Broadcasting Oct 31 - American Radio History

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oar. e ffL -g 3[F1 Daniel Ritchie, chat man and chief executive officer, Westinghouse Broadcasting and Cable, took on National Association of Broadcasters in speech last week in Washington. He criticized NAB and said "cable has a lot to teach the broadcasters about how to organize for important public issues ... National Cable Television Association is a success; it functions, it serves a vital purpose. I am not sure the same thing can now be said about the NAB," he said. NCTA, Ritchie said, "is a grass roots organization with important energies moving up from the local communities through the states and regions into a national force; it reflects and realistically represents the cable industry. NAB, in contrast, has been an unrepresentative Washington -based club disproportionately devoted to narrow parochial interests." FCC Mass Media Bureau has proposed to recommend that commission waive part of its type acceptance requirements for Harris Corp., move bureau said "would presumably remove any impediment to eventual type acceptance of the Harris Model STX -1A AM Stereo- phonic Exciter." In notice last week, bureau said when Harris AM stereo transmitter was measured for compatibility with mono- phonic receivers, it exceeded FCC's distortion limits. Harris, FCC said, has contended that distortion isn't objectionable. Comments are due Nov. 30. Genesis StoryTime, new 24- hour videotex cable program service for children, is slated for launch today (Oct. 31) on Satcom III, transpon- der eight, last- minute change from Satcom IV. Noncommercial service, which has been test -marketed in Canada for about 11 months, is being marketed from Winnipeg, Man., headquarters of Genesis StoryTime, rather than Satellite Syndicated Services, as had previously been case. Telidon -based system is shown in si- lent, open -captioned format showing two stories every hour, with complete story composed of about 15 to 45 electronic "pages." Stories, from 400 to 1,000 words in length, are stored on magnetic memory diskettes and will be uplinked from Virginia Beach to Satcom III. NBC -TV announced that Manimal and For Love and Honor, which form its Friday 9 -11 p.m. block, and Roosters, on Saturdays at 9 -10 p. m . , will "take a short hiatus," with first two to be replaced by Friday Night at the Movies in November and December and with Rousters replacements including two new comedy- variety specials in November. Movies include Caddyshack with Chevy Chase on Nov. 11 and Blow Out with John Travolta on Nov. 18; Larry Holmes - Marvis Frazier heavyweight title fight will occupy Friday 9 -11 p.m. period Nov. 25. Saturday comedy- variety specials include TV Censored Bloopers #6 on Nov. 12 and Television's Greatest Commercials on Nov. 19. NBC said Manama/ will return to schedule in December and For Love and Honor and Rousters will continue in production and return at unspecified date, "hopefully in more protected time periods." ABC -TV, meanwhile, announced Trauma Center wl l move from Thursday 9 -10 p.m. spot (being vacated by 9 to 5 and Its Not Easy), effective Nov. 10. Trauma's old spot will be filled by Life's Most Embarrassing Moments on Nov. 10, by entertainment specials thereafter. ABC is moving new hour -long Trauma Center from 8 -9 p.m. Thurs- day slot to 9 -10 p.m. period on same night beginning Nov. 10 to fill void left by cancellation of 9 to 5 and It's Not Easy, which went off air Oct. 27 (BROADCASTING, Oct. 24). Special, Life's Most Embar- rassing Moments, will air at 8 p.m. Nov. 10 and series of entertainment specials will fill time period until regular new program is determined. House Copyright Subcommittee heard testimony last week on "first sale doctrine" of copyright law. Doctrine protects tape manufacturers and software dealers from being charged additional royalty fees after original sale of material by copyright owners. Testimony focused on bill (H.R. 1029) that would give copyright holders some control over first rental rights of tapes. Representatives from video retailer industry, manufacturers and consumer groups spoke against bill. They charged passage of H.R. 1029 would represent "a disaster for the ever -growing number of VCR owners and consum- Broadcasting Oct 31 1983 96 Growing in popularity. Support for the Tauke -Tauzin broadcast deregulation bill (HR.2382) is mounting. Representatives Torn Tauke (R -Iowa) and Billy Tauzin (D -La.) announced during a press conference last week that the bill's co- sponsors now total 221 (218 co-sponsors, represents a majority of the House). Congressmen Thomas Luken (D -Ohio) and Michael Oxley (R- Ohio), who introduced their own broadcast deregulation bill (H.R.2873), and chief backers of the Tauke -Tauzin measure joined their colleagues at the press conference. "This widespread support indicates that it is time for the House to address this issue, "said Tauke. " The FCC's decision to deregulate ought to be codified and a majority of the House agrees." Tauzin said. Both Tauke and Tauzin focused on the merits of their bill: "In this competitive marketplace, which has rapidly exploded, it