The A.C. Nielsen Co. recently
released its report on television
viewing. The results of the report
might be of interest to readers.
According to the Nielsen Co.,
most people watch TV on Sunday
night. (Approximately 108 million
people have viewed the average
prime-time minute on a Sunday).
Thursday, probably on the strength
of NBC’s comedy lineup, has
replaced Monday as the second
most popular night for TV viewing.
Monday night has now moved into
third place.
Overall, women .
watch more TV
than men.
Women, who are
over 55, view
television the
most. Female
teens are the
lightest viewing ha
group. Ment >
usually watch the WYSOCKI
most television on weekends. Sports
programming is therefore geared to
capture this potential male audi-
ence.
In terms of specific time periods,
the 8:30 to 9 p.m. time slot attains
the highest prime-time audience
level, with 10:30 to 11 being the
lowest. The peak months for TV
viewing are November through
March, with viewing levels at their
peak during January and at their
low during July. Ranked at the top
of program genres were adventure
shows. Following closely behind
were feature films, dramatic series,
soap operas, and sitcoms.
More than 98 percent of all house-
holds in the United States have at
least one television set: 97 percent
can tune in signals from four or
more stations, while 43 percent
receive more than 10 television sig-
nals; 50 percent of the nation’s
television households own two or
more TV sets, while 85 percent have
at least one color set.
The Nielsen Company also esti-
mates that the average TV house-
hold watches about six and a half
hours of programming daily. Trans-
lated into individual viewing, each
person watches, on average, more
than three hours of TV each day.
The Nielsen report makes it very
obvious that Americans probably
spend more time using the TV
broadcast media than any other
activity except sleeping and work-
ing.
In any conversation about TV, the
usual gripe is about commercials.
Yet, it is television advertising that
keeps many shows on the air. In
fact, some series are created simply
for the purpose of targeting adver-
tising towrd some particular audi-
ence. Many are unaware that the
FCC limits 9% minutes of commer-
cial time per prime-time hour pro-
gram. Commercials at one time
were 60 seconds in length, but are
now usually 30 seconds. A future
trend might be 15 second commer-
cials.
According to the Television
Bureau of Advertising, in 1984, the
average cost of a 30-second prime-
time TV commercial was $107,500.
The three commercial networks
took in a total of $4.6 billion in
advertising revenues. The biggest
moneymakers were ‘‘Dynasty,’’
“Dallas,” and ‘60 Minutes.”” This
year ‘Dallas’ and ‘60 Minutes’
have fallen behind ‘‘The Cosby
Show” and ‘‘Family Ties.” NBC has
set $220,000 as the price of a
“Family Ties” ad.
Speaking of “The Cosby Show,” it
is not only a hit in the Nielsen
ratings, but also the hottest buy on
Madison Avenue. NBC is getting as
much as $300,000 per 30-second spot,
more than any show on network TV.
THOMAS
PRODUCE STAND
Opposite Natona Mills
Dallas-Harveys Lake Hwy.
CHRISTMAS TREES
BUNDLE OF BRANCHES, ETC.
NORTHERN SPY APPLES
CABBAGE
The publication ‘Advertising
Age” reveals an interesting fact for
“Miami Vice” fans. Last year the
show was able to mount a meager
$70,000 per 30 seconds - the most
inexpensive of any television series.
Now that “Miami Vice’’ has become
a popular program, the price has
increased to $165,000.
Tony gets one
the company spent nearly $130,000,-
000 on TV commercials. Following
closely behind is General Foods, the
nation’s second largest television
Sponsor.
As is evident, favorite TV shows
are certainly raking in the money in
commercial time at rates pre-
viously unheard of in the television
industry.
(Debbey Wysocki is the entertain-
ment writer for The Dallas Post.)
Zarola, of 130 Wallter St.,
A definitive agreement has been
reached between Contel Texocom, a
division of Continental Telecom
Inc., and Commonwealth Telephone
Enterprises, Inc. (CTE) for the
acquisition of the physical assets,
inventory and receivables of Com-
monwealth Communications Supply
- Sterling of Kingston, Pa. This
announcement was made jointly by
Roy Kirkorian, President of Contel
Texocom and William L. Moyer,
Executive Vice President of Com-
monwealth Telephone Enterprises,
Inc.
