lic for the purpose of viewing tv programs in private homes until such person is authorized by the Federal Communica¬ tions Commission. As .far as Langer is con¬ cerned, Variety was informed, it makes no difference whether subscription comes through wires or through the air, “It’s all the same,” he feels. The Senator is presently confined to the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Md. FITZGERALDS MULLING NEW TIME SLOT ON WOR The Fitzgeralds (Ed and Pegeen), who*had their own packaging deal on the 2-2:30 time-slot over WOR- TV, may shift to the 6:35-7 pjn. period .on the same N. Y, outlet. They didn’t like their early after¬ noon time, but meantime they and Gordon Gray, WOR-TV’s general manager, are surveying whether there are enough adult sets-in-use at the early evsning hour for an adult program. The Fitzgeralds want to .make sure that the juveniles haven’t usurped the home sets around that time. Station doesn't think so, plus the fact that nowadays there are so many two-set homes, so that the auxiliary receiver for the kids doesn’t interfere. PZatlEPr Costly Twin Gly Blackout Minneapolis, Nov. 5. Twin Cities’ four commercial television and 13 radio stations took it on the financial chin last Thursday (31) when a complete electric power failure forced them all off the air for up to nearly two hours. Rebates aggregating six figures are being made to advertisers in consequence of the broadcasting blackout which caught audio at what's one of its best commercial periods. It was the first complete elec¬ tric power failure in this area for 15 years and the costliest occur¬ rences in local broadcasting his¬ tory. Moores ABC-TV Top Sales Post; New Shifts Due Thomas W. Moore. has quit as general sales manager of CBS Film Sales to become veep in charge of sales at ABC-TV. Sur¬ prise move, made yesterday (Tues.) afternoon, puts Moore, over Slocum (Buzz) Chapin, longtime, boss of the tv network’s sales department. Net¬ work said a ‘general realignment” of executives is to follow soon, n the reshuffling resulting from the Moore appointment, Chapin has had his title changed from veep in charge of sales to veep over client relatiohs. Moore' will be in overall charge .of ABC-TV sales administration and will have the final say in all sales matters. Moore had been with the syn¬ dication arm of CBS fbr five years, and for about the last two he’s had the general sales manager’s title. Wednesday, November 6, 1957 Memphis—Jay Black, wJk. south¬ ern sports spieler and former ma-, jor league broadcaster of wired ball games over WHHM, indie here, j has taken a similar.*-post with I WSUN, St. Petersburg^. Fla. Around the Ad Agencies Leslie Stevens’ ‘90’ Pact Hollywood, Nov. 5. Scripter Leslie Stevens has been parted to script three “Playhouse 90” teleplays for CBS-TV, com¬ mencing with adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s “The Little Photog¬ rapher,” to be staged next January. Stevens ab*> is ptepping Thomas Mann's “Mario and the Magicians” foi CBS-TV’s “Seven Lively Arts,” also to be aired in January. The issue of coin earned- in agency-produced tv shows and agency-bought packaged shows got a going-over last week when Dr. Al¬ bert Frey and Kenneth R. Davis, professors of marketing at Dart¬ mouth College, revealed the re¬ sults of their findings before the Assn, of National Advertisers in Atlantic City. Over 31% of the advertisers felt that an agency should be compen¬ sated more than the usual 15%. commission on agency-produced shows. About 60% of the sponsors felt that 15% was the amount the agencies were entitled to while 8% of them opined that Madison Ave. should earn less than the standard 15 cm their own produced fare. The sponsors felt for the most part that when the ageney buys a packaged or network show it is not entitled to its usual 15%. Over 58% of them were bracketed in this thinking while 35% felt that they were entitled to the standard commission wiien they purchase a package. The agencies,: on the other hand, felt quite differently about the amount of money they were en¬ titled to. Madison Ave. figures it has a right to more than 15% when producing the show in t^e agency. That is, 70% of the agencies polled felt that way while 29% said that if they weren’t entitled to more than 15% they were at least en¬ titled to that. Approximately 80% of tbe agen¬ cy men thought they were entitled to their customary 15% when they purchased a web or packaged show while a little over 12% said they were entitled to more. Less than 7% believed that they weren’t en¬ titled to less when they bought-a show. 5 Marlboro Cigarets has shelled out a reported $450,000 in 104 participations on NBC-TV “To¬ night.” The contract, extending