Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

NEW SERIES VOL. 3, No. 6 TELEVISION DIGEST— 9 Biggest threat to domestic receiving tube industry now appears to be coming from Netherlands, rather than Japan. Fullerton predicted to us that about 45 million would be imported this year, about half of them from Holland. On TV picture-tube implosion-shield scene, Weiss told us that Pittsburgh Plate Glass bonded tube is gaining adherents, although Corning twin panel "still is the standard." As to Kimcode, he predicted only about 200,000 tubes would be made this year, as set makers remain reluctant to pioneer in this field. MORE RADIO PRICE CUTS IN WORKS? Repetition of last year's price cuts in brand-name transistor radios could be in store, as result of recent new levels established by several manufacturers. GE, which started price cuts last year with 6-tronsistor set at $16.95 — later reduced to $14.95, which became industry list-price floor for year — was first again this time when it introduced its 21-set transistor radio line (Vol. 3:5 plO). Featured were leader 6-tronsistor set with accessory gift pack at $16.95 and 8-transistor with gift pack at $19.95 — both well below prevailing lists for U.S. brand-name sets. Magnavox almost simultaneously cut its gift-packed 6-transistor to $14.95 from $16.95 and its giftpacked 8 to $19.95 from $22.95. The 2 moves aren't directly comparable, because Magnavox sets actually sell at list prices, while GE radios don't necessarily, and because Magnavox transistor radios are Japanese-made (Nippon Electric), while GE's are U.S.-made. Nevertheless, it looks like another round of slashes is on the way, this time centered mainly around the popular gift-packed xmits, and including "de luxe" 8-tronsistor sets. TV-RADIO PRODUCTION: ^ statistics for week ended Feb. 1 (5th week of 1963) : Jan. 26-Feb. 1 Preceding wk. 1962 wk. '63 cumulative '62 cumulative TV 148,355 132,503 132,423 629,547 622,314 Total radio 337,704 331,188 334,491 1,546,004 1,688,928 auto radio 154,258 151,448 122,407 717,412 650,538 New solid-state device “combining the best properties of transistors and vacuum tubes” was hailed at week’s end by RCA as “new fundamental building block” of integrated microelectronic circuits (Vol. 3:5 p7). Called a metal oxide semiconductor transistor, device can be fabricated on silicon in large interconnected arrays, promising “a wholly new kind of integrated circuit,” according to RCA Labs vp Dr. James Hiller, which is “less costly, simpler & more reliable than anything yet devised.” By varying input voltage the insulated-gate field effect transistor can be operated as switch, amplifier or current regulator in manner similar to pentode tube. New heaterless tube, which can operate at room temperature and uses tunnel diode principles, is under study at GE receiving tube dept. Involving a “tunnel cathode,” GE says such a tube would help improve reliability of space electronics because it may have higher tolerance to ionizing radiation than would semiconductor devices. Another color tube size reported by Japanese: 16-in. square-comer, 90-degree deflection. Asahi Glass Co. reportedly is in small-scale production of bulk, which is 2-in. shorter than current Japanese 14-in. color tube. GE Credit Corp. will enter construction equipment financing market. Vp John W. Stanger said new activity should enable company to push 1963 financing volume above $1 billion mark. More pre-recorded tape cartridges will be available March 15 for Minnesota Mining’s 3M-Revere automatic tape recorder (Vol. 2:46 p9). 3M announced last week that Musictapes Inc., Chicago, will provide 12 jazz, popular & classical selections for the automatic cartridges. Musictapes has exclusive tape manufacturing & marketing rights for United Artists label, also markets pre-recorded tape under Elektra, Prestige, Caedmon, Monitor and other labels. Columbia Records previously had made available library of 48 tape cartridges. 3M also announced last week that its $450 cartridge recorder vdll be marketed in Minneapolis-St. Paul (Vol. 3:2 plO) by the 3 Dayton dept, store outlets and 2 Schmitt Music Co. stores. Rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries for use in transistorized equipment are now in pilot production by Sylvania Electron Tube Div. New film-forming technique offers “significant advantages in compactness,” according to receiving tube operations vp Gordon L. Fullerton. Initial production comprises long-life 700-ma cells suited for military applications, although Fullerton said batteries for various consiuner uses will probably be developed later, using film-forming process. American Music Guild, Space-Tone Electronics subsidiary, has opened Detroit sales office (Boulevard West Building, 2990 Grand Blvd.) for its home music library plan, which offers Space-Tone consoles & stereo records. Robert Bullitt will head Detroit office.