Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

11 Tr3d6 Personals: Willard E. Henges, president of Graybar, appointed to advisory committee of Chase National Bank’s Grand Central Branch . . . A. D. Hammond, Atlanta district mgr., and J. W. Frazier, Kansas City district mgr., elected to Graybar board of directors . . . Wm. Balderston, Philco president, awarded 1952 plaque of Philadelphia Society of Industrial Realtors for “outstanding contribution to industrial development in the metropolitan area” . . . Donald F. McClure, asst, v.p., New York Telephone Co., elected president of New York chapter, Armed Forces Communications Assn., succeeding T. L. Bartlett, RCA . . . G. W. Duckworth promoted to mgr. of RCA tube dept, equipment field sales force, reorganized with J. AV. Kirschner heading new eastern district, headquartering in Harrison, N. J.; L. D. Kimmel, central district, Chicago; C. R. Klinger, western district, Los Angeles; J. H. Mosher, interdepartmental district (servicing all equipment-mfg. depts.) . . . R. H. Siemens promoted to RCA kinescope equipment sales mgr., J. T. AVilson to mgr. of receiving tube equipment sales . . . Erik Isgrig, exEarle Ludgin & Co., named adv. director, Zenith Radio . . . Henry Browe resigns as Admiral radio sales mgr. . . . Paul B. AVilson promoted to purchasing agent for Raytheon equipment mfg. div. . . . Jerome Pinzur named commercial service mgr., CBS-Columbia . . . M. J. (Mike) Ranalli, ex-RCA field rep, appointed national field sales mgr., DuMont receiver div. . . . AV. AV. MacDonald, executive editor of Electronics Magazine, appointed editor . . . Robert J. Clarke, ex-AVHAM, named sales promotion mgr. of Stromberg-Carlson sound div. . . . Kenneth H. Rockey, president, Arma Corp., named to board of parent American Bosch; he’s also director of Bi’itish Industries Corp. * * * * RTMA appoints following committee to survey “all aspects” of subscription TV: Paul V. Galvin, Motorola, chairman; Dr. AV. R. G. Baker, GE; Max F. Balcom, Svlvania; H. C. Bonfig, Zenith; John AV. Craig, Crosley; Dr. Allen B. DuMont; J. B. Elliott, RCA; Larry F. Hardy, Philco; H. Leslie Hoffman, Hoffman Radio; Leslie F. Muter, Muter Co. Richard A. Graver, Capehart-Farnsworth v.p. since he left similar position at Admiral about year ago, onetime RCA war contract executive, has been appointed v.p. & director of marketing of Hallicrafters Co. in charge of all merchandising, marketing and advertising. Arthur B. Tuttle, 56, who joined RCA Communications in 1920 and rose to treasurer of parent RCA, retiring in 1949, died in New York Dec. 15. ■ Jockeying among applicants goes on at great rate — new ones jumping on channels of apparently weak competitors, old ones shifting channels to avoid competition, others joining forces to eliminate contests, still others dropping out of races entirely. This week saw several examples of last: R. E. Chambers pulled out of competition for Channel 6 in Wichita Falls, leaving field to Wichita Falls TV Inc.; Tulsa Broadcasting Co. dismissed, and KGBX remains sole applicant for Channel 3 in Springfield, Mo.; KJCF, Festus, Mo., dropped bid for Channel 14, leaving Ozark TV Inc. seeking the channel. ABC is co-defendant in $1,525,000 libel suit filed Dec. 17 in N. Y. Supreme Court by New York Post and editor James A. AArechsler, contending Walter AA’inchell falsely spread report that Wechsler, who resigned from Young Communist League in 1937, was still a Communist, and that Post was disloyal to U. S. Other defendants: AVinchell, Gruen AVatch Co., Hearst Corp., King Features Syndicate. Plaintiffs’ counsel is Simon Rifkind, ex-Federal district judge. Electronics Reports: Steel famine should be just about over by second quarter 1953. DPA checked probable supply and demand this week and came up with that prediction. Steel allocations in consumer goods field, DPA said, will be about 16% higher than third quarter 1952 — and, in fact, the highest since beginning of CMP. Those manufacturers of TA7-radio and other consumer goods who receive allocations on “base period” basis are scheduled to get, in second quarter, about 70% of the steel they used during base period (average quarter of first-half 1950 or last-half 1949). Copper and aluminum will continue to be relatively short during second quarter, DPA announced, and will be rationed to civilian users at approximately current rate— 50% & 55% of base period usage, respectively. For much of TA7-radio industry, this news is not so hard to take, since steel has lately become limiting material factor in production. Some antenna manufacturers, however, have been hit quite hard by scarcity of aluminum at a time of vastly expanded market for their product. Even for first quarter, steel picture no longer looks too grim. Some TA7-radio manufacturers may feel pinch, to be sure. But while it originally appeared first quarter rations would be stingiest to date, flow of supplemental steel allocations to NPA Electronics Div. has brought some improvement. Division originally was allotted some 36,000 tons to parcel out to electronics industry for first quarter. For TV-radio manufacturers, this would have meant about 30% of base period usage. Responding to appeals by division chief Richards AV. Cotton, DPA coughed up additional steel amounting to about 20,500 tons in various shapes and forms — including extra 3000 tons of sheet and strip allotted to division Dec. 18. Electronics Div. will ration supplemental steel on basis of new applications from manufacturers who need the extra metal. Those TAT-radio manufacturers who apply for supplemental allocations for first quarter will be entitled to about 50% of their base period steel usage. AVhile this isn’t tremendous amount, it’s a comfortably far cry from the 30% originally allotted to them. * * * * Horace B. McCoy, Commerce Dept, career man well known in electronics industry because of his active interest in its problems as NPA asst, administrator and as director of Commerce Dept.’s Office of Industry & Commerce, this week was named acting administrator of NPA, succeeding $l-a-year-man Richard A. McDonald, former executive v.p., Crown Zellerbach Corp., who returns to private business. Meanwhile, defense mobilizer Henry H. Fowler announced he will remain in office until new Administration takes over, changing plan to quit Jan. 1. Electronics Production Board — high-level policy-making body which coordinates Uncle Sam’s military electronics production program — is explained by chairman Richards AV. Cotton in Nov.-Dee. issue of Signal Magazine, published by Armed Forces Communications Assn., 1624 I St. NAV, AVashington. a “Not expendable” was RCA’s decision on the 60 portable radios it loaned Eisenhower headquarters in New York’s Commodore Hotel during recent campaign. Only 8 had been returned up to early this week, so bulletin board carried notice from headquarters press aid James Lambie, suggesting politely but pointedly: “RCA was doubtless taking the calculated risk and expected a certain attrition, but an 89% loss is perhaps a little high.” Siam, planning 2 TV stations, reportedly has signed contract with British Marconi for all equipment and installations.