Radio broadcast .. (1922-30)

Replacement Sales for 1928 Increased 77% . . . Estimated Replacement Sales for 1929 Will Increase 80^? More Tubes Will Be Sold in IQ2Q Tubes Sold in 1929 1928 Sales=61,552,846 tubes A=20,472,487 tubes for new sets = 32,321,436 replacements for old sets 0=8,758,923 replacement for new sets i92gSales= ioo,ooo,oootubes (Estimated) A = 26,000,000 tubes for new sets 8=63,000,000 replacements for old sets C= 11,000,000 replacements for new sets 1927 Sales = 33,662,247 tubes A= 10,322,640 tubes for new sets B= 19,057,257 replacements for old sets 4,282,350 replacements for new sets 1929-THE YEAR OF 100,000,000 TUBES ESTIMATES OF tube sales during 1929 indicate that dealers may expect an increase of at least 60 per cent, in this part of their business— and, as every dealers knows, this will repre- sent an appreciable part of his yearly increase in revenue. Why this great increase? Tubes from reliable manufacturers do not, as some cus- tomers still believe, fail prematurely. The reason for the ac- celerated growth in the tube replacement market comes from but one cause—the use of more radios more hours per day. This in turn is caused by the increase in "time on the air" taken by both national and local broadcasters; by the in- creased number of stations which may be received without interference; by the improved fidelity of transmission and reception; by the rapid betterment of the quality of pro- grams; and by the fact that the moment a radio receiver operated directly from the lamp socket is installed, its user is freed from worry about whether his batteries will need re- placement or charging if he works the radio too hard. The result is he listens more than he did before. The charts at the top of this page show the extent to which the tube market increased last year, and the expected sales for the current year. (These charts show the various purposes for which the tubes are purchased, such as tubes for use in new receivers, replacement tubes for receivers sold during the current year, and replacement tubes for old receiv- ers.) The fact which is instantly apparent is that the replacement market is growing by leaps and bounds; much faster than the market created by the sale of sets. LIFE OF TUBE (MONTHS) Showing how tube life varies irith use. Let us consider a few facts, contributed by a recent survey of the National Broadcasting Company. This survey shows that 68 per cent, of the radio owners use their set on an aver- age of at least two hours per day, 44 per cent, use their sets at least three hours per day, and 24 per cent, use their sets more than four hours per day. These figures have been found to hold true irrespective of the section of the country, occupa- tion, or social standing of the individual. These data, taken in March, 1928, prove that listening to the radio is becoming increasingly popular. More recent- surveys indicate that to-day, June, 1929, radio entertainment is even more popular and that many families are using their sets five hours or more a day, or a total of approximately two thousand hours per year! This, in turn, means that many set- owners have to buy at least two complete sets of tubes for their receivers each year (see chart below), and it explains why the replacement tube market is increasing with such rapid strides. And what could be more natural than this increase when it is realized that the better stations are now on the air from 6:45 A.M. until midnight and that over 600 stations are broadcasting ? Better programs, better radio receivers, more stations on the air, widespread acceptance of the radio as a source of entertain- ment, news, and education, all point toward a still greater use of the receiver than has been cus- tomary. All of these factors should be appreciated by the dealer in radio tubes, and should be pointed out to the irate customer who insists that the tubes in his new a.c. set are ready for the wastebasket much sooner than is proper. 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 • JUNE- 1929 • 85