Television digest with AM-FM reports (Jan-Dec 1951)

12 threatens serious dislocations in electronic tube industry as early as next month. There’s plenty of irony, but scant comfort, in fact that tube industry, now facing heavy cutbacks for lack of nickel, is at same time undergoing $50,000,000 govt. -sponsored expansion program (see Mobilization Notes). Tube makers need minimum of 188,000 lbs, of nickel a month to keep going at somewhere near present rate of production. Last year they used nearly 300,000 lbs, monthly, but near-miracles of conservation and substitution have shaved requirements way down. NPA last spring promised tube industry special allocation of 180,000 lbs. for May (Vol. 7:18-19). Only part of this allotment was received. There's been no special NPA allocation of nickel to tube industry since then. Instead, it's been doled out on basis of military requirements, plus small percentage of amount needed for civilian production. So, for last 3 months, tube plants, which in May were devoting scant 10% of their facilities to military output, have been allocated fraction of the amount of nickel they need. Nearly 30% of tube industry's output is military now — but tube industry can't be operated on a 30% — or a 50% — basis. To avoid major curtailments and loss of highly-skilled workers — even shutdowns in some plants — it must continue high production of civilian tubes as military orders steadily increase. There's a long "lead time" in nickel for electronic tubes — it takes 3-4 months to process raw nickel into the finished elements that go into tubes. So in recent months, tube makers have been living off earlier allotments, stretching the supply through conservation and substitution. Most tube plants have enough nickel products in sight to last them about a month. Shutdown of industry's suppliers who make nickel-plated materials for tube elements is threatened this month, unless aid comes soon. Electroplating firms are finding it impossible to obtain nickel anodes, and efforts to get special NPA directives for them have failed so far. RTMA's tube division will hold special meeting in Washington Sept. 11 to consider possible action in nickel emergency. Action by Defense Mobilizer Wilson himself may be required to get things rolling. But because whole rearmament program can be bogged if tube industry loses its large production potential, it's reasonable assumption that something will be done. And judging from reports from industry, there's no time to lose. :je * * !(t TV-radio Industry won't feel bite for some time if production of civilian tubes is curtailed in next few months. Most manufacturers laid in heavy supply of tubes and other vital components during trade lull. Average set maker is believed to have at least 2 "normal" months' backlog — and at current rate of set production that should last 4 months or more. Action to avoid strait jacket aspects of CMP as it applies to consumer goods manufacturers is in sight. NPA is drafting order to give manufacturers latitude in use of materials among broad groups of products, as it did during third quarter \inder Order M-47A (Vol. 7:31). “In another war, superior electronics would be decisive.” So says retired Gen. Carl Spaatz in Aug. 13 Neivsweek article on air power. Citing the important part played by electronics in World War II air warfare (radar, electronic bonibsight, proximity fuse), Spaatz says these achievements “are nothing to what is ahead if there is a third world war.” He states the Russians have services of many German electronic scientists and inevitably have made “important strides in electronics” as well as jet construction. “The battle for air supremacy is resolving itself into a battle for electronic superiority,” Gen. Spaatz .=ays, pleading for more secrecy about new non-military electronic developments. “Some device that improves TV reception in your home,” he maintains, “may be just the thing, when applied to fighting machines, that will give us a decisive edge.” Canadian National Exposition, Toronto, has quite a few TV-radio exhibits — the TVs mostly counterparts of American models. Displaying them are Canadian subsidiaries of Westinghouse, GE, Philco, RCA, Admiral, Stromberg, Sparton; also Canadian Marconi, Addison, Dominion Electrohome. All have radios, too, and in addition there are radios by Rogers Majestic, Northern Electric, Pye Canada Ltd. Prices generally are considerably higher than same models in U. S.; e.g.. Admiral 17-in walnut combination with half doors at $730, Westinghouse 20-in. combination at $975, Canadian Marconi 20-in. combination $670. National Electronics Conference at Chicago’s Edgewater Beach Hotel, Oct. 22-24, will feature separate luncheon addresses by CBS Laboratories Div. president Adrian Murphy and GE’s Electronics v.p. W. R. G. Baker, discussing color TV.