Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-05-27
'On the Air
That ABC Merger Should Mean
Better TeIevision Programs
By Harry Macarthur

6eTIeF eeVISIC
By Harry
You, if you own a television set,
stand to gain as much as anybody
from the proposed merger Of the
Broadcasting Co. and
United Paramount Theaters, Inc.
The new network will get both. a
solder financial footing and a lot
Of theatrical know-how from the
motion picture theater chain.
The result is sure to be better
shows on ABC, both radio and
television. There is no room to
argue the point that both the Ma
tional Broadcasting Co. and the
Columbia Broadcasting System
have surpassed ABC in the tele-
vision programming field. 1t will
not surprise anybody if the ap-
proval to make the merger official
is the signal for the entry of a
third factor, ABC, into the CHS
NBC battle for high-priced talent
and well-heeled sponsors.
One indication that some new
life is to be injected into the ABC
television programming is the an
nouncement of the appointment of
Robert M. Weitman as vice presi-
dent of the radio and television
division of the new firm. This
will be headed by Robert E. Kint-
ner, now president of ABC, as
president. Robert H. O'Brien,
United Paramount official, who
among other things. is in charge
of it's television activities, will be
executive vice president of the new
division.
Mr.. Weitman has demonstrated
his flair for showmanship at the
Paramount Theater in New York,
where he was made managing
director in 1885. He had a hand
there in developing a number of
performers who became we'll
known personalities, among them
Frank Sinatra. Danny Kaye, Red
Shelton, Betty Hutton, Tony Mar
tin and Perry Como.
He also inaugurated at the Par
amount the stage band policy
which later became a vogue all
over the country. It was this
which helped start along the road
of success such orchestras as those
of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey,
Eddie Duchin, Woody Herman and
Stan Kenton.
Theoter TV Also
Is in the Future
A hint of the programming
plans of the new broadcaSting
company is contained in the joint
statement on the proposed merger
made by Edward j. Noble, chair
man of the board of ABC, and
Leonard H. Goldenson, president
of United Paramount.
Complete daytime and night
time programs in television on q
scale and of a quality not previ-
ously practicable nor attainable is
in prospect through the new COM
pany." they said. New person
alities and programs will be intro
duced to both radio and television
We feel that radio and television
as a whole, the public as it's Gus
toners and our stockholders as
owners will gain from this new
company, which will compete Wig
orously for public and advertiser
approval and esteem"
Theater television is not al
luded to specifically in the an
nouncement, but it does say that
This combination (of the talents
and facilities of ABC and United
Paramount will be beneficial to
both the theaters and the broad
casting business in developing
new talent and new programming
conceptions"
United Paramount grew out of
the well known Government
ordered enforcement" in the mo-
ton picture business, to separate
large film producing and exhibit
ing corporations. It was formed in
January, 1851, to take over all
theater properties of the former
Paramount Pictures Corp. The
divestiture program, when COM
pleted about March, 1852, con-
templates the ownership of about
900 theaters in all parts Of the
country.
ABC owns radio and television
stations in New York, Chicago,
Detroit. Los Angeles and San
Francisco.
CHS Reody to Buy
Chicago TV Stotion
The merger is subject, of course,
to the approval of the stockholders
of both corporations and of the
Federal Communications Commits.
sion. No obstacle is foreseen, how
ever.
United Paramount will have to
sell WBKB, a television station ii
owns in Chicago through a SUBJ
Sidiary, Balaban g. KatZ, but
this is no problem. CHS, whose
desire to gain television stations
touched off the negotiations which
have resulted in the present
merger plan, will be eager to &C
quire one in Chicago. 1t stands
ready to buy WBKB, subject also
to FEC approval.
The corporation formed by the
merger is to be known as Amer
lean Broadcasting Paramount