Albany Democrat-Herald from Albany, Oregon • 34

Page 10. Saturday. Sept. 6. 1975 NBC rolls out 'Family hour' threatens profits from syndication 3 new series for Thursday 1 By SANDER VANOCUR The Washington Post Third In a series WASHINGTON, D.C.

It is said in Hollywood that while some studios and independent producers make movies and television series as if they were shooting craps, MCA does it like a business. MCA stands for Music Corporation of America. It got the name because its founder, Jules Stein, was an eye doctor who turned the moonlighting occupation of booking bands into an entertainment conglomerate. It also stands for toughness, profits and smarts. Its Universal TV the biggest producer of television entertainment programming is producing 13 shows for 14 hours of prime time programming for the 1975-76 season, in addition to a number of made-for-television movies.

Lew R. Wasserman, the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of MCA, is acknowledged to be the smartest man in the entertainment business. Though universal TV emphasizes the production of action-oriented, hour-long shows such as "Columbo," "Kojak" and "Baretta," Wasserman shares the concern of comedy writers first run on the networks. But the real profits, to Lear and to a giant like MCA, are in the syndication market, both at home as well as overseas. An hour show produced by Universal, he said, cost between $330,000 and $340,000 to produce.

The networks, he claimed, were paying $270,000 to $280,000 for the episode, results in a deficit of approximately $60,000. The deficit, in the. past, was made up by syndication. The networks claim that they are sensitive to the problem. On June 3, Robert D.

Wood, the president of the CBS television network, told the Hollywood radio and television society: We have been and continue to be sympathetic to redressing any genuine inequities that develop in our arrangements with our suppliers. In this unsettled economy, we know that yesterday's good deal can become today's millstone when packagers try to cope with inflation and the tight money market." But sensitive as the networks claim they are to the problems of the producers, even accepting the possibility that they may adjust upwards the contracts made before a series became a hit, the producers claim that the family hour and producers like Norman Lear and George Schlatter over what the family hour concept of television programming will do to comedy with a bite. In his office at Universal City last month, exuding the quiet confidence of a man' who is used to sitting at the head of the table, Wasserman said: "If you destroy satire, you destroy criticism." But bis criticism of family hour, which is designed to sanitize things at MCA, directed against what it will do to the economics of television production. "No businessman," he said, "would consider television production as a viable industry in and of itself unless the networks change their fee structure." What Wasserman means is that for years, producers of television programs have looked to the syndication of those programs, following a successful long-term run on the three networks, as the area where their profits can either be made or maximized. Some producers, like a Norman Lear, whose Tandem Productions turn out "All in the Family," "Good Times," "Maude," "Sanford and Son" and "The Jef-fersons," can and do bring their shows in at a slight profit when they have their will deprive many of them a chance to either make up their deficits or maximize their profits.

The real syndication market, they say, is in the period immediately preceding prime time in the evening. But now, with the National Association of Broadcasters code stipulating that the first hour of prime time and the hour immediately preceding it must carry programs designed for "viewing by a general family audience," that market may be closed to many producers. What this means in practical terms is that shows like the "Waltons" and "Mary Tyler Moore" have appreciated markedly in syndication value. What will happen to the syndication value of shows like "Kojak," "Columbo," "S.W.A.T." "The Streets of San Francisco" and "Cannon" is anybody's guess. The producers of these shows fear the worst.

Lawrence B. Hilford, president of Viacom Enterprises, a major syn-dicator, says the family hour has already had a "chilling effect" on the sale of shows, action-oriented dramas and comedy with bite that station owners fear buying because they may not be suitable for "viewing by a general family audience." JOSEPH SIROLA Head of "Montefuscos" By JAY SHARBUTT Al Television Writer NEW YORK (AP) NBC is rolling out three new series on Thursday. They are two situation comedies. "The Montefuscos" and "Fay," and "Medical Story," an anthology series about the healing arts. Don't miss the last two, but save your time on the opening "Montefuscos," even though actor Joe Sirola is perfect as the warmhearted patriarch of a large, noisy, happy Italian-American family.

The show ostensibly concerns a will he's drawn up, but the program is mainly a confusing and only slightly amusing introduction to the show's eight leading family members. Maybe Show No. 2 will be better. "Fay" has no problem. It's first-rate in writing, acting and pace, with Lee Grant leading the charge as a 43-year-old housewife who is divorcing her hubbie after 24 years of marriage.