over a 52-week period beginning this month, was placed through Leo Burnett in Chicago. Kenyon & Eckhardt pieked up the Brylcreem and Enos Sparkling Antacid accounts from Harold F, Ritchie. The two products repre¬ sent a billing of $1,000,000 mostly spot tv. Reports indicate that Ritchie will increase its ad budget for the two products to a minimum $3,000,000 annually to be used chiefly for spot tv saturation. William Warren, Jackson Me De¬ laney has been selected to handle the Contour Lounge Chair biz. Spot campaign has been mapped out on stations WIP, Philly, and WMCA, N.Y. Ray G. Rasifter has been ap¬ pointed director of personnel for Grey Advertising. He was previous¬ ly associated with R. L. Polk Co. where he was assistant director of industrial relations. Lesie Munro, former v.p. at Kenyon. & Eckhardt, .has joined Ogilvy, Benson & Mather as a v.p. and copy supervisor. , Ted Grunewald, v.p. in charge of radio tv at Hicks Me -Great, has been upped to a director. He joined the radio tv department in 1953 after- having been associated with WilHam Esty and Doyle Dane Bernbach agencies. Charles M. Skade has been ap¬ pointed senior v.p. of Fuller Me Smith Me. Ross in chzurfe of ad¬ ministration. Skade was formerly controller of the American Man¬ agement Assn, and prior to that served as assistant controller of the 3. H. Kress & Co. in N.Y. The Art Crayon Company of N.Y. has initiated a spot tv cam¬ paign. Saturation schedules have been purchased on WRCA-TV and WABD-TV, New York, and WCAtl- TV, Philadelphia, to display new line of washoff crayons. Campaign is being handled through Friend- Reiss. . N. W. Ayer & Son confirmed re¬ ports that it would consolidate the agency’s media functions in Phila¬ delphia, the homeoffice. The move is scheduled for Dec, 1, and win. affect employees reluctant to make the shift. The . exact number affected has not been determined yet, according to George McCoy, manager of broadcasting media. Transfer of latter department in¬ cludes the shift of timebuyers but copy and programming will remain in New York. Radio-TV Production Centers — CMtinue* frwt~paga M b— here on a buying trip, “Mickey Mouse Club” in his station’s top draw, with crime Aows and. westerns in high favor, he says . . . Jack Benay and Trying Fein, prexy of his J & M Productions, east for client meet¬ ings and Benny’s fiddling and funningTfor charity . . . Byron Palmer, co-emcee of “Bride and Groom,” is comind back to Hollywood even if the show doesn’t,. . Big laugh around the Procter & Gamble agencies concerns their former prexy, now Secretary of Defense, Neil McElroy. Long a champion of teat campaigns for new P&G product, they’re won¬ dering if he’ll order a test war in Fort Wayne . . , With 80 visiting tv eds in town for a week, Casey Shawhan and his band of NBC flacks went into training for 18-hour days. The junketeers are being kept busy with a tight schedule, the better to keep them bottled up beyond the reach of the enemy pji.’s. IN CHICAGO Howard Miller moving this month from his Michigan Ave. offices to Iris 10-room Lake Shore Dr. penthouse . . . Ken Dobbs, ex-Sarra Inc. joined Kling Film Productions as account exec . . . NBC veep Jules Herbureaux broke the girl barrier (three daughters, two granddaugh¬ ters) last week with new grandson . . . Charles A. Sengstock, former newsman and announcer for WSOY, Decatur, signed by Holland Engle to WGN Inc, news staff ... Ed Hitz, NBC-TV v.p. in charge of central division sales, leaves for 16-day Caribbean cruise with his wife Nov. 16 . . . Waldie & Briggs ad shop has absorbed Robert Christopher agency via merger ... Theodore R. Van Dellen, Chi Tribune health editor, giving out on WGN with public service announcements re Asian flu . ,. WBBM-TV’s Jim Conway judging homecoming queen at North¬ western U. Nov. 26 . . . Hibernian expert John Burns starts new Irish music-news show on WGN Sunday (10) . . . Bill Ray, WNBQ-WMAQ news director, leaves for Houston; Nov. 13 for annual conclave of Sig¬ ma Delta Chi. professional journalism fraternity of which he’s member of exec council . . . Ben Grauer here last week filming 20-minute pro¬ duct presentation for Norge at Kling Studios. Mina Kolb, Beverly Wil¬ son, Gil Ferguson and Archie Lang also participated . . . Grover J. Al¬ len, WBKB exec producer, left last weekend for a two week o.o. of ABC- TV’s west coast plants. • IN LONDON . . . Sapphire Films has notched up a “century” with its telefilm series “The Adventures Of Robin Hood A The 100th episode is titled '“.Castles In The Air.”". . . BBC-TV is to alter the time of its afternoon kid'tv offering “Watch With Mother,” because it clashes with its radio coun¬ terpart “Listen With Mother.” ... Diana