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

Topics & Trends of TV Trade: Music Merchants Show, conducted by National Assn, of Music Merchants in connection with its annual convention, will have more TVradio exhibitors than did Chicago mart last month. Exhibits open in Chicago’s Palmer House Monday, July 10, continue through July 13. Among 250 exhibitors, show management reports these will show both TVs and radios: Admiral, Ansley, Brunswick, Fisher, Freed, GE, Jackson, Magnavox, Majestic, Motorola, Philco, RCA, Raytheon, Scott, Sparton, Starrett, Stromberg-Carlson, Sylvania, Tele King, Westinghouse, Zenith. These will show TVs only: Atw’ater (div. of Zenith Home Appliances, Chicago); J. F. Bard Co., Chicago; Mercury (div. of Mercury Records); DuMont, Pathe, Tele-tone, Trad, Trans-Vue, Video Corp., Video Products Corp. Showing radios and radio-phonos only: Covrall Industries Inc., Chicago; Hedco Mfg. Corp., Chicago; Magna Electronics Inc., Los Angeles; Ristocrat Inc., Appleton, Wis.; Jewel, Symphonic. TV accessories: Coin-Meter Clock Corp., Chicago; Seaburg Mfg. Co., Jamestown, N. Y.; Universal Co., High Point, N. C.; E. M. Ward Co., Chicago; Magna. Recorders: Ampro, Magna, Recoton, Revere Camera, Webster-Chicago. * ♦ * * First 2 July weeks finds by far majority of factories closed down for traditional summer vacations (Vol. 6:20), though some are on different schedules — Bendix, Hallicrafters and Motorola, for example, resuming July 10. All new production, of course, is on fall-winter models, which most began to turn out even before vacations. Looks like Motorola will be last of majors to announce new models and prices, due at distributor convention in Chicago July 25. Meanwhile, interim line of 4 sets (Vol. 6:22) will probably feature NAMM display. Hoffman, too, isn’t due to divulge until third week in July, or just before San Francisco’s Western Merchandise Mart, July 24-29, where Packard-Bell will also show. Westinghouse claims largest single order for TV receivers ever sold by retail dealer was 607 of its sets to be installed in all homes in Tareyton Village, in suburban Oakland, Cal. Dealer was Wick’s Electrical Living Shop, Berkeley, Cal. Two freight cars and part of another will carry shipment of 12%-in. sets from Sunbury (Pa.); installations will be in specially designed niches in living rooms. j|c 4: Dominance of larger sizes is emphasized by RTMA’s figures on tube sales for May: 14-in. and up accounted for 64.5% (386,567 units), compared with 51.9% in April, 36.9% in March, 35.1% in February, 30.4% in January. Although RTMA doesn’t provide breakdown of “14-in. and above” category, it’s certain that 16-in. and up account for at least 50% of all production. Other sizes: 7 & 8%in., 163 units; 10-in., minus 691 (adjustment in bookkeeping); 12%-in., 211,744 (35.3%); projection, 1860. Total: 599,667 vs. 498,624 in April (Vol. 6:21). Tube notes: Carnegie-Illinois (U. S. Steel) cut price of steel for metal cones 6% (2%(1 lb.) . . . Hytron now producing at new plant in Newburyport, Mass., by midAugust expects to turn out 3000 tubes daily to bring total to about 4000 a day . . . Sheldon Electric claims economies in production through use of new radiant heating oven for baking phosphorus and conductive coatings. Technique is said to cut heating and baking costs in half by reducing time of operations some 65%. Total receiving tubes sold in May by RTMA members was 29,706,500, compared with 27,387,689 in April 13,488,121 in May 1949. Five months’ total was 137,895,253. Financial & Trade Notes: Bankruptcy of Televista Corp. of America, Long Island City, was only the second in TV field this year — other having been Remington Radio Corp., White Plains, N. Y. (Vol. 6:17) — despite repeated expressions of belief that 100-odd manufacturers are too many, can’t survive. In fact, our next Directory of Television Manufacturers & Receivers, a section of TV Directory No. 11, due off presses July 15, will actually list more TV manufacturers now than last January. Televista lists liabilities of 8111,357, assets of $65,598. Creditors are asking 30% cash settlements. Referee Sherman D. Warner, Jamaica, N. Y., has named William S. Brown trustee. Previous to these. Majestic and Sonora were the only major post-war bankruptcies. Majestic name and certain other assets were acquired by Leonard Ashbach (Garod), who also bought out Wi!cox-Gay (Vol. 6:15-16). John Meek bought out Scott, which is being continued; Capehart-Farnsworth, acquired by IT&T, also continued; and Muntz purchased Howard Radio plant — only other sizeable sales since reconversion from wartime (Vol. 6:16). ♦ :|c Proxy statement for Zenith stockholders meeting at plant July 25 discloses president E. F. McDonald Jr. as owner of 49,191 shares as of May 31, 1950 (38,931 of these owned by Seneca Securities Corp., of which he owns substantially all the stock) ; this is approximately 10% of outstanding securities of corporation. Following are remunerations of officers exceeding $25,000 in fiscal year ended April 30, 1950 (see Vol. 6:26 for financial report) : Mr. McDonald, $60,000 base salary, $99,700 bonus; Hugh Robertson, executive v.p., $50,000 & $99,700; H. C. Bonfig, sales v.p., $40,000 & $52,680. Transvision Inc., offering new stock issue (Vol. 6:25), reports to SEC that with its tubemaking subsidiary Lectrovision Inc. it earned net profit of $54,661 after taxes on $1,056,243 sales during 5 months to March 31, 1950. For year ended Oct. 31, 1949 net loss was $156,508 after tax refund credit of $97,891 vs. profit after taxes of $248,164 for year to Oct. 31, 1948. Tung-Sol declares dividend of 50<*, payable Aug. 1 to stock of record July 17; previous payments were 25<‘ in February, and 15<f each in March and December, 1949 . . . GE expanding radio receiver plant by adding 600-750 to Utica payroll, constructing 25,000 sq. ft. addition to factory there . . . Trav-Ler occupies its new Orleans, Ind. plant (Vol. 6:17) in September, when present 8000-9000 monthly production will be stepped up to 14,000-15,000. Walter Albert Buck, RCA Victor operating v.p. since January 1949, was elected v.p. and general mgr. by RCA board July 7, succeeding late John G. Wilson (Vol. 6:22). Previously, he was president of Radiomarine Corp. of America, which he joined when he retired in March 1948 as Rear Admiral, USN. In the Navy, he rose to paymaster general and chief of Bureau of Supplies & Accounts; in World War II, served as supply officer on Vice Admiral Bristol’s staff with the Atlantic Fleet. Trade Personals: Robert G. Scott has been promoted to head of commercial engineering dept., DuMont tube div., under I. G. Rosenberg, mgr. . . . Simon Lynn promoted to merchandising representative for T")^, radio and records for Associated Merchandising Corp. (Bloomingdale’s, New York; Lazarus, Columbus, et al) . . . Sydney J. Mass, ex-National Pressure Cooker Co., new adv. -sales promotion mgr., Jerrold . . . G. L. Roark, New York district mgr., appointed central regional mgr., GE tube division, headquarteiing in Chicago; C. J. Biver new commercial engineer.