Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 62

i mmnNS "i Fourth Network Serious Business Neiv Shotvs This Fall Overmeyer Set lo Spend 6 to $10 Million 58 I for programming and sales, acts as kind of a broker for affiliated stations. That is, the network buys time from affiliated stations (usually at 30 per cent of a station's price card) and sells the time to national advertisers. The network is also supposed to pay the cost of a program and to pay the cost of delivering it, via the microwave system of the American Telephone and Telegraph Co. Profit, If any, comes from what's left of the advertising revenue after stations, program producers and the are paid off. This system of revenue and costs may explain the rule of thumb that networking isn't profitable, but that stations owned by a network are goldmines.

ABC-TV, for example, tells the Federal Communications Commission that the network lost $6.5 million in 1965 but that its stations earned $25.5 million. (The FCC permits one organization to own seven TV stations, but not more than five of them can be in the very high frequency portion of the spectrum channels 2 through 13). Networks can have some good battles with the affiliated stations over which programs the affiliate will broadcast. If the station sells an hour locally, it gets the full amount (minus a 15 per cent commission for the advertising agency). If the network fills the hour, the station usually gets only 30 per cent of its standard rates.

Certainly, a fourth network would widen the choices available to a viewer. But the gentlemen creating a new network had better bring along a big bankroll. By LAWRENCE LAURENT I Washington Post Service WASHINGTON For the past 18 years there have been a number of announcements about a new television network, but the box score on the period is a minus one. ABC-TV got into the networks business in 1948 and a few years later the Dumont Television Network died. Sylvester L.

Weaver, formerly head of NBC-TV, tried to get a "cultural" network going in the 1950s and had to give up. In May, 1965, there was an announcement about the Unisphere Broadcasting System, perhaps a network for the new ultra high frequency channels 14 through 83. Unisphere's first network program is still awaited. About a year ago, the same Weaver teamed with Oliver E. Treyz, formerly president of ABC-TV.

They were ready to get into the TV network business. Nothing happened. Last week, Treyz joined a successful businessman, Daniel H. Overmyer, in announcing that the dvermyer Network would be in business in September, 1967. This time, Treyz had a New York flagship station, WPIX, and claimed a commitment of 35 affiliated stations.

Overmyer owns 100 per cent of the stock in the proposed network and he's supposed to have a big bankroll, based on ownership of 260 warehouses in 56 cities. He announced he was ready to spend $6 million to $10 million in the first 18 months. That amount would entitle him to exactly one blue chip in the poker game played by television networks. Daniel Overmeyer Oliver Treyz Still, the announcement must be taken seriously. Overmyer already has one TV station (WDHO-TV in Toledo, Ohio) and holds construction permits to build stations in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Houston and San Francisco.

The stations are all in the UHF portion of the spectrum. Networking is one of the most curious businesses in this economy. The network, as a central source Roger 31iller Winner of five Grammys and three gold records, Miller will host a musical-variety show beginning this fall on NBC. Yet to learn to read music, the Erick, farmboy came from nowhere with such tunes as "Dang Me," "Chug-a-Lug" and "King of the Road" In just five years. tmrnmi Wi JEL llll i The ArizdnaRepublic elevision I -1 July 24, 1966 Section Page 17i WW.

KllMliMllli A Mm '( A 1 1 V'rw( mm Phyllis Diller Wacky Phyllis is set to portray the head of the matriarchal Pruitt family who is half-sophisticate and half-nut with a heart of gold and a head of Iron this fall on ABC. However, the family owes the government $10 million, a debt the tax collectors hope can be paid off if the Pruitts are left some financial foundation. Donna Butterworth and Scott Brady Cindy, the daughter of widowed Marine drill sergeant Mike Fenton, is a chip off the old block; she's becoming a pint-sized tomboy Marine. On "Summer Fun" Friday over ABC. Jackie Vernon On NBC's Rowan and Martin Show Thursday Anita Bryant CBS' John Gary Show Wednesday With Righteous Brothers Late Sunday Night Slot May Cause Death of Andy's Show i may drop out of TV for a year after this next season to do a Broadway musical version of the film hit, "The Apartment." Writer-director Billy Wilder and composer Jules Stein are working on it.

On the recording side of William's business, he said he is bombarded with new 6ongs writers and publishers want him to perform. "About 30 new ones a week are offered to me. I have a guy in New York who screens them and scouts for my records. Last week he came out with 150 possibilities. We picked two.

"That's the system I used when I turned down 'Moon I also turned down he said, with a touch of chagrin. He said he didn't record "Moon River" until "after practically everybody else had" and the song was quite popular. When the tune was nominated for an Oscar, he said he rushed an album with it and had it on the market, then sang the song for the Oscar ceremonies. "That album sold 200,000 copies the day after the Oscars and a 2.8 million total," he said, smilingly. It's now his theme song.

Then why did he reject it in the first place? You might ask. "I didn't like the lyrics 'my huckleberry friend, waiting' round the bend "I asked Johnny Mercer (who wrote the words) what that meant. He says, 'It's like Picasso, man. If you don't understand it, don't buy it! By RICHARD K. SHULL TV Times Service HOLLYWOOD "The thing that convinced me that moving my show to 8 p.m.

Sunday is a good move is that they said do it or you don't go on," Andy Williams explained. "Sure, I was upset when they took my Monday night sponsor away, but as they say in the old joke, then they explained it to me." And so it was that Williams explained how he feels about his switch from his popular Monday night show to the NBC sudden-death slot on Sundays. As you may recall, the network has tried a multitude of comedy and drama ideas in the Sunday period, all of which have been systematically shot down by the crass humor of "Candid Camera." "So this year they decided they'd try a musical show; that 8 p.m. Sunday is not time for serious stuff. NBC didn't have a musical show on Sunday," he added, pretending not to notice that CBS will have both Ed Sullivan and Garry Moore preceding him with variety shows each week.

Williams said there'll be some changes In his new fall line. For one thing, there'll be six instead of five commercials each week. And he'll have an additional guest performer four instead of three. "And I've decided I don't want to come out screaming an opening number. I'll come on gentle because a lot of people will be watching me in bed," he added.

Regardless of what happens, this fall, Williams Jack Sheldon Comedian Sheldon will appear this fall on CBS as an average young man doggedly pursued by a butterfingered crime syndicate headed by star Bruce Gordon because he overheard one of the criminals' secret plots. As Buddy Overstreet on "Run, Buddy, Run," he is on the syndicate's Most Wanted list. Andy Williams Might Do Broadway Musical lll 1 -J "Ladles end Gentlemen of the jury 'And here he Jackie Gleason!".