Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

10-TELEVISION DIGEST SEPTEMBER 30, 1963 JULY PHONO SALES: Paced by increased share of console sales (see p. 9), July distributor sales of phonos were about 2% higher than in July 1962. This was slimmest 1963 -over1962 margin in a year where every month has seen increases over comparable year-before month. Even though margin over 1962 was slight, July sales can be considered quite good, since comparable month— July 1962— was unusually good sales month, up 18% over July 1961. For first 7 months of 1963, distributor-todealer sales were running 20% above comparable 1962 period. Here are EIA's monthly distributor & factory sales figures, with 1962 comparisons: PHONO DISTRIBUTOR SALES 1963 1962 Port. & Port. & Month Toble Console Totol Table Console Totol Januory. . . 204,073 112,452 316,525 115.998 103,730 219,728 hebruary . . 192,858 137,114 329,792 130,104 109,316 239,420 March .... 211,745 134,407 346,152 173,056 126,201 299,257 April . , . . 169,478 77,252 246,730 129,175 72,017 201,192 May 129,535 75,513 205,208 136,405 59,159 195,564 June . . . . 215,036 100,007 315,043 203,670 70,856 274,526 July 211,645 87,336 298,981 214,007 78,293 292,300 TOTAL. . 1,334,370 724,081 2,058,451 1,102,415 619,572 1,721,987 PHONO FACTORY SALES 1963 1962 Port. & Port. & Month 1 abJe Console Totol Toble Console Total January. . . 205,955 135,741 341,696 137,090 122,469 259,559 hebruory . . 190,352 149,923 340,275 130,495 124,917 255,412 March .... 200,571 129,142 329,713 166,408 132,075 298,483 April . . . . 165,016 76,190 241,206 120,793 62,309 183,102 May 123,486 62,723 186,209 132,749 54,543 187,292 June 305,946 149,253 455,199 247,932 135,605 383,537 July 230,282 106,766 . 337,048 220,196 90,197 310,393 TOTAL. . 1,421,608 809,738 2,231,346 1,155,663 722,115 1,877,778 RCA plans to transfer its TV-radio transmitter engineering and production operation from Camden, N. J. to new facilities at Meadow Lands, Pa. , near Pittsburgh. Transfer date has not been set, RCA told us, refuting union claim that move is slated to begin Oct. 1. RCA would not comment on statement by high lUE, AFTE, and ASPEP unions that it rejected their joint offer to rebuild at their own expense the building to be vacated, a "deteriorating" 40-year-old structure which RCA says is no longer "suitable. " Unions said they were prepared to spend $1.9 million to modernize structure. Also slated for transfer from building is RCA's broadcast antenna operation, which will move to facility now under construction at Gibbsboro, N. J. , 20 miles away. Conversely, RCA has transferred from Meadow Lands to Camden its marketing operation for 2 -way radio and audio-visual equipment. EIA TV-radlo production figures were again unavailable last week, as in preceding week. EIA spokesman said problem is failure of some companies to reportleaving figures incomplete. He said reason for nonreporting wasn't known. "World's smallest 10-transistor AM-FM radio" is claim made by Sharp Electronics for its new $39.95 set, which measures 3 1/4 x 4 3^4 x 1 1/2 in. DISTRIBUTOR NOTES: Olympic Radio k TV appoints new distributors: John Iverson Co. (Robert Brown, sales & SVC. mgr.), branches in Minot & Mandan, N. D. ,for North Dakota; Anderson-Young Electric Co. (John M. Young, pres.; Ralph V. Mills, secy.-treas.), Lubbock, Texas, for western Texas and eastern New Mexico. Olympic also names Franklin H. Kark district sales mgr. for middle-eastern U. S. , Roy L. Thistle factory sales rep for Maine. . . Delmonlco International opens factory branch in Baltimore, at 2330 HoUins St., Bernard D. Smith mgr. . . Sprague Electric appoints Robert Peters N. Y. state & metropolitan area sales mgr, effective Jan. 1. . . Minnesota Mining's Revere -Wollensak Dlv. names David Gassner eastern regional sales mgr. for consumer products, H. B. LaGrandeur western regional sales mgr. for consumer products, both new posts. . .Olympic Radio Si TV names 'Thomas A. Cutler pres, of Olympic TV of Missouri, St. Louis. . . Sylvanla appoints McGregor Distributing (Malcom Bates McGregor pres.), 511 W. Olive St., Springfield, Mo., distributor for 31 Missouri counties, Kansas's Cherokee & Crawford counties, Oklahoma's Delaware & Ottawa counties. . . Roberts Electronics names 7 new distributors: Sidles Co., Des Moines, la., Roskln Distributors, Hartford, Conn., Bluff City Distributing, Memphis, Tenn., Choquette & Co., Providence, R. I., Clalrvals Corp., Endicott, N. Y., Allied Appliance, Cambridge, Mass., Miller Jackson Co., Oklahoma City, Okla.; appoints Roy J. O'Donnell regional mgr. for Montana, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, southern Idaho, El Paso, Tex.; O. B. Elliott regional mgr. for the Carolinas. . . . l^lvanla will sell direct in Washington, D. C. market, succeeding distributor American Wholesalers. Labor news; Westlnghouse has proposed to its 4 national unions a 3 -year labor contract providing 2 pay increases averaging 14^! an hour and improved fringe benefits. A 7^ increase begins when pact becomes effective, will be followed by 5-lO^i boost April 1965. Current pact with lUE, EBEW, UE & Federation of Westinghouse Independent Salaried Workers expires Oct. 15. These 4 unions represent some 67,000 of Westinghouse's 115, 000 workforce. . . GE refuses to bargain in good faith, lUE protested to NLRB last week. GE has offered 5% wage increase but, imion accused, has adopted "take it or leave it" attitude. GE denied charge, said it stiU stands on 5% offer but has made "substantial concessions" in other benefits. Shortly after filing charges, lUE accepted GE proposal for 3 -year contract on wages, 5 -year pact on benefits. Two 2. 5% wage boosts pro\nde 7? increase retroactive to Sept. 23, another 7? in April 1965. lUE, which represents some 70,000 GE workers, had sought 7 l/2(i boosts, plus cost-of-li\T.ng adjustments. Comparing GE & Westinghouse offers, lUE spokesman estimated former's total package at 23? an hour, Westinghouse's at about 20?. New transistor radio line was announced last week by ITT's Distributor Products Div. All packaged \ilth accessories, they are: 6-transistor pocket radio, $14.95; 8-transistor, $14.95; 9-transistor, $34.95; 9-transistor AM-FM, $39.95; AM-FM battery or AC walnut finished AM-FM stereo radio in walnut finish cabinet, $169.95. Admiral is now producing 10, 000 TV and radio sets daily, including more than 500 color receivers, has boosted employment at its Harvard, HI. electronics facility to record 3, 600 from 2,450 last year. Plant is now running a 2 -shift operation.