Show Cable faces scenes dilemma of advertising By PETER J BOYER AP Television Writer As cable television luxuriates in the glow of its own promise just broaching fulfillment the two major pay cable networks confront a dilemma that comes with their phenomenal success: What to do about advertising? Pay cable for clarification is the entertainment and movie service some cable systems provide at a fee to their subscribers It was the spark that led to the cable boom and is still clearly the element that attracts most viewers to cable cable supplements The many satellite-delivere- d — the the network the network — to are offered subscribers “superstation” etc without cost They exist in part because pay cable created a market They make money by selling advertisements But Madison Avenue drools over the prospect of getting to pay cable especially the two big networks — Home Box Office and Showtime Those two pay networks are eating into the commercial networks’ audiences wherever they compete and are therefore eating into advertisers’ major market Also pay cable tends to be located in “upscale” homes a valuable advertising target The dilemma: Showtime and Home Box Office would love to take advertising but they don’t think their subscribers would let them get away with it Pay cable is founded on three postulates — no interruptions no cutting and no commercials “It would be very difficult for the likes of Home Box Office and Showtime to sell their service on the basis of no commercials then make the switch” says John J Sie senior vice president for marketing for Showtime “Once you have that large encumbent base even if you want to do it can you? “In this day of consumer awareness and consumer action it would be a very difficult transition all-ne- all-spor- ts TV listings All of this week’s TV listings with a separate daytime section Close-u- p feature ine nsn are always biting at Jay’ Trout Farm in North Ogden 8 Real Puzzle Can you make heads or tails of this twisted tale? Gardening You’ve raked hoed and weeded now when do you harvest? At the movies ‘Bustin’ Loose’ shows Richard Pryor’s versatility as an actor Mulligan Stew Mulligan browses through the bear facts about grizzlies this a face only a child could love? One of the clowns who entertained the hundreds of children — and adults — attending the Shrine Circus in Ogden Stadium recently poses for a portrait Is 2 Close-u- p Sunday July 12 1981 Comments suggestions and contributions are appreciated Write Don Rosebrock Close-uEditor do Ogden Standard-Examine- r p |