Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1960)

VOL. 16: No. 34 15 At least 60% of factory TV set sales in Jime were in the 2 new sizes. Exact percentage is hard to pin down. EIA is collecting some figures on the new sizes for first time (formerly 19s & 21s were lumped together in "19-21-in.'' group). Its definitions still aren't explicit in some categories, but here's percentage breakdown of total factory sales in Jvme, by tube size & cabinet style: Table models & portables — 23-in. & larger, 6.2%; 21-in., 9%; 19-in., 21%; 17-in. & smaller, 21%. Consoles — 23-in. & larger, 32%; smaller than 23-in., 8%. Combinations — all sizes, 3%. Proportion of 19 & 23-in. sets will increase as manufacturers use up inventories of old-size tubes & associated components. Tube & glass makers report production of 17 & 21-in. sizes for new-set use dwindling to vanishing point. PHONOS SPIN STRONG MIDYEAR GAINS: It was a good first half for phonos, official EIA retail & factory figures for Jan.-Jime show. Sparked by increasing interest in stereo, consumers purchased more than 330,000 more phonos than they did in Jan.-June 1959. Result: a 21.5% sales gain for retailers. Overthe-coimter sales of stereo phonos soared 86.5% during first half, swallowing up a 43.7% decline in sales of monaural units. Factory sales of phonos also increased 21% over first-half 1959. Noteworthy, too, is 33% gain in dollar sales, reflecting increased proportion of higher-priced stereo. Other noteworthy callings from EIA: Average factory price of phonos increased to $96.60 from $90.57 in first-half 1959. Total dollar sales at factory increased to $174,172,000 from $131,397,000. Jime figures show an upturn from traditional spring decline, with stereo retail sales up some 26,000 vmits, monaural 5,100. Here ore EIA's factory & retail figures, month by month, for first-half 1960, with 1959 comparisons: PHONO FACTORY SALES PHONO RETAIL SALES 1960 1959 1960 1959 Month Mono Stereo Total Mono Stereo Total Month Mono Stereo Total Mono Stereo Total January February . 118,400 . 90,854 . 63,264 841,329 824,666 242,523 469,729 415,620 305,787 173,015 181,267 267,700 184,147 164,873 119,075 47,153 33,356 44,976 177,336 188,750 168,117 125,111 89,827 152,900 361,483 353,623 287,192 172,264 123,183 197,876 January ... February . 150,688 100,268 61,249 368,964 347,860 249,497 162,141 139,878 165,339 519,652 448,128 310,746 193,288 179,112 210,264 231,429 171,127 139,677 94,226 70,228 66,979 169,214 156,477 140,075 118,197 82,765 100,982 390,643 327,604 279,662 212,423 152,993 167,961 . 30,606 142,409 144,474 198,407 41,147 May June . 36,793 . 69,293 May June 39,734 44,925 TOTAL . 409,210 1,393,808 1,803,018 593,580 902,041 1,495,621 TOTAL 438,011 1,423,179 1,861,190 773,566 757,710 1,531,276 TV-RADIO PRODUCTION: E^ statistics for week ended Aug. 12 (32nd week of 1960): Aug. 5-12 Preceding wk. 1959 wk. '60 cumulative '59 cumulative TV 89,430 116,682 149,314 3,436,778 3,401,910 Total radio 243,351 261,430 261,210 9,912,196 8,383,035 auto radio 82,720 88,166 69,288 3,821,217 3,263,398 FTC has broad powers to halt “knowing inducement” by dealers to obtain discriminatory advertising allowances from suppliers, the 5-man policing commission decided in a 4-1 policy vote. Acting in an unfair-practice case involving supermarket operator Grand Union Co., the FTC majority said the Robinson-Patman Act doesn’t specifically outlaw such dealer inducements, but that the practice “clearly violates the spirit of the statute.” Dissenting, Comr. Edward T. Tait said FTC should stick strictly to Robinson-Patman language, that he’s “in vigorous disagreement with an approach to the law which has too much sail & too little anchor, or too much supplement & too little bolster.” (For more on co-op promotion, see p. 10.) RCA’s associated company in Argentina, RCA Victor Argentina S.A.I.C., has been licensed by American Bosch Arma to produce & sell its automotive windshield-wiper motors & assemblies in that country, effective Jan. 1961. Westinghouse credit-card system for service technicians is being established to facilitate their purchases of TV-radio-phono parts. K. H. Brown, hq service mgr. of Westinghouse TV-radio div., said the credit cards will eliminate a major complaint of technicians: “Having their money tied up to fulfill the manufacturers’ warranty obligations.” The cards also will enable new customers to obtain parts from Westinghouse distributors without credit-clearance delays. Zenith’s first strike ended Aug. 13 after a 4-day walkout by 6,000 production workers at 4 Chicago plants (Vol. 16:33 pl2). The new agreement with the Independent Radionic Workers of America provides wage increases of 6-to-9^ an hour (depending on job classification), retroactive to July 18. Zenith’s current contract with the union, which runs through June 30, 1962, was reopened 6 weeks ago for consideration of wages.