Variety (March 1959)

RADIO-TELEVISION Variety Wednesday, March 11, 1959 NBCs ‘Eternal Light’:To AFTRA, Writers, It Has a ‘Many Credit’ By JO HANSON No Nielsen raises its fearsome head to strike a mortal blow at the articulate and enlightening “Eter¬ nal Light” currently marking its 15th anni on NBC Radio. Pshaw to Pulse, too, because it has had little influence on the fate of the masterly-produced program which preemed in 1944 as a mo¬ mentous test of religious broad¬ casting. It’s apparent that “The Eternal Light” will continue to engross the more meditative, sober-minded young and old of this land. “God is our sponsor," Milton E. Krents, producer of the program said the other hay.” and we want to keep on eternally.” The longevity of “The Eternal Light” is attributed to many fac¬ tors, particularly the ministrations lavished on it by a score of dedi¬ cated parishioners including; Dr. Louis Finkelstein, chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, who helped to found the series with Gen. David Sarnoff, chairman of the board of the exec committee of RCA; Dr. Moshe Davis, provost of the Seminary, the series’ orig¬ inal program editor and still con¬ tinuing as counsellor; Dr. Ben Zion Bokser, rabbi of the Forest Hills Jewish Center, who for the past five years has been the program editor, and the aforementioned Krents, who helped to create the program and who has been Its un¬ interrupted producer daring the past 15 years. In the broadcasting industry, where personnel earth¬ quakes and excitations occur daily, this is indeed something of a» unique record. Moreover, “Eternal Light,” which dramatizes the universal val¬ ues of Jewish tradition—and con¬ sequently is of basic interest to all faiths—has been dubbed a “Tiffany credit” among AFTRANS and soripters. This is a program which Days the best dramatists the hum¬ ble sum of $300 per script and writers are eager to get such as¬ signments while top drawer actors are also constantly calling for as¬ signments. Its loyal alumni of per- forthers is impressive indeed, num¬ bering among them Raymond Mas¬ sey, Paul Muni, Jeff Chandler, Eva' LeGallienne, Margaret Webster, Melvyn Douglas, Eli Wallach, Ar¬ nold Moss, Everett Sloane, Lew Ayers, Mel Ferrer and others. Its regulars are Alexander Scourby, Roger De Koven, Santos Ortega, Leon Janney, Guy Repp and others, all seasoned, skilled and eager to work for scale. Like the headlin¬ ers, they get $43 per performance —but it is, in their mature opinion an opportunity to appear in a se¬ ries frequently experimental that runs the gamut from bible stories to pressing problems of contempo¬ rary life. Its format, according to Krents, is a valid one attracting a large audience of all faiths. Its di¬ rectors have included Tony Leader, Ira Avery and Ferrer. “ ’The Eternal Light’ proves that people enjoy a good story, well told, that has universal appeal,” Krents said, pointing out also that the 15 programs scheduled during the next few months, all repeats, will prove his point. Reprise Top Script The 15 programs that have proved most popular over the years include several by Morton Wishen- grad, the program’s foremost scripter; several by the late Sylvia Berger; several by Joseph Mindel, as well as dramas of classical sta¬ ture by Irve Tunick, Marc Siegel and Virginia Mazer. Its list of awards is awesome in¬ cluding citations from virtually every public service organization of consequence. When it began its alliance with NBC Radio in 1944, “The Eternal Light” was aired over 33 stations. Today the pro¬ gram is heard every Sunday over 80 affiliates and gets as high as 1,000 letters weekly hailing the contents of its shows. It receives more mail from Christians than Jews because of its universal ap¬ peal and it has a long list of sub¬ scribers to the weekly scripts for which they pay 10c per script. Sunday School classes from sur¬ rounding areas crowd the NBC Studio on the Sabbath to witness the productions. When ‘The Eternal Light” first aired Wishengrad’s “Battle of the Warsaw Ghetto,” an epic account of the despairing struggle of the heroes' of Warsaw against the Nazi hordes, the Jewish Theological Seminary received 10,000 letters shouting hosannahs. The program, most popular in the series, will be repeated on April 19 during the anni celebration. Nor has ‘The Eternal Light” been neglecting tv viewers in re¬ cent years. During the months of November and December it pre¬ sents eight* dramatic shows over NBC-TV, similar in content and production skill to its AM coun¬ terpart It also presents two spe¬ cial programs during the year, usually at Phssover and the High Holy Days. Krents also produces the video series and Dr. Bernard Mandelbaum, dean of students at the Seminary, is the program edi¬ tor. NBC-TV’s producer is Doris Ann