Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1948)

|i 7 persons per set were found by viewer surveys to be the average number during i'ening hours, though average family (in New York area) is 3.5 persons. Today's ]' audience is a "multiple family audience." So divide that 275,00 by half (no. of sets turned on evenings), assume a [':an of 5.5 viewers per set, and even now — only the second year since post-war TV • it production began, and with only 19 stations in full operation — you have more tan 750,000 viewers. Not a big figure, to be sure, compared to the total aural 1 dio audience (37 million homes with radios) — but remember it's growing every t.y. Best trade estimates are around 850,000 TV sets in use by end of this year, <500,000 at end of 1949, progressively more thereafter. The facts and the trend are as plain as that. All you need to do to conduce yourself, if you're fortunate enough to live within range of a TV station, j, install a TV set in your home, then mark what happens to your own and your famjy's radio habits. u: SCANS TV CRYSTAL BALL: General Electric's electronics sales chief, Arthur A. I andt , came up with some pertinent statistical calculations on TV industry's up» rd trend, addressing company's TV seminar in Syracuse Tuesday. His figures are I rth repeating: First, he observed that average cost of a TV set .in 1947 was $575, in 1948 j S375, in 1949 will be $275. Then he predicted number of receivers at end of t is year will be 870,000; end of 1949, 2,470,000; 1950, 5,270,000; 1951, 9,000,000; ]52, 13,500,000. Next he estimated retail value of each year's production at: ]48, §260,000,000; 1949, §440,000,000; 1950, §560,000,000; 1951, §665,000,000; 152, §675,000,000. Note that, if Mr. Brandt's estimates pan out, average cost gr set will be down to §150 by 1952. He forecast 21 markets wdth TV service (pop. 34,000,000) by end of 1948 (t's now 12 with about 31,000,000) ; 51 by 1949 (pop. 48,000,000) ; 62 by 1950 (pop. £,000,000); 107 by 1951 (pop. 58,000,000); 140 by 1952 (pop. 63,000,000). Populat on with receivers (i.e., viewing audience) he estimated should rise from end of 147's 1,000,000 to: 1948, 4,350,000; 1949, 9,880,000; 1950, 21,000,000; 1951, 5,000,000; 1952, 40,000,000. Average viewer per set would cut down from present £6 to about 3 in 1952 — fewer curious visitors, more second sets in home, etc. Small wonder, then, that Mr. Brandt asserted: "TV is destined to become oe of the nation's biggest buS^inesses. " ♦ ♦ * ♦ The 150 who :!at tended GE's "clinic* March 16-18, mostly broadcasters, some nt yet TV applicants, came away with these distinct impressions: (a) That GE has d Posited lots of eggs in TV basket, turning over its big new Electronics Park pant practically entirely to TV receiver and transmitter development and productPn. (b) That TV is no sudden-profit, disc-.jockey operation — on testimony part pularly of GE alumnus J. D. McLean, now commercial manager of Philco's WPTZ, who b Lanced fact that station got back only 150 on each dollar spent last year against c ?rent picture of 71% sponsored time, 38 sponsors (6 more to be added soon), mushr pming audience. He cited no dollar figures, but you might re-read our article " -eak-Even Point in Sight" in Vol. 4, No. 10. (c) That programming is TV's tough e : problem — Maxon's v.p. M. F. Mahony expressing hope movie people will gap e 3y sportscasts and tough studio shows, perhaps with soap opera-type films. Though it's obvious TV is a blue chip business, requires lots of capital costly know-how, it's a fair guess that some of these broadcasters, registered f’ the seminars but not yet TV grantees or applicants, will file for TV in the air future: WFBL and WAGE, Syracuse; WMT and KCRG, Cedar Rapids, la. ; KFAB and < iU, Omaha; WTRY, Troy, N. Y. ; WLBC, Muncie, Ind. ; KFH, Wichita; KXOA, Sacramento, C .. ; WRRN, Warren, 0. ; KYFM, San Antonio; WLAW, Lawrence, Mass. ; KFEL, Denver; <IF, Pueblo, Colo; KHQ, Spokane; CKEY, Toronto; CKLW, Windsor, Ont. Otherwise, eiept for GE fieldmen and a scattering others, attendees were all from companies a<'eady in TV as grantees or applicants.