Video Age International October 2016

40 October 2016 V I D E O A G E Int’ l TV Distribut ion Hal l of Fame Bill Baker further recalled: “I got to know him when I was program director of WEWS in Cleveland and he’d come selling his programs with great flair and style. He’d pull up to the front door of the station and tell the cabbie to ‘keep the meter running’ and tear in with his presentation. After a few hours the driver thought he had stood him up, but Sandy slipped him some money and said to wait. Usually the cab was there for five or six hours! We never knew what those meter bills were, but for us in Cleveland it was like something not to be believed. “He had his hard and crazy side, but a loving one as well. When I moved to New York as president of Westinghouse Television he was very concerned that our children be safe and cared for. “Of course, he was a tireless and aggressive negotiator, but, in fact, he did have some really fine programs that we often wanted. But for me his greatest contribution to the business was his use of rather sophisticated research. No syndicator spent the time or money to really analyze and predict viewing behavior. Sandy was a real pioneer in that science and may have made his biggest contribution there,” Baker said. Steve Leblang of Sony Pictures Television recalled a similar experience: “One ofmy first jobs was in the programming advisory department of the MMT rep firm. Over time, I developed a list of contacts at program suppliers that I could readily reach out to for quick updates as needed. Sandy was at that point the more established, and the more intimidating of the folks I was dealing with. “When I connectedwith other sales executives in tracking down clearances, few would give me any more than a minute or two of their time, believing that I was of little influence to my clients. Not so with Sandy. Everymarket I would ask about would be covered in detail. He knew which time periods were underperforming, he knewwhat competitive shows were already sold and where they would most likely play — in short, he made me believe he knew the market better than I did. After every call, within a couple of hours of it there would be a follow up note dispatched via messenger to my attention, with the points he made. “Years later, I learned that a great deal of what Sandy represented in our conversations was not always fully true — ratings stories were positioned in their best possible light for his shows and in the least favorable manner for competitors. Sandy was (and is) hardly alone among program distributors with such degrees of honesty. The point was, he made me believe he was accurate, and went out of his way to curry favor with someone who most of his competitors wouldn’t otherwise waste their time on. He taught me early on the value of thinking quickly, approaching every opportunity to engage, educate and earn trust with a client, and to be persistent in making your point.” From early on, Frank was known to be health conscious and a germophobe, always traveling with lots of medicine. He would send employees home if they sneezed in his presence. Naturally, tobacco smoking was anathema to him. Recalled John Ranck: “I had a meeting with the always punctual Rocky Gluck. When I arrived his secretary came out rolling her eyes, saying ‘Sandy is in there.’ After 15 minutes, I told her I was leaving, but [suddenly] Sandy came out all agitated. When I went in, Rocky was there with a big grin. He apologized [for the delay] and pulled out of a drawer a big Cuban cigar. As I loved them, I thought it was a gift. No, the cigar was always in his drawer to use to clear the room of Sandy when he overstayed. Indeed, he immediately raced out of the office when the cigar appeared.” This writer remembers Frank when in 1979 he introduced at MIP-TV Battle of the Planet , a Japanese animated series he acquired a year earlier,whichhelpedtolaunchJapaneseanimation worldwide. Frank’s association with Japanese programs landed him in the comedy series Mystery Science Theater in 1988, which spoofed some of the Japanese movies Frank acquired for international distribution. One of the series highlights was also a tune called “The Sandy Frank Song.” Also memorable were his press tours to the Sainte-Famille, an orphanage just on the outskirts west of Cannes, during MIP-TV. He would bus the press, suppliers and clients to the orphanage to witness donations of up to $25,000 followed by receptions. Since Frank was a major trade advertiser, all publications were represented. Even though at that time it was thought of as a press stunt, his dedication was real and continued (quietly) for 25 years. Thedonation,which started in 1976 (Frank’s first MIP-TV), as a way to attract attention, culminated in 2000with a gala at the CarltonHotel. Previously he would organize gala receptions in the presence of the orphanage’s president Yvonne Vallé, the former wife of Maurice Chevalier. Frank stopped donating soon after Vallé died and because, he said, “with the loss of Vallé the institution turned into a drug rehabilitation center for young adults (instead of orphaned children between the age of four and 10), and I didn’t want to do anything associated with drugs.” Frank’s generosity was as well known as his eccentricities. He would lend money to friends in need. He would call friends who were not feeling well to offer medical advice, and at times, even make their doctors’ appointments. Frank’s most recent MIPCOM was in 2015. Nowadays, he spendsmost of his time in Sarasota, Florida, but makes regular visits to his New York City office. He lives inFlorida, nearhis 29-year-olddaughter and only child, Alexandra, who resides with her mother, Frank’s former wife Susan Chandler. Frank was married before, but that first marriage lasted “six months, while with Susan we are still good friends. She’s a great lady,” he concluded. (Continued from Page 38) Sandy Frank and former wife Susan Chandler Sandy Frank with Egyptian prime minister Anwar Sadat One of Frank’s early pilgrimages to the Sainte-Famille orphanage