Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

Record Details:

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<aT. with Electronics Reports WYATT BUILDING / WASHINGTON 5, D. C. • TELEPHONE STERLING 1755 Trade Report February 9, 1952 * 1 152 j MEANING OF INVENTORY & OUTPUT STATUS: It's fairly clear now that the industry went into 1952 with 1,500,000-plus TV sets in all trade pipelines, as suspected. Latest Dun & Bradstreet figures show 650-800,000 in hands of dealers as of Dec. 31, which can be added to RTMA's end-of-December distributor inventory of 600,346 and factory inventory of 206,741 to bring total to 1,457,000-plus if you accept minimum dealer figure. More probably, the true figure is something over 1,500,000. That’s much too much for "normal comfort, " of course — yet there were no signs of pessimism at this week's RTMA midwinter conference in New York. At least not among the larger manufacturers, who produce 75% or more of the industry's total. Quite the contrary, they were extremely optimistic about the immediate and long-term outlook, evidenced in statement by Emerson's Ben Abrams to us last week (Vol. 8:5). Said RCA consumer products v.p. Joseph B, Elliott after RTMA meeting ended Thursday: "Business is pretty good, and I think it will be good throughout the year. — particularly so in the second quarter. The political conventions and elections are going to create a lot of public interest in TV. In fact, I think they will be as good a stimulus to our trade as the crime investigations." Among the smaller firms, not too many of whom were on hand, there may have been some apprehension occasioned by the Tele-tone bankruptcy (Vol. 8:5), but there was disposition to believe its management troubles weren't symptomatic. The little producers, no less than the big, are looking forward eagerly to end of FCC freeze to hypo set sales. Even a few new markets this year — about all that's promised — may cause TV sets to be in as great demand this year as last. Though supply of receivers is plentiful right now, there are many who think — and it would seem with good reason — that "we ain't seen nothing yet" in TV set demand. That is, given new post-freeze markets, adding ever-growing replacement of sets now 4, 5 & 6 years old, and second sets in the home. Clouding the trade's horizon at moment is fear that more color talk, actual talk about impending uhf , ever-changing prices — all these may conduce to make the buyer hesitant about investing in TV. Indeed, rightly or wrongly, there are many who think that today's "price shopping" and currently predominant sales of not-soprofitable low-end models may be attributed to "smart public holding its investment to minimum" while waiting for the trade to settle down. * * * # The Dun & Bradstreet report for Dec. 31 estimated 660,000 dealer sales in December, of which 267,000 were table models, 393,000 others. Thus sales went up nearly 100,000 from November (Vol. 8:1). Of the 650-800,000 inventory, 250-300,000 were table models, 400-500,000 others. End-of-year dealer inventory figure compares with 800-950,000 at end of November. Recapitulating the 6 months it has been compiling figures, D&B reports sale of 2,929,000 TVs July 1-Dec. 31, of which 1,188,000 were table, 1,741,000 others. Estimate of December radio sales was 1,017,000 home sets, 175,000 portables — leaving 1-1,200,000 home and 200-250,000 portable sets in inventory. In last 6 months of 1951, radio sales were 3,269,000 home and 679,000 portable sets. * * * # TV production for week ended Feb. 1, fifth week of this year, was 104, 148 units (only 304 private label), according to RTMA. That's down slightly from the 111,101 of Jan. 25 week, the 105,673 Jan. 18, the 102,684 Jan. 11, 69,198 Jan. 4. Factory inventory fell to 186,875 from 205,663 preceding week — leading to prevailing conviction that sales are now outrunning production. Radio output for Feb. 1 week was 170,768 (74,985 private) up from 160,764 as of Jan. 25. Radio inventory was 260,807, down from 294,339. Week's radios were 78,887 home sets, 20,643 clock, 16,627 portable, 54,611 auto.