Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

Trade Report August 22, 1953 MANUFACTURERS REPORT UHF SALES UPBEAT: There’s no crepe-hanging by TV set makers now about prospects for sales of uhf receivers. Buoyed by imminence of traditional fall TV pickup, they expect sets with uhf tuners to constitute growing proportion of their output and sales in the 1953-54 season. Set manufacturers' research aepts. now feel they have firm finger on buyers' pulse - after several false starts. When first uhf went on air in Portland last September (Vol. 8 :3S-40) , manufacturers were caught with their plants down — there just weren't enough sets to meet demand. It appeared that demand for uhf converters and sets would be practically inexhaustible as long as new stations were opening. Then set makers went too far in the other direction. Spurred by the first flush of Portland, most of them anticipated vhf-uhf combinations would account for at least half their output by this spring (Vol. 9:21). Actually, the figure came much closer to 25% (Vol. 9:27). With 2,000,000 or more uhf receivers and converters now in use and in trade pipelines, comments of the manufacturers bear out our July estimate of at least 4,300,000 uhf units by end of 1953 (Vol. 9:27). Biggest impetus to uhf sales this fall and winter will be the big-city uhf debuts — added to growing demand from "old" uhf cities as programming improves. Since July 1, uhf stations have gone on air with test patterns or programs in such areas as Pittsburgh (where second uhf is also imminent), Los Angeles (educational KUSC-TV now testing), St, Louis, Buffalo , Norfolk, Madison (2 stations), Lansing , Raleigh. Others are due next few weeks in Milwaukee and Louisville . * * * Extremely bullish on uhf is Admiral's market-wise Ross Siragusa, who tells us it's going great guns in his line, which features both strips and continuous tuner. He puts it this way: "God and the FCC have contrived to limit the number of channels available to TV, and the public wants competitive TV so eagerly that it will certainly convert to get it, even pay higher prices." He brushes aside comparisons with FM — uhf provides a new service, he says, not just "more of the same." Similar view comes from Motorola's Robert Galvin. "We expect an upsurge in uhf sales this fall," he says, "and we think it will be much bigger than even the retailers and distributors anticipate." He adds that in a large number of areas it won't be possible to sell a vhf-only set. As to summer slump, he says uhf set and converter sales haven't suffered any more than vhf-only receivers. From one of largest set makers — which asks that its name not be used — comes report that uhf is "moving much better now", and this forecast: "The outlook for uhf is very encouraging — for example, we recently had an order from a vhf-only city for several thousand vhf-uhf sets to pick up uhf from a neighboring city. One of these days, all TVs will have combination tuners — but we must come up with a cheaper tuner first." And big Standard Coil Products Co. now reports "extremely heavy demand" for uhf strips, after letdown which began in June and extended into July. * * * * More indications of high level of TV business in first 6 months showed up this week in RETMA compilation of 2,775,000 TVs sold at retail, and 5,022,250 sets shipped to dealers during that period (see Topics & Trends, p. 10). Retail sales were considerably above 2,098,906 sets sold in first 6 months of 1952, when Dun & Bradstreet compiled figures (RETMA started its survey in Sept. 1952). For June alone, retail sales totaled 431,089, well up from 244,191 sets in May. TV production had sharp rise for the second straight week, totaling 150 , 111 (7944 private label) week ended Aug. 14, up from 115,430 preceding week and 80,589 9