Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1955-08-24

than any show since Milton
Berle first hit televiSion.
:, Although the $4,000 Question
reapcd the usual advance publ
city. no one could have predict
ed that its rise to the top of the
rating lists would be so phe-
nomenal. The program wa:
launched June 7. Within foul
weeks it had zoomed to No. ]
spot in the TrendeX lineup with
4 23.l rating. A week later, on
the night Mrs. Kretizer decided
to take home her $4,000 Win
nings, the rating almost doubled
at i3. Even more striking was
the fact that 79.4 percent of all
TV sets in use that night were
tuned to The $4,000 Question.
No show in his company'S his
tory, says a TrendeX spokesman,
has done so well in the summer
Numerous TV GUIDE readers
have written to ask how the
sponsor can afford 10 give away
all that money. Actually. even
with the jackpot prizes. the pro-
gram is not expensive in terms
of current TV budgets.
While producer Louis C. Cow
an declines to reveal the shows
cast, the best trade estimate
puts il At about $4,000 a week
exclusive of network charges)
That includes the salary paid
emcee Hal March, the orchestra
camera crew and stagehandS
sets, props and incidentals. L.
the first six weeks some $4,000
was awarded in prizes at ar
average Of Sl0,833 a week. Even
adding that TO the shows bud.
get, the total would be only a.
bout S25,833. And in terms q
the millions of viewers who SCI
the sponsors commercials each
week, the cost of the program i!
almost unbclicvably low.
Other Top 10 shows COS. muci
more. Last seasons Jackie Glea-
son Show cost $500 and the
Milton Berle and Disneyland
shows were 100000 a week each
The Jack Benny Show, a half
hour program like The 1000
Question, cost S42, 900. Crouch
Marks IS $4,000: George Co
bells is $4,000 and Arthur God
frey'S Ttalcnt Scouts is about
100000. Among the panel quiz
shows. I've Got \ Secret cost
S22,50O and What's My Line a.
bout SeT.'OD All these figures
exclude network charges. Ths
sponsor of the S64.OUO Question
is the first to admit lat he ha.
a good buy" \ new rroduc,
introduced ON the show the sec
ond week had bcCor.n the con-
pany's best seller within nv,
weeks.
Why has the show caught O..
so fast? Accor5.ug % produce.
. Cowan, its bcy.u.. What D.
happening IN from. T.. t'a fuiI.
cncC IS rCal-!i's .r H. T.,
compared II 10 W.. ing q r.!..-
ball tcIccast. whcr, the audi nc.
doesn't know the 1919 ..g ',.
until the final on, D.. ~. 81,
Even in our Office .nrrr v..
almost a $3.50 spill, opinion or
whether Mrs. Kroltzcr woulu q,
ahead ne said.
The sponsors advertising a.
gency believes it is "cmpatr,'
that has made the show a sue.
cess. An emotional quality thai
brings viewers into the .Fcw
and makes them more than Us,
on-lookeds. All that may be true
of course; but don't forget ire
prizes. Where else can a TV con.
tcstant win $4,000?
Actually, what with the =,
DIT a contestant must DE a yer,
confident-and a very rockies
person to try for the $1,000
There have been rumors thu
the show may be revised afte
the first 26 weeks to take car,
OF this problem. Cowan, how
eyed, denies it. Meanwhil.
March, master of ceremonies. i
quoted as saying he is convince
mat no one will take a crac
at the jackpot.
Cowan, a veteran independe,r
packaber of radio and TV shov.
tStop the Music and JuneniI
jury dreamed this one up wliI
vacationing in the West Tadle
last February. He sold il 20
sponsor a week after he return
ed to New York. Originally. i
was to have a lot of gimmick
and gags but immediately tool
"a turn 10 the serious side.
. How can the average person
get a crack at all the loot? Writ
a letter to the SEA 900 Oucy
ton. CHS. 465 Madison Avcnu,
New York %. n. y.
The letter should include a
much personal information abou
yourself as poSsible-thc type OF
work you do. the books Won hay,