Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

WEEKLY Television Digest with c MARCH 18, 1963 i The authorita^i^S eti:*onics • • • (starting on page 7) NEW SERIES VOL. 3. No. 11 for executives in all branches of the television arts & industries Broadcast SUMMARY-INDEX OF WEEK'S NEWS Consumer Electronics FOREIGN TV SETS outnumber American for first time, as 'Television Factbook' estimates overseas TV sets at 65 million, U.S. sets at 60 million. Foreign stations exceed 2,500 (p. 1). RCA TO OFFER KIMCODE tubes to set makers within few weeks, becoming 5th tube maker to enter field; widespread use of barefaced tube unlikley before Fall (p. 7). KICKOFF OF UHF DEVELOPMENT GROUP, headed by Comr. Lee, outlines areas of potential study — in transmission, reception, economics, receiver distribution (p. 2). FCC RENEWS TVs on XOCAL-LIVE' ISSUE, grants 70-plus Ucenses delayed by questions on 6-11 p.m. programs, other than news-weather-sports (p. 3). LOW RATINGS FOR SMALL-FRY SURVEYORS: House ratings hearings completes 2nd week, sharp with charges, mostly against smaller firms; reliability of all ratings questioned (p. 3). HUBBELL OUT, DANN IN at CBS in new executive-echelon switch scdd to be triggered by Jim Aubrey's fondness for involvement in program plans (p. 5). MINOW'S PRO-NEWSPAPER PITCH in Celler hearings notes many of best telecasters own papers, urges publishers into TV as hedge against rough competition (p. 6). 11-IN. PICTURE TUBE will be next U.S. size, as GE & Admiral prepare for introduction of tinyvision personal sets, aiming at below-$100 price (p. 7). COLOR'S FUTURE FORECAST by set makers in interviews with market planning firm. Sales of more than 2 million color sets seen in 1967, with b&w sales tapering off (p. 8). NEW SET INTRODUCTIONS by some manufacturers coming early. Sylvania to unveil 'advance 1964' portable chassis this month; Philco showing 'new TV line' to distributors (p. 9). FTC EXAMINER BELTS GE on co-op ads; charges company unlawfully restricted retailers in fair-trade areas from advertising GE products below specfied minimum prices by withholding co-op payments from those who did (p. 10). MOTOROLA PROFIT JUMPS 28% to $12.2 million as 1962 soles rise 16% to record $346.9 million; 4th quarter sales of $102.2 million also set record (p. 11). FOREIGN TV RECEIVERS OUTNUMBER AMERICAN: For first time in TV's postwar development there ore now more TV sets-in-use in foreign coxmtries than in U.S. Spurt in foreign TV growth came in 1962. At beginning of year, there were fewer than 54 million sets-in-use in foreign coimtries. By October, total was 65 million, compared with about 60 million sets in U.S. This trend is delineated in our new 1963 Television Factbook, whose Foreign TV Directory has become accepted standard of TV industry. Directory lists all foreign TV stations operating & planned, with information on facilities & starting dotes. Perusal of Foreign TV Directory reveals these additional world TV facts ; There are now 2,563 stations in 75 foreign countries, compared with 2,047 in 66 countries a year ago (Vol. 2:19 p4). Factbook directory lists U.S. as having 619 TV stations — but U.S. count doesn't include lowpowered translators & repeaters, while their equivalents are included in foreign total. In addition, U.S. Armed Forces operate 35 TV stations for entertainment of servicemen & their families stationed in U.S. & overseas locations where they're beyond reach of English-language TV outlets. Among highlights of foreign TV progress shown in our directory are growth of TV in new nations of Africa and continued trend toward commercial TV, even in countries where stations are owned by governmental or quasi-govemmental bodies. Ratio of commercial-to-noncommercial countries is better than 2-to-l. There ore 51 countries with some form of commercial TV operation. These countries have 1,382 stations (including non-commercial stations) and 39 million sets. Stations which bar commercial TV have 1,181 stations and 26 million sets.