First draft's out on fall's prime time A triumphant ABC -TV celebrates in Los Angeles ii BroadcastingThe newsweekly of broadcasting and allied arts MayOur 46th Year 1977 Other animal shows come and go, but... WE'RE BETTER THAN EVER! NOW IN OUR 5TH CONTINUOUS YEAR OF NEW PRODUCTION DIDYOU SEE OUR WI NNIN&4es IN THE FEB. SWEEPS? WILD,WILD WORLD OF ANIMALS NARRATED BY WILLIAM CONRAD 129 HALF -HOURS IN COLOR FOR LOCAL PRIME -TIME ACCESS PROGRAMMING -OR ANY OTHER SPOT IN YOUR SCHEDULE WILD WILD WORLD OF ANIMALS is so successlul because t s not the same old stock footage you ve seen before II s produced especially for television by Time-Lite Television film crews all Over the world TIME LIFE1 NOTE: Since these programs are primarily designed to further understanding of the natural sciences, they are properly identifiable as' instructional" for FCC logging purposes. TELEVISION 5151E 8 LIFE BUILDING NEW YORK. N Y 10020 (7171556-7759 AILANIA CHICAGO LOS ANGELES A Time -Life Television Production 1404)659-8050 17121 467.9700 12131365.8151 !:ofl't expect a a eke younr aduik dudÏenc-: from stations! WPIX -TV New York XETV San Diego KCOP Los Angeles KCRA TV Sacramento WPHL-TV Philadelphia KPHO-TV Phoenix KTVU San Francisco WTLV Jacksonville WIIC -TV Pittsburgh WDEF TV Chattanooga WCCO -TV Minneapolis WCSC -TV Charleston, S.C. WSB -TV Atlanta WJRT -TV Flint -S -Bay City KBMA-TV Kansas City KVOS -TV Bellingham WKRC-TV Cincinnati They have "The Rookies"! This Spelling/Goldberg action -adventure sensation captured the highest average number of young women and men viewers (both 18 -34 and 18 -49!) in its time period over 4 prime -time seasons. During its network run, two- thirds of all "The Rookies" viewers were adults! Two -thirds of all women were 18 -49! And two- thirds of all men were 18 -49! How's that for strength in young adult audience protection? Call now for the half -hour or one -hour version. Either is available for September. "The Rookies" from Viacom 11 Source: NTI/NAC, 1972-75 (Sept.I,Wk.II- Mar.II) and 1975 -76 (Sept.I,Wk.II- Feb.I). Audience estimates are subject to qualifications available on request. ABC RADIO SPOT SALES PROUDLY WELCOMES "the FM kvi" Golden West Broadcasting's 100% Popular Rock Radio Station in Seattle 10 OUR SELECT GROUP OF REPRESENTED RADIO STATIONS ABC RADIO SPOT SALES, INC. n4,I New York. 1330 Avenue of the Americas. New York, NY 10019 (212) 581 -7777 Chicago. 360 North Michigan Avenue. Chicago. Illinois 60601 (312) 372 -2267 Dallas. 3626 North Hall Street, Suite 711. Dallas, Texas 75219 (214) 528 -8760 Detroit. 3000 Town Center. Suite 2002. Southfield. Michigan 48075 (313) 353 -8283 Los Angeles. 3321 So. LaCienega Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90016 (213) 663-3311 San Francisco, 1177 Polk Street, San Francisco. California 94109 (415) 673 -7100 Broadcasting May9 The Week in Brief FALL LINE -UPS COMPLETE CBS -TV and NBC -TV lean CHANCES FOR A DROP -IN An FCC study offers a heavily on their pilot developments in coming up with formula for determining the survival prospects of a new schedules to counter ABC -TV's earlier announced slate. independent TV station. It's in connection with the It involves 10 cancellations at CBS -TV, six at NBC -TV. proposal for VHF drop -ins in four markets. PAGE 66. PAGE 27. CROSSOWNERSHIP Newspaper -station combinations EASING OF 315 FCC will recommend to Congress petition the Supreme Court for a review of the lower that certain candidates be exempt from the equal -time court's decision. The media groups say the ruling goes law. Commission, however, votes not to push for total against FCC policy and supplants that agency's repeal of Section 315 of Communications Act. PAGE28. judgment. NAB and ANPA also file. PAGE 6a. NIXON -FROST The much -heralded interview was a REASSURANCES TO U'S FCC votes to grandfather sponsor sell -out, the ratings were excellent and it was existing cable- carriage rights of UHF stations which had almost universally applauded in the media as good feared some losses from shrinkage of their predicted television and radio. PAGE 30. grade B contours. PAGE 69. THOUGHTS OF ARLEDGE ABC's newly crowned head SPIN -OFF ATTEMPT Senator Percy introduces of news shares his ideas about television as a legislation to make Voice of America a separate agency. journalistic medium and indicates how he'll deal with it. PAGE 73. PAGE 30. THE BATTLE OF CEDAR RAPIDS Two