Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

MANUFACTURING continued tween 1950 and 1957 home entertainment products dropped from 58% to 21% of electronic factory sales, while the military share rose from 20% to about 50%. Uncle Sam is now by far the industry's biggest customer." Industrial electronics sales at the factory increased from $950 million in 1956 to $1.3 billion in 1957, with more growth seen in 1958. The industrial lines "offer the greatest promise for the future, already running a close second to home entertainment business and possibly surpassing it next year," Mr. Secrest said. He pointed to the decision of American Automobile Assn. to campaign for electronic controls on vehicles and new highways. He said closed-circuit television made rapid advances in educational and industrial uses, besides making "its debut as an entertainment medium in the home." The future of wired tv in the home "is problematical," he said. New Traveling-Wave Antenna Sold by RCA to KGHL-TV An advanced type of traveling-wave tv transmitting antenna for high power vhf stations was announced last week by E. C. Tracy, manager, RCA broadcast and tv equipment department, Camden, N. J. The first such antenna has been sold to KGHLTV Billings, Mont., now under construction, he said. In effect, the traveling-wave antenna is a simple, self-contained unit in which all normally external elements are concealed and protected within the antenna itself, RCA explained. The new antenna features slottedcylinder construction and a simplified feed system, said to be a design advantage which eliminates adverse effects of external elements on radiation patterns. The antenna gets its name from the electrical design which permits the transmitted tv signal to travel the length of the sectional antenna as a complete wave. In conventional antenna operation, the transmitted energy branches out at each section. The new ch. 8 KGHL-TV is to go on the air early next year using the new antenna which has a gain of 15, and an RCA 25-kw tv transmitter. Effective radiated power of 316 kw will be produced. The antenna is 1 14 feet tall and weighs 23,000 pounds-plus. It will be mounted on a 417-foot RCA-Ideco tower. The antenna, which requires no external feed lines, is available in gains ranging from 8 to 19, Mr. Tracy added. P. N. Fortin is president of Midland Empire Broadcasting Co., owner of KGHL-TV. The station's general manager is Jeff Kiichli. Cohu Acquires Eastern Firms Cohu Electronics Inc., San Diego, has acquired Millivac Instrument Corp. and Volkers & Schaffer Inc., both of Schenectady, N. Y., it has been announced by La Motte T. Cohu, president and board chairman of Cohu. They are being merged into Millivac Div. of Cohu Electronics. Dr. Walter Volkers, who formerly headed the firms, remains as president of the Millivac Div. and vice president of Cohu Electronics. Included in the stock transaction — price undisclosed— is a series of patents on electronic tubes and transistors. Addition of the new division, intended to complement component lines of Cohu's Kin Tel Div., is expected to add more than 25% to the total Cohu sales volume in 1958. Halligan Family Repurchases Hallicrafters for $3 Million Hallicrafters Co., Chicago electronics firm, has been sold back to William J. Halligan Sr. and members of his family by PennTexas Corp., it was announced Wednesday. The purchase for an estimated $3 million in cash was approved by the Hallicrafters board Thursday. The firm, founded in 1932 by Mr. Halligan, originally was sold March 19, 1956, in an exchange of 332,600 shares of Hallicrafter common stock for 825,000 shares of Penn-Texas common stock (valued at about $6.3 million at the time). Mr. Halligan served as president for Hallicrafters during the period it operated as a Penn-Texas subsidiary. The sale last week was part of PennTexas' plan to relinquish certain holdings to pay off $10 million in short term bank loans. Buy WAKR Sell the Akron Area At LOWEST COST Per Thousand Most Listeners Most Coverage is m> 1 it HOOPER WITH MORE LISTENERS THAN THE OTHER THREE AKRON STATIONS COMBINED. WAKR 45.7%. PULSE 1IN AND OUT OF HOME -a WAKR IN EVERY QUARTER HOUR PERIOD DAY AND NIGHT * Oct. 1957: 6 a.m. thru Midnight Mon. thro Fri. July thru Sept. 1957 7 a.m. thru 10:30 p.m. Mon. thru Fri. #; 1IN AUDIENCE AND COVERAGE WAKR * Leads all Akron stations in Summit, Portage, Medina, Wayne and Stark Counties. National Rep.: BURKE-STUART Company, Inc. • New York • Chicago • Detroit • Hollywood • San Francisco WAKR ■ RADIO WAKR • TV 853 COPLEY ROAD • AKRON 20, OHIO Page 94 • December 16, 1957 Broadcasting