Commonwealth Communications
Supply-Sterling is a division of the
Communications Group of Common-
wealth Telephone Enterprises, Inc.
of Wilkes-Barre. It will be operated
by Contel Texocom from its head-
quarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Contel
Texocom is a leading distributor of
telecommunications products to
independent telephone companies,
regional Bell operating companies
and the business communications
market.
Mr. Moyer stated, ‘“This agree-
ment will commence a transition
period in which both companies will
cooperate to ensure that customer
needs will be met in an efficient
manner. We are certain that Contel
Texocom will provide a continuation
of our tradition of a strong service-
oriented company.”
“This transaction contributes to
Contel Texocom’s position among
the leading supply houses,” said
Roy Kirkorian, President of Contel
Texocom. ‘“We intend to offer the
customers of Commonwealth Com-
munications Supply-Sterling the per-
sonalized service they have come to
expect, along with Contel Texo-
com’s broader product line, addi-
tional distribution points and on-line
real time order entry system.” The
addition of the facilities of Common-
wealth Communications Supply will
yield Contel Texocom 13 distribution
locations nationwide.
Commonwealth Telephone Enter-
prises, Inc., through its three oper-
ating groups of diversified commu-
nications and high technology
companies, provides telecommuni-
cations, cable television, cellular
mobile services, consulting engi-
neering and informations services
to a broad range of customers.
Dallas Post/Ed Campbell
Firefighters from the Trucksville Volunteer Fire Department
were quick on the season last Monday evening as fire
erupted at the Trucksville Pharmacy. The pharmacy,
however, was spared any serious damage.
AlLI Want for Christmas
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88 South Franklin Street
Wilkes-Barre 825-3457
Hours:
Monday through Saturday
9 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.
Obituaries
FREDERICK MARSH JR.
Frederick S. Marsh Jr., 32, of RD
1, Hunlock Creek, was found dead
December 2 in a wooded section
near Grove Street, Harveys Lake.
Surviving are his parents, Freder-
ick and Dorothy Weber Marsh of
RD 1, Hunlock Creek; a son, Brian,
Harveys Lake; brother, George,
Beaumont; sisters, Miss Darla
Marsh, RD 1, Hunlock Creek; Mrs.
Kathy Ravert, West Wyoming; Miss
Lori and Dody Marsh, both at home.
Funeral
December 5 from the Curtis LI
Swanson Funeral Home, Pikes
Creek, with the Rev. Danny L.
Brubaker, pastor of the Roaring
Brook Baptist Church, and Rev.
Theodore Lorah, of Maple Grove
United Methodist Church, officiat-
ing.
HIRAM NEWELL :
Hiram W. Newell, 86, of RD 1,
Harveys Lake, died December 4 in
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
Surviving are his sons, Ted D.,
Harveys Lake; Richar G., Vernon;
Edward C., Edwardsville; James
C., Harveys Lake; Thomas E.
Evans, Falls; daughters, Mrs. Elea-.
nor Eastwood, Mehoopany; Mrs.
Mary May, Harveys Lake; Mrs.
Joan Ely, Noxen; 21 grandchildren
and seven great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held
December 7 from the Curtis L.
Swanson Funeral Home, Pikes
Creek, with the Rev. Lawrence D.
Reed, pastor of the Emmanuel
Assembly of God Church, Harveys
Lake, officiating.
J. VAN WIRT JOHNSON JR.
J. Van Wirt Johnson Jr., 30, of RD
3, Holland Township, Milford, N.J.,
formerly of Dallas, died last week
following a hunting accident.
Surviving are his mother, Berda
Stout Rittenhouse, Holland Town-
ship; his wife, the former Judith
Oliver; daughter, Courtnay, seven
weeks; brother, Richard S.,
Hoboken, N.J.; sisters, Elizabeth M.
Johnson, Gutenberg, N.J.; Alice S.
Johnson, at home.
Mcintosh, Ida
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118 Main St.
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