is difficult to find justification for substantial regulation. In my view,enactment of H.R. 2382 would benefit Americans because it upholds the principle of the First Amend- ment and it relieves Americans of the costs of unnecessary government regulations," Tauke said. Tauke and Tauzin have also played a major role in attempts to fashion a broadcast deregulation package with other members of the Telecommunications Subcommittee. Quantified pro- graming performance standards serves as the centerpiece of those negotiations, a proposal neither endorses. "We are not anticipating winning on every point. We just want a chance to present our case to the full House," Tauzin said. Neither the Tauke -Tauzin measure nor the Luken -Oxley bill are serving as the framework of subcommittee discussions. Tauzin said negotiations on the package were proceeding well, but refused to discuss any details. They admitted, however, that members have still not reached agreement on key issues. Despite strong differences among the members Tauke and Tauzin felt a bill would emerge from the subcommittee by the end of the year. Seated above (1 -r): Luken, Tauzin, Tauke. and Oxley. ers who enjoy low -cost home entertainment." Spokesmen for me tion picture industry, however, urged subcommittee to suppo. legislation that would allow copyright holders to get fair share rental revenues. Time Inc. officials last week denied that announcement was imm nent indicating company would scrap plans to introduce commerci teletext system (via cable) in 1984. But official did put distanc between Time and any commitment to do so. "We never said w were going to introduce teletext as a commercial venture in 1984 he said, adding that "tests will continue." He said announcemer about company's further plans for teletext may be forthcoming b end of year. o Principally due to interest expenses, Viacom International Inc. n ported decline in net income in third quarter of 1983 over compas ble period in 1982. Net income dropped 38% to $4,300,000, or cents per share, compared to $6,924,000, or 51 cents per share, fi comparable period last year. However, both revenue and earninç from continuing operations were up. Third quarter income froi operations rose 2% to $11,218,000 on revenue of $79,652,000, u 13 %. Viacom Chairman Ralph Baruch said he expects full ye: 1983 earnings to be ahead of 1982 levels.
louse Telecommunications Subcommittee is gearing up to act on +th broadcast and cable deregulation legislation. Hearing is tenta- ? ?1y scheduled Wednesday (Nov. 2) on broadcast deregulation ill now being fashioned by subcommmittee members. Hearing, hursday (Nov. 3), on cable deregulation bill (H.R. 4103) features apresentatives of cable industry, consumer groups and city legis- ttors who oppose bill. Subcommittee Chairman Tim Wirth (D- ,olo.) in speech last week said he is committed to marking up both ills before Congress recesses Nov. 18. o onsumer groups last week intensified efforts to stop broadcast emulation legislation being considered by House Telecommuni- ations Subcommittee. Telecommunications Research and Action enter, Media Access Project and Citizens Communications Center, ant letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman ahn Dingell (D- Mich.) stating opposition to legislation and urging apport for bill groups drafted, that would "safeguard the Ameri- an people's rights as citizens and owners of the airwaves." o CC has announced it is accepting applications for facilities of IMAM (formerly lama) San Diego. Commission said applications hould be "substantially complete" and filed by Dec. 2 to receive omparative consideration. Court of Appeals in Washington last ear affirmed FCC decision denying West Coast Media Inc. renew- ! for station for failing to make good faith effort to meet its pro - raming promises. Earlier this month, Supreme Court refused to !view decision. oubieday Broadcasting last Friday (Oct. 28) pulled plug on its album de format over company's WAVA(FM) Washington, in favor of top 40. ccording to Doubleday Broadcasting President Gary Stevens, :p 40 approach is more appropriate for demographic make -up of :arket. Wwmc -AM -F t remains only AOR outlet in nation's capital. BC-TV's Monday Night Football fell victim again last Monday (Oct. 4) to higher -rated made- for -TV movie on NBC -TV. NBC's The Haunt - tg Passion averaged 19.7 rating /30 share against ABC's broadcast f New York Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals game (15.7/29). CBS - V, which won 8 -10 p.m. slot with Scarecrow and Mrs. King (18.9/ 8), After MAS'H (21.7/31) and Newhart (20.1 /29), won night verall, averaging 18.2/2 against ABC's 17.8/27 and NBC's 17.2/ 6. On Tuesday (Oct. 25), NBC premiered Bay City Blues to disap- ointing 13.7 rating and 22 share, despite hefty lead -in from two - our A -Team special (24.8/37). Bay City was last in time period, ehind second hour of CBS made -for -TV movie, First Affair (20.7/ 3) and ABC's Hart to Hart (16.3 /26). NBC's other premiere last reek, St. Elsewhere, came in second in its 10 p.m. time period, veraging 14.6/24 against ABC's Hotel (24.1/40) and second hour f CBS movie, Happy (10.6/17). ;hallenge