Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

10 he said, and he implied that few women would stand for it. (He might have added that cost would be almost that of complete new color set.) (5) Current considerations about tri-color tubes are: 1-gun vs. 3-gun and grid (Lawrence) vs. hole-plate (RCA). Dr. Baker said grid-type seems a little less expensive, "particularly as you go up in screen size." Industry is leaning towards 3-gun, he said, adding that 1-gun is a source of radiation "which is a pain in the neck." GE is not far from a tube of its own, he added. (6) Color set servicing should present no particularly tough problems. "There won't be any more miracles in color than we had in monochrome," was the way Dr. Baker summed up the whole color problem. * * * * TV production continues steady high rate of latter Aug. , totaling 160,070 units (5830 private label) week ended Sept. 4. It was 35th week of year, compared with 166,383 preceding week. It brought year ' s cumulat ive total to date to nearly 5,000,000 — making it foregone certainty 1953 total will surpass 1952's 6,096,279. Radios also held up — Sept. 4 week's total being 255 , 864 (86,393 private label) compared to 239,454 preceding week. Year to date now exceeds 9 , 000 , 000. The week's radios were: 86,056 home sets, 36,656 portables, 39,160 clock, 71,992 auto. Topics & Trends of TV Trade: Federal Trade Commission’s final draft of trade practices for TV-radio industry, released this week, was noble effort to please everyone— and comes pretty close to doing it. Industry got just about what it asked for as result of public hearings and recommendations of 3 all-industry trade conferences (Vol. 8:15,19,25). Copies are available from the FTC, Washington, or we’ll get one for you if you wish. Interested parties have last chance to make recommendations at FTC public hearing in Washington, Oct. 8. Barring major revisions, rules could be effective by March 1, 1954. They’re not binding, of course, merely represent suggested practices which implement trade laws. Violators of rules can be cited by FTC only if it believes laws have been broken. It depends on voluntary compliance. Most important feature to trade was elimination of controversial “Rule 33” banning discriminatory prices, discounts and other allowances on all levels of TV-radio merchandising. This rule, crux of Robinson-Patman Act, was included in first 2 FTC drafts, but was subsequently eliminated on recommendation of RETMA pres. Glen McDaniel and several manufacturers. In final draft it appears as appendix. Other salient points: Rule 12 — Any parts which are used or have been rebuilt (including CR tubes) must be clearly labeled as second-hand in all advertising. Receivers and containers of such sets must bear names of firms performing repairing, reconditioning or rebuilding. Rule 14 — Full price of receiver, plus state and local taxes, must be stated in all advertising. All so-called “hidden charges” are banned. Color also was made an issue in advance of marketing sets, Rule 3(m) banning ads which falsely represent or imply that a blacl<-&-white receiver can present programs in color. Immediate, unofficial reaction of RETMA spokesman was that industry got most of what it sought, though a few problems remain to be ironed out. Among them is possibility that rule on misrepresentation of cabinet composition may go further than necessary to prevent deception. RETMA may also press for some minor rewordings at Oct. 8 hearing. E Winthrop H. Withington, 77, retired ex-chairman of Sparks-Withington Co., died Sept. 4 while vacationing in Harwich, Mass. With his late brother Philip and Capt. Wm. Sparks, he founded company in 1900, retired in 1950. Trade Miscellany: Cuban TV sales are booming, with 100,000 sets already in use, ranking Cuba after U. S., England & Canada in set ownership, reports James R. Oberley, pres., Admiral Corp. Interamericana . . . Muntz TV reports it has scheduled production of 210,000 sets in 12 mo. from Sept. 1, comparing with more than 175,000 preceding year; claims this puts it in 11th place among TV manufacturers . . . Hoffman Radio’s new Kansas City plant, being readied for Oct. 1 start, will not only turn out TVs for new eastern markets (Vol. 9:35) but will make all Hoffman radios, expected to run 80-100,000 annually . . . Kansas City Electric Assn, reports 7809 TVs sold in Aug., 5404 radios; TV sales jumped 3214 over July and were 2830 ahead of Aug. 1952, and total sales to date are 313,062 . . . In addition to its NBC-TV Sun. Philco TV Playhouse, that company on Sept. 30 starts Philco Radio Playhouse for 52 weeks on ABC hookup of 300 AM stations, Wed., 9-9:30 p.m., EST. As first step in reorganization to give greater representation to electronics manufacturers (Vol. 9:31), RETMA this week announced membership of TV-radio and electronics industry committees of board of directors. All board members selected the committee on which they will serve, and majority of them named alternates to represent them on the other committee. Radio-TV industry committee, temporarily headed by board chairman Robert C. Sprague, has 44 members; electi-onics industry committee, under acting chairman F. R. Lack, has 37. Permanent chairmen for 1953-54 will be elected at RETMA board meeting Sept. 17 in New York’s Hotel Biltmore. CR tubes exploded “like popcorn,” according to AP report on fire that gutted plant of Pacific Mercury Television Mfg. Co., Van Nuys, Cal., Sept. 8, destroying some 3-4000 TV sets. (Actually, the tubes would “implode” due to their high vacuum.) Damage was estimated at $500,000 to $1,000,000, all covered by insurance. Pacific Mercury leased the 12,000-sq. ft. structure, pending completion of own new $750,000 plant due to be occupied in about 6 months. Firm is a main supplier of Silvertone models for Sears Roebuck, which is part owner. New developments in field of uhf propagation based on studies at Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Md., with emphasis on the “system approach and concept” make up new book, Ultra High Frequency Propagation by Dr. Henry R. Reed of U of Mai-yland and Carl M. Russell, chief engineer, Naval Air Test Center electronics test div. (John Wiley & Sons, 562 pp., $9.50).