Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

10-TELEVISION DIGEST APRIL 29. 1963 TV-RADIO PRODUCTION: EIA statistics for week ended April 19 (16th week of 1963); Apr. 13-19 Preceding wk. 1962 wk. '63 cumulative '62 cumulative Black & white TV 131,801 137,969 122,798 2,146,536 2,069,025 Total Radio 312,176 332,909 363,154 5,198,298 5,736,115 Auto Radio 135,276 147,956 130,482 2,392,241 2,015,844 TV UP, RADIO DOWN: EIA’s release of official 2month sales & production figures confirms preliminary reports— radio sales down substantially (see p. 7), monochrome TV sales up somewhat, phono sales running way ahead of last year, at distributor-to-dealer level. Distributor sales of b&w TV for first 2 months topped the million mark, running about 6% ahead of 1962, but only up 3% in Feb.-to-Feb. comparison. In production column, all-channel sets accounted for 12% of total output in 2-month period, and were running 41% ahead of last year. Phono distributor sales for Feb. were 38% better than Feb. 1962, and, following a 44% increase for Jan. this year, 2-month results showed year-to-date rise of better than 40%. In Feb. radio figures, even FM didn’t provide usual bright spot, showing slight decline compared with Feb. 1962. In 2-month figures, however, FM production was still a little less than 5% ahead of 1962. Only cheering radio news was in specialized field of auto radios — along with good new car business, production was 24% higher than same 1962 period. Official EIA 2-month figures, compared with last year: TV-RADIO DISTRIBUTOR SALES Black-&-White TV Radio (excl. auto) Month 1963 1962 1963 1962 January .603,821 465,836 453,348 562,869 February 535,999 521,275 616,036 697,893 TOTAL 1,039,820 987,111 1,069,384 1 1,260.762 BLACK-&-WHITE TELEVISION PRODUCTION Total All-Channel Month 1963 1962 1963 1962 January 484,415 488,869 58,032 39,609 February 657,931 541,494 63,713 46,715 TOTAL 1,042,346 1,030,363 121,745 86,324 RADIO PRODUCTION Total Auto Radio FM Month 1963 1962 1963 1962 1963 1962 January 1,229,507 1,360,630 657,691 530,589 87,641 76,510 February 1,389,652 1,464,797 657,691 480,232 75,544 84,216 TOTAL 2,619,159 2,815,427 1,252,196 1,010.821 163.185 156,223 PHONO DISTRIBUTOR SALES 1963 1962 Month Mono Stereo Total Mono Stereo Total January 81,046 235,479 316,525 48,423 171,305 219,728 February 73,424 256,548 329,972 50,563 188,857 239.420 TOTAL 154,470 492,027 646,497 98,986 360,162 459,148 PHONO FACTORY SALES 1963 1962 Month Mono Stereo Total Mono Stereo Total January 83,638 258,058 341,694 68,545 191,014 259,559 February 77,971 262,304 339,275 52,566 202,846 255,412 TOTAL 161,609 520,362 681,971 121.111 393.860 514,971 New sets; (1) Western Auto’s Truetone color line, with 3 models, will begin with metal consolette at about $495, include step-ups at $595 & $645. (2) Sonora adds 17-in. portable at $139.95 list, 19-in. at $159.95, 23-in. consoles at $224.95 & $234.95, TV combos at $299.95 & $399.95, plus 4 new phonos. (3) Electrohome of Canada, claiming 300 retail outlets in all 50 states, adds TV to its combo & stereo line, 9 units starting with 19-in. portable at $179.95; color is due this summer. (4) Packard Bell adds 19-in. remote portable at $229.95. (5) Mercury Phonographs (div. of Mercury Records) adds first units built in Holland by Philips — transistor portable phono (8 lb.), operating on 6 flashlight batteries ($59.95); deluxe stereo portable ($139.95). (6) Magnavox to add 2 new 27-in. consoles to line, including Danish walnut set with tambour doors at $378.50. (7) Sharp introduces 11-transistor 2-speed portable phono with AM-FM radio. (8) Zenith debuts Jetliner slim luggage-style portable with 19in. bonded tube ($189.95). Motorola challenged FTC examiner’s findings in asking full Commission to review initial decision recommending cease-&-desist order against advertising claims for TVs & radios (Vol. 3:14 pl4). Of particular interest to industry is Motorola’s objection to doctrine that sets containing imported components should be labeled as to origin. In this connection. Motorola counsel said examiner had raised new issues, and in view of fact that company’s major competitors engage in similar practices, results of decision would have far-reaching effects — probably far beyond transistor radio industry. In addition. Motorola called examiner’s finding “vague, indefinite and excessive in scope” and added that claims which were challenged are technical in scope and were voluntarily abandoned before complaint was issued. FTC counsel also asked Commission to review case, challenging examiner’s dismissal of 2 charges against Motorola. “Single most important instrument” for solving mankind’s present & future problems may well be electronics. So said RCA Pres. Elmer W. Engstrom last week in address to SMPTE convention in Atlantic City. Electronics has now advanced “to a ne-w & essentially unlimited technology capable of application to virtually every organized human activity,” he said. In future, he said, electronics may play the major role in organizing man’s knowledge, improving genetic strains of plant & animal life to feed expanding populations, supplying inexpensive & inexhaustible energy sources, educating & communicating with peoples throughout the world, exploring space, forecasting significant climatic changes far in advance. Zenith’s famous Trans-Oceanic 8-band portable radio, first introduced in 1941 in tube version (and since transistorized), has been reduced from $250 to $199.95, including batteries, as result of “new technology in transistors and their circuits.”