May 2013 28 L.A. Screenings’ History (Continued on Page 30) Coincidentally, and unbeknownst to each other, MIP-TV was also born in 1963 in France, a market that would always be entwined with the Screenings. Canadians decided to screen the U.S. TV networks’ new fare after privately owned CTV came into the picture in 1961. Up until then, public network CBC was the only game in town and, usually, distributors like David McLaughlin went to them and not the other way around. In 1960, McLaughlin was recruited from All Canada Radio & Television to head Warner Bros. TV Distribution’s Toronto office in anticipation of a local syndication business. In addition to its network executives, CTV went to L.A. with its affiliate stations, and a total of about 10 people were housed at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Both CBC and CTV stayed in L.A. for up to 10 days. Norman Horowitz, at that time with Screen Gem (Columbia), recalled that among the Canadians there was also a buyer from CHCH, an independent TV station serving Toronto from Hamilton, which had previously served as a CBC affiliate. Philip (Pip)Wedge, at CTV in 1965, remembered that ITO was also competing for programming with CTV. ITO was an association formed by CTV affiliates to buy additional programming outside was a major national event, marking the end of summer. The fall debut of new season programs helped to create the Upfronts in New York City by requiring advertiser commitments by the spring. Therefore the pilots had to be produced in L.A. by February. Recalled Jim Rosenfield, “When I joined CBS in 1965, CBS’s Upfront was Washington’s birthday [holiday] on February 22, and that continued for [13] years, before moving to May with much more elaborate presentations plus parties.” Aswaspreviouslymentioned, theLatins entered the Screenings in 1964 when Michael J. Solomon —who had just joined MCA (now NBCUniversal) from the Lima, Peru, office of United Artists — approached Jack Singer in New York City. Singer was responsible for programming the many TV stations that ABC owned overseas and reported to Don Coyle, president of ABC International. Solomon asked Singer if he could invite to the MCA studios in Los Angeles the managers of the 10 or so TV stations that ABC owned in Latin America to screen and buy on the spot the new shows that MCA was producing mainly for ABC, but also for other U.S. TV networks. Solomon recalled, “About 20 TV executives from Latin America went to Los Angeles just to screen MCA product. They paid their own way and stayed in L.A. for just three days. Only a year or so later, the other studios began inviting the Latins to screen their new product as well.” the network from the Americans, starting in 1962. The network lamented this situation and ITO was asked to refrain from bidding for new shows. Currently, Wedge is president of the Torontobased Canadian Communications Foundation, and he’s researching the early days of the L.A. Screenings. According to David McLaughlin, Canadians screened new pilots from all of the studios and some independent producers. “They went wherever there was a new show to be screened. That’s why they stayed for so many days,” he said. However, Horowitz recalled, “My boss would not allow me to screen until the networks had said yes or no. What mattered at that moment were the Canadians only. Nobody at the studios cared about international television early on. Nobody at the studios cared about the Upfronts. It was an individual studio-by-studio decision regarding when to screen.” The Screenings were a byproduct of another development in the U.S. TV industry. In 1962, ABC — then the weakest network — came up with the idea of premiering all of its programs in a single week following the Labor Day holiday (the first Monday in September). CBS and NBC followed suit and by the mid ’60s, the new TV season Latin American buyers in March 1968 at the MCA Studio lot The tradition of inviting TV stars to mingle with the L.A. Screenings buyers started in 1980 when Metromedia hosted an after-screening party on the rooftop terrace of KTTV-TV. Pictured during the 1980 cocktail is Metromedia’s former executive Susan Bender (l.) with her assistant, Karen Marino From late March to early April 1976, Ziv Int’l screened at the Century Plaza for Canadians and Latin Americans. From l. to. r: Irv Holender, Jonathan Winters, Joe Rizzo, unknown, Sid Kuller In 1972, MCA welcomed buyers from Latin America and Japan. Michael J. Solomon is fourth from the right (Continued from Cover)
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