Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

NEW SERIES VOL. 3, No. 10 TELEVISION DIGEST— 7 • « MANUFACTURING, DISTRIBUTION, HNANCE NEW COLOR CHASSIS FOR SPRING-SUMMER DEBUT: Most of industry will adopt major changes in color TV circuitry this spring & summer — about same time as bulk of set manufacturers begin phasing into own full production of color sets. New chassis was designed by RCA as port of its development program for 90-degree round 21-in. tube. Chassis will use current 70-degree tube, but it's understood that most of circuitry will be directly adaptable to 90-degree picture tube, when ready. As one set maker expressed it, "this goes 90% of the way to a 90degree chassis." At least 4 of the 5 printed-circuit boards are expected to remain unchanged when 90-degree tube becomes available. RCA's strategy in changing chassis now apparently is that this move will make transition to 90degree set easier. When 90-degree tube is available, only new deflection yoke and minor circuit modifications will be necessary. New chassis, designated CGC-15, supersedes CGC-12, introduced last June. Its performance is said to be similar. Chassis won't be onnoimced until "1964" color sets are premiered; RCA has maintained complete silence, but it's understood its own changeover is coming this month. Most others will switch somewhat later. As to 90-degree roimd color tube which RCA shelved last Nov. (Vol. 2:49 p7), consensus of industry thinking now is that it will be produced, and that it may go into color sets during first quarter of 1964. Widespread use of rectangular tubes may come about year later. Corning has indicated to manufacturers it may supply preliminary samples of 25-in. 90-degree rectangular color bulbs for their "guidance" in month or so, with production-type samples between mid-year and early fall. RCA, meanwhile, has reiterated its intention to discontinue supplying complete color sets and certain components to other set makers after Dec. 31, 1963. Letter to set makers 3 weeks ago reminded them of deadline. All major manufacturers who are not now making own color sets — with one exception — are planning to be in volume production with new line (and new CGC-15 chassis) this summer. RCA will continue to supply special color ports which are not made in its Bloomington, Ind., color receiver plant, after Jan. 1, 1964. These include yokes, flybacks, power transformers, picture tubes — items which RCA normally sells in both black-&-white & color. It will discontinue selling parts — such as printed-circuit boards — which other manufacturers can make or obtain elsewhere. RCA has already discontinued sale of color "kits." These included 475 parts & components — virtually complete imassembled color set. Most of these parts were standard items, and RCA gave its customers list of vendors for these parts so they could negotiate & purchase on their own from own suppliers. (For list of set manufacturers and their color plans, see p. 9). 10 NEW FM STEREO MARKETS OPEN: Growth of new FM stereo markets has slowed down considerably from mid-1962's rush. As our last survey indicated, transmitting equipment manufacturers say orders now are only trickling in (Vol. 2:50 pl2). Check of FCC files, however, indicates at least 14 FM stations have started stereocasting since our Dec. 10 survey listed 200 on air in U.S., 9 in Canada. What's more important, 10 of these stations open new markets for FM stereo equipment. This figure of 14 new stations is minimum, since many stations don't notify FCC until some time after start of stereocasting. The 200-plus FM stereo markets absorbed more than million FM stereo radios last year, according to our own projection of recently released EIA figures which showed total of 767,539 TV-radio-phono & radio