to CBS -N's dominance of Sunday night prime time rat- rigs race has not yet begun to show in network's overall nightly .verage, but ad agency executives are expressing alarm over signifi- ant slippage in 8-10 p.m. slot. Season -to -date, CBS is down from 9.3 rating /30.4 share last fall to 19.1/29.7 this fall for night overall. lurprise disappointment is in average for Jeffersons, down from 30 hare for first four weeks of last season to 27 for same period this eason. Also coming up short are Goodnight Beantown, down rom 30 share averaged by One Day At a Time in same slot during first four weeks last season to 26 share and One Day at a Time, town to 26 share from 27 averaged by Gloria during same period 'ear ago. At least one major agency researcher is betting winner of totly contested race between ABC -TV's Hardcastle & McCormick nd NBC -TV's Knight Rider at 8 p.m. will eventually take night. o lost recent week's daytime ratings race (Oct. 17 -21) left CBS-TV nd ABC -TV tied with six rating /six share against NBC -TV's 4/5. In ontest for second place in morning news, NBC's Today show ulled slightly ahead of CBS Morning News that same week, aver - ging 3.9/21 to CBS's 3.7/19. ABC's Good Morning, America re- tains first (4.4/23) but continues to show erosion from more com- Broadcasting Oct 31 1983 97 petitive race. Same week's ratings for one year ago showed GMA with 5.6/29, followed by Today (4.2/22) and CBS Morning News (2.8/15). Most recent week's averages for early morning news put ABC's World News This Morning first (1.8/16), followed by CBS Early Morning News (1.2/15) and NBC's Sunrise (1.2/12). o Representative Al Swift (D- Wash.) introduced cable deregulation bill (H.R. 4229) last week. Bill is identical to measure (H.R. 4103) House Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Tim Wirth (D- Colo.), absent common carrier language. o Rolland V. Tooke, 74, retired corporate VP, West Coast, Westing- house Broadcasting, and veteran broadcasting executive, is "gravely" ill in Huntington Memorial hospital, Pasadena, Calif., suf- fering from complications of blood disorder. In 1950, as general manager of Westinghouse's wPTZ -Tv Philadelphia (now KYw -Tv), he hired young comedian, Ernie Kovacs, for breakfast -hour program, and was credited with instituting daily television movies with introduction of Hollywood Playhouse in same year o Leotard J. Theberge, 48. president and founder of Media Institute, Washington -based nonprofit media research group, and founder and past president of National Legal Center, died of cancer Oct. 26 at Suburban hospital, Washington. Rating recalculation. A.C. Nielsen and the three major networks have agreed to a change in the way Sunday afternoon football ratings are calculated. Precipitating the change is a switch CBS -TV made this season in rotating commercials for game one and game two in home -game markets where game two is joined in progress in the event of an overrun into prime time. Nielsen must not only change its methodology to accommodate the switch, but recalculate ratings for eight doubleheaders held so far this season on both CBS and NBC -TV, a correction that is expected to deflate CBS's game -two averages for already -held doubleheaders by about 15% and its Sunday football average to date by about 3 %. It should not affect NBC's football average, nor should it affect CBS's Sunday prime time ratings to date, despite several game -two overruns, because Nielsen's correction will adjust only CBS's average football ratings, not ratings for individual half hours in games. The Nielsen methodology change, which went into effect yesterday (Oct. 30), and the CBS commercial rotation policy that preceded it, are meant to more accurately reflect audience size for CBS's game two, a game that often runs over into prime time. Prior to the CBS policy switch, audiences for games joined in progress in prime time overruns were often credited to game one rather than game two, a fact that meant CBS was not being credited for some of the prime time viewing audience it was actually getting. In recent years, when CBS's Sunday prime time average consistently overwhelmed those of its two com- petitors, the missing percentage of game two's audience was not missed, but this season, ABC -TV and NBC have been chip- ping away at CBS's Sunday average with a battle for first place at 8 p.m. between ABC's Hardcastle and McCormick and NBC's Knight Rider and with competitive movie packages at 9 p.m. CBS has changed its commercial rotation policy after the start of the new season, when it saw it could be getting more ratings mileage out of game -two overmns in prime time. The new policy boosted prime time ratings on one representative Sunday this season by about six- tenths of a rating point, ac- cording to CBS researchers. Later in the football season, when long overruns in far more exciting games will attract bigger game -two audiences, it could make an even bigger difference in prime time on those Sundays that have game -two overruns.
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Broadcasting Oct 31 - American Radio History

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