Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

6 July and rose sharply when the second station went on air continues at high pitch, although it isn't expected to reach epidemic stage until cold weather sets in. "The timing was perfect", we were told t ime-i-again by tradespeople. Good business replaced usual summer slump, and best of all, uhf supplied the push that started second-set business rolling. New set sales and converter sales are running neck-&-neck, TV distributors told us — not including the sizable converter business by parts jobbers who don't handle sets. From 2 big dealers we got estimate that 90% of set sales were second sets. "Everybody seems to want to replace his old 10-or-12-in. klunker," said one. But very few sales are on trade-in basis, old sets generally going to kids' rooms, bedrooms, etc. Needless to say, there's no market for vhf-only sets in city. Distributors reported shortages of certain models. RCA said demand exceeds supply for 60% of line, principally in lower end. Philco and Sylvania both reported shortages of 21-in. consoles. RCA's Sept, sales in Pittsburgh area were double last year's, and ran 25%-30% above last year all summer, said radio-TV mgr. Ralph Will of Hamburg Bros., big RCA distributor. They would have been much higher, he added, were it not for shortages. Others reported sales up 25%-100% over last year. One big dealer said Oct, sales are already biggest in his history. Two service chains said they were 10 days behind on installations, but dealers we queried said they were now keeping up-to-date. One downtown dept, store, however, called business "about average for this time of year"; another reported "a slight pickup". Neither store had installed permanent uhf antenna; both showed rather poor uhf pictures. We made our own unscientific survey, counting antennas as we passed through various parts of city. Of 100 masts, 22 had uhf as well as vhf antennas — but we noticed sharp dropoff in percentage of uhf antennas outside of city. Personal Holes; J. Howard McGrath, ex-Attorney General under President Truman, has been appointed exec, v.p. of Edward Lamb Enterprises Inc., Toledo, which include WICU, Erie, CP for WMAC-TV, Massillon, 0., 3 radio stations, and recent acquisition of 70% interest in White Products Corp., Middleville, Mich., manufacturing hot water heaters. McGrath will continue his Washington & Providence law offices . . . James O. Juntilla resigns from FCC hearing div., plans to join private TV-radio law firm . . . Theodore C. Streibert, ex-pres. of WOR-TV & WOR, ex-chairman of Mutual, presented with plaque of appreciation this week by WOR-Mutual employes; he’s now director of U. S. Information Agency, in charge of Voice of America . . . Geo. Mayoral, GE uhf project engineer at Syracuse, resigned Oct. 15 to devote full-time as exec. v.p. & chief engineer of new WJMR-TV, New Orleans (Ch. 61); Jack Petrick, ex-GE & WOW-TV, Nov. 1 becomes technical director . . . Wm. Phillipson, ABC western div. gen. mgr., has resigned as of Nov. 1 . . . Henry T. Hede promoted to administrative mgr. of ABCTV network sales . . . Hugh B. Terry, pres, of KLZ and upcoming KLZ-TV, Denver (Ch. 7), appointed TV-radio’s first representative on accrediting committee of American Council on Education for Journalism . . . Win. H. Fineshriber Jr., NBC v.p., and Earl Johnson, Mutual v.p., added to NARTB AM committee . . . Richard B. Wheeler, ex-gen. sales mgr., WTOP-TV, Washington, and a son of ex-Sen. Burton K. Wheeler (D-Mont.), named gen. mgr. of upcoming WTRI, Schenectady (Ch. 35), headed by Col. Harry S. Wilder and due in Jan. . . . Charles Dillon, exchief of TV-radio branch of Defense Dept., with Henry Rau, ex-DPA consultant and former Memphis appliance distributor, have purchased Washington’s WOL (250 watts on 1450 kc) for reported $125,000 . . . Maurice Corken promoted to asst. gen. mgr. of WHBF-TV, Rock Island, succeeded as sales mgr. by Ted Arnold; Philip Nesbit, exWITH, Baltimore, named asst, to Forest Cooke, program director, and Don Wooten named TV production super visor . . . James T. Campbell, ex-Trans-World Airlines communications & sales depts., named Washington sales mgr., Standard Electronics (transmitters) . . . John Thompson, ex-Ted Bates & Co., N. Y., named production mgr., WCOV-TV, Montgomery, Ala. (Ch. 20) . . . Wm. Templeton, TV-radio director, Sherman & Marquette, elected v.p. in charge of dept. . . . J. G. (Buck) Weaver, ex-Crosley electronics adv. mgr., joins Benton & Bowles on Pream account . . . John Devine, J. Walter Thompson Co., new chairman of AAAA TV-radio production committee. * * * * Chris J. Witting, who joined DuMont in 1947 as an accountant and rose to managing directorship of DuMont Network, on Jan. 1 becomes pres, of Westinghouse Radio Stations Inc., with headquarters in Washington. One of TV’s youngest top executives, he’s 38, will report to E. V. Huggins, Westinghouse financial v.p. in Pittsburgh, will have as his chief aide Joe Baudino, exec. v.p. Westinghouse operates TV stations in Boston (WBZ-TV) and Philadelphia (WPTZ), radio stations in those cities and in Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Portland, is expected shortly to announce acquisition of other TV properties. It’s also expected to move headquarters next year from Washington to N. Y. David E. Tolman, 42, attorney in Washington firm of Segal, Smith & Hennessey, was found shot to death in his office Oct. 20; he had been in ill health for some time, suffered nervous breakdown recently. Weapon was .35-cal. rifle kept in office, used for deer hunts. Native of Utah, Tolman came to Washington about 20 years ago, joined attorney Paul Segal as a stenographer before obtaining law degree from George Washington U. He leaves wife and 2 daughters, age 13 and 8. Leslie W. Joy, 62, onetime NBC announcer who retired in 1947 as gen. mgr. of KYW, Philadelphia, died Oct. 22 at his home in Chester Springs, Pa.