Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

— 17 — LAWRENCE COLOR TUBE ‘READY’? Although it’s a closely guarded secret within the Paramount Pictures & Du Mont organizations, there are indications both companies now feel that the Lawrence single-gun color picture tube — under development by Du Mont for Paramount — is virtually perfected and ready for mass production. Development of associated receiver circuitry for the tube is also said to be in advanced stages. Du Mont, 28% owned by Paramount, has been conducting the tube-perfecting project under contract. If the tube is ready. Paramount’s next move is a real puzzler: What to do with it? The best guess is that it hopes to license tube manufacturers to make the Lawrence tube — although it conceivably could sell its interest in the tube outright or even go into the tube business itself (considered unlikely). Interest in color TV is not exactly at fever pitch today — and there’s no question that the tube will have to be both spectacularly good and spectacularly cheap (though not necessarily in that order) to make any impression on the now color-blind tube & set manufacturers. Trade Personals: O. B. Hanson retires as v.p. of RCA engineering services after 36 years with RCA, NBC and predecessor companies . . . Kenneth A. Hoagland resigns as color TV research director, Du Mont Labs, where he’s been directing commercial development of the Lawrence chromatic single-gun color tube under contract with Paramount Pictures. He was with the company 18 years. Edward W. Allen resigns as public relations director . . . Malvern B. Still, mgr. of RCA’s Canonsburg, Pa., plant, named mgr. of Bloomington, Ind., plant, succeeding Alvin B. Pollock, J now gen. plant mgr., TV-Radio-Victrola production unit 3 ... Frederick C. Zorn resigns as sales director of Emer j son’s Du Mont TV & radio div. . . . Daniel J. Lee Jr. named treas. & resident mgr., Philco Corp., S. A., Fribourg, Swit'I zerland . . . Hugh Larson named to new post of v.p. & sales mgr., Trav-Ler Radio, continuing as midwest regional sales mgr. . . . Walter C. Werner promoted to eastern representaj tive. Motorola’s military electronics div. Brad Kroha proj moted to national merchandising mgr., communications & lj electronics div. . . . George P. Fryling II promoted to v.p.manufacturing, Erie Resistor Corp. George F. Kempf promoted to v.p. & gen. mgr., Erie Resistor of Canada, Tren, I ton, Ont. . . . Charles R. Orem Jr., named asst, treas., Syl|[ vania Electric Products . . . Melvin L. Doelz promoted to dj v.p., western div., Collins Radio . . . Joseph L. Cipriani 1 1 promoted to sales & service mgr., Granco . . . William E. , i Johnson, ex-Whirlpool, named dealer sales mgr.. Heath Co. div. of Daystrom . . . James W. Willis ex-Navy, appointed govt, representative, Raytheon semiconductor div., Wash" ington . . . Cliff Landis heads new Howard W. Sams office " in N. Y. (Corning Glass Bldg., 56th & 5th Ave.). He’s suc“ ceeded as director of distributor contacts in the Indianapolis headquarters by Ted Shonfield . . . E. W. Kingsbery Jr., '' named gen. sales mgr., Clarostat Mfg. Co. . . . Edward C. • I Kane, ex-Jos. M. Zamoiski Co., named gen. mgr.. Allied ®l Appliance Distributors, Baltimore (Emerson) . . . Lloyd V. Berkner, pres, of Associated Universities Inc., and interi'i national pres, of the International Scientific Radio Union, will be principal speaker at the annual IRE banquet, March jf 25, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, N. Y. His subject: “The IRE Enters Space.” Financial RCA’s 4th-Quarter Spurt: Although its profits were down for 1958, a 6% increase in 4th-quarter sales brought RCA’s total 1958 sales to $1,176,094,000 — within $200,000 of the all-time record sales of 1957. Fourth-quarter earnings also were higher than the 1957 period, bringing the 1958 net profit to $30,942,000, vs. $38,548,974 the preceding year. RCA’s all-time high net profit was $47,525,000 in 1955. The world’s biggest entity in electronic entertainment & associated fields revealed that manufacturing sales accounted for 71.3% of its earnings in 1958 (as opposed to 72.7% in 1957), while broadcasting (NBC) went up to 26.2% from 24.9%. These were the 1958 revenue sources (compared with 1957): Manufacturing services & sales to commercial customers, $533,405,000 (45.4%) vs. $588,628,000 (50%) in 1957. Sales to Govt., $304,852,000 (25.9%) vs. $266,992,000 (22.7%) in 1957. Broadcasting, $308,541,000 (26.2%) vs. $292,212,000 (24.9%). Communications, $26,417,000 (2.3%) vs. $26,036,000 (2.2%). Training (RCA Institutes Inc.), $2,879,000 (.2%) vs. $2,409,000 (.2%). NBC’s gross income was $22,126,000 higher than 1957 — nearly 4 times the $6,000,000 increase from 1956 to 1957. The report says NBC-TV’s time sales increased by 11.3% in 1958, “largest dollar-volume gain of all 3 networks.” NBC radio enjoyed a 17 % increase in network billings. RCA’s govt, sales increased 14% over 1957, and as 1958 closed, RCA had a backlog of about $300,000,000 in govt, orders, an increase of $50,000,000 during the year. Total assets at year’s end were $734,285,723, up from $720,772,768 at the end of 1957. The report of RCA & domestic subsidiaries for the year ended Dec. 31: 1958 Products & services sold . . $1,176,094,398 Net before federal tax 60,441,749 Federal income taxes 29,500,000 Net profit 11,144,000 Earned per share 2.01 Shares outstanding 13,842,107 1957 $1,176,277,371 77,048,794 38.500.000 10.229.000 2.55 13,842,662 For 3 months ended Dec. 31: Products & services sold . . . 341,341,000 322,610,000 Net profit 11,144,00 10,229,000 Earned per share 75«i 68^ International Resistance Co., despite a first-half loss of $71,248 & non-recurring costs of $71,126, showed a slight increase in profits for the full year of 1958. Pres. Charles Weyl attributes this to prompt action taken by the company to curtail unprofitable product lines after the late-1957 business decline. IRC’s report for the year ended Dec. 31: Sales Net profit Earned per share 1958 1957 $13,743,865 $15,374,721 504,268 469,870 37<; 35(‘ Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc. reports decline in sales & net income for 1958. The report for the year ended Dec. 31 (1957 figui’es revised to reflect merger of Thompson Products & Ramo-Wooldridge Corp.): 1958 1957 Net sales $340,621,767 $412,608,506 Net income 18,815,232 25,441,723 Earned per share 2.86 3.90 Shares outstanding 3,024,983 3,022,937 Electronic Associates Inc., reports for the year ended Dec. 31: 1958 1957 Net sales $10,216,000 $12,298,000 Net profit 315,000 1,002,000 Servomechanisms-Lal) for Electronics merger has been approved by directors of both companies.