Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

8 Mobilization Notes: J. A. (Shine) Milling, RCA Service Co. v.p. on leave, becomes director of NPA Electronics Div. and chairman of DPA’s inter-agency Electronics Production Board as of Feb. 1. Mr. Milling, who has been chief of Electronics Division’s end equipment branch for past year, will succeed Edmund T. Morris Jr., who returns to Westinghouse electronics & X-ray div. in Baltimore. Successor to Mr. Milling in end equipment branch hasn’t been named yet, but he’s expected to be drawn from ranks of electronics industry. Other changes in NPA Electronics Div. personnel: Delmus J. Fagge, acting chief, special components section, leaves NPA Feb. 1 to join Sylvania electron tube div., reporting to Art Milk, govt, relations director, Washington. New chief of special components section will be W. E. Dulin, now heading radio communication equipment section. Latter section will be combined with J. Bernard Joseph’s broadcast & sound equipment section, with Joseph heading combined section. John A. Dennis, of CMP section, this week was named special asst, to the director for expediting, directive & special priorities action. Upto-date directory of key Electronics Div. personnel, including telephone and room numbers, will be feature of Television Factbook No. 1U, in the mails next week. Henry H. Fowler, deputy administrator of NPA, was elevated to administrator this week, succeeding Manly Fleischmann, now giving full time to post of DPA chief. * * * * Electronics industry has expanded its plant facilities by about $275,000,000 since Korea (see p. 6), according to mobilization agency sources. Some 60% of this, or $165,000,000, they estimate, was accomplished with govt, tax aid, the remaining 40% undertaken privately. Major part of expansion won’t be in productive stage until after mid1952. The $165,000,000 undertaken with rapid tax write-off represents 216 projects, with average amortization of 75%. Breakdown: End equipment, 77 certificates of necessity for expansion valued at $90,000,000 (mostly for fire control and related equipment). Tubes (mostly subminiature for VT fuzes and missiles), 51 certificates, $49,000,000. Standard type components, 60 certificates, $23,000,000. Miscellaneous (plugs, sockets, relays, crystals, etc.), 28 certificates, $2,744,000. Figures are as of Dec. 1. New Signal Corps Supply Agency has combined Signal Corps procurement agency and stock control agency, both in Philadelphia. Headed by Col. W. Preston Corderman, it will also take over regional procurement offices. * * * * Order limiting weight of magnets used in loudspeakers is being considered by NPA to conserve dwindling civilian supplies of nickel and cobalt. Speaker manufacturers, meeting with NPA Jan. 8, were divided on best methods of achieving conservation. Faced with sharp reduction in nickel supply as jet plane program expands (see p. 6), some manufacturers suggested maximum weight of .68 oz. be standardized for Alnico permanent magnets used with 9/16-in. voice coil. Speaker makers reported magnet inventories about normal, considering longer lead times imposed by magnet producers. TV-x-adio manufactui’ers and parts distributors have ireduced their loudspeaker inventories to normal levels, they said. These speaker manufacturers attended: George Cromartie Jr., Best Mfg. Co., Irvington, N. J.; Goi-don Carbonneau, Cai'bonneau Industries, Grand Rapids; Austin Elmore, Crescent Industries, Chicago; Matt Little, QuamNichols, Chicago; Stuart W. Bell, Quincy Mfg. Co., Quincy, 111.; A. I. Abrams, Racon Electric Co., N. Y.; Laurence A. King, Rola Co., Cleveland; Richaxd Wilder, Wilder Mfg. Co., Herrin, 111.; J. D. Zimmerman, Wx'ight-Zimmeiman Co., New Brighton, Minn. “Test pilot” FM promotion campaign plans (Vol. 7:46, 50, 52) were finally mapped at Jan. 10 Milwaukee meeting of broadcasters-set distributors who heard report on Wisconsin’s plans for project sponsored by NARTB & RTMA. Kenneth Schmitt, NARTB’s Wisconsin FM promotion chairman, said broadcasters will schedule special programs, will air minimum of 10 “spots” per day; will furnish dealers with pi’omotion material and place stories in newspapers. Zenith’s Don Whiting pi’eviewed displays, brochures, FM commercials which manufacturers prepared for campaign. Hour-long program from Madison will kick off state project Feb. 4. Test campaigns are also scheduled to begin in North Carolina Jan. 21, in District of Columbia March 1. Washington meeting Jan. 18 at NARTB will discuss plans for D. C. drive. Westinghouse’s plan to sell “tele-theatres” to amusement parks, pools, etc. (Vol. 7:52) will be presented to distributors’ meeting Jan. 14 in New York, thereafter in Chicago, Philadelphia and Charlotte, N. C. “Merchandising package” includes structure with canvas roof and weatherproof sides to enclose audience, which would be sold to pai'k owner who then would rent space to dealer for 24-in. Westinghouse set. Deliveries are expected by May 1. Appeal to park owners is fact that “tele-theatres” would draw parents, who could rest and watch favorite progi-ams while kids cavort. November excise tax collections on TVs, radios, components, phonographs, etc., totaled $12,732,216, up from $7,611,859 in October, more than double the $5,359,959 for Nov. 1950. On phono records, Uncle Sam collected $1,419,846 in November vs. $1,018,711 in October and $696,678 in Nov. 1950. Excises on refrigerators, air conditioners, etc., rose to $5,185,582 in November from $4,338,270 in October, vs. $7,278,608 in Nov. 1950. * * * * Most comprehensive text in TV technical field to date is newly published 721-page Television Engineering by Donald G. Fink, editor of Electronics Magazine. Taking advantage of his highly active participation on innumerable industry TV committees and panels, Fink buttresses exposition of present-day TV practices with full description of evolution. Book is divided into 11 major parts, including 2 up-to-date sections on color, features exercises for students at end of each section. Publisher is McGrawHill Book Co., 330 W. 42nd St., New York ($8.50). Unusual uhf promotion by a tunermaker is Malloi-y’s full-page ad in Jan. 14 Time Magazine. Headline poses question: “What will uhf do to your television set?” Answer: “More TV stations . . . wider program selection . . . better entertainment.” Ad goes on to promote fact Malloi-y has continuous tuner, using “Inductuner,” attachable to existing set “in a matter of minutes . . . without inside-the-set changes.” * * * * Electronic food dispenser, able to thaw and heat complete frozen dinner in 70 seconds, was visualized by GE engineer T. P. Curtis in Jan. 9 talk to Dayton AIEE section. Mass production of magnetron, heai’t of dispenser, may make possible, he said, for one to “stop at the corner drugstore . . . drop a few coins in a slot, and one minute later lift out a dinixer plate on which is a steaming hot dinner of meat, potatoes and vegetables.” Noting new tape duplication machine developed by L. S. Toogood Recording Co. and Rawdon Smith Associates to make 9 half-hour copies in 11 minutes (Vol. 7:52), Audio-Video Recording Co., 730 Fifth Ave., New Yoi’k, reports it has machine which duplicates 5 one-hour reels in 4 minutes. Company says device was developed in conjunction with Ampex Electric Corp., has been in seiwic-e for some time.