AM stations are out SPECIAL REPORT: ABC -TV With the annual meeting of to win the ratings war in the style of large market network affiliates under way in Los Angeles, ABC -TV stations. PAGE 74. President Fred Pierce traces his organization's turnabout in fortunes. PAGE 37. ABC Entertainment President Fred SPOT -TV SLOWS DOWN Station reps say spot TV is Silverman avows he's not content with just prime -time behind last year's pace and many blame it on network TV supremacy; he wants the entire day. PAGE 38. James buying. PAGE 77. Duffy, president of the ABC -TV network, looks ahead to a billion -dollar sales year. He also talks about rate hikes NEWS IS NEWS Ray Miller of KPRC -TV Houston and would -be affiliations. PAGE 42. The expected condemns the show business aspect of TV journalism happens: Roone Arledge gets the additional post of ABC and says his station is getting rid of all of the gimmicks. News president. PAGE 44. A market -by- market PAGE 84. comparison of Arbitron sweeps reflects the dramatic gains for ABC -TV affiliates that resulted from the BETTER THAN EVER RCA expects net income in the network's rise to number one in prime time. PAGE 48. first half of 1977 to amount to more than all of that in 1975. Griffiths tips his hat to NBC for its performance. REWRITE OPTIONS The NAB and AMST are up in arms PAGE 86. about the House Communications Subcommittee staff's suggested areas in the revamping of the INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE. Here's a special Communications Act. The broadcast associations report on the TV program buyers and sellers from all over argue for the status quo. PAGE 63. the world who met in Cannes, France, two weeks ago to wheel and deal. PAGE ea. HOLLINGS UPDATE The Senate Communications Subcommittee today begins a three -day examination of A LIGHT BUT FORCEFUL TOUCH 0 A year ago, Jim Shaw broadcasting. It's designed to give members a current summed up ABC -TV's resurgence by telling affiliates: perspective on the industry. PAGE 63. "We come to you in humble arrogance.' The vice president in charge of sales for the network often comes MORE PAYOLA -PLUGOLA The FCC will reconvene its up with such light quotable quotes, but it masks a hearings May 16 for two more weeks. Three Sonderling seriousness and shrewdness that has paid off. officials are to be called. PAGE 64. PAGE 113. ABC Special Report 37 Changing Hands 70 Finance 86 Open Mike 25 Broadcast Advertising 77 Closed Circuit 7 For the Record 99 Playlist 95 Broadcast Journalism. 84 Datebook 22 International 88 Profile 1 1 3 Business Briefly 14 Editorials 114 Media 83 Programing 74 Cablecasting 83 Fates b Fortunes 98 Monday Memo 18 Stock Index 111 Broadcasting is published 51 Mondays d year (combined issue at yearend) by Broadcasting Publications Inc. 1735 DeSales Street. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036. Second -class postage paid al Washington. Single issue S I except yearend issue S2.50. Subscriptions. U.S. and possessions one year S30. two years $55. three years S75. Canada add S8 per year all other countries add SS per year. US and possessions add S104 yearly Of special delivery S65 Inr first class. Subscriber's occupation required. Annually Broadcasting Yearbook S30. Cable Sotncebook $20. 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COMMUNICATIONS AND INTONNMAT,DN HANDLING solid -state visual exciter with Ready for ATS... cut) ClosedECircuit R, Insider report: behind the scene, before the fact ment, including Commissioner Hooks's they'd be receptive to weekly Saturday- Early handicapping concern that NAACP dinner honoring night line -up of two hours of first -run ABC -TV's new prime -lime schedule will him while he is still with commission programing, to be supplied by four of be in solid first place in ratings next fall, would smack of conflict of interest. Hollywood's biggest independents: T.A.T., but CBS -TN and NBC-TV will both Grant Tinker's MTM Enterprises, Lee improve soittewhat over past year. That's Rich's Lorimar Productions and Quinn first reading On 1977 -78 fall schedules by Martin Productions. Insiders stress, ad- agencyatiedia ekecutives (see page 27). Frontier skirmish however, that these talks are exploratory. Only new_sttpw that has chance to hit it big Competition for network TV affiliates is Mr. Booraem is now sunning himself in in ratings rsext year is ABC's Soap, which heating up.