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

9 Trsds PofSOnsis: Dr. Ralph Bown, Bell Laboratories director of research, ex-IRE president and holder of its Medal of Honor, named v.p. in charge of research of Bell Labs; William H. Doherty named director of research in electrical communications; Dr. H. T. Friis, director of research in high frequency & electronics; Dr. James B. Fisk, director of research in physical sciences . . . Douglas Y. Smith promoted to mgr. of sales operations, RCA tube dept., Earl M. Wood, mgr. of manufacturing, succeeding him as Lancaster plant mgr. . . . William M. Lana, ex-Air Force engineering officer, named head of new office of Sprague Electric Co. at 3 E. Second St., Dayton, 0. . . . Walter Ostman, Philco division mgr. at San Francisco, named gen. mgr. of its newly established factory distributor branch in Los Angeles, succeeded in San Francisco by Harper Dowell . . . William F. Carolan, ex-E. B. Lathan Co., New York electrical distributors, named gen. sales mgr. of RCA Victor’s newly created air conditioning dept, in Camden . . . William W. Paul, treasurer, elected v.p.. Radio Condenser Co. . . . Charles G. Gilman, ex-Allied Screw Machine Co., new controller of Radio Craftsmen Inc., Chicago . . . Lawrence LeKashman now v.p., Electro-Voice Inc., Buchanan, Mich. . . . Ernest Marx, DuMont gen. sales mgr., returned Dec. 28 from 5-week trip to line up distributor’s in Latin America. Copper, nickel, cobalt, tin, lead, zinc — these metals are in tighter supply today than they were 2 months ago ; level of supply of most other raw materials appears to have stabilized, at least for time being. That’s crux of DPA’s fourth bi-monthly List of Basic Materials & Alternates, issued Dec. 28. Publication comments: “Among the nonferrous metals, copper continues to be the most critical, with little relief expected . . . Cadmium shortage, however, is easing . . . Steel production has reached new heights. [But] during the next 3 or 4 months steel will face its most serious scrap shortage in history. Only greatly stepped-up scrap collections can prevent a serious loss of steel production.” Materials list can be obtained from Commerce Dept, field offices. Appointment of Clay P. Bedford as military production czar, and naming of William L. Campbell as DPA deputy administrator for production, are steps in smallscale reorganization of mobilization program to meet Congressional criticism (Vol. 7:48). Mr. Bedford, executive v.p. of Kaiser-Frazer, becomes special asst, to the Secy, of Defense with title of Expediter of Military Production. He previously served as deputy DPA administrator. His successor, Mr. Campbell, is v.p. of Food Machinery & Chemical Corp., San Jose, Cal. Mr. Bedford has been prominently mentioned as successor to DPA-NPA chief Manly Fleischmann, who has announced he intends to leave Govt, next spring. << H; * One small branch of electronics industry which felt no 1951 trade slump is group of manufacturers m.aking high-fidelity home radio-phono components, reports Dec. 26 Wall Street Journal. Dealers in custom sound systems report 1951 sales double those of 1950, which in turn were well above previous years, says article. It lists these high-quality-amplifier manufacturers as enjoying unprecedented demand for their products: Brook Electronics Inc., Elizabeth, N. J.; McIntosh Laboratory Inc., Binghamton, N. Y.; Altec Lansing Corp., Beverly Hills, Cal.; Bell Sound Systems Inc., Columbus, 0.; David Bogen Co., New York; Waveforms Inc., New York; Radio Craftsmen Inc., Chicago; Hermon Hosmer Scott Inc., Cambridge, Mass.; Newcomb Audio Products Co., Hollywood, Cal. Plans for FM promotion (Vol. 7:46,50) in North Carolina, agreed upon in manufacturer-broadcaster meeting Dec. 27 in Charlotte, include: (1) Manufacturers’ preparation of dealer displays, spot announcements, press releases, direct mail campaign. (2) Broadcasters’ offer of 10 or more free industry spots daily per station, free mention of local dealers’ FM demonstrations, special programming, promotional newspaper ads. Campaign starts Jan. 21; promotion in Wisconsin begins Feb. 4, in District of Columbia March 1. New York Times TV-radio editor Jack Gould devoted Dec. 28 column to FM, noted varied FM fare in New York, ventured: “With TV set sales having subsided in recent months, apparently there is at least an even chance of the FM field enjoying more attention.” Some 50,000 color sets with Lawrence tri-color tubes could be made annually by Chromatic TV Labs, says Paul Raibourn, v.p. of Paramount Pictures, which is 50% owner of Chromatic. “What we can’t understand,” he says, “is why NPA’s color order differs so much from what was agreed upon during the conference with Wilson. It looks like they’re trying to keep color sets off the market, rather than trying to save materials. We’d like to make some sets and see how they go.” He reports that Chromatic has turned out several versions of tube — “none perfect yet” — could get into mass production in 3 months if given NPA go-ahead. Among 50 American scientists of last half-century, selected by Popular Mechanics for its Golden Anniversary January issue, are these contributors to TV-radio: Edwin H. Armstrong, Lee deForest, Vladimir Zworykin. Also included are such contributors to electronic theory and allied fields as Irving Langmuir, Ernest 0. Lawrence, Robert A. Millikan, Nicola Tesla. Issue includes article “Dawn of the Electronic Age” by deForest who sketches growth of electronics, ventures transistor may supplement but never supplant vacuum tube, decries such developments as transit radio, castigates FCC for approving field-sequential color, peers into a future of electronic home heating, electronic plant-growth stimulation, etc. TV transmissions via light waves, instead of electromagnetic, should be ready for point-to-point use in 2 years, home reception in 5 — according to Dr. Allen B. DuMont, with whom light-wave idea has been a favorite project for years. In recent interview with AP’s Wayne Oliver, he ventured that “Photovision” stations could be built for $2000-$5000 and serve 4-5 mile radius, using light beams penetrating clouds and fog. Receivers for light reception would take about half number of parts in present sets, he said. “It’s only recently that I’ve been confident that we’ll have Photovision,” Dr. DuMont observed. New director of naval communications is Rear Admiral William B. Ammon, who was deputy director before assuming command of a Pacific destroyer flotilla early this year. Admiral Ammon succeeds acting director Capt. W. B. Goulett who has served in post since Sept. 1, when Rear Admiral John R. Redman left to direct communications-electronics for Joint Chiefs of Staff (Vol. 7:34). Bound and Indexed We’re planning to index and bind, between embossed book covers, in limited quantity, all 1951 issues of the Television Digest Newsletters plus the year’s Supplements and TV Factbooks. This volume of 52 Newsletters, Supplements, Factbooks and Index will provide a handy and handsome permanent reference. Orders will be taken only until Jan. 5. Price, $25 per volume.