Color on the Networks

Two_thirds Tint· NBC is now show ing 28 out of 29 shows in color, CBS Color on the networks: J7 out of 34 and ABC 16 out of 35, for a total of 61 out of 98, A vicwer looking for periods in color on all networks now could find nine such half-hours OUt of 49 in the nighttime well on way to 100% schedule. The nine occur on Sunday (1:30-8, 8-8:30 and 8:30-9), Wednes_ day (8:30-9 and 9-9:30) and Thursday NBC, which started it all, still has a big lead, (8-8:30, 8:30-9, 10-10:30 and 10:30 11), but ABC and CBS are investing millions to catch up Color's incidence is history at NBC. That network telccast a total of 68 hours in color during the entire year The television networks arc following ment supply for Ihat network does not of 1954, thc first year after present up the color explosion of 1965 with include cameras. Aside from the CBS color standards were approvcd by plans 10 accommodate a second color qualification, the shortages gcnerally the FCC, At midpoint in the 1965-66 burst in the faU of 1966. cover cameras, film chains, tape ma season, NBC is colorcasting at a sea Accommodation means more funds, chines and monitors. All the networks sonal rate of more than 3,000 hours, is facilities and programing -allocated to are ordering color mobile units to add still adding some color now and plans color. Color investments of the nct to studio gear. 10 add much more in the fall of 1966. works, estimated unollicially at $75·580 The medium's magic wand will be Virtually all of NBC's programing, day million, \.,.iJ1 increase sharply this year. waved over prime_time schedules next or night, will be in color next season. As of this time, the networks have fall, increasing by a considerable num CDS telecast none of its programs in approximately 65 color cameras they ber the 48Y:z hours that Ihe networks color on a regular basis before the cur can utilize-aside from those of their now program in color in choice night l"Cnt season. Now approximately 51% affiliates-in production centers in New periods each week. of its weekly nighllime schedule is in York and in Los Angeles. Another dozen Color now covers nearly 70% of the color. ABC, which colori7.ed only a or morc color cameras are operational 7: 30-11 p.m, hours programed by the few shows before tbis season, is now at in mobile color units. All of the nct· networks each week. The 48Y:z hOUTS the 49% level in prime time. Network works have ordered addition"j cameros represent a gain of five hours since the pilot shows for the neXt season arc be that will become operational during the star! of this season less than (our monlhs ing filmed in color and no significant year. ago, a jump accomplished in midsca· planning for new programs in black-and The networks admit there are color sonal changcs. new color shows selectcd white has yet been reported, broadcast elJuipmem shortages, though to replacc black-and-white program The color explosion has fed on CBS noted that the tightness in elJuip- casuallies, momentum. That accllmultative push is Color homes viewing of top 20 regularly scheduled network programs Color TV Hames Hames Homes Calor TV /latin( lIomes Ownin( Tolal Home~ Ownlrtg Hames Mlnu~ Shaws Hot Reached Calor TV Aeacbed Color TV % of Total Raling Rallng Dver·all Telecast In Network Rank Rank Pro(ram lOOOl lOOOI Hames Estimate Eslimafe Ralin( Color NBC 1 1 Bonanza 18,122 2,423 13 JS 4B 13 CBS 2 9 Gomer Pyle 17,194 1.820 II 32 36 CBS J II Beverly Hillbillies 16,679 1,72B 10 31 34 J• ABC 4 14 BewitChed 16,063 1,629 10 30 32 2 x NBC S 3 Man from U.N,C.L.E. 15,690 2,028 13 29 40 II CBS 6 13 Lucy 15,081 1,673 II 28 J3 S CBS 7 12 Red Skelfon 14,796 1,718 12 27 34 7 CBS , Oick Van Oyke 14,770 1,290 9 27 2S _2 x CBS 9 Andy Grinilh 14,751 1,365 9 27 27 o ABC 10 Lawrence Welk 14,734 1,739 12 28 34 6 CBS II Ed Sullivan 14,338 1,300 9 27 26 -I NBC "12 6 Virginian 13.936 l,B70 14 26 37 II CBS 13 My Three Sons 13,932 1,355 10 26 26 o NBC 14 S D,sneys World 13,802 1.994 15 26 J9 13 ABC IS Fugilive 13,146 893 7 2S 18 -7 x ABC 16 Peyton Place II 13,003 1,295 10 24 2S 1 X CBS 17 16 Green Acres 12,875 1,570 12 24 31 7 NBC 16 7 Daniel Boone 12,739 1,855 15 24 36 12 NBC 19 4 