Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

TV HEEDS CHEAPER RECEIVERS: FCC'S keen young IV engineering chief, Curtis Plummer, wasn't merely being facetious when he remarked, "What this country needs is a good S100 television receiver." His paraphrase hit the nail on the head: today's market Eiay readily absorb today's relatively small production (Vol. 3, No. 9), but mass audience must await mass production ^nd lower set prices. It's in recognition of this fact that RCA this v/eek opened up campaign in New York to sell its lowestpriced model, the 621-TS, costing $250 plus installation and one-year servicing charge of §45. Hitherto this model, with 7" Screen, took back seat to the 630-IS, with 10" tube, which first cost §350, now costs §375 plus §55 installation-servicing warranty. Both are TV-only table models (Vol. 2, No. 44). One company promised 7" tube setsi early last year at §100, ended up Selling them at nearly thrice that. It's still a problem of materials and labor costs. But everything being produced now, high cost or low, is moving readily, as evidenced by( fact DuMont in less than month (Jan. 27-Feb. 23) shipped more than §875,000 of its expensive (§795-§2,495) sets, ,had orders on hand for §3,100,000 more. RCA is channeling sets into areas with telecasting service as rapidly as possible, has set March 10 as "T-Day'1 for its 90 Los Angeles dealers, has promised that city 10% of 1946 production (or 15-20,000 .sets). Chicago is getting more and more sets, at latest count (according to "Retailing") had 1,300 sets. And Detroit News' VVWDT began daily test patterns last Tuesday, making that city another new priority market. FM SETS, SISN3 JOT PORTEHTS: Pilot Radio Corp.'s big ad in Thursday's New York Times not only gave FM a fillip in nation's biggest market, but flew directly in face of manufacturers who've been complaining about overzealous FM promotion (Vol. 3, No. 7). Pilot timed its "three-fold message on FM" with IRE convention, addressed portions of copy separately as "a message to" (1) radio engineers, (2) FM broadcasters, (3) the public. Of course, it also plugged its new §107.50 AM-FM table model. There's no blinking fact that AM-only table models aren't moving too well. Clearances and price-cutting, especially of off-brands, are now the rule.. Dealers are even asking that manufacturers come down on Aid-phonograph table models priced above §100 retail, saying this is out of line with consoles sometimes costing less. And in Some places, FM promotion has been so effective that dealers won't accent consoles without FM. Trade indications are that just about all consoles will include FM before year is out. An FM enthusiast of our acquaintance, annoyed that FM was unmentioned in several manufacturer ads in one recent issue of Saturday Evening Post, wrote each company to ask why — and what were their Fid production plans? Replies were significant enough to merit quotation, were perhaps even symptomatic — especially the one from Ben Abrams, Emerson, biggest of the table model set producers: "Emerson expects to release FM radios within three months. By that time it is hoped that FM programs will be Sufficiently improved [sic !] to justify the higher prices. .. .For the next five years, at least, you will receive the more important programs over the AM system." (Editor's Note: Why the sudden interest in pro grams? Emerson is not now, never has been, very important sponsor of radio programs.) Wrote Philco's A. E. Allsn: "Within the next two months Philco will be offering a table model FM receiver. .. .Your local dealer will be able to give you information on this set within the next 45 days." Wrote Bendix's Paul J. Reed: "We are just now Starting production on an AM-FM model which in over-all appearance will be almost identical to the one (AM) you saw illustrated. .. .As for AM-FM table models, however, there will be a considerable delay." THE REVOLT AGA1H37 RADIO': Big, pontifical Fortune Magazine, March issue, adds its voice to radio's harsh critics in article titled "The Revolt Against Radio," subheaded: "A loud minority is disgusted with American broadcasting. The radio industry bases its defense on the majority. The debate is livelier than the prospects." It goes on to say: "Today, it looks very much as if any substantial improvement in