Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

8 Topics & Trends of TV Trade: “No architect with utility in mind would design a house today without making provision for the placement of a TV set,” said recent editorial in Baltimore Sun. “But is that enough?” it asked, pointing to the “congestion” that reigned on the air one evening — at 9 p.m. pre-Stevenson rally on one station, at 9:30 Sen. Nixon on another, at 10 Gov. Stevenson, at 10:30 the Stevenson address rebroadcast on radio, and between time the Walcott-Marciano fight. While latter wasn’t telecast or broadcast, there were thousands, said the newspaper, who must have been impatient to hear the latest news bulletins and the commentators. “What an evening it was!” exclaimed the editorialist. “Nor is there any guarantee there will not be others when the air is just as crowded. Was one TV set enough for the family for a complete coverage of all that was going on? Hardly. From 2 to 3 TV machines and at least one radio would be more like it . . .” Plethora of good programs every night is causing plenty of family disputes over what to watch, opening way to multiple TV sales — same as radio once enjoyed (“a radio in every room”). DuMont sales mgr. Dan Halpin, accompanying Dr. DuMont on recent Pacific Coast trip, even went so far as to suggest to dealers in onestation Portland: “You’ll be able to sell 3 sets to each family — one for children, one for parents and one for the mother-in-law.” * * * * Olympic Radio adopted inboard pricing for first time this week, announcing at same time that it was increasing list prices of its 14-set line by $10 to $20, starting with 17-in. table at $190, up to 21-in. combination at $450. Said Olympic president Percy Schoenen, in explaining increase: “We have increased our prices only sufficiently to compensate for recent further advances in the cost of numerous components, picture tubes, record changers and cabinets, plus the 10c an hour increase in our labor rates, the latter of which has been made retroactive to June 1, 1952.” Hallicrafters raised 6 models by $10 & $20 and Zenith raised 9 by same amounts. Kaye-Halbert, announcing new list with inboard pricing of excise tax, is also out with “Selectronic Robot,” remote control unit listing for $29.95. Line embraces mainly 21-in. models, ranging from $290 to $490, includes three 24-in. consoles with full doors at $570, $580 & $590. Radio Televisione Italiana will manufacture TV, radio and recording equipment for RCA in Italy, headed by Count Galeazzi, governor of Vatican City, under arrangements made by RCA president Frank Folsom during current European trip. Pacific Mercury Television Mfg. Corp. (Joe Benaron, pres.) and California Eastern Airways Inc. reported to have made offers in Federal court in Newark to reorganize bankrupt Tele-tone (Vol. 8:5, 7, 17). Western community antenna activity is showing nice progress, according to Jerrold sales mgr. Caywood Cooley, just back from trip to coast. He reports system in Laguna Beach, Cal. will start Oct. 15, using Jerrold’s new 7-channel system, first in country. Company’s regular system is 3-channel. Status of others: San Bernardino, due to start next week; lone & Auburn, Cal., and Centralia Wash., now in operation; Palm Springs (Paramount’s International Telemeter Corp.) has completed 6 % -mile run from mountain, now plans to hook up town. Last is 7-channel system to which an 8th channel, slightly above Channel 6, is being added for locally originated subscription-TV programs. Plans for Banning & Fillmore, Cal., appear to have petered out, Cooley says. Many others are beingplanned, should be announced shortly, he says. Merchandising Notes: Admiral’s home air conditioner, promised for early next year by president Ross Siragusa (Vol. 8:40), will be made by Lonergan Mfg. Co., Albion, Mich., according to trade reports; Admiral, however, won’t own any of the company . . . OPS industry advisory committee on TV-radio service price ceilings (Vol. 8:40) holds first meeting Oct. 21 at OPS Washington headquarters . . . Philco accessory div. (Herbert J. Riband, gen. mgr.) has sent servicemen and dealers more than 50,000 copies of booklet It’s Philco Accessory Time, with contests and other inducements, in promotion drive lasting to end of Nov. . . . Merix Chemical Co., 1021 E. 55th St., Chicago, offering new cleaner for TV picture tubes, called “TV TeleClear,” to keep TV picture tubes free from dust attracted by static electricity ($1.50) . . . Service parts directory, containing diagrams and parts lists for the 71 RCA 1950 & 1951 TV receivers, is available from RCA tube and parts distributors . . . CBS-Columbia buys Doris Day Shoyj on CBS-Radio in first big use of network radio to promote its TV sets . . . RCA adds sponsorship of radio version of Kukla, Fran & Ollie on NBC, Mon.-thru-Fri., 2:45-2:55 p.m.; TV show continues Sun. 4-4:30 p.m. Distributor Notes: RCA names Warren M. Singer appliance sales mgr. of its RCA Victor Distributing Corp., Kansas City: he’s ex-Chicago sales rep and succeeds E. J. McGranahan . . . Westinghouse promotes Roland R. Hand from TV-radio district sales mgr. to consumer products sales mgr. of its Westinghouse Electric Supply Co., Rochester . . . Capehart’s N. Y. distributor, IT&T Distributing Corp., names 5 sales reps: Edward Lehrer, Brooklyn; Emerson Dickman, Manhattan; Joseph Faigan, Bronx; Walter Stevens, WestchesterStaten Island; John Goodman, Queens . . . CBS-Columbia names BurdenBryant Co., Springfield, Mass. . . . Stewart-Warner names Home Makers Supply Co., Portland, Ore. . . . Sentinel Radio appoints Stusser Electric Co., Seattle . . . Pacific Mercury appoints Key Co., Portland, Ore. (Roy Chilton, pres.) . . . Fada closes its factory branch, Fada of New York Inc., with N. Y. distribution handled from Belleville, N. J. factory; N. Y. sales mgr. Irving Blumstein resigns . . . Kaye-Halbert to open Seattle factory sales & service branch about Nov. 1. Admiral’s 8 wholly-owned subsidiaries — in New York, Newark, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, San Diego — account for one-third of company’s total volume at distributor level, says president Ross D. Siragusa. He also reveals: (1) Company has 81 distributors which sell to about 30,000 retail outlets. (2) Admiral will spend $16-17,000,000 this year for adveiffising, or equivalent of 5c on retail dollar — one of largest sums spent on single brand name by any American business. (3) About 75% of Admiral’s current production is for electronics, 25% for appliances. Canadian RTMA reports August TV set sales by factories jumped to 12,790, retail value $5,683,208, apparently brought on by new CBC stations in Montreal and Toronto. Sales for first 8 months of 1952 rose to 50,968, worth $23,387,009. Montreal led month’s sales with 40.3%, Toronto-Hamilton 35.7%, Niagara Peninsula 10.1%, Windsor 9.8%, remaining 4.1% going to other areas. Inventory totaled 15,462 as of Aug. 31. Cumulative sales of Canadian-manufactured TVs to that date were 129,406 valued at $60,901,034. Note: Canadian govt, this week released figures showing factory value of radio & radio parts (including TVs) turned out by Dominion plants during 1951 was $85,624,000 compared with $66,597,000 in 1950 — so that the industry accounted for about 13% of the country’s whole electrical appliances & supplies industry.