petite for series product is voracious. And ABC began its ascent to number one in Programing with Fred Silverman of NBC -TV on a the ratings, the amount went up about rebuilding campaign and CBS -TV fielding 25 %, and gained another 18% in 1977; a number of aging series, it promises to (The FCC's figures for program expenses Hollywood's become more so. are lumped together with those for techni- The growth of miniseries and made -for- cal expenses; however, stock analysts say a boom town TV movies has brought the most signifi- the technical portions usually represent cant infusion of new money into the only 10 % -15% of the total amount and are for television Hollywood television community. NBC relatively consistent, so that increases, alone last year scheduled 74 hours of mostly, reflect program costs.) Seller's market in TV miniseries, for example. At an average Mr. Dann estimates that in 1979 -80 turns production world cost of $800,000 an hour -twice the cost those numbers will increase by as much as upside -down as majors lose of regular series -that injected close to 15% beyond inflation. If so, the networks and independents $60 million into the production mar- may be pouring as much as $2 billion into prospect network motherlode ketplace. And CBS, which had virtually no programing, almost double what they miniseries and made -for -TV movie opera- spent as recently as 1973. There's another gold rush on in Califor- tions a few years ago, has committed as But it is how that money is being dis- nia. much as $80 million to those areas this tributed that brings in the paradoxes, As the three commercial television net- year, double last year's amount.The result? beginning with the simple fact that the in- works prepare to launch a prime -time "Never in the history of Hollywood has dependents have become the majors. season that will undoubtedly be called there been a prosperity to compare with John H. Mitchell, the former president their most competitive ever, they are the present." says program consultant of Columbia Pictures Television, now pumping unprecedented wealth into Mike Dann, the one -time CBS television doing program consulting for Procter & Hollywood's creative community. programing chief. "Suddenly the amount Gamble and others, says that until a few The new scale of programing needs and of production has actually exceeded the years ago, the major studios -the Univer- rewards not only has brought with it production capacity. All the sound stages sals, the Paramounts and the Columbias- prosperity but also fundamental and are occupied -you can't find a grip. supplied 50% and sometimes 70% of the sometimes paradoxical changes in the "There's a shortage of product -the networks' prime -time programs. This complexion of the industry. And not the networks are panicking, and that's why the year, he said, the majors will be providing least of these is an extraordinary demand suppliers are gaining an upper hand." 18'h hours of the weekly schedule, while for talent at a time when "less is more" is And paying handsomely for the privi- the independents -the TAT's, the TOY's, becoming a dominant professional lege. According to financial data filed with the Lorimars and the Spelling - philosophy. the FCC, the networks' program expen- Goldbergs -will supply 30 hours. At the root of it all is a simple case of ditures have increased by roughly 64% The dimensions of that success, along supply and demand. The network's ap- since 1974. In 1975 -76, the year in which with its origins and pitfalls, set the tone of

The top 27 in prime time television

Company Hours Company Hours Company Hours

ABC Sports 2 MGM 2 TAT /Tandem 3 Monday Night Football. ABC's How the West Was Won (with John ABC's Apple Pie *; CBS's One Day at a Time Mantley; scheduled for midseason return); (with Allwhit), The Je/fersons (with Nicholl,Ross Mark Carliner 1 NBC's CHiPs (with NBC). & West), In the Beginning *, All in the Family, CBS's Flying High *. Good Times. CBS 1 MTM 3 Time -Life 1 /2 Hawaii Five.O (with Leonard Freeman). CBS's WKRP in Cincinnati *, Lou Grant, CBS's People'. Rhoda, Mary*. CBS News 1 Tomorrow Entertainment 1 60 Minutes. NBC 1 NBC's Lifeline'. Dick Clark Productions 1 Little House on the Prairie. TOY 1 NBC's Dick Clark's Live Wednesday'. ABC's Carter Country, What's Happening. Nichol!, Ross & West 1 Columbia Pictures TV 2 ABC's Threes Company, CBS's The Jefferson Twentieth Century -Fox 2 ABC's with 1/2 Fantasy Island Spelling- Goldberg); TAT). (with CBS's Paper Chase* , M *A *S *H; NBC's WE.B.* CBS's The American Girls" (with Bennett/ (with Lin Bolen). Katleman). Osmond Productions 1 Universal 7 1/2 Walt Disney Studios 1 ABC's Donny and Marie. ABC's Operation Petticoat (with Leonard NBC's Wonderful World of Disney. Stern), Hardy Boys (with Glen Larson) Paramount and Four D Productions 1/2 3 1/2 Battlestar: Galactica* (with Glen Larson); ABC's Happy Days (with ABC's Barney Miller Miller -Milkus), CBS's The Incredible Hulk (with Kenneth H. Laverne and Shirley (with Miller- Milkus /Hen- Johnson); NBC's Quincy (with Glen Larson), Komack /Wolper 1 /2 derson), 4hxi* (with John Charles Walters), Rockford Files (with Cherokee /Huggins /Public Mork ABC's Welcome Back, Kotter. and Mindy* (with Miller- Milkus /Hender- Arts /NBC), The Eddie Capra Mysteries * and son); NBC's Grandpa Goes to Washington* Sword of Justice* (with Glen Larson). Lorimar Productions 4 1 /2 (with Fellows /Keegan), Who's Watching the ABC's Eight Is Enough; CBS's Waltons, Dallas, Kids* (with Henderson). Warner Bros. 1 1/2 Kaz *; NBC's Waverly Wonders *. CBS's Alice, Wonder Woman (with Lansbury/ Aaron Spelling /Leonard Goldberg. 6 Cramer). Mark VII 1 NBC's Project UFO. ABC's Fantasy Island (with Columbia Pictures Witt, Thomas, Harris 1/2 TV), Starsky and Hutch, Charlie's Angels, ABC's Soap. Quinn Martin Productions 1 Family (Aaron Spelling /Douglas Cramer), Loue

CBS's Barnaby Jones. Boat (Aaron Spelling Production), Vegas. Indicates new show

Broadcasting Sep 11 1978 56