Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

12 Topics & Trends of TV Trade: No shortage of TV antennas is likely this year — but some ingenious substitutes for aluminum may find acceptance toward end of 1952, if TV production is high. That’s the word from 9 producers representing some 114 U. S. antenna manufacturers at meeting with NPA Feb. 12. They indicated that far from being scarce, TV antennas now are practically a drug on the market. Dealers and the public have refused to accept antennas made from substitutes so long as conventional-type antennas are still available, antenna men explained. Some even suggested that NPA should issue conservation order limiting industry to certain standards to eliminate competitive disadvantage suffered by manufacturers who employ conservation. Substitutes which have been used include wood masts and crossbars, plastics, fiberglass and steel. NPA said no such order is contemplated. Antenna manufacturers estimated 1952 demand for their product at 8-11,000,000, on basis of replacement antennas for half 4-5,000,000 sets installed before 1950 plus 6-8,000,000 antennas for new sets (although NPA estimates only 3-4,000,000 TV sets can be produced this year). They gave these statistics on TV antenna production: 60% are built for outside installation, 30% indoor, 10% for incorporation within TV sets. Growing popularity of TV in fringe areas is complicating manufacturers’ materials problems, they said, since 2-5 bays generally are required for good reception. Conservation measures discussed included limiting use of tubular aluminum to components (thus excluding masts) ; reduction of elements’ diameter and wall thickness; 2 (4 -lb. limit on aluminum per bay. Two manufacturers reported they are substituting plated-steel stampings for aluminum foundry castings. Another said that standardization of his product has cut his materials waste from 7% to 0.1% and cut his aluminum usage from average 3.1 lbs. per antenna to less than one pound. Leon Golder, chief of radio & TV receiver section, NPA Electronics Div., presided at meeting attended by: Girard Burggraf, Elrob Mfg. Co.; L. H. Finneburgh, Finney Co.; Nat Louis, Louis Bros.; Harry Pomeroy, R. D. & Harry Pomeroy; J. L. Wade, Trio Mfg. Co.; Walter L. Schott, Walter L. Schott Co.; Milton Spirt, Spirling Products; Herbert H. Brown, Technical Appliance Co.; George A. McAllister, Ward Products Corp. * * * * Tele-tone plant in Elizabeth, N. J., now involved in bankruptcy proceedings (Vol. 8:5-6), reopened this week to permit completion of work on 3000 TV sets for which there were firm orders. Counsel for Tele-tone, A. Halsey Cowan, of Wilzin & Halpern, said factors contributing to firm’s troubles were general market conditions, labor problems and financial difficulties of West Coast distributor which he said owes Tele-tone some $400,000. Tele-tone lost $2,000,000 in 1951, at end of which its liabilities stood at $2,714,000, assets $2,306,000. Regal Electronics Corp. offering 7 models, own brand, prices including tax, optional warranty extra: 17-in. sets are mahogany table $199.50, open-face console $217.50, blonde $229.50; 20-in. are mahogany table $240, open-face mahogany $260; other sets are 21-in. console $299.50 and 24-in. open-face $397.50. Inclusion of tax and warranty in advertised TV set price is urged by 90.3% of dealers in partially completed NARDA survey. Of 550 responses, 4.3% want warranty only included, 3.1% tax only, 2.3% neither. Crosley this week reduced prices $20 each on four 17-in. consoles, which now list for $270, $290, $300 and $320, tax included; warranty is $7 extra. CURIOUSLY ENOUGH, there were shipments of some TV receivers last year into states (like Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Wyoming) still far removed from telecasting operations and remote from consistent TV signals. That’s one of interesting facets of RTMA’s all-industry estimate of TV set sales to dealers, state-by-state and county-by-county, released this week, covering the 52 weeks ended Dec. 28, 1951. Report shows there were shipments to every state, totaling 5,095,563, compared with 7,068,000 in 1950. The 1951 production figure was 5,384,798 (Vol. 8:5). The difference, RTMA explains, is accounted for by the delay in distribution of sets by the manufacturers. County-by-county tabulation of shipments (35 pp.) is available from RTMA to bona fide inquirers; the state-by-state count follows: State Total Alabama 41,938 Arizona 12,561 Arkansas 8,681 California 437,172 Colorado 64 Connecticut 122,815 Delaware 15,796 District of Columbia 59,561 Florida 51,305 Georgia 65,828 Idaho 52 Illinois 350,643 Indiana 160,176 Iowa 85,702 Kansas 24,513 Kentucky 61,284 Louisiana 27,715 Maine 5,019 Maryland 95,492 Massachusetts 231,755 Michigan 281,515 Minnesota 78,094 Mississippi 6,525 Missouri 151,188 Montana 123 State Total Nebraska 45,301 Nevada 122 New Hampshire 15,848 New Jersey 237,171 New Mexico 4,225 New York 776,419 North Carolina 80,158 North Dakota _ 42 Ohio 475,043 Oklahoma 45,717 Oregon 40 Pennsylvania 540,489 Rhode Island 38,241 South Carolina 18,349 South Dakota 922 Tennessee 47,918 Texas 123,952 Utah 22,673 Vermont 3,062 Virginia 71,920 Washington 55,412 West Virginia 30,331 Wisconsin 86,614 Wyoming 77 TOTAL 5,095,563 Five New York TV-radio-appliance dealers with 9 stores have merged to form Good Neighbor Stores Inc., 552 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, which they claim will represent annual volume of $10,000,000, put them in fourth or fifth chain position, enable them to buy and sell more effectively. Officers, one from each company: Martin Schoenfeld, Schoenfeld Electric Co., president; Arthur Swire, Swire Bros. Inc., v.p.; Emmanuel Y. Perlman, Perlman Pianos Inc., secy.; Jules Brecher, Lincoln Co., treas.; Benjamin Zises, asst, treas. Tighter TV-set ad policy has been started by Louisville CourierJournal & Times (WHAS-TV), similar to action taken by Milwaukee Journal and others (Vol. 7:43). New rules require that all ads must: (1) Contain accurate and explicit descriptions. (2) Carry price next to set illustration. (3) Use exact illustrations, year, model, brand with each set. (4) State whether equipment shown is standard. (5) State only actual price. (6) State any additional charges for warranty, tax, service contract, antenna, etc. (7) Refrain from “No Money Down” claims unless phrase is qualified “adjacently” to mean trade-in equals down payment. (8) Make guarantees specific. TV “$1 sales” case against Electrical Center, Washington retailer (Vol. 7:45,51), was ended this week when Federal Trade Commission accepted consent settlement. Dealer agreed not to advertise falsely that purchase of TV, radio or appliance at regular price entitles customer to buy for $1, another article “of same kind and value.” TV receiver advertising in newspapers led radio ads by 11-1 last year, Advertising Checking Bureau reports in survey of 49 TV cities. Combined TV-radio newspaper lineage dropped slightly — from 78,762,000 in 1950 to 78,323,000 in 1951. Bureau says about 75% of TV-radio ads were inserted by dealers, 25% by manufacturers. Standard Coil Products Co. acquisition of General Instrument Corp. (Vol. 8:5) due to be effected about May 1.