Broadcasting: Mar11 Reaching over 117,000 readers every week 60th Year 1991 TELEVISION / 42 RADIO / 37 WASHINGTON / 58 AT LARGE / 33 `WKRP' in syndication: Lack offunding delays Cities ask Congress NAB's John Abel, architect MTM readies for first -run; or ends two children's to insure quality of broadcasters' plan CBS records demo gains programing services cable for consumers for digital radio future KS95 -FM radio's "Operation Appreciation" campaign supporting the men and women serving in the Gulf created a heartwarming greeting to send to the troops. The 12' by 14' banner was displayed at the St. Paul Winter Carnival, North America's largest winter festival. Over 25,000 special messages were written showing the tremendous support and appreciation Minnesotans have for our troops. The banner was sent to General Norman Schwartzkopf so the heart-filled notes would quickly reach their destination. Thanks for a job well done and God Bless America. KSTP -FM MINNEAPOLIS ST. PAUL DIVISION OF HUBBARD BROADCASTING ` 1991 REPRESENTED NATIONALLY BY McGAVREN GUILD 0?644. Yí) 1iC!V AèlVbti7l GI31-10SNII ^l1 1S 210 'b/D30 )OM 2£69h 0?641 841 - #:s r * a= The Strc In The V $oó PM.AgCTv fR MIB MillerBoyett P R O D U C T I O N S SOURCE: Nil February Sweeps 1/31 2/27/91 (All hour comedy blocks starting on the hour.) ugest Sitcom Hour February Sweeps! Rank Sitcom Hour HH Share #1 FOP Il# #ua5e /Family Matters c #2 Cheers /Wings 29 #2 Golden Girls /Empty Nest 29 #4 Murphy Brown /Designing Women 27 #5 Roseanne /Coach 26 #5 Cosby /Different World 26 #7 Carol & Co /Dear John 24 #8 Perfect Strangers /Going Places 23 #8 Doogie Howser /Anything But Love 23 #8 Evening Shade /Major Dad 23 #11 Wonder Years /Growing Pains 22 #12 Who's the Boss /Davis Rules 22 #13 Fresh Prince /Blossom 20 #14 Amen /Fanelli Boys 19 #15 Night Court /Seinfeld 18 #15 Simpsons /Babes 18 #17 Married with Child /Hidden Video 14 #18 Uncle Buck /Lenny 11 WARNER BROS. DOMESTIC TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION A Time Warner Company t 1991 Warner Bros Inc All Rights Rexrml. Broadcasting rm Mar 11 THIS WFFK 19 / BAIRETT'S 29 / DIAMOND IN look to a summer air date. Only the Children's Radio BOMBSHELL THE ROUGH Network in Minneapolis is FCC Commissioner As CBS, ESPN and 61 of still up and running. Andrew Barrett, long 75 local rightsholders stand Network President William expected to be the third pat with multiyear Major Osewalt anticipates the vote on fin -syn, has floated League Baseball agreements, programing service will his own proposal that may rights fees for the season expand to more than 20 attract two other votes (a will hold at approximately markets in the next several majority). The plan $615 million, less than months. reverses the FCC momentum 1% higher than last year. that appeared to favor the Local TV and radio 38 / FORMAT networks. It could be headed outlets report delayed but CHANGE for adoption this Thursday solid upfront sales for the (March 14). 1991 season. The consistent Broadcast Programing appeal of the home team, International of Seattle last they say, assures continued 21 / TIME WARNER week acquired the assets profitability. But of Drake -Chenault PLAN advertising executives predict Enterprises from that the secret to CBS and Using a combination of Wagontrain Communications Time Warner unveils its cable heavy coaxial cable and fiber system of the future (page 21) ESPN efforts to recoup in Albuquerque, N.M. will optics, Time Warner plans 1990 MLB losses Wagontrain bought the to build a 150- channel cable simply be heavy discounts in company in 1985 from its system in New York's questions still unanswered, a generally soft buyers' founders Bill Drake and Gene market in 1991. borough of Queens. It is including what effect new Chenault and later merged being constructed legislation limiting it with the format division of time will have primarily to deliver 40 commercial 33 / PLANNING FOR Dallas -based TM channels of pay per view. on the networks, cable and Programing. This current syndication. A shaky DAB deal gives BPI more than economy and changes in the Radio broadcasters need 850 format affiliates. 22 / TAKEN TO TASK toy industry may also digital audio broadcasting, impact advertising practices. says NAB Executive Vice The era of the NBC "love 42 / KICKING IN President John Abel, to meet fest," which is how most of WITH 'WKRP' rising consumer the network's affiliate 24 / INTV-NATPE expectations. But they need meetings in the past five CONFERENCE MERGER? MTM Distribution has an plan. Abel years have been orderly sold its 1991 -92 first -run explains NAB's blueprint for described, may be over. At a In a meeting between revival of WKRPin establishing terrestrial meeting two weeks ago, INTV officials and Cincinnati (CBS, 1978 -82) in DAB within the next 10 years the mood was grim and many distributors, a syndicator 90 markets