St. Joseph News-Press from St. Joseph, Missouri • 61

TV executives will watch cartoon closely TO7 al a 1 stores. Toy manufacturers have credited the television shows as major factors in the explosion of sales of related toys, raking in hundreds of millions of dollars. Mattel "He-Man and The Masters of the Universe" and Hasbro Bradley "Transformers" each based on popular cartoon series rank among the most popular toys ever. But the latest twist is Telepic-ture's business strategy, for "ThunderCats" and, to a lesser degree, "SilverHawks," another cartoon series scheduled to debut late next year. Television executives in major markets were asked whether, sight unseen, they would guarantee to broadcast "Thundercats" between 3 and 5 p.m.

every weekday in its first year and between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the next two years. In return for taking the risk that the show would be unpopular with young viewers, the stations would get a cut of toy and other profits. "We couldn't just go out and make it and hope stations would run it," Telepictures President Michael Garin said earlier this year at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas.

Nev. Garin and Arthur H. Loomis, Telepictures vice president of finance and administration, say "ThunderCats" cost $15 million to make and that "SilverHawks" will cost another $15 million. "We offered this as an extra incentive for them to clear the shows up front," Loomis said. With the larger markets committing to "ThunderCats," it gave Telepictures salespeople a "leg up" in the other TV markets, he added.

In Philadelphia. WTAF-TV, and owner Taft Broadcasting will get a cut of the toy profits as well as the overall profits of the cartoon series. General Manager Randall E. Smith confirmed. The share is based on one-half of the percentage of the national television audience reached by WTAF.

The station reaches 3.9 of the nation's viewers. Therefore, the station will receive 1.45 percent of Telepictures' royalties from the wholesale sales of the "ThunderCats" toys, Loomis said. Telepictures' royalty fee is less than 10 percent of the wholesale sales total, he said. Telepictures also gets to sell two minutes of commercial time in each "ThunderCats" episode, and WTAF gets to sell four minutes. Smith said.

L.J.N. Toys Ltd. of New York, which is licensed to manufacture and sell the "ThunderCats" line, cannot disclose its projections for the toy sales over the three years the show will be on the air, said Elizabeth A. Wardley, L.J.N. 's marketing manager.

Depending on the popularity of the "ThunderCats" action figures and other toys, WTAF, for example, could receive checks totaling more than $100,000 simply from the toy profits. "No doubt that that makes it a full-time commercial," said Samuel A. Simon, executive director of the Telecommunications' Research and Action Center, a consumer organization based in Washington. "There's no way you can evaluate the program on its merits now," Simon said. Traditionally, rating points essentially the number of people who watch a show determined whether it would stay on television or not, Simon said.

Now the external revenue, from the toy profits, and the station's guarantees to keep the show on the air dilutes "what little clout the audience has," he added. Added Charren of Action for Children's Television: "It's going to push anything else off commercial television for children." By Teresa Byroe-Dodge Bill Cosby stars in one of the most popular TV shows of 1985. Of course, fans have known him for years for "I Spy," his club work, comedy LPs and guest roles. 1) Wkt Cathy's character's professiaa oa "The Cosby 2) Whe was Cathy's co-star aa "I 3) ta aa earlier verstoa of "The Bill Cathy Show." which aired from INI to 1171, what was the name of Casby's character, a high school pays ed teacher? When characters in the "Thun-derCats" cartoon series begin to battle the forces of evil on 107 television stations this month, station executives will be closely watching the show's advertising sales. But some of those same executives also will have an interest in how new "ThunderCats" toys sell." For the first time, some of those 107 TV stations have entered the toy business.

In return for guaranteeing to show the "ThunderCats" cartoon for three years, the show's producer, Telepictures awarded some TV stations a cut of the series' profits, which includes royalties from toy sales. This departure from the traditional way of choosing television shows based on audience appeal and financed only by advertising dollars has drawn fire from children's television and consumer advocates who contend that it is another step toward what they call "program-length commercials." Although the Federal Communications Commission in April refused to prohibit program-length commercials or profit-sharing by TV. stations, legislation was introduced in Congress in August to require the FCC to study the complaints more closely. It also would require more educational programming on commercial stations. "Everything that's happening in children's television is happening at the toy companies now," said Peggy Charren, president and founder of Action for Children's Television.

"What happened with Telepictures is the natural follow-through to this type of process," she added. Indeed, many of the animated stars of Saturday morning and weekday afternoon cartoon series are legion on the shelves of toy Improbably illegal, potentially dangerous, and definitely crazy. Bk A UNIVERSAL Release TODAY AT 2:15 tBumu THAN MISS ruiwn. -g jopoad sjMtsay 279-7463 il 1 1 H) wimwuMBHimi'i'ii candy Rental nam show nam i 279-2299 Spotlight IWMHiMmWIIlll urn, a- UIOIwN UJOUD KM RHTIKR -3 RN flPPOWIMBW twin un. HILLCREST PLAZA HELD OVER iinvtrn nvvw I i.

ran- 1SD MHinniii on 2219 N. BELT mnmMrMm 1985 TV $1 OFF I RECORD WEAR HOUSE TGY SHOP CT. IWPM KHottst IdeBts! fLotation! Ill Fni. S3-IM2 au i in ZK-1MI IMC HIGH COUNTRY frl. 9 AJM.

ROCK ROLL tk Country Wwtfn STVN SPIOBRG Presents starring AAlCHflaU FOX ssoo rfi-iireai -nsx a Sorondon VAWW pgj TODAY tn RJ (S TODA TODAY 2:15 RAM BO i First Blooa fart ii M- MWIMMniltll ml i in s.9n.7sLQA& "7" Z.Wi;.VW.