Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

NEW SERIES VOL. 3, No. 28 TELEVISION DIGEST-5 Cigarette Ban on Youth Appeal: Tobacco industry is gradually tightening advertising appeal to youth, including TV sponsorship. In meeting last week, Tobacco Institute urged members to: (1) Avoid sponsorship of TV-radio programs directed primarily at young audience. (2) Feature adults in TV & print ads. Last month, several companies quit advertising in college publications. Persistent critic Sen. Neuberger (D-Ore.) called TI decision “pallid,” said “it was motivated by a desire to head off govt, regulation.” TI thus changed position since last May, when it recommended no action on appeal of Sen. Moss (D-Utah) for an end to youth-directed ads. TI Pres. George Allen last week said that industry believes smoking is for adults and that appeal to youth may be avoided by “good judgment, rather than arbitrary restriction of sponsorship.” Rep. Grabowski (D-Conn.) last week introduced HR7476 to require label on cigarette packages to indicate health hazard. Little creative contribution comes from TV stations, according to Ted Bates & Co. Senior Vp Richard A. R. Pinkham. Writing in July 8 Broadcasting, he says: “The actors act, the writers write, the producers organize, the agents represent, the networks gamble & sell, and what do the stations do? Anything more than provide air time and get paid for doing so? If so, I’d like to hear about it.” (It’s assumed he will so hear.) Pinkham suggests stations create fund to finance experimental programming, under big name such as Pat Weaver, Leland Hayward, David Merrick and “might come up with some winners and start making some money.” Measures to give FCC “greater discretion” in station sales were introduced last week by Rep. Harris (D-Ark.) (Vol. 3:27 p3). HR-7477 would give Commission chance to evaluate public interest questions of sale by allowing it to consider buyers other than those proposed by seller. HR-7478 would heed Comr. Bartley’s recommendation, placing burden on sellers to prove that transfer will create “improved broadcast structure.” Anti-trust implications of newspaper-station joint ownership needs further study — particularly as TV broaden into uhf — according to Hofstra U. economics Prof. Harvey J. Levin. Writing in July issue of Challenge, published by NYU Institute of Economic Affairs, he suggests that Congress can take tougher attitude toward joint ownerships by pressuring Justice Dept., FTC & FCC. Attack on pro football blackouts by NFL was pursued further by WPSD-TV Paducah when it filed anti-trust complaint against NFL. It told Justice Dept, that NFL has violated 1953 final anti-trust judgment against it by extending blackouts beyond those authorized by court. Station previously complained to FCC, got Rep. Stubblefield (D-Ky.) to introduce bill (Vol. 3:27 p5). Los Angeles municipal station on Ch. 40 is proposed by Mayor Sam Yorty who asked FCC to reassign the channel from Riverside to Los Angeles. He said stations would be used “to provide authentic & official information on city govt, functions & operations to the citizens of the city.” Metromedia, recent purchaser of KTTV & KLAC Los Angeles, donates $250,000 to Community TV of Southern California, planning ETV station there. Television Digest PUBLISHED BY TELEVISION DIGEST, INC. HEADQUARTERS: 2025 Eye St., N.W., Washington 6, D. C Phone: 965-1985. TWX 202-965-0979 EDITORIAL NEW YORK OFFICE ALBERT WARREN, 580 Fifth Ave. Editor & Publisher New York 36, N. Y. JONAH GITLITZ, Circle 6-2215 Managing Editor, TWX: 212-640-6938 Television Digest DAVID LACHENBRUCH, Editorial Director PAUL STONE, Editorial Director, Television Factbook PHILADELPHIA OFFICE 1 1 1 Beverly Rd. Overbrook Hills BUSINESS Philadelphia 51, Pa. EDWARD M. KELLY, Midway 2-641 1 General Manager RUDOLPH SAPPER, Circulation Manager HAROLD RUSTEN, Associate Editor TELEVISION DIGEST. Published Mondays. Services: $75-$l 50 annually. For group rates & other subscription services, write Headquarters. TELEVISION FACTBOOK TV & AM-FM ADDENDA Published Annually Published Saturdays AM-FM DIRECTORY Published Annually Ancient 770-kc radio case went through another “final” FCC decision — latest in 21 years of litigation. FCC gave KOB Albuquerque a modification to operate with 50 kw & a night DA, denied WABC N.Y. a nondirectional 50-kw renewal and invited it to submit night DA application. Said Commission: “ABC has not demonstrated that competition among the radio networks would be substantially lessened by the requirement that WABC directionalize nighttime.” Courts have ruled on case 3 times, and ABC is expected to give it another opportunity. Spot TV led all advertising media in first quarter gains, up 21%, according to Printers’ Ink data prepared by McCann-Erickson. Network TV increased 6%, network radio was down 12%. Women’s magazines were up 13%, general monthlies 9%, farm magazines 7%, business papers 5%. Newspapers were down 6%, weekly magazines 3%. ARB adds 6 new agency subscribers: Doherty, Clifford, Steers & Shenfield; Fletcher, Richards, Calkins & Holden; Fuller & Smith & Ross; Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove; Morse International; J. Walter Thompson, Chicago. ARB now lists 36 of top 50 TV agencies, including all of top 10. Technicolor Corp. plans expansion of TV film processing through major agreement with MCA, which will build processing lab near Universal City studio with capacity of $15 million worth a year. Technicolor will provide equipment & manpower, has 3-year contract from MCA to process its TV film. Machtronics’ video tape recorder, distributed by Storer Programs Inc. (Vol. 3:27 p4), sells for $15,750 in broadcast version. The $12,150 price reported was quoted for closed-circuit unit when introduced last spring.