Radio today (Apr-Dec 1939)

©C1B 41158: APR 21 19; RADIO TODAY ^nrw V ^wTIFW m^^wWw WUWwWW WVW*WWV¥ # "Experimental television service to the public" — as defined by RMA — begins in the New York area this month. Its coming brings two distinct sets of problems to the radio trade — one set for dealers in television areas; another lot of problems for the larger part of the trade beyond television transmissions. Most radio dealers inside the limited television areas see in television a stimulating new business opportunity for expanding sales of larger units, under the glamour of intense public interest. Yet even here, a note of caution is sounded in Radio Today's survey of the plans of metropolitan merchandisers which appears on following pages. TELEVISIONLESS TERRITORIES But to the three-quarters of our radio dealers who will be without television broadcasting for some time to come, television talk in the newspapers and popular magazines, is bringing an immediate hazard to radio-set sales. People will want to "wait." Then it will be the dealer's job to urge such buyers not to hold off getting a radio, but to enjoy the good things that are on the present broadcast channels. To show the customer that a good radio is still as good an investment in home entertainment as it ever was. It will require skill and convincing argument to point out the limitations of television transmission. In televisionless Omaha one dealer has even bought a television set for his salesroom to clinch this point. When customers start talking about "waiting for television," he leads them to this dark and silent television set. "There you see, we have a set — but try it for yourself," says the salesman. "Well, if that's all it will do," concludes the customer after a minute's fiddling with dials, "I guess you'd better show me a nice radio console." That incident sounds the keynote: In areas without television, radio sales must still go on! KNOW THE FULL FACTS Yet, even radio dealers and distributors in televisionless territories will want to inform themselves all about the new art. For that reason they will find especially valuable the pages that follow, showing the new television sets, the television channels, and plans for selling and servicing television receivers. Eventually, these problems of television service will be theirs also. But how soon, nobody knows. Radio Today believes that television eventually will be a nationwide service, and that, as in the case of present broadcasting, the way will be found to make television economically sound for all involved — television broadcasters, manufacturers, distributors and dealers. "RADIO BUSINESS AS USUAL" But at the moment, the press, manufacturers, and distributors have a double duty: 1. In the television areas, to push the "public-television" experiment to a sound conclusion enlisting the widest possible purchases of televisors, in order to test television on an adequate scale. 2. In televisionless areas (which still far outnumber video areas) all hands must cooperate in telling the truth to public and trade, and push regular radio sales to the limit! Future articles in these columns will tell results of aggressive selling of radio in the face of television. Radio Today proposes to keep radio sales going ahead full steam, also. "Radio business as usual." Television is coming. But radio is here to stay ! It is in such terms that we mean: "Let's sell television right." EDITOR, Orestes H. Caldwell; PUBLISHER, M. Clements; MANAGING EDITOR, Vinton K. Ulrich; STAFF, Darrell Bartee, N. McAllister, G. H. Mayorga, M. H. Newton, R. A. Neubauer, B. V. Spinetta ; SALES MANAGER, M. E. Herring; R. Y. Fitzpatrick, 201 N. Wells St., Chicago, 111.; CALDWELL-CLEMENTS, INC., 480 Lexington Ave., NEW YORK, N. Y. Telephone PLaza 3-1340. Vol. V, No. 4. Copyright, 1939. Member Audit Bureau Circulations April, 1939