Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

Expanding World Trade By Albert F. Watters Vice President of RCA, Operations Manager RCA International Division Wo, ORLD business, always an active interest of RCA, today promises to be a major factor in its future growth. The year 1955 saw RCA International Division reach the highest level of sales and profit in RCA history. 1956 is delivering further evidence of progress. The first quarter showed the highest sales volume on record for the Division. All the main categories of the Di- vision's activity are expanding: direct export of RCA products, both consumer and capital goods; manufacture and assembly of RCA products by RCA's associated companies; licensing of RCA patents and inventions. This upward drive is the result of several factors, among which RCA policy is paramount. The Radio Corporation of America believes in international trade as a corporate opportunity for service and profit, and has equipped RCA International Division with the instruments for gaining an appropriate share of world business. The past few weeks have seen striking examples of RCA's intensive new cultivation of world trade. In March of this year, the first of 100 links in a country- wide microwave system was opened in Cuba with Major General Fulgencio Batista, President of the Republic of Cuba, sending the first teletype message and making the first telephone call between two military bases, Campo Batista and Ciudad Militar. Other new RCA equipment demonstrated to President Batista included mobile microwave and mobile radar. Shortly thereafter RCA signed a contract with Hen- rique Ascanio, owner of radio station Ondas del Lago in Maracaibo, Venezuela, to equip his TV station, the first in that thriving city, thus extending TV to another important market in Venezuela. During the same period negotiations were concluded with London Decca and associated companies for manu- facture and distribution of RCA records in England, West Germany, and Switzerland. This is a basic step in achieving distribution of the RCA catalog throughout the world. At the same time the RCA International Division was participating in the first demonstration of TV in Uruguay and contracting for a broadcast studio installation in Mozambique which will be one of the world's largest. The Division also was making heavy shipments of consumer goods to Puerto Rico, Egypt, Peru and many other areas. Henrique Ascanio, left, General Manager of radio sta- tion Ondas del Lago, Maracaibo, Venezuela, and Albert F. Watters, RCA Vice-President and Operations Manager of the RCA International Division, discuss agreement establishing first TV station in western Venezuela. March saw finalization of a new line of radio receivers and record players made in Germany for our export markets. This line, originally made for soft currency areas, has gained world acceptance — 1956 unit sales will be three times those of 1954. Carrying on Expansion Plans RCA International Division, which handles the for- eign trade operations of Radio Corporation of America, is carrying on expansion plans with RCA's 12 asso- ciated companies. The companies, located in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, England, India, Japan, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Switzerland, are reinforcing progress on several fronts, enlarging sales opportunities and aiding the economic welfare of the countries in which they are rooted. The RCA associated company in England, RCA Photophone Limited, has moved into bigger and better plant facilities and has begun production and sale of custom High Fidelity equipment. Industria Electronica, S.A., the associated company in Spain, is now assembling communications equipment for the Spanish government, as well as manufacturing records and record players. The reorganized company in Australia, RCA of Aus- tralia Proprietary Limited, will commence the manu- facture of records in 1956. RADIO AGE 79