Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1960)

12 NOVEMBER 28. 1060 Networks ABC-TV TASTES FIRST PLACE: ABC-TV was as happy as a chorus girl with a gift certificate to Cartier’s last week. For the first time in the network’s history, ABC stood higher in the nighttime Nielsen A A ranks than CBS-TV or NBC-TV. (For network standing previously, see Vol. 16:47 p3.) It was total victory on the basis of 7:30-11 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 6-11 p.m. Sun. in the 1st of Nielsen’s Nov. NTI reports. This was the AA scorecard: ABC — 18.6; CBS — 17.8; NBC — 17.5. By nig’nts of the week, ABC led on Mon., Tue., Thu. & Fri. nights. CBS had the edge on Sat. & Sun. NBC led on Wed. Several ABC shows moved up in the rating ranks: Of the first 15 Nielsen shows (in terms of AA), ABC had 6, CBS had 6 and NBC had 3. There was less chagrin than you’d expect at NBC and CBS concerning ABC’s victory, however. One NBC research executive, for example, told us: “We expected ABC to come up on top in this report, and advised our management.” NBC and CBS had a fact & theory explanation. The fact: During the period covered by the report (the 2 weeks ended Nov. 6), CBS and NBC each had twice as many 30-min. paid political telecasts as did ABC (4 shows apiece for NBC-CBS, vs. 2 for ABC), more political affairs specials, and more 5-min. capsule political telecasts. The theory: Introduction of political shows into NBC and CBS nighttime schedules may have served a major public purpose, but they “disturbed the normal flow of audience into, or from, other programs,” NBC and CBS researchers claim. NETWORK SALES ACTIVITY ABC-TV Network participations in various shows, total of $4 million. Wrigley Gum (EWR&R) Hawaiian Eye, Wed. 9-10 p.m., participations eff. Jan. 11. Whitehall laboratories (Ted Bates) The Law & Mr. Jones, Fri. 10:30-11 p.m., part. eff. Jan. 6. General Foods (Ogilvy, Benson & Mather) Naked City, Wed. 10-11 p.m., participations eff. Jan. Warner-Lambert (Lambert & Feasley) The Roaring Twenties, Sat. 7:30-8:30 p.m., part. eff. Jan. Wamer-Lambert (Lambert & Feasley) CBS-TV Roy Rogers, Sat. 11:30 a.m.-12 noon, full spon. eff. Jan. 1. Nestle (McCann-Erickson) Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus, April, full spon. Top Value Stamps (Campbell-Mithun) Palm Springs Golf Classic, Feb. 4 & 5, half sponsorship. Minnesota Mining & Mfg. (EWR&R) The Red Skelton Show, Tue. 9:30-10 p.m., full spon. eff midFeb. Johnson’s Wax (Foote, Cone & Belding) NBC-TV There’s No Place Like Home, Thu. Nov. 24, 5:30-6:30 p.m., full sponsorship. Mohawk Carpets (Maxon) Sugar Bowl Game, Mon. Jan. 2, participations. B. F. Goodrich (BBDO) ; Wynn Oil (EWR&R); Colgate-Palmolive (Ted Bates); Schick Safety Razor (Compton); Whitehall Laboratories (Ted Bates) Stations NEW & UPCOMING STATIONS: WTVI (Ch. 19) Fort Pierce, Fla. began progi-amming Nov. 23 with CBS-TV. It is the 23rd outlet to start this year, and raises the U.S. operating totals to 579 (92 uhf). WTVI has a 12-kw GE transmitter and a 390-ft. Stainless tower with helical antenna on Signal Hill, between Fort Pierce & Vero Beach. Gene T. Dyer is owner. Herbert E. Buck Jr., ex-WCTV Tallahassee, is gen. mgr.; Lester M. Combs, station mgr.; Joseph C. Strelauski, exWJPB-TV Weston, W. Va., chief engineer. * * ♦ In our continuing survey of upcoming stations, these are the latest reports received from principals: WBNB (Ch. 10) Charlotte Amalie, V. I. has signed with CBS-TV & NBC-TV and expects to start next January or shortly thereafter, reports Robert Moss, pres. & gen. mgr. Studio-transmitter building on Mountain Top Estates, St. Thomas, is scheduled for completion Dec. 1, and the 500-watt Gates transmitter is scheduled to arrive Dec. 11. It has foundations ready for a 200-ft. Utility tower, also due Dec. 11. Moss and Robert E. Noble Jr., commercial & business mgr., will be in charge of operations while local residents are being trained for station jobs. KIFI-TV (Ch. 8) Idaho Falls, Ida. has a 28-kw GE transmitter scheduled to arrive soon. It hopes to begin with NBC-TV Jan. 15, writes James M. Brady, pres.-gen. mgr. Concrete for footings of 100-ft. tower to be furnished by Tower Construction Co. has been poured at site adjacent to KID-TV on East Butte. Arthur S. Wiener, ex-KOLD-TV Tucson, will be operations mgr. Hour, $275; no rep yet. Disc Jockey Talents: Working conditions & operations of disc jockeys — the subjects of much attention from FCC, FTC and House investigators in the past year — have come under the scrutiny of National Labor Relations Board, too. In the course of pondering issues in a collective-bargaining election case involving rival locals of AFTRA & IBEW and 4 Portland, Ore. radio stations — KPOJ, KGW, KOIN and KXL — the Board was called on to decide just what jockeys do to earn their pay. “The record indicates that these employes spend a considerable amount of their air time engaged in activities other than speaking,” NLRB concluded. “They operate turntables & tape recorders, cue records, read & regulate potentiometers, and make log entries of certain meter readings in compliance with FCC regulations. “However, the record indicates that for the most part the [disc-jockey] announcer-technicians do not have any formal technical education and that the mechanical tasks they are required to perform do not demand such traning. “The mechanical duties of the announcer-technicians are incidental to their principal function of announcing, and require manual dexterity & agility rather than technical know-how. Moreover, it appears that the requisite mechanical knowledge is not particularly involved and can be acquired in a relatively short time.” In its decision on an appropriate bargaining unit, NLRB therefore lumped jockeys with all other station staffers “who appear regularly or frequently before the microphone,” excluding clerical employes, guards, “professional” workers and supervisors. They will decide by secret ballot whether they want AFTRA or IBEW — or neither — to represent them for union contract purposes.