It quickly establishes that she has grace, humor and independence, supports herself as a secretary, desires no bread from her ex-husband-to-be (Joe Silver) and, gasp, even dates other men. In fact, he bumps into Another Man, her serious beau, as the latter leaves her apartment after a weekend with her in Big Sur, Calif. The ex-to-be is a cheerfully harrumphing sort who is getting the ax because of an affair with a sweet young thing, not to mention ye olde breakdown in marital communications. As Fay puts it, "The last time we had a good talk was in 1964, when your mother died." Fay, whose married daughter disapproves of Mom's newly liberated ways, also has the required for sitcoms waspish friend (Audra Lindley), who supplies needlepoint commentary on occasion. Such as when she sees Fay's ex in Fay's apartment and sweetly Inquires, "What are you doing over here anyway, Jack? Did your girl friend have cheerleading practice?" Needless to say, It ain't "The Donna Reed Show." But it is a fresh, engaging effort which humorously illustrates that a final decree isn't necessarily the last word in human relations.

"Medical Story," NBC's 1 Television critic jpins ABC staff HARRIET KARR "On Medical Story" felcxExo your holiday reservations early! Thanksgiving and Christmas aren't very far off in terms of reservations these fill up early, so start making your plans now for a holiday trip and get your reservations in early I Make reservations now and take advantage of special BI CENTENNIAL FARES on ALL AIRLINES! GAVG FADG On Airline round trips to most cities more than 750 miles from Portland (with 2 stopovers included I) within Continental U.S. Also Gavo Faro For Children. But you must book early. Offer is good 7 days a week BUSINESS OR PLEASURE making your arrangements with us is part of the fun of getting there! main issue is whether a 22-year-old actress, sick the past 3'i years, needs the hysterectomy she seeks. Bridges thinks not.

But the hospital's co-founder and chief gynecologist (Jose Ferrer) performs the operation anyway, despite Bridges' anguished protests. Most medicine shows paint everything in white and white. But not here, with Ferrer depicted as a vain, greedy man who as a surgeon cuts too soon, too often. Unfortunately, Mann, whom NBC says based tonight's two-hour story on a near-fatal operation on his wife, actress Harriet Karr, makes his young hero too saintly and his villains too obvious to sustain the closing moments. ditto the attention to meaicai detail, and "Medical Story" may get a favorable Nielsen cough, if not an un-Hippocratlc oath from the American Medical Association.

about TV, from producing to programming, from script changes to film editing. In her work, she said, she became a friend, and admirer of Fred Silverman, regarded as one of the smartest men in the business, when he was running CBS' programs division two years ago. She said about a year ago, Silverman offered her a job with CBS, but she turned it down, preferring to stay in Los Angeles. Shortly after he Joined ABC as its programs chief this spring, she said, she was invited by Brandon Stoddard, ABC's daytime programs development chief, to sign on as his top Los Angeles assistant. She said it was Stoddard's idea to offer her the job.

She leaped at the chance, she said, partly because she loves the field of daytime programming. There was another factor, she added. "All these years I've been making suggestions in the column like, 'If you put this show here, I think you'll get a better share (of audience) than if you put it there'," she said. "And for me to actually have someone say, 'Come on in and do.lt for real, play with the big I couldn't resist It." NEW YORK (AP) For five years, Sue Cameron has been a TV critic and chronicler of broadcast industry news for the Hollywood Reporter, a trade magazine. As such, she often phones network executives.

Like others in her dodge, she knows the usual secretarial reply is, "They're tied up in a meeting now." But now she believes it. "It's the truth," she says. "They really are always in a meeting." Miss Cameron knows whereof she speaks. Because this week she gave up TV criticizing and chronicling to become ABC's new director of daytime program development, Los Angeles division. The 30-year-old Los Angeles native, a USC journalism graduate with no prior experience as a broadcast executive, says the new Job sort of stemmed from her daily news column about the broadcast industry.

"When I started it, I had the option of doing stupid gossip stuff," she laughed. "Or I could really write a business column where I could talk to the producers and network executives and really find out bow the business was run." She opted for the latter and found it not only a lively source of news, but also the best possible way to learn last new entry tonight, is a generally absorbing study of a dedicated young intern (Beau Bridges), hospital life and the topic of unnecessary surgery. In the two-hour premiere, written by executive producer Abby Mann, the Our Services Are FREE GLOBE TRAVEL SERVICE Hom 05) Bcmotrat -ficrolD Business News Co. th ft Main Just off Poeif Blvd. behind Col.

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