Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1961)

12 JULY 3, 1961 Foreign Foreign-Market Watchdogs Are Hopeful: The threat of telefilm dubbing costs mounting so high that “the entire Spanish-language market would soon be lost to American TV film” has been stalled until 1962. And in Washington, FCC Chmn. Newton Minow is keeping his mind “open & very receptive to a constructive & factual approach” to the question of the kind of U.S. image projected by export film shows playing in foreign markets. These 2 reports were made respectively last week by 2 prime spokesmen for the export telefilm industry, William H. Fineshriber (TV vp, Motion Picture Export Assn.) and John G. McCarthy (pres., TV Program Export Assn.). Following a 5-week survey trip throughout Latin America (Vol. 17:26 pl2), Fineshriber reported that he had “received assurances” that proposed legislation in Argentina requiring all Spanish telefilm dubbing for Argentine TV to be done in that country “would be rejected in its present form . . . and sent back to the [Argentine] Senate for revision.” One result of the Fineshriber-lobbied review of the bill: “Consideration of the dubbing measure by the Deputies would be postponed until the spring of 1962.” (For more on this see Vol. 17:24 plO.) Fineshriber and U.S. telefilm producers have good reason to breathe easier because of the Argentine decision to pigeon-hole the bill. If the bill ever becomes law, MPEA officials predict gloomily, it will be followed by “similar measures ... in all the major LatinAmerican markets — with each country requiring local dubbing.” At the moment, most Spanish dubbing is done by U.S. producers in Mexico City or San Juan at a cost of about $1,000 per 30-min. film. The dubbing is done once for all Spanish-speaking markets, since no single market in this group pays enough for telefilms to cover dubbing costs. In N.Y., TVPEA’s McCarthy, alarmed recently by what he considered Chmn. Minow’s “blanket indictment of the American TV industry,” met with Minow to put in a good word for the industry’s export activities. Said McCarthy: “I was pleased to be able to advise him that based on an intensive study of this matter I could assure him that, by & large, the image of America portrayed by our TV programs abroad is enormously attractive & favorable.” Furthermore, added McCarthy, he had stressed to Minow that what might be the pattern of network fare in the U.S. was not necessarily the pattern of shows available in overseas syndication and that “a comparatively small segment represents crime & private-eye programs.” Result of McCarthy’s talk with Minow: “I am satisfied that his mind is open & very receptive . . . He was appreciative of information [re] our operations abroad.” * * * Brazil Sets Up TV-Radio Controls: President Janio Quadros signed a decree June 28 empowering the official govt, press agency to use privately-owned TV-radio stations for transmission of govt, programs whenever it would be “in the public interest,” the N.Y. Times reported last week. The decree also forbids stations to broadcast “expressions or images that are offensive to public morals.” “Tele Sept Jour”: This French TV weekly editorial ized in its May 20 issue for early morning ETV patterned after NBC-TV’s Continental Classroom and CBS-TV’s Sunrise Semester. The piece mentioned that the U.S. had been doing this successfully for several years, but qualified even as it praised: “ . . . and God knows we don’t have much respect for American TV production.” Programming Comedies Rate High Among Newcomers: in the 1960-61 season, 2 comedies have emerged as the rating pace-setters among new-this-season shows. The comedies were the only shows launched in the past-season to make the “Top 10.” In Nielsen’s first national June report, The Andy Griffith Show (Mon. 9:30-10 p.m. on CBS-TV for General Foods) out-distanced every show exeept Gunsmoke in the AA ratings. It drew a 2nd-place 27.5 rating (12,898,000 homes). Gunsmoke, a traditional winner, scored a 33.6. My 3 Sons, also a relative newcomer, landed in 9th place with a 23.6 AA worth 11,068,000 homes (Thu. 9-9:30 p.m. on ABC-TV for Chevrolet). Networks Gear for 2nd Space Shot: Another Project Mercury sub-orbital space shot is due in mid-July, and network TV will give it the same extensive live coverage afforded the maiden U.S. space voyage in May (Vol. 17:18 p9). CBS will co-ordinate the 3-network pool, with CBS News producer Robert Wussler & director Bob Quinn officiating. Determined not to lose film footage of the capsule recovery (as happened in the case of Commander Shepard’s flight) CBS plans to install a silent, automatic film camera on the underside of the main recovery helicopter. This camera will be triggered by the co-pilot on picking up the astronaut — either Lt. Col. John H. Glenn or Capt. Virgil Grissom. Other coverage refinements, if NASA permission is granted : Live TV cameras will be placed inside Mercury control and the blockhouse, operational centers of the space-travel effort. An official request has also been made to transmit, live, the astronaut’s in-flight reports to the Cape. Seven Arts & WOR-TV N.Y. showed — in the wake of the June 20 premiere of The Big Preview — that a wellpi omoted post-1948 film that’s new to TV can beat network reruns at the local level. WOR-TV selected the Warnerdistributed “The High & the Mighty” (John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Robert Stack) as the kick-off attraction for its new Tue. 9-11 p.m. showcase of hand-picked features, most in color, from 7 Arts and UAA sources. The station scored an average 15-min. audience share in Arbitron of 38% in the 9-11:15 p.m. period, against competition from 6 other local channels. The score was 10 points higher than 2ndplace WCBS-TV, which carried regular CBS fare, and easily outdistanced other network o&o’s and independents. Prime-Time Public Service Pays Off: For Corinthian’s KHOU-TV Houston, at any rate. That station reports sale of 7 local prime-time news & public affairs specials in the past 6 months to a savings & loan assn., a bank, an auto dealer and— most recently— a pharmacy. The pharmacy bought a crime-investigation documentary entitled “Seventeen Murders in May,” requesting only that the title be changed to “Every Third Day.” It was changed. That ABC-TV Children’s Show: The network’s news & culture show for junior viewers (Vol. 17:22 p4) has begun to take shape. Titled Periscope, the 30-min. afternoon Monday-Friday series will present 20 minutes of culture & scientific experiences, and 10 minutes of news. This news segment will provide a training ground for students to aid production & camera crews. The series is scheduled to debut in October. ATAS Assembly Postponed: Because of what was termed “overwhelming global response,” the ATAS International Assembly will be postponed until late 1962. It was to have been held in N.Y. Nov.-ll.