Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

NEW SERIES VOL. 3, No. 16 TELEVISION DIGEST-11 Trade Personals [ Dr. Elmer W. Engstrom, RCA pres., will address opening day luncheon of SMPTE convention April 22 at Atlantic City on “Horizons in Electronics.” Mark W. Cresap Jr., Westinghouse pres., is member of 5-man businessmen committee, chaired by Ford Motor Chmn. Henry Ford II, that will work on new tax bill for Administration. Lynn L. Long named Sylvania Tube Div. sales admin' istrator. Edgar H. Griffiths appointed RCA International Div. , international finance vp, a new post; Erwin Schuller named international financial advisor effective April 30, serving as consultant to RCA & subsidiaries. ' Allan Gardner, Wells-Gardner vp & sales mgr., elected i a dir., succeeding late Henry C. Bonfig . . . Charles Mauer named Sony Corp. of America national service mgr.. Consumer Products Div., a new post. Joel P. Smith named Jerrold Electronics’ Community Antenna Systems Operations Div. mgr., replacing Daniel Aaron, resigned; Joseph J. Kontuly appointed asst, ad & sales promotion mgr. Paul Smith, Esquire Radio vp, elected a dir. of parent Esquire Radio & Electronics. Richard A. Campbell named operations vp of Thomp' son Ramo Wooldridge subsidiary TRW Electronics; Thomas M. Fitzgerald appointed vp-gen. mgr. of Pacific Semiconductors, 90% owned by Thompson Ramo Wooldridge. Charles Grove, Grove Refrigeration & Air Conditioning vp, elected pres, of NARDA’s Ohio Chapter. J. D. Winer resigns as Capehart chmn. & a dir.; Dr. Joseph H. Vogelnian, research, development & engineering vp, appointed a dir.; Leonard J. Schwartz, field engineering dir., appointed a corporate vp. Eric C. Ilcrud, onetime asst, chief engineer for Du Mont TV Network, named mgr. of Du Mont Labs’ new ' Medical Instrument Dept. I David M. Bcckcrman named Radio Shack Retail Div. & I operations gen. mgr., succeeded by Ernest Kalinish as ad mgr. I Distributor Notes: W estinghouse names Charles Ross TV, radio, major appliance regional mgr. for eastern Pa., N.J., Md., Del., Va. & D.C., succeeding Leo Cronson, who retires May 1 after 30 years with company • TV Development appoints Ralph E. Walker district sales mgr. for northern 111. & eastern Wise., headquartering at 1929 N. Newland Ave., Chicago • David Brody, ex-John M. Otter i Co. vp-gen. sales mgr., named Philadelphia-area rep for II Grundig-Majestic • Sharp Co. appoints W. A. Rich Co. ) (1711 West Roosevelt, Phoenix) Arizona distributor for I TV & home entertainment lines. Admiral has kicked off $1.2 million 2nd quarter ad ' campaign for TVs, radios, phonos, appliances. First5 quarter ad spending totaled $1.8 million. 7 Fisher Radio is advertising free offer to consumers, I 40-page “Fisher Handbook — An Authoritative Guide To E Custom Stereo.” RCA Posts Record Quarter: RCA opened 1963 with Jan.-March sales & profits greatest of any quarter in its 44-year history (see financial table). Profits jumped 19% to $17.3 million from year-earlier’s record $14.5 million on 3% sales gain to $436 million from record $425 million. NBC also scored peak first-quarter sales & profits. “Color TV was among the most significant elements in first-quarter earnings, with sales of color sets & services moving at a pace reminiscent of the early growth of b&w TV,” Chmn. David Sarnoff & Pres. Elmer W. Engstrom noted. Over-all TV sales set first-quarter record, they added (Vol. 3:15 plO). “We anticipate that RCA’s sales & earnings, subject to the continued vigor of the national economy, will maintain their upward movement in an environment of expansion for electronics as a whole,” Sarnoff & Engstrom emphasized. ■ Mergers & acquisitions: ITT and Bell & Gossett Co., Morton Grove, 111. maker of pumps, heating & refrigeration equipment, have agreed to merge. Subject to approval of Bell & Gossett stockholders & certain conditions, ITT would pay some $47.8 million for assets by issuing 696,422 shares of ITT common & 145,487 shares of cumulative convertible preferred for Bell & Gossett’s 2,078,385 outstanding common shares • Ling-Tcmco-Vought now owns 27.5% of Scam Instrument Corp.’s 3,448,608 shares, following merger of latter with Information System Inc., Skokie, 111. maker of electronic & control equipment for industrial automation systems. L-T-V owned 61% of Information Systems prior to amalgamation with Scam, Chicago manufacturer of enunciator & signaling systems • Sylvania has sold to Hupp Corp. its 85% interest in Golden Shield-Puerto Rico, its TV-radio distributor there. Sylvania sold its majority interest in parent Golden Shield Corp., Great Neck, N.Y. early last year (Vol. 2:2 p8). Latter will retain its interest in Puerto Rican branch. Motorola’s first-quarter earnings dropped “upwards of 50 %” from year-ago’s $2.5 million despite sales rise from 1962’s March-quarter volume of $77 million. Pres. Robert W. Galvin reported. He attributed profit drop to stepped-up investment in color TV, preparations to produce color picture tube, and start-up costs for 15 new products introduced by Semiconductor Div. Despite downbeat opening quarter. Motorola expects profit decline to reverse in 2nd quarter, foresees record earnings in 3rd. Galvin said Motorola & National Video will introduce new color tube this summer. Re new semiconductor products, he said: “We consider each one of these a major development of its own, but each required very expensive engineering, installation & pilot runs.” Eniron Inc., Silver Spring, Md. manufacturer & owner of CATV systems, posted record sales of $2,679,490 for year ended Feb. 28, an increase of 97% over preceding year. Net income was $137,317 compared with loss of $373,792 for preceding year. Earnings equalled 50<ji a share on 272,135 shares vs. loss of $1.37 per share in prior year. Consumer ability to pay past-due bills declined during Jan.-March for 2nd consecutive quarter, American Collectors Assn, reported. ACA’s index, keyed to 1953 base of 100, showed decline to 97.1 from 97.2 a year ago & 98.8 in 1962’s final quarter.