so far floated the suggestion that in this "At Large" with affiliates came away WKRP' revival (page 42) decidedly unimpressed with distributors would be BROADCASTING editors. programing and news willing to pay an extra per- foot charge for presentations, questioning the square 37 / IDEIS' STUFF wisdom of NBC's floor space at the NATPE investments in outside convention if that money Lack of funding in the businesses such as cable. would be accepted as a "cash radio marketplace has offer" to INTV to resulted in two casualties discontinue program in the last few weeks: Kid's 24 / CHILDREN'S screenings at its annual Choice Broadcasting UPFRONT '91: NEW meeting. INTV officials are Network, which broadcast on RULES "considering" that WPRD(AM) Orlando and proposal and other 1993 KKDS(AM) Salt Lake City; I he children's TV upfront convention merger talk, and, Kidwaves, which has market will break in a few but NATPE is cool to a again postponed its start-up, weeks with several single -year merger. but whose executives still 4 This Week grmatartiq Mar 11 1111 (representing more than 80% the issue and the change of U.S. coverage), a market - broadcasters' approach to by -market sales approach that the bill make passage likely. has already netted 69 network affiliates out of the 62 / GRAPHIC SCENES growing lineup. According to an MTM Several equipment Distribution executive, manufacturers want to appeal 95% of the station lineup is to cost -conscious commiting to double -runs broadcasters and post - of the sitcom and 80% are production studios in promising prime access graphics, animation, special time slots. effects and weather graphics workstations to be introduced at the 1991 43 CIS DEMO / Baseball 1991 (page 29) NAB exhibition in Las GAINS the weak fourth quarter that reservations" about the Vegas. Advertising agency spoiled the holidays for FCC's proposed annual executives rejoiced last week many Fifth Estaters. user fee. 67 / LEAVING THE Television revenue in the following CBS's sweeps GULF fourth quarter for network, victory. Now that it's a three - 60 / BOUCHER BILL way race, no one network spot, local and syndication Several network has undue leverage at the was up by only 0.8%. For the Representaive Rick correspondents returned negotiating table, they year, TV advertising Boucher is expected to home last week after said. In the key demographic revenue was up 6% to 22.6 introduce legislation spending more than six categories, CBS improved billion. allowing telco entry into weeks in the Persian Gulf. its position across the board, video delivery within the However, many staffers while NBC and ABC were 58 / CALL FOR CABLE next month. The measure stayed as developments in both down. BILL will be similar to the one the region continued to he introduced last year, unfold, including the 49 / ASIAN Some 700 elected city and which contained mysterious disappearance of county officials have restrictions against cross at CONNECTION least 36 correspondents petitioned Congress for subsidization and cross trying to cover post -war Cable sports service Prime legislation aimed at insuring marketing. The Bush unrest in southeastern Network will program and that "consumers receive administration position on Iraq. jointly operate a new high quality, yet affordable, sports channel across Asia. cable service." Among Founded in 1931 as Broadcasting, the Prime, which has the things the municipalities signed INDEX News Magazine of the Fifth Estate. an exclusive deal for the are hoping to accomplish Broadrasting- Telecasting introduced Advertisers Index 86 in 1946. Television' acquired in 1961. channel with Hong Kong - through legislation are access Cablecasting introduced in 1972. At Large based Hutchvision, plans to to cable programing for 33 Broadcasting/Cable introduced in 1989. launch four competitive cable systems Business 54 `Reg U.S. Patent Office. Copyright the -to-six hour 1991 by Broadcasting Publications Inc. Cable 49 daily prime time service late and other multi -channel Incorporating next summer media; a competitive Cablecastings 53 or early fall The Fifth Estate on the AsiaSat I satellite, franchise renewal process; Changing Hands 55 whose footprint reaches municipal rate regulation Classified Advertising 76 TF:I.I:\ ISI()\ more than 40 countries and "within a federal Closed Circuit 6 Broadcasting framework," and consumer Datebook 10 an estimated three billion N Cable potential viewers across Asia. protection standards. Editorials 90 Broadcasting (ISSN 0007 -2028) is pub- Fates & Fortunes 84 lished 52 Mondays a year by Broadcast- Fifth Estater 87 ing Publications Inc., 1705 DeSales SYMPATHETIC 50 / CNRC IDENTITY 59 / Focus on Finance 57 Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. EAR 20036. Second-class postage paid at CNBC has completed For the Record 70 Washington. D.C., and additional of- In Brief 88 fices.