Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

MANUFACTURING Radio Shipments for Jan.-Aug. Show Gain Over '56 Period Shipments of radio sets from factories to dealers showed a marked gain for the first eight months of 1957, totaling 4,788,006 sets compared to 4,491,795 in the like 1956 months, according to Electronic Industries Assn. (formerly RETMA). August shipments to dealers totaled 769,770 radios compared to 579,102 shipped in August 1956. Radio shipments do not include auto sets, which move directly to the automotive industry. Shipments of tv sets in the first eight months of 1957 totaled 3,460,100 units compared to 3,761,116 in the same 1956 period. August tv shipments totaled 490,849 sets compared tp 535,936 in the same month a year ago. Slowness of Color Tv Market Holding Back Motorola — Galvin Motorola Inc., Chicago-based electronics manufacturer, may find itself hard pressed to reach a goal of $400 million volume by 1960, partly because of the failure of color tv to emerge in the mass market. This intimation was made by Robert W. Galvin, Motorola president, in a talk before the Investment Analysts Society of Chicago Oct. 11. At the same time he reported sales and earning figures for the company. "Color tv is not taking off the ground as expected and still continues to be a luxury item," he said, adding that it will not reach the mass market until prices come down to the $300-$400 level. All tv set sales for Motorola the first nine months of 1957 are slightly below the same period for last year, he reported. During the third quarter ending last Sept. 30, Motorola reported sales of $60 million compared with $60.8 million in 1956, while earnings after taxes were approximately $1.9 million (about $1 per share) as against $1.7 million (9\4 a share) for that quarter last year. Nine-month sales are expected to exceed the previous high of $162,689,182 set in 1956. Full-year sales should hit $235 million, according to Mr. Galvin. While tv is down for the first nine months, sales of two-way radio communications and microwave relay systems, transistors, car radios and phonographs are up, and home radios and military electronics about even with last year. Four Appointed to RCA Posts Appointment of four RCA executives to new posts in distributor products merchandising, RCA Electron Tube Div., Harrison, N. J., was announced last week by Harold F. Bersche, manager of merchandising. Those named and their new posts are Joseph T. Houlihan, manager, merchandising-entertainment tubes; Joseph E. Kelley, manager, merchandising-industrial tubes and semiconductors; Joseph J. Kearney, manager, merchandising-parts and equipment, and Gerald G. Griffing, manager, merchandising coordination. THE prototype table model home television set (above) utilizes new thin tubes developed by Kaiser Aircraft & Electronics Corp. Only 2Vs inches thick, the tubes currently are in pilot production for military operations and, according to Kaiser, need only refinements of the glass envelope for mass production "to make spacesaving television a reality." In addition to their space-saving potential, the thin tubes would offer the additional advantage of a television picture on both sides of the screen. The model in the photo is mounted atop a conventional receiver and was shown by Kaiser at an Army-Navy Instrumentation Program Symposium in Los Angeles Oct. 15. Complete M-C-M NOW ON Library WAKR-TV during PEAK EVENING hours PLUS UNITED ARTISTS COLUMBIA • SCREEN GEMS NTA-"20TH CENTURY FOX" AND OTHERS yOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THESE TOP FEATURES AT SURPRISINOLy LOW RATES! Caff L KEN KEEGAN OR BURKE STUART, INC. PO. 2-881 1, Akron New York, Chi cago, Detroit, Hollywood, San Francisco i WAKR-TV • • • WAKRRADIO RADIO-TELEVISION CENTER • 855 COPLEY ROAD • AKRON 20, OHIO Broadcasting October 21, 1957 • Page 103