and Martin Hoade is director. NBC’s alternating directors for the radio version of “The Eternal Light” are George Voutsas and Parker Gibbs. Edward Stanley and Florence Reit of NBC Public Af¬ fairs Dept, sit in on policy making. Still another facet of the JTSA broadcasting activities is the wide¬ ly-listened to summer series “The Words We Live By” consisting of conversation between Mark Van Doren and Maurice Samuels. They have discussed such topics as “Jo¬ seph” by Thomas Mann, a modem interpretation of the Bible story; “The -Prophets”; “The First Five Books of the Bible” and more re¬ cently “The ‘Words We Live By* From the Bible.” This upcoming summer they will deal with ‘The Legends of the Bible.” The series as its companions has won praise from all sects. Tunick, the ■ scripter, not long I ago, reminisced about “The Eter¬ nal Light.” He described the pro- [gram, domiciled in the same time slot since it began, as “a gentle Gibraltar of the ether.” “Lavish productions, spectacu¬ lars, star-studded, rating-bloated, earth shattering , extravaganzas have waltzed their way into ob¬ livion, The Eternal Light’ per¬ sists.” Why It persists was made clear by a listener who said that each program was “an intimate ex¬ perience” not as radio drama but as “a restatement of all the human values that add up to one word— love.” “Long after the giveaways have tossed off their last millions and the comic of the day has exhausted his last format, a little agate line of type will be to the listings,” Tunick said. “On Sunday, it will say, at 12:30 . . . The Eternal Light.” The program has brought social justice, spiritual enrichment to all levels from Eleanor Roosevelt who described “The Eternal Light” as “unique in that it is the first broad¬ cast religious program which is not a religious service” to the woman in Clarksburg, West Va., who implored the Jewish Theolog¬ ical Seminary to please send her three copies of a script, “one for my husband, one for his girl friend, and one for me.” No finer, paean in the neck could a wife render unto a hus¬ band’s mistress. --- Jim Conway’s Exclusive Pitching for Kellogg Chicago, March 10. Kellogg Co. has lured away top- dog CBS-Chicago announcer Jim Conway from his longtime WBBM- WBBM-TV staff post to join its lineup of pitchmen, which already includes Garry Moore, Art Link- letter, Durwood Kirby, and Dennis James, Conway’s contract with the cereal company is semi-exclusive, leaving him available for freelance assignments. He leaves the Chi stations, after nearly 18 years, on March 31. Ubi¬ quitous on the two stations he was perhaps most familiar as host of “In Town Tonight” which lasted five years on WBBM-TV. Conway began doing network bludbs for Kellogg’s six months ago, mainly on “What’s My Line?” Chi’s Tight Race In Prime Hours Chicago, March 10. A tight audience race is shaping at the four commercial stations here in the prime evening hours. Over the seven day week, the three network anchors are neck and neck in the 6-9 p.m. period, ac¬ cording to February Nielsen, and even the indie WGN-TV comes in for a fat slice of the audience. After 9 p.m. it’s considerably less a race, and the separation by audi¬ ence share is greatest daytimes, WBBM-TV (CBS) and WBKB (ABC) are tied with 28% share each, in the hours of 6-9 p.m., with WNBQ (NBC) only slightly off pace with 26%. The independent WGN-TV gets 17%, which is im¬ pressive considering the heavy¬ weight network competition. After 9 p.m., WBBM-TV takes a broad lead with a 36% share, trailed by WNBQ’s 27%, WGN- TV’s 19%, and WBKB’s 17%. Lat¬ ter’s seven-day audience share from noon to 3 p.m. shows up a poor fourth with 9%, representing a demerit for the web’s daytime lineup, which has not yet caught on in this market. Dominating daytime is WGN- TV, with 33% of the audience (vs. CBS’ 34%), from noon to 3 p.m., and 38% (vs. ABC’s runnnerup 23%) from 3-6 p.m. Sjogren Shifts East Chicago, March 10. Henry T. Sjogren, asst, general manager of WNBQ-WMAQ, the NBC o&os in Chi, has been trans¬ ferred to New York headquarters with the new title of manager of budgets, pricing and p l a n ni n g for the tv network Sjogren took over the new post yesterday (Mon.). At the Chi stations, Sjogren Was a holdover rom Jules Herbuveaux’s stewardship. Local shop has been topheavy with execs since Lloyd Yoder took over, as Yoder had brought in with him an executive assistant. Bob Lemon. POOPED*. but delighted! THE PRICE IS RIGHT Daily, February 9-February 20- Nighttime—February 18 NBC BEAT THE CLOCK February 23-March 6 ABC TO TELL THE TRUTH February 24 and March 3 CBS .Thank You, __ Messrs. Goodson and Todman and Bob Steward, Jeanne Hollander and Gil Fates £o*uuf "fox. Representation: ASHLEY-STEINER * And of cows* "WONDERAMA", 9:30 AJL to 12:30 ML Every Sunday. Channel 5