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

MORE ABOUT PRICES, SHORTAGES, TAXES: Roll call of TV manufacturers hiking prices continued to swell this week — with Arvin, Crosley , Magnavox, Motorola, Sparton and Sylvania releasing new lists, and GE getting ready to do so when it became strikeboiind. Most increases are across-the board, big Motorola's prices up $20 to S50. Crosley' s $10-$20 hikes come only few weeks after release of its new models and prices to distributors Aug. 7 (Vol. 6:34). Magnavox added $10 to $20 on only 5 of its 22 models. GE's changes were under consideration just week after announcing it was hiking only 2 models (Vol. 6:34). [For available details of latest price increases, see Topics & Trends, p. 2-3.] Roster of companies formally announcing price increases is virtually a Who's Who of TV-radio, now includes all top-ranking producers, and there are probably lesser ones who have hiked prices without any announcement. Thus far, we've reported (Vol. 6:30 et seq) price rises by following: Admiral , Air King , Andrea , Arvin , Bendix , Crosley , DuMont , Emerson , Freed , GE, Hoffman, Magnavox, Maj estic , Motorola, Munt z , Packard-Bell , Philco , Raytheon, RCA, Starrett , Sparton, St ewart -Warner , Stromberg-Carlson, Sylvania, Tele-tone , Trav-Ler , Westinghouse , Zenith. ** * * Most factories are still turning out TVs at top speed, believed to be maintaining over-all output rate of about 160,000 units per week (Vol. 6:34).. But as if to aggravate already tight components situation, particularly in receiving tubes, GE's Tell City, Ind. tube plant struck last Tuesday, forcing "furlough" of some 3000 workers at its Syracuse TV-radio plants. Then lUE-CIO strike spread to Syracuse and other GE plants, and was on at v;eek's end. A prime tube supplier, GE was forced to suspend deliveries to its customers. Shortage of certain receiving tubes also is forcing DuMont to continue shipping completed receivers without them — and there was talk that others were doing likewise, including Capehart -Farnsworth. Method is reported fairly successful, with distributors-dealers picking up tubes in local markets. Some manufacturers are still combing the hustings for tubes and other parts, offering higher prices and depleting local replacement supplies. That factor has led some local dealers and servicemen to take issue with RTMA president Sprague's statement (Vol. 6:34) that there's no serious shortage of replacement parts. Mr. Sprague, of course, was considering component makers' output and allocations for replacement needs, probably didn't take sufficient cognizance of gray market activity. "In their haste to knock out as many sets as possible," a New York dealer ruefully told Retailing Daily, "the manufacturers are ignoring the part of the industry that keeps those sets working." With respect to higher cost of materials, few will tell what they're paying to get scarce stuff — but Trav-Ler 's president Joe Friedman told Wall Street Journal: "Steel we should be getting for $90 is costing us as much as $320 a ton. We haven't even been able to get all we need at that price. Receiving tubes and resistors are also very tight. It's gotten to be a free for all with whoever is willing to pay the highest price getting the scarce items." Another larger producer said he was hard-pressed to balance inventory, foresaw "mad scramble for materials of all descriptions, even wood, just like after the war." Steel situation is bad, he said, and it looks likei copper will get worse. Senate passed tax bill (H.R. 8920) Sept. 1 without changing wording of provision putting 10% excise on TVs (Vol. 6:34). Final chance to revise wording now is