Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

13 SHORTAGES OF TV-RADIO receiving tubes are not in prospect, barring further curtailments of materials. That’s general opinion of tubemakers, whom we queried for their opinions last week when trade reports were current that such shortages were in the offing. We asked for statements from all 12 makers of receiving tubes (TV Factbook No. lb). The 9 largest replied, of whom only one thought there might be shortages. Gist of their comments: Canadian Marconi Co. (S. M. Finlayson) : “Although from our information there may be some shortage in the supply of tubes in this country in the latter half of this year, we do not at the moment consider that it will be a severe one and, in any event, the shortage is likely to be limited to a few types.” GE ( J. M. Lang) : “In my opinion, a shortage of TV and radio receiving tubes will result only if material is not available. I believe there is adequate manufacturing capacity in the country to take care of current needs.” Hytron (L. H. Coffin) : “It is possible that there may be a shortage of the more popular TV and radio receiving types [because] some vital materials (such as nickel) used in tube manufacture are in short supply due to govt, restrictions [and] a growing demand for receiving tubes is predicted by the military . . . The tube industry is just beginning to feel the tremendous demand for replacement receiving tubes in TV receivers. Because of the relatively large number of tubes in the average TV receiver, this TV replacement demand is a much greater factor than radio tube replacements have been.” National Union (Kenneth C. Meinken): “I cannot foresee any tube shortage in the year 1952, thinking strictly of commercial radio and TV and not of military types.” Mr. Meinken says that there are enough productive facilities; that industry has developed conservation and substitution methods; that tube requirements for the military have been proceeding at such snail’s pace that they’re not curtailingcommercial production. RCA (L. S. Thees): “There is no general shortage in x-eceiving tubes at this time. A cei’tain few critical TV types may be in short supply from time to time, but based on average estimates of industry leaders of about 4,400,000 TVs and 10,000,000 radios in 1952, and current indications of material availability, there should be no shortage. However, if there is a substantial increase in TV-radio production, a real shortage could develop.” Sylvania (C. A. Haines): “We do not believe there will be any great shortage of any regular receiving tube types, providing industry continues to get its pi’esent allocation of critical materials. However, there is a shoi’tage of special and odd type tubes that may continue for some time.” Tung-Sol (R. E. Carlson): “While the material situation for TV and radio receiving tubes varies from week to week, in general I think the industry is doing a pretty good job and it is my personal opinion that there will be no over-all shoi’tage.” The one respondent who asked that his name and company’s identity be not divulged simply wrote: “There could well be a shortage of a few types of receiving tubes as well as some of the larger tubes, but in general it appears there will be plenty of tubes for both new sets and for replacement, assuming no shortage of matei’ials.” Much the same thought was contained in response from spokesman for Philco’s Lansdale tube subsidiary: “It is our belief that there is plenty of tube capacity with more being added every month. We also believe that material shortages in the set industry will probably limit production at least equal to similar limitations in the tube industry. Therefore, pei’haps these 2 items will be in balance so that set manufacturers will not have too serious tx-ouble in obtaining the tubes they need.” This respondent added, however, that there is “potential danger” in that “we are continually faced with shortages of tungsten, copper, nickel and nickel substitutes, particularly nickel and copper.” a*: * * % NPA polled distributors in January, found spot shoi’tages of various tube types, principally little-used types (Vol. 7:50). Such shortages wex’e said to be caused chiefly by fact there’s not enough demand to require tubemakers to px-oduce them continually, so that they turn them out in batches according to demand. In x'ecent months, manufacturers apparently have been more cautious about starting up runs of lessex’-used types. Most tubes considered “short” in NPA sux-vey weren’t TV tubes. They were pi’incipally metal tubes not used in TV to any great extent; also “loktals” or lock-in tubes used principally in portable X’adios, and vax’ious old-fashioned types. One NPA executive said there’s mox’e likely to be shoi’tage of CR tubes than receiving tubes, if manufacturers should continue producing sets at last year’s 5,300,000plus rate (Vol. 8:5). Trade Personals: Raymond W. Saxon, aide to RCA Victor consumer products v.p. J. B. Elliott, named gen. sales mgr., home instrument dept., Allen B. Mills becoming mgr. of merchandising div., and H. M. Bundle heading newly created new product development div. . . . C. A. Haines, Sylvania v.p. formerly in charge of radio & picture tub div., named director of new executive dept, to supei-vise planning of plant expansion; Matthew D. Burns succeeds him in charge of tube div. . . . Alexander G. Evans, recently with Pittsburgh Coke & Chemical Corp., named asst, national sales mgr., DuMont receiver sales div.; P. S. Rinaldi promoted to asst, mgr., instrument div.; G. Robert Metzger, engineering mgr.; Emil G. Nichols, technical sales mgr.; Melvin B. Kline and Wm. G. Fockler, asst, engineering mgrs. . . . Leslie E. Woods, Raytheon director of industrial relations, named member of New England Labor-Management Committee for Defense Manpower by Secy, of Labor Tobin . . . David J. Hopkins named president, Emerson West Coast Distributing Corp., factory-owned; S. J. Cooper, v.p. & gen. mgr.; James D. Lane, secy.; John DeGolia, treas. . . . Newell L. Webster succeeds late Dan True as Spax-ks-Withington’s Boston district I’epresentative . . . George Avakian appointed dii’ector of new popular LP dept., Columbia Records Inc. Success of FM promotion campaign sponsored by NARTB and RTMA (Vol. 7:46, 50, 52) was indicated in Feb. 15 x’eport of first results from North Carolina test. Figures showed 14 of 18 distributors shipped 2376 sets to dealers first 3 weeks of drive. NARTB’s FM director J. H. Smith Jr. returned from 4-week sux-vey of Noi-th Cai’olina and Wisconsin, reported best availability of FM sets for sevex-al years. Wisconsin figures ai’e expected soon. FM promotion campaign in District of Columbia starts March 1. Handy, compact economic reference maternal is contained in newly issued 11th edition of 663-page Economic Almanac, published by National Industrial Conference Board, 247 Park Ave., New York ($5). Subjects include communications (TV-set production and distribution, telephones, etc.), population, resources, labor force, prices, savings, national wealth, consumption and standard of living, manufacturing, trade, govt, agencies, glossary of business terms, etc. Sonora, planning to resume own trade name (Vol. 8:6), now producing private-label sets for Montgomei’y Ward, Firestone, et al., at Chicago plant. Robert M. Macrae mgr. of new RCA Victor regional distribution office, 200 Berkeley St., Boston, opened Feb. 18.