Flipper 12,534 2,015 16 2J 39 16 ABC 20 Peyton Place I 12,469 1,102 9 2J 22 -I x Avelages: 27.1 32.1 S -Indiules lank below 1!Ill 20 programs among color TV homes. Source: October 1965 Network Television Target Audience Report, ARB. Excludes specials and movies, Out of the top 20 programs-exciud· the color-home top 20, four are not comparing color vs. all homes, and ing specials and movies-in ARB's carried in color, Three of these show one color program, 'Ed Sullivan,' October sweep, 13 rank among the a lower rating in color homes vs, all shows a decrease. Four of the B&W top 20 in homes that have color TV homes. One monochrome show, 'Be shows dropping from the top 20 in sets, Of the seven thai are not among witched,' shows an increase in rating color homes were CBS, three ABC. BROADCASTING, )anualY 3, 1966 7S in Burbank, Calif. By the nellt fall 13 This studio on wheels [or remOte inputs from cameras and remote lines.. will have been added (eight in New color origination is used primarily for NBC said it will have five mobile units York amJ five in a new mobile unit) sports events, though it is equipped by nellt August, leasing two unit.s from for a tOlal of 60 color cameras. Another sufficiently to coloreast variety shows Spons NelWork Inc. four color cameras in its Washington of network caliber. In addition to cam During 1965, NBC colorcast40 regu facility (Studio "B") are available to eras, the unit has two color-tape re lar season football games, 25 Amcrican feed David Brinkley's news repons, seg corders, color and black-and-white mon League and 15 collegiate games, repre ments of the Today show as well as itors, chroma key facilities and a switch stnling more than half the total games other news and public affairs program_ ing system accommodating 17 different in the NBC TV schedules. ing, Two additional color camerns are earmarked for Washington this year for a total of six. NBC in its New York and Burbank operntions has 10 color studios, and will B&W commercials will add two in New York for a total of 12. Work will begin in two weeks to colorize Studio 8·G and by about Feb. 15 a start will be made to color--equip Studio soon be the exception 3-A, both at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York. Each of the studios will utilize four color cameras. Producers say the corner is turned-agencies The New York facilities: Two studios in Brooklyn, and at Rockefeller Center and advertisers now want color all the way the buge "Peacock" studio (8-H), studios 6-A, 6-B and 3-K. Color City Jt happened first in a busy commu of sill months, has swept into domi the first TV studio built for color "from nity in Southern California. A dam nance. Today the film and tape houses the ground up," at a cost of $7 mil broke. of the nation's tluee major production lion, was opeAed in Burbank, Calif., in Some people had been saying for centers-New York, Chicago, Holly 1957. NBC can originate in color from years that il would. Thing is not enough wood-are shooting the majority of four studios there. people agreed. So the pressure mounted their TV product in color. The first large color facility in New year after year until more and more "The color pressure," observes film York was NBC's Brooklyn stUdio, for skeptics became believers. And then processor Neal Keehn, "has already merly a Warner Brothers sound stage, this past summer, when all the diverse boosted color for "IV commercials, from renovated and equipped at a cost of $3.5 circumstances suddenly seemed ,right, about 20% average sill months ago to million and opened in the fall of 1954. the dam broke. Il broke not only in somewhere between a 50% to 80% When Studio 6-A was opened in the busy Hollywood, but in New York and average today," RCA Building in the early fait of 1962, Chicago and Washington and Miami. What's more by 1967 color will be NBC already had its two Brooklyn Everywhere television is, the walls of involved in about 95% of all commer studios; 6-B and 3-R in the RCA Build resistance tumbled and color came cials produced for television. It has ing, plus color facilities at the Colonial rushing in.

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