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Show a 'Pingola' as practiced by TV .:, ,;(.Y fl I)) lielA 9 ki 114 er,,,,0 ,Akae.... 4.74144,:,,,,, N,,p,i, 0, .4e,, ,,,,- - ,. -- , . ,,,, , , ft - , , ,...;, ,, 40,11, , , ;f , ;;;,,,, .,0fr, ,, 7 '41' fr, :: ' tr , ... ...:,',..,(. , ,4, v., ., ,, k; ' 41 .,.,.,,,,,. - 7.- .' , '':.?;';.';:', ;;'';,' ,,. ' ' 1 ,,': ,' ' y'fz ','V''3.. 4X'? 0'. -- '.'.. .. .; .) : .., : : . z , 4 ;e : , " , .. ..."!.:!::::,;.:4,... ;;;";:Y .: ..; ;', l ,: I . 1 , ... : , I V I VAN isan Together!' hopping happy to be spending hisevenings with g a variety half-hou- r together. Between them, good series (produced in Orem at the Osmond at 7 p.m. for the next three weeks on MIX. cs for instance, Walters "profiled" Barbra Streisand in what turned out to be a plug for "A Star Is Born," which was premiering at movie theaters a few weeks later. Furthermore, Walters allowed Streisand to edit the interview to her liking. Such ideological prostitution is inexcusable for somebody who calls herself "a serious journalist." What a laugh. And the situation is getting worse. Armed with the knowledge that TV often is perfectly willing to sell e out its integrity for a few bucks and a guest 'shot, the major movie studios have developed a new tool that transforms entire programs into camouflaged commercials. Some examples: "Disco Fever," a one-hosyndicated special that recently aired on 75 stations, was a poorly disguised ad for the movie "Saturday Night Fever." Paramount Studios, which produced the movie, also produced the special. Stations received the program for free. Paramount later staged a similar one-hocommercial for "American Hot Wax." Future "plugola" specials are planned for such upcoming movies as "Grease" and "FM." Dinah Shore frequently devotes her full program to "plugola" for new movies. In a few weeks, for instance, she'll fly to Chicago to tape a show with the stars of "A Wedding," the Robert Altman film that was recently shot in the area. Dinah & Co. will get a few bucks, an trip to d Chicago, and a program. In return, the producers of "A Wedding" will get a commercial. ur I I good-o)d-bo- y civic-minde- fill Sears 1 I SAVE '30 Sears 95 Tru-ea- r Behind-the-E- ar Hearing Aid $B4O10 Regular 8229 j 4 1976, big-nam- ,:,,, ' ' ?4 , .'.:: "t (;) A' ,.: ' ',.:','". z BUT MAYBE IT'S time for a grass-root- s uprising against one particular aspect of TV's advertising-oriente- d mentality. For want of a better phrase, let's call it "the plugola plague." For years, free plugs have been a vital part of TV's economy. A big star pops up on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" to plug his latest movie or TV special. An author appears on "The Today show" to sell his new book. Politicians ranging from Henry Kissinger to Spiro Agnew consent to interviews if they're allowed to spout their propaganda with no threat of tough questioning. Barbara Walters, ABC's globetrotting correspondent and inspector of celebrities' bathrooms, is the most disgusting example of an alleged reporter with her interview subjects. playing patty-cak- e Whether she's talking to Anwar Sadat or Redd Foxx, Walters makes sure her subject comes off in a flattering light. IN NOVEMBER, 1,, ', z ;;::!::::;:::;:;,;;; Net, '' , - :, , , ';' Z o yi . 4 ge0 ,71t, .'11, , s :;;!:;. A ';',: eS. 4 ''''zl;P4' ;''',';'.., . ,O'' w,,,,'' : , ,,,V ;.,' ::..::.i.f;;' .'",t , N . , .' ? ... :,, , i,t;,7 ,'; ';;,..0,Y4;e; . ',4, ;.;e4XA: ;';''' 1 ' - v,,, . 4';' z,'z..,. , ": ,t , ' : ' ',' ' ''',''' ' i '', , , - 1, ; ,,;, ,::: ,,-,- , ' :., ,,;::.. . ,r ,;, ,,,,,,,,:-,-,,,,4, 4 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,;,,,, .. - ; --- ,,:,,,,, , ,A , ,, . 5 ,,,,,..,, :, , 4,,,5:.,,,,, ,:: ; , .,,py ,,,,i,7. ;,:?.1::, :,.5,,,,,.. , 1: iteo ,,,-.- ,,,,, ,,, , N ,., - ,,- . .,,,,,, , tie-in- low-rate- ,,,,,,-;,.- , ., It's no secret that television, as practiced in America, is basically neither an information medium nor an entertainment medium. It's an advertising medium. Since the when the accountants with the minds began replacing the creative showmen who had pioneered the new industry, TV has dedicated itself to gathering the largest possible audience for the commercials that pepper the good, the bad, and the ugly programs. And while many of us despise the way the networks slavishly cower at the Nielsen altar, we pretty much accept it as a fact of life. That's why we don't scream and stamp our feet too much when a classy but d program, such as "James at 16," gets canceled. We realize that under 'rV's commercialistic value system, if the audience consistently falls far short of expectations, the program disappears, period. gray-flann- , , ;,., ,, Gary Deeb mid-1950- - , . Chicago Tribune Writer , " .;;. 1 . . included the phony story on their nightly newscasts. A couple of months ago the movie "Midway" ended about seven minutes early on NBC. So Universal, the studio that produced "Midway," gave the network a free featurette to fill the hole. The featurette supposedly demonstrated underwater rescue equipment. IN REALITY, IT was outright "plugola" for "Gray Lady Down," a new Universal film starring Charlton Heston. The most infuriating thing about this glut of incest between the movie and television industries is that the Federal Communications Commission refused to do anything about it. Meanwhile, similar s between radio stations and record companies have been justifiably outlawed by the FCC since the "payola" scandal 20 years ago. The FCC, of course, is hardly a public-spirite- d agency. Since its creation, it has given the wink to the most outrageous atrocities by broadcasters. In fact the radio "payola" scandal developed largely by accident. Now, however, Charlie Ferris, the new FCC d mood chairman, says it's time for a new at the FCC. Combatting the "Plugola plague wouldn't be a bad place to begin. Your hearing problem may possibly be helped hearing aid. It's compact in by this efficient size, fits snugly in the ear, offers a long battery life making it economical to operate. Come into Sears for a demonstration while its on sale thru April 29th. 8095 , complete, personalized service. Come in today for a free demonstration. ..1.1:mtii, , SAVE 20 to Sears Hearing Aid Batteries Regular $1.79 3 3. 7. to $3.99 143.319 coast-to-coa- BESIDES THE OVERWHELMING abundance already noted, viewers are getting subliminally buttonholed in other ways. When Paramount executive wanted some easy publicity for "The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training," they staged a ball game between the child stars of the movie and the youthful cast of the Broadway musical "Annie." The encounter was "human-interefeature" packaged as a and distributed free to local stations. More than 100 , Hearing Aid Department: Closed Sunday and Thursday Open Monday, Tuesilay, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 9:30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. star-studde- of "plugola" i Mike Lloyd provides cf; Sears batteries to fit all brands and models are on sale thni April 22nd. Hearing Aids at a Price You Can Afford ... Backed by a Company You Can Trust. 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