Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1956)

13 Topics 8e Trends of TV Trade: Annual plant shut downs for vacations, traditional in industry to fulfill union contracts and to give manufacturers chance to check inventory in preparation for fall lines, include these companies, as repoi'ted to RETMA by its members: Set manufacturers: Bendix Radio, June 25-July 9; CBS-Columbia, July 2-15; Crosley-Bendix, Aug. 20-Sept. 2; DuMont, July 16-29; Emerson, July 16-29; GE, June 29-July 16; Hallicrafters, July 2-16; Hoffman Electronics, July 16-29; Magnavox, July 2-16; Motorola, July 2-15; Olympic Radio, July 2-15; Packard-Bell, June 29rJuly 15; Philco, July 16-29; Pilot Radio, July 2-15; RCA, July 1629; Raytheon, July 2-17; Stromberg Carlson, July 2-15; Sylvania, July 16-29; Warwick, July 2-15; Wells-Gardner, July 2-15; Westinghouse, dates undetermined; Zenith, July 2-15. Admiral, not a RETMA member, usually closes down first 2 weeks in July. Tubes: CBS-Hytron, July 2-15; DuMont, July 16-29; Eitel-McCullough, July 30-Aug. 12; Federal, July 2-17; GE, June 29-July 15; Machlett Labs, July 30-Aug. 12; Sylvania, July 2-15; Thomas Electronics, July 2-15; TungSol, July 16-29; Westinghouse, July 2-15. Components and others: Alliance Mfg. Co., July 2-15; Amphenol, June 29-July 15; Chicago Condenser, July 2-15; Clarostat, July 9-15; Erie Resistor, July 2-15; International Resistance, July 23-Aug. 5 (Philadelphia) & July 2-8 (Asheville & Boone, N. C.) ; Quam-Nichols, July 2-15; Radio Condenser, July 16-29. Among those not shutting down are P. R. Mallory, Muter, Oak Mfg. Co. & Sprague. * * * » Purchase of Micamold Electronics, major producer of capacitors, was announced this week by General Instrument. Subject to approval of stockholders June 11. Micamold’s outstanding stock will be purchased for about $2,494,000, its book value on Dec. 31, 1955 — payable 20% in cash and balance in long-term notes maturing annually over 5-year period starting March 1, 1958, along with options for purchase of 210,000 GI shares. Founded in 1924, Micamold and subsidiary had pre-tax earnings of $293,000, sales of $7,350,000 in 1955. It will continue operations under Micamold name. Westinghouse can sue for refund of $1,922,614 paid in excise taxes on electrical appliance sales for 5 years starting in 1949 Court of Claims ruled this week in Washington. Westinghouse had filed suit for refund under terms of so-called Frigidaire decision, which permits manufacturer to receive tax refund on any amount he spends for parts & service under a warranty (Vol. 12:4, 13). Govt, had asked dismissal of Westinghouse suit, but was overruled by Court, which set further argument May 23. Magnavox signs 5-year contract with lUE covering production workers at TV-radio-phono plant in Greeneville, Tenn., providing for average 6^ hourly wage increase for first year, 5^ thereafter, and additional fringe benefits. DISTRIBUTOR NOTES: Motorola appoints Electra Supply Co. Inc., 331 Mill St., Poughkeepsie, N. Y. (Nathan L. Reifler, pres.) . . . Sylvania appoints Floyd & Co. Inc., Cincinnati . . . CBS-Columbia appoints Deep South Supply Co., 675 W. Whitehall St., SW, Atlanta (L. Roscoe Walker, pres.) & Sexton Distributing Co., 5605 Kingston Pike, Knoxville (Calvin S. Sexton, pres.) . . .Whirlpool-Seeger appoints RCA outlet Dulaney’s, Oklahoma City . . . Hoffman Electronics appoints O’Farrell Welch, ex-v.p. of Leo J. Meyberg Co. (RCA), as gen. mgr. of San Francisco branch . . . RCA Victor Distributing Corp., Los Angeles, appoints Russell P. Larsen mgr. of major appliance div. . . . W. J. Lancaster Co., San Francisco (Motorola) names Wm. P. Frost, founder of Packard-Bell outlet W. P. Frost Co., as sales mgr., replacing Ernest F. Welch, now with Lee Co., San Francisco appliance retailer . . . Philco Distributor, N. Y., reports resignation of merchandise mgr. N. Kenneth Blake, his duties assumed by adv. mgr. Leonard Rutstein . . . Admiral Los Angeles reports resignation of service mgr. J. R. Hill . . . Canadian Westinghouse Supply Co. appoints C. Moor as TV-radio sales supervisor for Ontario district, headquartering in Toronto . . . Bruno-N.Y. (RCA) appoints Miss Mildred Gallik as home economics director, in charge of consumer requests for appliance demonstrations . . . Charles L. Bell Co., Allentown, Pa. (DuMont) moves to 1139 Sumner Ave. Stressing importance of full-line dealers, Dan D. Halpin, gen. sales mgr. of Westinghouse TV-radio div., told Ontario Radio & Appliance Dealers Assn. May 1 that brand loyalty of consumers makes tie-in with full-line manufacturer extremely valuable. “The dealer who ties in with the manufacturer of a full line gains in prestige and sales on the good will, national advertising and aggressive merchandising programs,” he said “ . . . Furthermore, the full line enables the manufacturer to provide his distributors and retailers with mixed carload shipments that have become more and more important in recent years not only in cost reduction but in convenience for distributors and retailers.” “World’s first fully automatic TV sets” will be sho-wn by Crosley to its distributors this summer, company announcement stating: “In effect, all controls are pre-set when the receiver is installed. All the set owner does is turn on the set and select the channel. Automatic TV does the rest.” Sets can be activated by controls on set or by remote control, Crosley said. Growing market for appliances and autos in next 12 months is documented in “Survey of U. S. Markets, 1956,” a study made for Look Magazine by Alfred Politz Research and released this week. Based on sample of 4772 interviews in Jan, & Feb., study reports 8,750,000 households plan to buy one or more major appliances, 4,900,000 plan new car in next 12 months. Applied research lab for military electronics has been established as part of Sylvania’s Waltham, Mass. labs. Dr. Leonard S. Sheingold, ex-head of applied research dept, of Sylvania’s avionics lab, has been named mgr. of new lab, which is studying new radar techniques, electronic warfare, ultra-violet & infra-red aircraft detection systems, electronic devices which will operate under nuclear radiation. Erwin Tomash & A. C. Bellanca named v.p.’s. Telemeter Magnetics Inc., subsidiary of International Telemeter (Paramount). Dr. Wendell B. Sell, ex-Boeing Aircraft, named mgr., electronics div., American Machine & Foundry Co. Dr. David B. Langmuir named diiector of electronic research lab., Ramo-Wooldridge Corp., Los Angeles. Dr. Herbert S. Bennett, ex-research & development director of Dynamic Electronics Corp., N. Y., joins DuMont technical products div. as technical specialist in military electronics & missiles. State Labs Inc., 649 Broadway, N. Y., has been named exclusive U. S. <fe Canadian representatives for sale of tubes manufactured by L. M. Ericsson Corp. of Sweden. Airtronic Research Inc., Bethesda, Md. electronics firm, has been sold to Harris-Seybold Co., big manufacturer of printing equipment. Airtronic pres. Joseph E. Butler will continue in same post. Dr. John P. Costas, mgr., communications sub-section, GE electronics lab, named long-range radio communications consultant to Asst. Defense Secy, for research & development.