Dors and Walter Chiari shared billing honors on- Associated Television’s “Sunday Niight At The Pal¬ ladium” (3) . . . Associated-Rediffusion will air 52 stories in 15-minute weekly shows of a new puppet named “Twizzle.” The first goes out Nov. 13 . . . Silent screen actress Alma Taylor, will have an important part in a forthcoming ABC-TV play, “The Great City.” . . . Comedy duo Nan Kenway and Douglas Young scheduled to make their first tv ap¬ pearance in five years on BBC-TV’s “Dixon Of Dock Green” series. (16). They’ll appear as an oldtime musichaH act . . . The Western Re* gion of BBC-TV is holding a competition for a television play on any subject with a modem theme. There’ll be two prizes., one award of $980 for a 90-minute play and another of $560 for a 60-minute play. IN WASHINGTON . Two major staff changes at WRC-NBC include Weston-J. Harris, new program director replacing James E. Kovach, and Edwin H. Peterson, replacing Jay Royan . . . Harris was program director of WTTG- Du¬ mont, and Peterson comes from Eastern Air Lines, where he was as* sistant to Washington manager . . . Dodie Goodman of NBC’s “Tonight” in for press huddles and personal appearances . . . Mary Warren, ex of WTOP-CBS radio, now production asst, on the CBS “Jimmy Dean Show”. . . Edward Scherer upped from director to production super¬ visor In eharge of coordinating directors and talent for air live studio shows at WTTG ... . D.C. chapter of American Women in Radio & Tele¬ vision toured U.S.S. Tallahatchie and had dinner aboard as part of cov¬ erage for Navy Day . . . Paul Hume, whose “Good Music Time” is a daily feature on indie station WOL, now carried by WNAV, Annapolis, MdAwhich is^under same ownership as Washington- station . . . Singer Jane Powell, ABC-T.V personality Mike Wallace, and WRC’s A1 Rosa amongst show biz reps who made recent appearances on behalf of Unit¬ ed Givers Fund campaign .,. Coral Long put in charge of coordinating national sales at WTTG*. .. . John Lupton, star of ABC’s “Broken Ar¬ row,” a recent visitor. IN BOSTON .... . Roy V. Whisnand, veep Plough Broadcasting Corp. and mgr. WCOP, elected prexy Mass. Broadcasters’ Assn . . . WMUR-TV, Manchester, N. H., realigning its programming to accommodate large group of top film shows just purchased . . . WOKL celebrating its 7th anni with open house which drew over. 3,000 visitors . . . Bruce Ratts named WBZ- TY’s studio superv isor . . . Alan Dary, host of WBZ-TV’s “Boston Mov- ietime,” receiving congrats on birth of new son, Alan Jr . . . “Big Brother” Bob Emery, WBZ-TV personality, sharing top billing with Santa CLaUs at opening of Xmas Festival at Edavilte Railroad, Carver . . . Ki nni es of WBZ-TY’s “Witness Against Himself,” special “Let Free¬ dom Bing” project program delving into use and abuse of Fifth Amend¬ ment, being sent to all Westinghouse stations . . . Anthony’s Haw¬ thorne Restaurant, Lynn, inked for a 1 3-week contact for spots on Thursday’s “Boston Mavietime” over WBZ-TV . . . William. Filene r s & Sons bought sked of station idents for cosmetics bn WBZ-TV . , . Star Market- CO, renewed its alternate week sjohsorshfp of WBZ-TV’s half-hour news show, “Starring the, Editors” . . . Duncan MacDonald hosted Kafanag, Swiss magician, on her “Yankee Home and Food : Show” over WNAC . . . Ernest Golden, formerly with WMUR-TV, Man¬ chester, N. H., joined WBZ-TV sales dept . . . Kathy O’Brien, formeriy with the NBC-TV “Home” show, joined WNAC-TV production staff ... Nov. 17 definitely set for. unveiling of new WHDH-TV, Ch. 5, with Hub’s first all-color local programming .,. Jordan Marsh Co. bought * 20-second station break sked and minute spots on WBZ-TV 'IN PITTSBURGH ... Les Rawttns, g.m. of KDKA, shot a hole-in-one at Pittsburgh Field Club. It’s his second; his first was 18 years ago . . . Lew Short, former commercial announcer on radio and tv for Wilkens Jewelry Co„ now with Ketchum Inc., fund-raising outfit here . . .Bill Krough, who went from KDKA-TV several months ago to WFBG-TV in Altoona as sales manager, promoted to regional, sales by Triangle stations, with headquarters in Philadelphia * . . Tom Bender now doing sports and announcing on A1 McDowelPf Sunday night news on Ch. 2 . . . Gloria Abdou, director of women’p activities at WCAE, set for Playhouse’s December show, “Speaking of Murder” . . , Clyde E. (Curley) Higgins; co-host of “Outdoors Club” on Ch, 9, also named production head of. Steubenville^ station ., . Irma Lydon, former secretary to Leonard Kapner and Cliff Daniel, is back at WCAE in continuity dep’t as replacement for Seda Nary who resigned . . . Deejay Davey- Tysea and his wife going to Houston to spend Thanksgiving with the Dar- ey Tyson Jr.’t, ^