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In New York my friend Alan
Silverbach - who had given me my first
international TV appointment with
responsibility for New Zealand as well
as Australia - was made head of
International Television. In November
1967 Alan and his assistant Herb
Lazarus visited Australia and I took
them around all States to meet TV
clients.
Over a few days negotiation I was
appointed TV Far Eastern Supervisor,
with responsibility for Australia, New Fox Sales Conference 1957. Peter Broome is extreme left. Bill Gray (front row, right) will
Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, become General Manager and Peter his assistant.
Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the
Philippines. With great regret I During lunch Sir Frank made an We returned to the table and I
relinquished my Australian theatrical offer for third runs of the enormously addressed Sir Frank.
duties. successful Peyton Place, all 514 I pointed out to that it should be
episodes. Alan was ready to accept the
There is a big difference between obvious that you cannot buy third runs
offer, but Herb Lazarus to kicked him
film distribution and television. With before second runs. “Of course, I meant
under the table and suggested that the
film, a contract retains certain rights for that too” - a reply which cost him an
three of us adjourn to the men’s room.
the distributor: things like which theatre additional $US one million.
in which city, what budget for Herb thought the offer too low. Alan When Peyton Place was cancelled
exploitation and advertising and the asked me if I was ever certain about the unexpectedly by it’s U.S. network,
release date. In TV one does the deal sale of third runs? producer Paul Monash was so incensed
and runs laughing to the bank. The previous arrangement had that he refused to make a concluding
There are similarities too. Just as a included one first-run per episode and episode, and 28 storylines went
plane taking off with an empty seat is fifty percent repeats. I pointed out that unresolved. He then went out and made
an opportunity lost for additional as yet not all episodes had been a little film called Butch Cassidy And
revenue, so vacant seats in a cinema or contracted for two runs, let alone three. The Sundance Kid.
a TV program sent to air with “Peter, you bring it up with Sir Frank”,
advertising space still available, will said Alan.
never regain lost income. Each is an
ephemeral commodity.
Of the thousand stories to be told
about life in television I must confine
myself to just a few.
Due to the Fox and Hoyts
shareholding in TCN 9 Sydney it
seemed logical that they would have
some priority in our offerings, so much
of my early TV experience relates to
the Packer family.
I did business with Sir Frank in his
old fashioned Park Street office with its
roll-top desk and a round table
containing a globe of the world.
After resolution of the big stand-off
between USA producers and Australian
networks, Alan Silverbach visited, and
at a Sunday evening meeting at
Sydney’s Wentworth Hotel, with Clyde
Packer and Bruce Gyngell, we agreed
that Network Nine had ‘right of first
refusal’.
The following day we were bidden
to lunch in the boardroom of Australian
Consolidated Press with Sir Frank
Packer. He knew that all Americans
drank martinis so there was always a
compulsory jug to be consumed before
Paul Newman and Robert Redford immortalised as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
one sat at table.
(1969)
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