Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

10 Topics & Trends of TV Trade: Federal Trade Commission’s draft of trade practices for TV-radio industry moved no closer to adoption at what was supposed to be final hearing Oct. 8 and after all-day wrangling which saw discussion on only 11 of 29 rules in FTC’s final draft (Vol. 9:37), session was adjourned until Dec. 7. FTC hopes for quick adoption were jolted at outset of hearing when RETMA pres. Glen McDaniel asked for postponement until Dec. 7 to allow more time to study impact of color and recent resurgence of high-fidelity on trade rules. He said color pi-ovisions in final draft are the same incorporated in first draft in 1951 and are now obsolete, added final draft should also include definition of high-fidelity, on which RETMA committee is currently working. Settlement was further delayed when attorney Wm. A. Roberts, representing DuMont Labs, interposed several objections, principally to wording of cabinet styling and labeling of used CR envelopes. McDaniel said Roberts’ objections came as surprise to him, later explained that DuMont had been unrepresented on RETMA’s industry committee working on problem since DuMont adv. mgr. Douglas Day resigned in July, added he hoped for replacement soon to present united front. Greatest opposition came on Rule 6, in which FTC proposes to prevent deception in composition of TV-radio cabinets, noting misuse of “mahogany.” McDaniel objected to rule as too sweeping, asked additional time to offer amendments. Spokesmen for furniture industry also objected to it and demanded complete rewording of rule, with specifications for each type of wood. Biggest fight at Dec. 7 hearing is likely to center on 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 made an appendix on McDaniel’s recommendation. It’s known that National Electronic Distributors Assn, plans to renew its fight to get it returned to body of rules. * * 5jt * Anti-trust consent judgment against GE and International General Electric Co. was entered Oct. 7 in Federal Court at Trenton in settlement of 8-year-old complaint charging companies entered into illegal cartel agreements with foreign concerns in several European and Asiatic countries for manufacture and distributon of electrical equipment. Consent judgment requires elimination of all restrictive agreements and provides that GE must license, on a “reasonable royalty and non-exclusive basis,” the 600-odd U. S. patents relating to electrical equipment it acquired under cartel pact. In another anti-trust case, a judgment was filed Oct. 4 by Federal Judge Philip Forman in Trenton against General Instrument Corp., Radio Condenser Co., Camden, N. J., Variable Condenser Corp., Brooklyn, and Condenser Development Corp., Newark. Judge found defendants had engaged in an “unlawful combination and conspiracy in restraint of trade and commerce in variable condensers,” enjoined them from “limiting, restraining or preventing the sale of tools, dies, fixtures or jigs used in manufacture of variable condensers” and ordered dissolution of Condenser Development within 60 days. Howard W. Sams & Co., big publishers of electronics service and technical data, to build new $200,000 plant at 33rd St. & Sutherland Ave., Indianapolis, to consolidate all printing, warehousing and shipping operations now conducted in 5 different locations in city. Its administration, sales, engineering and analytical work will continue at company’s main plant at 2201 E. 46th St. New 38,000-sq. ft. building is expected to be completed by April 1, 1954. Irade Personals: Frank P. Barnes, ex-sales mgr. of broadcast equipment, promoted to marketing mgr. of GE’s new commercial equipment dept. (Vol. 9:40), C. Graydon Lloyd named engineering mgr., Glenn R. Lord manufacturing mgr. . . . Robert C. Tait, Strornberg-Carlson pres., elected to board of newly-organized Electronic Control Systems Inc., 2138 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, headed by Leonard Mautner, ex-mgr. of DuMont TV transmitter div. . . . G. S. Perkins appointed Los Angeles district mgr. GE TV radio dept., replacing II. G. Randolph, named Houston district mgr. . . . Robert T. Shreve, ex-Magnavox, named Fort Wayne regional sales mgr.. Capehart-Farnsworth . . . Aaron M. Krakower named mgr. of electronic and high voltage transformer sales, GE specialty transfoi-mer dept., Schenectady . . . S. W. Sorensen named defense contract mgr. of Crosley’s new west coast office, 215 West 6th St., Los Angeles, reporting to C. G. Felix, gen. mgr. of govt, products . . . Ben Z. Kaplan, ex-adv. mgr. of CBS-Columbia Distributors, N. Y., appointed national sales coordinator, CBS-Columbia, reporting to sales v.p. Harry Schecter . . . Charles C. Kayhart named service training director, Magnavox . . . Harry E. Allen, ex-senior engineer, promoted to govt, products mgr., Jensen Mfg. Co. . . . Brig. Gen. Peter C. Sandretto promoted to technical dir., Federal Telecommunications Labs . . . R. B. Lanskail named mgr. of govt, contracts administration div., B. J. Sibbold mgr. of engineering products, commercial sales div., RCA Victor Co. Ltd., Canada. Picture tube sales in first 8 months of year totaled 6,710,440 valued at $159,385,803 at factory, compared to 2,479,539 worth $55,338,117 in same 1952 period, reports RETMA. Rectangular 20-in. and larger represented 72% of sales. Aug. picture tube sales totaled 879.169 worth $21,736,186, compared to 634.200 at $15,155,870 in July and 394,605 at $8,913,358 in Aug. 1952. Receiving tube sales in first 8 months totaled 308,222,911 valued at $210,533,254, compared to 211.269,893 at $151,864,441 in same 1952 period. Of sales, 209,919,663 went for new sets, 76.899,976 replacement, 13,509,646 export, 7,893,626 Govt. For Aug., receiving tube sales totaled 38,600,494 worth $26,886,528, compared to 24.462 069 worth $18,243,030 in July and 30.141,536 at $20,827,635 in Aug. 1952. Distributor Notes: Philco appoints newly-formed South Alabama Distributors, Montgomery (Herbert F. Levy, gen. mgr.), replacing Walther Bros. Co., whose pres. Joseph P. Walther is retiring . . . Motorola appoints Harry Dooley & Co., 725 L St., Fresno (Harry Dooley, pres.), replacing Kierulff & Co., Los Angeles; Radio Service Laboratory of New England, Portland, opens branch at 703 Pine St., Burlington, Vt. (C. J. Cekut'-s, mgr.) . . . Crosley-Bendix appoints Carter-McllroyJohnson, Seattle (Stewart Carter, pres.), ex-Hoffman Radio distributor; Lone Star Wholesalers, Dallas (Crosley) opens San Antonio branch (W. F. Linville, mgr.) . . . Emerson appoints Appliance Wholesalers Inc., Portland, Me. (Peter A. Anderson, pres.) . . . Sparton appoints Reid Co., Johnstown, Pa. (A. J. Reid, pres.) . . . Stewart-Warner appoints Alamo Distributing Co., San Antonio (H. L. Roper, pres.) and new H. E. Verble Co., 2829 Hamilton Ave., Fresno (H. E. Verble, pres.) . . . Olympic Rad;o appoints Russ & Dorothv Gray Co., Miami; S. R. Slater, gen. mgr. of Olympic Appliances of New Jersey, elected v.p. . . . Warren-ConnoHv Inc., New York (Hallicrafters) now controlled by v.p. Edward L. Frohlich, who acquired majority interest this week . . . Admiral opens factory branch at 700 Union St., Jacksonville, Fla., under gen. mgr. Charles B. Birehwood, ex-State Distribution Co., Jacksonville. Philco Inte~nat ional moved its sales & adv. depts. this week from N. Y. to Philadelphia.