Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-10-19
On the Air

| around here, it's a beaut. Man,
dig those crazy sharp horns.
This space was about to be used
to hail the return of Martin
Agronsky'S "At Issue" and then
suddenly there was this dilemma
sitting on the desk.
Mr.. Agronsky, as you undoubt-
eddy know, conducted a most
provocative and Illuminating dis
cussion program on ABC-TV on
Sunday nights at 8 during the
summer months. Then came
autumn and he followed in the
footsteps of a fellow Peabody
award-winner.
Mr.. Agronsky won his Peabody
award this year for "outStand-
ing news coverage during 1882"
The earlier winner is Eric Sew
areid, who in one season won q
Peabody citation and lost a lu-
crative early evening newScast.
Now Mr.. Agronsky joined the
club as "At Issue" was dropped
from the ABC-TV program
schedule
Walter Winchell's sponsor ap-
parently wanted that Sunday
at-9 pm. time slot. Since Mr..
Agronsky's lat Issue" was sus-
tanning, he was replaced by
Winchell, which may not have
undermined television but was a
blow at its foundations.
There were some pretty dark
thoughts about a network which
would replace Martin AgronSky
with Walter Winchell, you can
be sure. So it was good to get
the news that "At Issue" is be-
ing returned by ABC-TV and
will be seen on Wednesday nights
at 8.
There is this dilemma, how
ever. There is a program called
Commissioners Report" on
WMAL-TV on Wednesday nights
at 8. Not Boston Blackie," not
female wreStlers, not. George
Jessel. Commissioners Report"
That puts a TV columnist in
a fine spot. He can advise the
replacement of any number of
shows with such a worthwhile
one as Mr.. Agronsky's AT Issue.
He could belabor a TV stations
management for succumbing to
Grass commercialiSm to such an
extent that a network program
of merit could not be seen.
But no TV columnist in his
right mind (Which usually is
none too right, come to think of
it, would suggest that something
else be put on the air in place
of a public service program called
Commissioners Report" Perish
the suicidal thought!
+
A couple of solutions come to
mind, but neither seems very
practical. One is suggested by
that circumstance which sees
Edward r. Murrow's CBS-TV
Person to Person" on WMAL-
TV in Washington. Maybe
WTOP-TV could be talked into
dropping the first Is minutes Of
Arthur Godfrey and His
Friends" to bring us Mr.. Agron-
sky.
No? Well, the "Dragnet" theme
song made the Hit Parade"
didn't it? You never know what
might happen.
The other thought is that the
Peabody Awards Committee
might. in the interests of the
general welfare, steel itself and
give an award of some sort to
Walter WinchelL. The jinx might
work a third time, making that
Sunday-at-9 spot available to
Mr. AgronSky.
OF course that exclusive club,
of which Agronsky and Sevareid
are the sole members, would be-
come less exclusive. but they
ought to be willing to make the
sacrifice.
\ = =
AGAIN AND AGAIN - That
term residual rights" never
meant much to the televiewers
until this past summer. Then
the owners of the telef1lm series
began to cash in on them. ReSid-
ual rights mean you get paid
again and again as the films are
run again and again. If Ralph
Bellamy. for instance, has a
residual rights clause in his
contract. he's doing all right.
Man Against Crime" is avail
able twice a week now to New