Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1960)

VOL. 16; No. 20 19 ✓ more about NEW IMPORT LINES: Delmonico International div. of Thompson-Starrett Co., which suddenly lost the topselling Sony line earlier this year when the Tokyo manufacturer set up its own wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, seems to have made rapid comeback with goodlooking TV-stereo line by Japan Victor (see p. 18) plus merchandise of other Japanese manufacturers including Fuji Denki. One of the lowest-priced 6-transistor pocket radios on market was introduced by Delmonico at $19.95. This price was made possible in part by adoption of outboard pricing policy followed by U.S. manufacturers — leather case, battery & earphone extra ($4.95). Delmonico also showed 4speed automatic record changer — made by Japan Victor and claimed to be first automatic changer made in Japan — as part of its stereo consoles, and it will offer it separately through parts distributors and to equipment makers. Delmonico won’t drop its German-made stereo-radio units, we were told — in fact, several new models were introduced last week — and company officials denied reports that European phono imports are declining in popularity. Said exec, vp Herbert Rabat: “German stereo has made an unprecedented success in the last 5 to 6 months.” EMUD and Kurting supply Delmonico’s German units. Even though Japan Victor is now supplying most of the Delmonico-branded Japanese merchandise, the same manufacturer continues its tie-up with its former agent here, Petely Sales Co. Petely showed 12 new radios and portable tape recorder ($169.95) at last week’s World Trade Fair in N.Y. — all made by Japan Victor under Petely ’s Hi-Delity brand. m * * Toshiba advertising in the U.S. will total about $430,000 during the coming season, Sales Management estimates in an article on merchandising of Japanese goods. The magazine says Toshiba importer Transistor World Corp. has $65,000 earmarked for business paper advertising, $200,000 for consumer magazines, plus $150,000 for co-op ads. It adds that Transistor World has 400 distributors selling to 40,000-50,000 retail outlets. “A great gap in our educational system” — the lack of scientific training for liberal arts students — was a major theme of a recent address by RCA engineering vp George H. Brown, speaking at Ohio State U. where his son is a 4th-year electrical engineering student. “Most college students,” he said, “are not headed toward science or engineering. Typically they are enrolled in a so-called liberal arts curriculum — either at a separate college or in the college of arts & sciences of a university. Unfortunately, to most of them ‘liberal arts’ means all fields except science— a gross misrepresentation of the term which once was intended to include mathematics & science. Courses are needed which help such students think their way through & appreciate such great concepts as the origin & evolution of the universe and of life, the nature & behavior of energy & matter & radiation, the structure of atoms & molecules and the ways in which these & other scientific concepts & laws are discovered, evolved and tested.” Brown also emphasized that the engineer “must understand not only the management of physical forces by man, but a good deal about his interaction with other men and with the institutions of society.” THERMAL POWER FOR TV: Direct conversion of heat to electricty is a hot subject these days, although so far nobody has even hinted that a consumer-priced electronic generator is in the works. Now from South Africa comes news of a low-priced heat-to-electricity converter, said to be due on the market there within 4 months, supplying usable amounts of power from bottled gas or oil lamps at a retail price of $50 or less. Some observers see this type of home thermo-electric plant as the answer to a TV dilemma in Africa and other “technically backward” countries — lack of electrical power. So much significance has been attached to the African development that it’s understood RCA has signed up rights to it for all areas outside South Africa. Developed by Collectron Industries Ltd., Johannesburg (headed by H. Polliak, onetime RCA distributor for South Africa), the “Thermo” generator weighs 12 lb., with enough power (at 6 volts) to operate a phonograph. New 24-volt model is being developed, and more powerful units are due next year. According to Collectron, the Thermo unit is far more economical than batteries, and should be practical in a model with sufficient power to operate TV. RCA dedicated its new RCA Bldg., 1725 K St. N. W., Washington, last week, stressing its new data-processing center for govt. & business. Some 300 attended the ceremonies, which included expressions of welcome & commendation from Senate majority leader Johnson (D-Tex.) & minority leader Dirksen (R-Ill.). RCA industrial electronic products exec, vp T. A. Smith said he now looks for “the start of a new era in which red tape is supplanted by the magnetic tape of data-processing systems.” “I can think of no place in America,” he said, “where the swift & accurate services of electronic data-processing equipment are more urgently needed to process the paperwork that daily staggers office workers in Washington ... In fact, we can confidently predict that the maximum use of data processing will lead to a reduction of more than 50% in the mounting volume of paperwork that today engulfs both govt. & business in the capital.” He said it costs the govt, more than $4 billion a year to make & keep permanent records. Arthur L. Malcarney, defense electronic products exec, vp, described the growth of defense electronics, noting that govt, will spend $4.3 billion on such equipment this year, and estimated that electronics will take about % of the Defense Dept, budget for “hardware” within 10 years. Washington vp P. B. Reed acted as master of ceremonies, noted that the new building will house all RCA Washington activities except NBC, RCA Service Co., RCA communications & RCA frequency bureau. Broader govt, surveillance of business frauds is provided in bills (S-3530 & HR-12188) introduced by Sens. Keating (R-N.Y.) & Javits (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Lindsay (R-N.Y.). They would authorize the Attorney General to set up a special clearinghouse in the Justice Dept, for information on “injunctions, dissolutions and other civil or administrative actions involving unethical or fraudulent business practices.” The records would be open to any “duly authorized official” of federal, state or local govts. New cathode-ray tube capable of high-resolution recording at altitudes up to 70,000 ft. was announced last week by Sylvania. The new 5-in. tube achieves 6,000-line resolution with conventional focusing & deflection units.