Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

NEW SERIES VOL. 3, No. 4 TELEVISION DIGEST— 13 Factory transistor sales in Nov. contained no surprises. Industry continued to sell more and earn less. EIA’s figures show unit sales of 20,672,176 transistors — ^up 2.3 million over Nov.-1961’s 18,342,285. Dollar value, however, increased by only $739,000 to $24,773,966 from $24,034,703. For year to date, industry sold 48.2 million more transistors than in 1961’s Jan.-Nov. period, but earned $7.3 million less. Unit volume climbed to 220,975,480 from 172,749,515. Dollar value dropped to $267,347,517 from $274,655,222. Here are EIA’s figures: 1962 1961 Units Dollars Units Dollars January 17,238,376 $ 21,469,698 12,183,931 $ 22,966,167 February 20,239,880 24,161,166 13,270,428 26,699,626 March 22,932,666 28,202,422 16,129,273 29,816,291 April 19,621,048 26,097,960 16,072,064 27,388,278 May 21,217,919 24,961,738 16,128,181 26,113,042 June 21,776,037 26,374,366 17,899,005 26,148,746 July 15,434,206 19,476,017 11,227,388 17,506,011 August 20,369,281 24,128,668 17,193,860 26,165,627 September 20,568,110 24,729,997 19,386,202 27,220,248 October 20,905,793 24,001,640 18,232,530 24,018,037 November 20,672,176 24,733,966 18,342,285 24,034,703 Totals 220,975,480 $267,347,517 172,749,515 $274,655,222 Emerson Radio has sold its stock in Granco Products Inc. to Granco Pres. Henry Fogel for undisclosed amount, and is ending its exclusive marketing arrangement for Granco products. The 150,000 shares, which Emerson purchased in Nov. 1961 at 70<i a share, would be valued at between $37,500 & $75,000, according to recent bid & asked prices for the over-the-counter stock. In Aug. 1960, Emerson obtained option to buy 540,000 shares, or controlling interest, but only purchased the 150,000. Granco, which specializes in low-priced FM radios, is now setting up own sales organization and renewing franchises with its former distributors. Pres. Fogel said Granco would also continue to serve its private-label customers, including Emerson, with which it has manufacturing contracts. Granco will announce new radio line by end of this month, according to Fogel. New Sets: Dominion Electrohome of Canada introduced 3 new TVs and 4 stereo consoles to its U.S. franchised dealers thi-ough sales subsidiary International Electrohome. Top of TV line is TV-AM-FM-phono combo at $649.50; other 23-in. consoles are $419.50 & $339.50. Phono consoles are $299.50, $359.50, 399.50 & $529.50. Columbia Record Distributors introduced 4 new items under Masterwork label: Drop-down portable stereo at $79.95; portable stereo with AM-FM, $129.95; AM-FM clock radio, $89.95; stereo console with AM-FM, open list. Distributor Notos: Motorola names four 19th Quarter winners of Climbers Club promotion, which honors quarterly improvement in TV market penetration by distributors. Winners: Bristol Distributing, Fargo, N.D.; Universal Product.s, Norfolk, Va.; McCracken Supply, Raleigh, N.C.; Cooper Distributing, Newark, N.J. • Philco names Brown Distributing, Atlanta (J. C. Brown, pres.), already distributor for 81 Georgia countries, to serve 50 additional Georgia counties relinquished by Ferrell-Wight, Albany, Ga. • Curtis Mathes names Robert Thompson sales rep for downtown Philadelphia, Pa. Assets of TV-Electronics Fund increased to more than $373 million Jan. 15 — up sharply from $331.9 million at close of 1962 fiscal year Oct. 31. Assets at end of calendar year, Dec. 31, rose to more than $359.8 million. Trade Personals Charles M. Kirkland elected Heath Co. pres., succeeding Allan W. Greene, resigned. Jack Kramer, formerly Arvin Industries & Gem Electronics, joins Matsushita Electric Corp. of America in new post of consumer products mktg. mgr. Arnold Henderson, former Emerson sales dir., rejoins Emerson as sales administrator from Dynamic Instruments Corp. David T. Richardson named Magnavox corporate credit mgr., a new post; Dean M. Davis appointed Consumer Products Div. credit mgr., headquartering in Greeneville, Tenn. John Hawkinson, TV Shares Management Corp. pres., elected a vp & a dir. of TV-Electronics Fund. Ralph H. Glover named exec, vp of Muter’s Jensen Mfg. Co. Div.; Walter R. Wolf gram named division mfg. vp, Horace L. White industrial sales vp. David Libsohn, former General Magnetics & Electronics pres., joins Telectro Industries’ Consumer Products Div. in general sales capacity. William Szabo named contract operations & construction vp. Reeves Soundcraft’s subsidiary Reevsound Co. . . . Robert O. Vaughan appointed mktg. vp of GPE’s Librascope Div. Dr. Robert T. Watson, onetime RCA Tube Div. executive, elected pres, of ITT’s Industrial Labs Div. Nicholas A. Rabiecki Jr., ex-Standard Systems Corp. & General Dynamics/Electronics, appointed closed circuit & ETV mktg. mgr., Sylvania Home & Commercial Electronics Corp. . . . R. Kenyon Kilbon promoted to RCA editorial & publication services mgr. W. J. Cheesman appointed ITT telecommunications gi’oup mgr., continues as pres, of ITT Canada. Robert E. Lewis, Perkin-Elmer pres., elected a Benrus Watch dir. Algie A. Hendrix appointed General Dynamics industrial relations vp. Stanford Kaplan appointed finance vp & a dir. of Republic Corp.’s Utility Appliance subsidiary; Stanley Kraft named engineering vp. James J. Ling, Ling-Temco-Vought vice chmn., nominated chief exec, officer, succeeding Robert McCulloch who continues as chmn. Seymour Mintz, onetime Capehart vp-gen. mgr., resigns as gen. mgr. of Datom Industries’ Madison-Fielding Div. Edwin E. Van Bronkhorst appointed Hewlett-Packard vp & treas.; Ray L. Wilbur Jr. & William P. Doolittle named vps. Arnold E. Last appointed Westinghouse Appliance Sales mgr., a new post, responsible for distribution of TV & stereo products as well as appliances. N. Thomas Berry Jr. named Regency Electronics gen. sales mgr., a new post, headquartering in Indianapolis. Obiiuary_ Joseph R. McCurdy, 48, RCA news & press services mgr., died Jan. 23 after long illness. Before joining RCA in 1959, he was a vp of Carl Byoir & Associates. His wife & 4 children survive.