Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

NEW SERIES VOL. 3, No. 34 TELEVISION DIGEST-3 . recommendations staff will give Subcommittee for published report. NAB revealed its proposed standI ards developed by Melvin Goldberg, research vp, to apply to all research services regardless of method. There was substantial agreement on most points. In fact, many staff recommendations were similar to NAB's standards. These included, among others, supervision & training of field personnel, tabulators, editors, plus clear & prominent statements in ratings report on sample size & procedures used in collection & tabulation of data. There was only one substantial point of disagreement. NAB doesn’t like staff's recommendation that ratings be reported in ranges rather than in single estimates. Staff believes this would place ratings in proper role as "estimates. " But NAB believes industry would still be left with same old problem of over-promotion, stations using high point range in selling (Vol. 3:31 p3). NAB also said that Rating Council would be operational before year is out. It' s holding to schedule of sending individual questionnaires to rating firms by end of Aug.; these would be returned in about 3 weeks. There’s meeting of Council Sept. 9 to review bylaws & articles of incorporation for Rating Council Inc. It will also give final approval to standards. Aug. 19 meeting was attended by: Howze and staff attorney Robert Richardson; for NAB, Howard Bell, planning & development vp, Goldberg & Hollis Seavey, govt, relations mgr. Group W’S Don McGannon, NAB research committee chmn. , met with Howze Aug. 22. Richardson left Subcommittee job at mid-week (Vol. 3:33 p3), was to address Oklahoma Bcstrs. Assn, at week’s end. NCTA POSITION— WORK WITH FCC: "We ain’t fightin’ nobody. " That’s comment of NCTA Chmn. Fred Stevenson after reading our report (Vol. 3:33 p3) that one faction within NCTA would like to blast FCC because of its staff’s recommendations for tough legislation. "As before, " Stevenson told us, "we are eager to work with the Commission to come up with legislation to solve our problems. The attitude of some people, which you reported, certainly does not represent the view of NCTA. " Resignation of NCTA Pres. William Dalton Oct. 1 was announced, meanwhile. He’ll continue as a j consultant, presumably for the 15-16 months remaining in his contract. Job paid $50,000 annually. In I addition, he’ll be free to take on assignments in other fields, including hotel management. No successor is in sight, and NCTA board is in no hurry to pick one. Many names will be mentioned promptly, but none is being considered seriously. Some NCTA forces are pushing for choice of man with CATV system operating experience and with capacity for Washington representation. There seemed to be little progress, meanwhile, by Leon Papernow, exec, vp of H & B Communications Corp. , to organize special group of major CATV operators to pursue own goals outside NCTA. One of largest operators, H & B quit NCTA earlier in year. But Papernow wrote Stevenson, assuring him that he envisioned no "rump" association fighting NCTA. Rather, he said, an association can’t always achieve all objectives of all members who must sometimes act independently. But big RKO General, which has bought substantial chunk of H & B stock, remains NCTA member. DETAILS OF WEST COAST PAY-TV CABLE DEAL: Pay-TV has had so many false, tentative & inconclusive starts that industry remains skeptical of even so well -backed a proposed venture as the West Coast deal just disclosed (Vol, 3:33 p2). Reuben H. Donnelley Corp. and Lear-Siegler Inc, are no corporate weaklings, while Los Angeles Dodgers & San Francisco Giants are not unknown. Promoter Matty Fox is a bit different, having produced little but noise about pay TV heretofore. But he appears to have bounced back and put together quite a group. New Subscription TV Inc, filed SEC registration statement (File 2-21653) last week, disclosing following details: 2, 255,000 shares registered, 1,900,000 to be offered public at $12 each through Wm, R, Staats & Co. , 640 S. Spring St, , Los Angeles. Six parties have committed themselves to buy 300,000 shares at $12, while Dodgers & Giants have subscribed for remaining 55,000 at $12, Currently, company has 1,328,972 shares outstanding— 46. 8% owned by Tolvision of America Inc. (77% held by Matty Fox), 11. 3% by Donnelley, 11. 3% by Lear-Siegler. Other stockholders include I Dodgers 5.3%, Giants 4, 1%. After sale of new offering, Donnelley, Lear-Siegler & Tolvision will I hold 10% each. Temporary pres, -treas. is attorney Donald A. Petrie; Robert F, MacLeod, ex"Seventeen" publisher, is vp & asst, -treas. -asst. secy.