Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

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11 and difficult but all major obstacles have been overcome, and we now know that uhf TV is entirely practicable. "Although probably not more than 6 or 8 uhf stations will begin commercial operation before the end of 1952, we can look forward to an ultimate uhf service of over 1500 stations. These, combined with an expanded vhf service, mean eventually 50,000,000 TV receivers in American homes." % % % >;< TV set output for week ending Jan. 18 went up to 105,675 (only 133 private label) from 102,684 & 69,198 of preceding 2 weeks of new year (Vol. 8:3). Factory inventory went down only slightly — to 227,196 from 239,700 week earlier, still quite a way up from 11-month low of 176,857 achieved as of Jan. 4. Radio output fell to 157,574 (66,597 private label) from 173,981 week before, and radio inventory fell to 257,707 from 287,798. Radio output for Jan. 18 week comprised 72,576 home sets, 10,454 portables, 21,959 clock, 52,585 auto. Topics & Trends oi TV Trade: rca is increasing prices of 110 more types of receiving tubes about 5%, effective Feb. 11, bringing them up to OPS ceilings. Similar increases were ordered last Dec. 19 on 58 types. Hikes are attributed to increased production costs. RCA tube dept, also is understood to be planning bigcampaign to encourage replacement of kinescopes, offering trade-in allowances to distributors to be passed on to consumers. Details will be announced shortly, plan said to be somewhat different from that announced by Sylvania last week (Vol. 8:3). RCA disputes idea that cylindrical-face glass picture tubes and electrostatic focusing, adopted by many manufactures (Vol. 7:47 et seq), indicate trend — and Tube Dept, sales mgr. Larry S. Thees states that RCA’s 21-in. metal kinescopes are outselling comparable glass types by wide margin. He also reports RCA has added another metalshell tube, with low-voltage electrostatic focus; demand on RCA, largest of tube makers, has been mainly for magnetic focus, he said. Claiming various advantages for metal kines, notably weight (18 lbs. for 21-in. vs. 30 for glass) and use of alloys as against scarce nickel in buttons of glass, he said metal type currently accounts for more than 25% of all kinescope sales. * * * * Fantastic story of employe pilfering — how they systematically stole some $400,000 worth of TV parts, and service company found it out only after 4 years — unfolded this week in connection with bankruptcy petition filed by big Conlan Electric Co., Brooklyn. Firm’s lawyer gave opinion that similar conditions pi’evailed throughout TV sei-vicing field. Indictments are expected after probe by district attorney, 37 of firm’s 200 employes having admitted taking components which wer-e used either in their own independent businesses or resold — sometimes even to other employes in same firm. Installation and delivery records also were falsified. There was no explanation why no inventory was taken in all that time, or how so many parts could disappear without arousing suspicion even without an inventory. Conlan’s 20,000 service contracts — on sets bought at Gimbels, Wanamakers, Macy’s and other big dept, stores — are expected to be fulfilled by several bonding concerns which plan to set up new servicing firm to be run by Conlan. * * * * County-by-county TV set shipment figures, coveringfirst 47 weeks of 1951 and totaling 4,415,422, were issued by RTMA last week, accompanied by map of U. S. showing concentration of shipments. RTMA issues shipment figures monthly; these are the first prepared by its own statistical dept. Invited to NPA color TV conference Feb. 8 (see story, p. 5) were same manufacturers who attended Oct. 25, 1951 conference with defense mobilizer Charles E. Wilson (Vol. 7:43) plus H. G. Place, president, General Precision Laboratory, manufacturer of theatre-TV equipment, and Comdr. E. F. McDonald Jr., president of Zenith. Others invited to Feb. 8 meeting: Richard Graver, Admiral; John W. Craig, Crosley; Richard Hodgson, Chromatic; Arthur Mathews, Color Television Inc.; Frank Stanton, CBS; Dr. Allen B. DuMont; Benjamin Abrams, Emerson; Fred Gluck, Fada; Dr. W. R. G. Baker, GE; William Halligan, Hallicrafters; W. A. MacDonald, Hazeltine; Frank Freimann, Magnavox; Robert Galvin, Motorola; William Balderston, Philco; Gen. David Sarnoff, RCA; J. Friedman, Trav-Ler; John Meek, Scott Radio Laboratories; Herbert Gumz, Webster-Chicago; R. S. Alexander, Wells-Gardner; J. M. McKibben, Westinghouse. Each industry representative has been invited to bring one other member of his firm. Anticipating lifting of freeze on new stations, DuMont Transmitter Div. announces plan for sales reorganization program involving (1) regrouping of major sales areas into 3 districts — Eastern, Western and Central — and appointment of many new sales reps; (2) setting up of sales offices in key cities; (3) provision for more cooperation between each division and its field reps in order to give “tailor-made” service to stations. Cited as one deflationary sign, in report of New York City Dept, of Purchases this week, was fact that TV has become “concrete ally of retrenchment” for the average householder, who is spending less money on sports events and as direct consequence of ownership of TV set. * * * * Merchandising Notes: “TV Five-Thousand” is the unique name and “TV 5000” unique phone number of new servicing organization that began operating in Washington this week, comprising group of servicemen who pooled equipment, facilities, experience to set up big shop to deal exclusively in TV service . . . Starrett this week released new line of 5 sets, quoting warranty and tax extra: 17-in. mahogany table $170, open-face mahogany console $200; 20-in. mahogany table $220, open-face mahogany $250, full-door mahogany $330 . . . Zenith follows lead of other big set makers (Vol. 8:2-3) by including warranty in list prices and quoting tax extra; new sets are 17-in. mahogany table at $270 and 17-in. AM-FM-phono $500 . . . Gough Industries, ex-Philco, named Sylvania distributor for Southern California and Phoenix, Ariz., effective Feb. 1 . . . Crosley out with new AM-FM table model at $65 in choice of 4 colors . . . Prices of Crosley’s 4 new TV sets, including tax but parts warranty $10 extra, are 17-in. console $300 and 21-in. console $350, blonde $370, combination $480.