Television digest with AM-FM reports (Jan-Dec 1950)

11 Topics & Trends of TV Trade: List of manufacturers supporting all-industry $2,000,000 ad campaign, designed to sell TVs as an educational medium and thus combat possible trade slump (Vol. 6:44), is growing fast — and up to this writing these companies were pitching in: Admiral, Arvin, DuMont, Emerson, Pada, GE, Hallicrafti^rs, Hoffman, Magnavox, Motorola, Olympic, Philco, Pilot, Raytheon (Belmont), RCA, Sentinel, Sylvania, StrombergCarlson, Westinghouse, Zenith. All manufacturers and various distributor-dealer groups have been invited to join campaign, being handled by Ruthrauff & Ryan (Cal McCarthy Jr., account executive) for newly-formed American Television Dealers & Manufacturers, 601 Chrysler Bldg., New York (Travis Wells, adv. mgr.). It’s expected others will join shortly. Ads break Nov. 13, and weekly thereafter, in “upwards of 1100 newspapers” in all TV areas, and featuring educators’ testimonials about benefits of TV for children. Spot radio began this week on 250 stations, and one-minute TV films are planned. Spot campaign elicited from New York Times critic Jack Gould (Nov. 10) charge that manufacturers are “responsible for a serious abuse of the normal concern of parents for the well-being of their children.” Gould objects to testimonials that “state unequivocally that 'TV is as important to today’s child as fresh air, sunshine or bread and butter” and quotes from radio announcements that use the names of Angelo Patri, child behaviorist; Ogden Miller, headmaster of Gunnery School, Washington, Conn.; Judge George W. Smith, of Westchester County Children’s Court. * ♦ * * . Wells-Gardner, making private-label TVs only, has turned out 60,000 TV sets thus far this year, is producing at rate of 300 a day for these companies, representing “some” of its customers: Montgomery Ward, Western Auto, Firestone, Gamble-Skogmo, Schuster Store (Milwaukee), Fair Store (Chicago), Hudson Co. (Detroit), Halle Bros. (Cleveland). Information was contained in request to intervene in RCA Chicago suit. Sightmaster Corp., New Rochelle, N. Y., fonnally announced to trade this week that it was discontinuing manufacture of TV receivers, continuing exclusively in business of “TV glass.” Harold Wilchonok, chief engineer, has transferred to Transvision Inc. to head its TV research but will continue as consultant for Sightmaster. Add to list of companies including 10^^ factory excise in new list prices (Vol. 6:44): Pilot, Raytheon (Belmont), Setchell-Carlson. Westinghouse has revised list to include both tax and warranty. Starrett includes tax with warranty. Plant expan.sions: Sprague Electric Co., North Adams, Mass., has leased 130,000 sq. ft. additional space in Nashua, N. H. plant where it already has 30,000 sq. ft. devoted to production of capacitors . . . John Meek Industries has leased 4500 sq. ft. of space in 1020 Rush St. Bldg., Chicago, for use as sales and purchasing offices for both Meek and Scott Radio. . . Sarkes Tarzian Inc. has begun production of tubes in new plant at Batavia, 111. Strom berg-Carlson has priced new 24-in. receiver — first to use new GE round metal-coned tube (Vol. 6:44) — at $975, including tax. It’s console \vith AM-FM-phono, and will be in limited production for rest of year. I National Production Authority has set up electronicsjcommunication division, headed by Donald Pands, ex-chief tof Commerce Dept, consumer dui'ables div., which formerly] bandied T\’^-radio. ! Transcript of indu.stry-military round-table discussion! t>n mica and mica substitutes earlier this year, is available ht Office of Technical Services, Commerce Dept., 50^' a copy. Philco proxy statement, asking stockholders to vote on proposed 