Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

6-TELEVISION DIGEST AUGUST 19, 1963 Here are EIA’s official TV & radio production figures for ■ first half: BLACK-&-WHITE TELEVISION PRODUCTION Total All Channel Month 1963 1962 1963 1962 January. .... 484,415 488, 869 58,032 39, 609 February. . . . 557,931 541,494 63,713 46, 715 March 696,435 659, 251 76,481 48, 323 April 548, 637 510,587 70, 405 51, 107 May 507,499 474, 647 57, 208 39, 409 June 665,004 620,653 107, 500 50, 283 TOTAL 3,459,921 3, 295, 501 433, 339 275,446 RADIO PRODUCTION Total Auto Radio FM Month 1963 1962 1963 1962 1963 1962 January .... . . 1, 229, 507 1, 350, 630 594, 505 530, 589 87,641 76,510 February . . . . . 1, 389, 652 1, 464, 797 657, 691 480, 232 75,544 84, 216 March . . 1,568,381 1,810,417 677, 613 607,510 100, 940 81,010 April . . 1,359,769 1,472,654 596, 899 519,296 102, 208 63, 193 May . . 1,384,063 1,444,074 555, 812 504, 846 119,756 62, 292 June . . 1,653,866 1,721,873 670, 106 629,004 154,818 92, 287 TOTAL 8, 585,238 9, 264,445 3,752, 626 3, 271,477 640, 907 459, 508 SET MAKERS POST SOLID FIRST-HALF GAINS: TV-radio manufacturers generally gained momenturn in June quarter & rounded 1963’ s halfway mark with collective sales & earnings strongly ahead of ” year earlier. Sales picture, however, was brighter than profit performance, and several firms closed first half with earnings lagging. In most cases, it should be noted, profit declines were attributed to investments in upcoming color TV production. Six volume producers of TVs & radiosAdmiral, Andrea, Magnavox, Motorola, Wells-Gardner, Zenith— boosted amalgamated sales $28. 6 million to $528. 6 million from $500 million in 1962’ s first half. Their earnings rose some $345, 000 to $18. 6 million from $18. 2 million. The 1963 figure is after deducting Andrea’s $2, 904 loss. At end of first quarter (Vol. 3:20 p9), it’s interesting to note, earnings of 8 volume set makers declined by some $300, 000 despite $17. 2 million sales gain over 1962’ s initial 3 months. Impressive first -half gains were posted by 5 companies— Arvin Industries, GE, GT&E (Sylvania), RCA, Westinghouse— in which TVs & radios are but several of numerous consumer & defense products. They boosted first-half sales by $206 million to $5. 025 billion from $4. 819 billion, increased profits $20. 7 million to $229. 6 million from $208, 9 million. Our first-half sales-profit analysis also included 4 volume set makers— Muntz TV, Pacific Mercury, Packard Bell, Trav-Ler— whose 9-month or 12-month fiscal periods closed during calendar half. Their combined sales rose $3. 8 million from year ago to $91. 1 million from $87. 3 million. Their earnings rose by some $727, 000 to $2. 1 million from $1. 3 million. The 1962 figure is after deducting Packard Bell’s $333,000 loss. Over-all, our analysis of these 15 set makers produced these nutshell findings: (1) Overwhelming number— 12 of 15— netted sales gains. (2) Ten of 15 increased earnings. (3) Combined sales & profits were markedly ahead of first-half 1962. (4) Only one of 15— Andrea— failed to close first half in the black. (5) Six companies posted sales records. (6) Four set makers had record earnings. Among volume producers. Motorola & Zenith had record sales, and latter also posted record . earnings. Among multi-product companies, record sales & earnings were scored by GT&E, GE & I RCA. Westinghouse had record sales.