ran ▁status , ▁and ▁the ▁show ' s ▁ratings ▁began ▁to ▁decl ine . ▁ ▁To ▁make ▁matters ▁worse , ▁W N BC - TV ' s ▁own ▁ratings ▁pl ung ed ▁to ▁last ▁place ▁among ▁the ▁city ' s ▁network ▁O & O ' s ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁drag ging ▁Movie ▁ 4 ▁down ▁with ▁it . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁despite ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁prom ot ional ▁advert is ements ▁for ▁Movie ▁ 4 ▁published ▁in ▁TV ▁Guide ▁and ▁the ▁Daily ▁News ▁with ▁illustr ations ▁by ▁Robert ▁G ross man , ▁and ▁later ▁car ic atures ▁of ▁individual ▁films ' ▁stars ▁by ▁Al ▁Hir sch feld , ▁as ▁run ▁during ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁addition , ▁in ▁the ▁show ' s ▁final ▁years ▁W N BC ' s ▁invent ory ▁of ▁films ▁was ▁becoming ▁alarm ingly ▁low , ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁loss ▁of ▁rights ▁to ▁mov ies ▁that ▁w ound ▁up ▁on ▁W C BS - TV , ▁W NEW - TV , ▁W OR - TV ▁and , ▁iron ically ▁enough , ▁W ABC - TV . ▁ ▁The ▁can cellation ▁of ▁Movie ▁ 4 ▁was ▁announced ▁by ▁W N BC - TV ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁plans ▁for ▁an ▁expanded ▁two - hour ▁new sc ast ▁that ▁would ▁debut ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁as ▁News Center 4 . ▁ ▁The