Television digest with AM-FM reports (Jan 1951-Jan 1952)

believe that any inventories you may accumulate during the summer will be the best \ insurance that you will be able to satisfy the great acceptance and demand which we y expect to have this fall [when] we believe that the industry as a whole will be seriously curtailed. " Few others will admit big inventories, some pointing ruefully to the huge financial resources that enable GE to do what they cannot — even if they were minded to. Taking cognizance of whispers about its condition. Admiral issued statement denying it now has any factory inventory at all and revealing its strong financial position (see Financial Notes), particularly as one of the few big (or little) companies in TV-radio without any bank loans. * * * * Output of TVs dropped to mere 8270 (no private brands) during second summer plant vacation week, ended July 13. Radios totaled only 99,667 (88,673 private). The TVs compare with 12,817 week preceding, radios with 74,863 (Vol. 7:28). Radios were 72,553 auto, 21,964 home, 5150 portable. Factory inventories of TVs went up a bit more — to 744,162 from 739,945 week before. Radio inventories were 351,368, down from 406,046. RTMA revised 6-month output figures now show 3,331,268 TVs (vs. 3,136,300 same period last year) and 8,027,254 radios (vs. 7,333,600). Of these, 2,199,669 TVs and 4,343,600 radios were produced during first quarter. WHAT CBS COLOR SETS WILL BE LIKE: CBS-Columbia Inc, now plans novel color receivers with 2 picture tubes — one tube 17 or 20-in. for black and white, the other 10-in. (magnified to 12%) for color. Proposed models would have tubes side-by-side and/or one above the other. "Shot-in-dark" estimate of price: S600. That's latest from big radio network’s manufacturing subsidiary, revealed by its president David H. Cogan. But first color production, he said, will be $500 10-in. (magnified) color-monochrome set with disc that splits to give black & white (Vol. 7:23). Pilot run of 500 is slated for late August, going to 300-a-day rate in September — "if we can get materials, and we're having a little trouble." Then will come $249 "slave" unit with 10-in. tube, along with a $400 colormonochrome set. Thereafter, the 2-tube set may emerge in October. Plan is to devote former Air King factory one-third to color sets, produce 25,000 by year's end. Air King, said Mr. Cogan, has been making 20,000 black-andwhite sets monthly — heavily in private label field (including Sears Roebuck). **!}!!{: If ardor for FCC-approved CBS color system has been dampened by RCA's very successful demonstrations of tri-color tube last week (Vol. 7:28), it isn't apparent among CBS folk. Well-attended showings of its color models at Chicago Music Trade Show this week were deemed huge success. Said Mr. Cogan: "We aren't taking orders, because we have orders for all we can produce from our established distributors — and they're on allocation." What did he think of RCA's color, as he and other CBS executives saw it last week? "No better," he replied, "than last year. Do you think their set is a production item? With 54 tubes? And a tri-color tube that would cost $200? "RCA says our sets are too expensive. Then they say they can bring their costs down. Don't they think we can bring our costs down, too?" CBS chairman Wm. Paley may differ with Cogan in evaluation of RCA color. According to Variety, Paley "reportedly told friends he was impressed by the 'tremendous improvement '.. .He is said to have been especially impressed by RCA's compatibility feature... He observed, however, that CBS colors are still more brilliant." CBS has tried the RCA tri-color tube with its system, and Cogan reports: "It doesn't compare. Don't think we wouldn't use such a tube if there were a good one. We'd be glad to have it. We're in the tube business, too [Hytron] — not in the manufacture of discs and motors. It just happens that the disc is the best and cheapest way of producing color today." It would take only 4-5 extra receiving tubes to incorporate tri-color tube