2-for-l stock split and new incentive stock ov/nersh'p plan for selected executives, sets meeting for Nov. 28 in Room 320 Land Title Bldg., Philadelphia. If split is authorized, common will be 5,000,000 shares, of which 3,357,556 will be outstanding. Proxy statement lists following officers and directors whose compensation exceeded $25,000 during 1949: Wm. Balderston, president, $75,000 Sz $33,000 incentive compensation; John Ballantyne, chairman (until death in June 1949), $35,750; Raymond A. Boyce, asst, to president, $18,000 & $7,000; James T. Buckley, chairman, $25,000 & $16,500; Harold W. Butler, v.n., $30,000 & $19,500; James H. Carmine, executive v.p., $60,000 & $27,000; Joseph H. Gillies, v.p., $30,000 & $21,000; Larry E. Gubb, director, $33,125; Larry F. Hardy, v.p., $30,000 & $25,000; Robert F. Herr, v.p., $20,000 & $15,000; Thomas A. Kennally, v.p., $30,000 & $22,500; Courtnay Pitt, v.p., $25,000 & $12,500; David B. Smith, v.p., $42,708 & $5,000; Wm. R. Wilson, treas., $20,000 & $7,500; Leslie J. Woods, v.p., $33,750 & $24,000. Among larger “unclassified” military contracts for electronics equipment announced by Commerce Dept, for 2 weeks ending Nov. 8: Let through Signal Corps Procurement Agency, Philadelphia: Federal Telephone and Radio Corp., $5,000,000, radio sets; Hallicrafters, $3,491,530, radio sets (461 units); Raytheon, $400,000, radio sets (10,803 units); and $216,045, magnetron tubes (500 units); Chatham Electronics Corp., Newark, N.J., $251,400, tubes (60,000 units); Espey Mfg. Co., $166,539, radio kits. Let through Air Materiel Command, Dayton: Bendix Radio, $600,354, radio compass components; McColphin-Christie Corp. Ltd., Los Angeles, $103,300, rectifiers; Collins Radio, $102,622, communication receiver transmitter. Let through Navy Bureau of Ships, Washington: National Co., $450,000, frequency shift keyer (405 units); Times Facsimile Corp., $300,000, facsimile recorders (200 units). Let through Navy Aviation Supply Office, Philadelphia: Permoflux Corp., $103,190, headsets. New 2-lube tuner, claimed to have high sensitivity and greater resistance to man-made interference, is now being incorporated in Magnavox TV receivers. Company says development utilizes full triode tube capabilities, permitting deletion of extra tube. It also uses balanced input transformer to reduce ignition, refrigerator, washing machine, other man-made interference. Claimed is equal sensitivity on Channels 2-6 and 7-13. Fine tuning has been made easier, as has channel switching. ire’s new 1950-51 president is Ivan S. Coggeshall, gen. traffic mgr.. Western Union, elected by membership mail ballot. He succeeds NBC’s Raymond F. Guy. Vicepresident is Jorgen C. F. Rybner, professor of telecommunications of Royal Technical U, Copenhagen. Newly elected directors: Wm. H. Doherty, Bell Labs; George R. Town, Iowa State College; Harry F. Dart, Westinghouse; Paul L. Hoover, Case Institute of Technology; Wm. M. Rust, Jr., Humble Oil; Allan B. Oxley, RCA Victor, Canada. Trade Personals: Herbert N. Riband promoted from sales mgr. to gen. mgr. of Philco Accessory Div., succeeding Jack Cherry (Vol. 6:44); Clare Courtney new sales mgr. . . . Isidor Goldberg, president of Pilot, and Hugo Gernsback, veteran trade editor, were honored this week with scrolls presented by engineering students of New York U, commemorating their 1928 experiments with TV transmissions via Mr. Gernsback’s WRNY . . . Don G. ?,litchell, Sylvania president, elected to board of American Arbitration Assn. . . . W'alter 11. Seibert promoted to controller of Sylvania . . . Leo G. Sands, ex-Philco, joins Bendix Radio ad-promotion staff . . . Fred T. Page named controller, Robert L. Russell merchandise controller, Hallicrafters.