Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1960)

12 DECEMBER 19, 1960 Consumer Electronics .... MANUFACTURING, DISTRIBUTION, FINANCE NEW COLOR TUBE FROM RCA NEXT MONTH: RCA confirmed for first time last week that it will be using an improved color tube in some of its sets slated to hit distribution channels~iText month. The company showed 12 new color models to distributors last week, and, in response to our question, said: "Certain color models which we will be shipping to our distributors arotmd the first of the year will use a new tube." No details were given, but we reported in these pages Oct. 24 & Nov. 28 (Vol. 16:43 pi 6, 48 pi 6) that the tube uses new phosphors and a Pittsburgh laminated implosion plate to increase brightness & improve contrast. It's understood that tube will be of the same 21-in. roimd shadow-mask type as is the current RCA color tube. Other improvements in RCA color sets include use of sensitive New Vista tuner (with Nuvistor tube) in all 12 new models, new video peaking & vertical deflection circuits, circuit-breaker in place of fuse. RCA also showed 15 new 23-in. black-<5rwhite sets, 13 of them featuring New Vista tuner. (For details, see p. 13). MAJOR SET-MAKERS DROP FANCY 'FINISH' TAGS: In quiet & unreported negotia tions with FTC lawyers, 9 big TV-radio-phono manufacturers have promised that from now on they'll label their sets so clearly that no buyers will mistake metal or hardboard cabinets for wood. FTC stipulations against any deceptions in descriptions of wood-simulating cabinet finishes were signed simultaneously by Admiral, GE, RCA, Motorola, Westinghouse, Emerson, Philco, Sylvania and Zenith. "These actions could not have been accomplished without the manufacturers' cooperation & their willingness to discontinue objectionable practices without time-consuming & costly litigation," said FTC chmn. Earl W, Kintner in announcing agreements Dec. 15. No formal anti-deception complaints against manufacturers had been filed by FTC, and stipulations didn't mean companies admitted they violated any law. Boimed imder terms of stipulations are such traditional trade tags as "mahogany-grained finish" & "blond oak-grained finish" for cabinets made of metal or hardboard but dressed up to look like wood. FTC said 8 of 9 makers — Zenith excepted — has used these terms. All 9 companies conceded that they had failed to label sets adequately to disclose true composition of non-wooden cabinets. And all agreed in stipulations to "label or tag properly cabinets which so closely resemble wood as to have the capacity to deceive the public as to their true composition." Stipulations are good for industry as well as public, FTC's Kintner said. He pointed out that they not only will enable set purchasers to know just what they're getting for their money, but will prevent one manufacturer from gaining unfair competitive advantages over others. TV-RADIO PRODUCTION: EIA statistics for the week ended Dec. 9 (49th week of 1960): Dec. 2-9 Preceding wk. 1959wk. '60 cumulative '59 cumulative TV 110,386 91,649 147,985 5,508,967 6,027,018 Total radio 384,279 400,179 367,234 16,375,660 14,725,906 auto radio 112,297 117,134 ' 138,659 6,142,216 5,174,994 Canadian TV sales to dealers slumped in October to 44,812 units from 56,410 a year ago and 46,944 in Sept. 1960 (Vol. 16:47 p20), reports EIA of Canada. The yearto-date volume increased to 275,911 TVs, but trailed markedly the 327,632 units sold during Jan.-Oct. 1959. The 10-month breakdown (1959 figures in parentheses) : Portables, 51,852 (56,385) ; table models, 55,952 (85,537) ; console.s, 154,478 (175,077); combination.s, 13,629 (10,633). For Oct. (vs. Oct. 1959) : Portables, 8,476 (9,548) ; table, 8,721 (15,907); cons., 24,815 (29,151); comb., 2,800 (1,804).