Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1949)

MISCELLANY FROM THE TV TRADE: Add signs of booming business: Emerson steps up production to 1,100 units daily, president Abrams saying "we could sell 4 times as many as we are making "... Sylvania tube sales chief C. W. Shaw quoted as saying tube suppliers are stretching capacity to meet demands for 12*/^-in. tubes, predicting they may have to go on allocation before year's end. . . Tubemaker Zetka reported offering all-glass 19-in. tube at |90 to manufacturers ; associated U.S. Television supposed to be coming out with 19-in. table model at |595, consolette §675, console with FM §699... John Meek Industries currently advertising built-in antenna in its 10-in. table at §179. . .London reports new Scophony-Baird 9-in. table model at §102.20. More private label items; Western Auto's new Truetone line comprises 10-in. table at §179.95 ; 12}^-in. tables, §229.95 and §259.95; 10-in. consolette, §275.95; 12)^-in. consolette, §295.50; 16-in. console, §320 — 12% and 16-in. with built-in antennas. Truetone line still lists 7-in. portable at §149.95, 10-in. console with AM-FM-33 & 78rpm, §339.95. Queens Electrical & Appliance Merchants Assn., 102-16 Thirty-ninth Ave., Corona, L.I. (Marino Jeantet, secy) has private-label Q.UEAMA line under consideration, expects to market these sets soon: 10-in. table, §140; 12%-in. table with FM, §200; 16-in. table with FM, §230; 16-in. consolette with FM, §250; 16-in. console with AM-FM-3 speed, §350. Manufacturers are said to be Electromatic and Vidcraf t . QUEAMA runs cooperative TV installation-servicing setup for some 60 of its 120 retail members, has also worked out servicing contract to meet requirements of N.Y. State Insurance Dept. (Vol. 5:37). Allied Radio Corp. , 833 W. Jackson Blvd. , Chicago (mail order), in new 1950 catalog lists some new private-label items: Knight , 12%-in. console with built-in antenna, §225; chassis only, §185. And Skyrider . 7-in. with push-button tuning, §119.50; 12%-in. plastic table, §214.50; 10-in. plastic table, §174.50; 16-in. table, §289.50; 16-in. table with remote control, §395. Chassis for 10-in. is §159.50; 12%-in., §189.50; 16-in., §249. 50. . .Another new mail order TV marketeer is Radionic Equipment Corp., 170 Nassau St., New York, cataloging 12%-in. table with 30 tubes at §247.95 and 16-in. at §319.95. Noteworthy facts about DuMont’s new 480,000 sq. ft factory at E. Paterson, N. J., formally dedicated Sept. 26 in presence of 1,600 VIPs, distributors, dealers, etc., ceremonies telecast over network keyed from WOR-TV (DuMont’s own WABD tied up with baseball) : Located on wartime Wright Aero plant’s 58-acre site; purchased from War Assets for $1,350,000; converted for TV assembly at cost of $750,000; three conveyer lines (carrying 210 chassis each) extend 1%-mi.; capable of turning out one TV set every 22 seconds. Plant now houses electronic parts division as well as receiver production. From 4 employes 19 years ago, DuMont payi-oll now has 2700. Summer TV losses hit Avco, holding company of Crosley, whose 9 mo. ended Aug. 31 showed sales of $97,908,767 and profit of $2,711,540 (35c a common share) vs. $98,957,139 sales and $5,323,079 net (74t‘) same period last year, $76,305,205 sales and $4,622,314 net (63(‘) same period in 1947. Crosley Division (mfg.) last year accounted for more than 50'A of Avco sales (Vol. 5:9). WLW is big money maker ($1,489,043 in 1948) but 3 TV outlets are still losers. Magnavox sustained net loss of $893,057 during 4 months ending in June, contrasted with net income of $102,000 for similar 1948 period. This, though sales were $6,312,000, up 23. 69^ from same 1948 period’s $5,107,000. President Richard A. O’Connor reported more than half loss came from inventory write-downs and cancellation charges, said sales of radio-phonos and TVs were exceptionally heavy. Toronto reports have DuMont in tieup with Canadian Marconi for TV transmitter sales. Canadian Marconi recently contracted to make Emerson sets (Vol. 5:38). Trade personnel: F. J. Bingley rejoined Philco’s TV research dept. Sept. 15 after year with Bamberger’s Washington WOIC and New York WOR-TV as chief TV engineer . . . Leonard C. Truesdell, ex-Hotpoint Inc., new sales mgr. for Zenith TV and household radios . . . Dr. Adolph E. Rosenthal, inventor best knowm for skiatron tube, appointed director of physics for Freed Radio . . . James W. Salford new Sylvania TV district sales mgr. Sparks-Withington Co. (Sparton) reported profit of only $25,709 on total income of $16,928,468 for fiscal year ending last June 30, earnings being $.004 per share on 900,674 common shares outstanding. This compared with $614,938 profit (66c‘) on $17,965,565 gross in preceding year, and $857,739 profit (93<‘) on $20,451,298 in 1947 fiscal year. Cost of preparing for TV production and recent price-cutting flurry were given as causes for decline by president Harry G. Sparks, who stated “TV has a great future” and conditions are now stabilizing so that better results are in prospect. Big saving in TV receiver manufacture can be expected before long, through use of transformer with ceramic blocks instead of iron core, Charles E. Torsch, GE’s TV tube research director, told National Electronics Conference this week in Chicago. Development is said to permit elimination of several tubes on some sets, shielding and filtering components on others. New company associated with Scephony is Skiatron Corp., 381 Fourth Ave., New York, set up to exploit patents on long-heralded projection TV system using no CR. Scophony piesident Arthur Levey also heads Skiatron. Philadelphia’s WCAU-TV began 2-11 p.m. continuous daily schedule this week, now averages 66 hours per week.