Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

lO-TELEVISION DIGEST OCTOBER 7. 1963 Trade Personals Charles M. Heiden named gen. mgr. of GE new business development operation, which activates Nov. 1 at Schenectady, N. Y. , to develop business opportunities indicated by new products & technologies. Col. Percy G. Black, vp of GT&E International and GT&E Service Corp. , retires Oct. 1 after 17 years with company; he's past pres. & currently a dir. of Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Assn. Ralph R. Papltto elected chmn. , Glass-Tite Industries, Providence, R. I. maker of semiconductor containers & seals, succeeded by David Cropp as pres. ; Paul W. Erickson elected exec, vp and a dir. ; Philip W, Schumacher named vp-gen. mgr. of mfg; div. Dr. Lee L. Davenport, GT&E Labs pres. , receives GT&E's Silver LaCroix Medal Award for his role in saving lives of Sylvania's Pres. Gene K. Beare & New Product Planning Dir. David K. Elwell in plane crash at Rochester, N. Y. July 2 (Vol. 3:27 pl2). J. Walsh, Erie Technological Products of Canada, won IEEE Low Gross Trophy in Canadian EIA-IEEE Golf Tournament with 83. Other winners: EIA Low Gross Wrigley Trophy, T. Stevens, Northern Radio Mfg. ; Fullerton Weston Trophy, R. Stacey, Canadian Motorola Electronics; Lake Engineering Trophy, Derek Reynolds, Electronics & Communications. Frank C. Lustlg, formerly Revere -WoUensak engineering & product development mgr. , named Argus product planning vp, heading new product development dept. David J, Melamed, ComSat asst, secy & asst, treas. , elected secy. S. S. (Sy) Krlnsky,. ex-Telemet, forms own rep company for TV & telemetering instrumentation manufacturers, 6311 Yucca St., Hollywood (phone: Hollywood 2 -1133). Lowell H. Tveten, asst, chief, promoted to chief, HF & VHF Research Section, Bureau of Standards Boiilder Labs, succeeding W. F. Utlaut, asst, chief. Radio Systems Div. High-end TV sales can be stimulated successfully, NARDA & Corning Glass reported after tallying resvilts of 3-day "Step Up to Quality" pilot promotion Sept. 2730 at Brae's Appliance Store, Des Moines. Brae's owner Earl (Duke) Holst, NARDA pres., said sales during period were double those of same 3 days last year, that 4 times as many consoles were sold, nearly 50% of which were combinations, and portable sales were down one -third. In addition, an estimated 40% of those entering store were classed as prospects for later sales. Corning & NARDA are compiling case history book giving details and results of promotion. Channel Master showed new line of consumer products last week, with new emphasis on phonographs. Among items shown, all imported: 16-in. TVat$139.95; portable stereo phonos at $69.95, $89.95, $109.95 & $149.95; transistor tape recorder at $139.95; citizens band radios at $119.90 a pair. Corning Is adding 80, OOO-sq.-ft. warehouse to its TV bulb plant in Albion, Mich. , due for completion by early December. Semiconductor licensing agreement between Fairchild Camera & Instrument and Tokyo-based Nippon Electric has been approved by Japanese govt. Pact gives Nippon Electric exclusive rights in Japan for 10 years to Fairchild's patents for planar process of semiconductor production. Fairchild’s royalties will be based on percentage of sales. Nippon also is obligated to license any Japanese semiconductor manufacturer seeking the process, and, Fairchild Pres. John Carter said, it's anticipated that several sublicense agreements will be signed soon. International Reeletance has integrated its Control Components, Frontier Electronics and Plastic Products Divs. into new Instrumentation & Systems Div., which will produce and market electromechanical/electronic subsystems and associated equipment and circuitry. O. C. Kebernick, formerly Plastic Products mgr., becomes gen. mgr. of new division. Other appointments: Terry Halpern, mktg. mgr.; Patrick Lannan, chief engineer. Division will headquarter in Philadelphia. ITT $30 million expansion program in Western Europe, begun last year, will be completed by end of 1964 and provide manufacturing plants & labs in West Germany, U. K. , Spain, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands & Belgium. Pres. Harold S. Geneen said program would add more than 2 million sq. ft. to rTTs facilities, increase company's European employment by "several thousand new jobs" to 125, 000 at close of 1964. Russia's new Llcenslngtorg Agency, recently established to handle licensing agreements with Western firms, has authorized a N. Y. patent brokerage concern "to seek U. S. manufacturers for several Soviet products," reported Oct. 3 "Wall St. Journal." Among them: "A method for making semiconductors from organic chemicals, said to be cheaper than semiconductors made from crystals." British TV dealer gave away 1,250 TV sets, mostly old trade-ins, to save money on junking. "It was the easiest and cheapest way to clear a very crowded warehouse," reported dealer Frank Middleton. "To have dismantled them and sold them for scr^ would have cost more. " More than 5, 000 persons responded to Middleton's give-away ad. ^ew anti -Quality Stablllaatlon group has been formed by members of discount industry. "Committee for Competitive Prices," headed by Martin Chase, treas. of Ann & Hope Factory Outlet, Cumberland, R. L (Vol. 3:31 p7), seeks $100,000-125,000 from discount field to fight QS legislation. "CCP" has hired Ruder & Finn PR firm to map campaign. PhllCO has added an Animal Div. to its Advanced Technology Lab in Blue Bell, Pa. Facility is believed to be fir st of its kind in electronics field, will use initially 10 monkeys to research electrical energj’ in muscles. BioTechnology Lab Dir. Walter L. Wasserman said studies could point way to development of artificial limbs with "almost human-like muscle reaction." N. Y. Fair Sabbath Bill has been signed into law by Mayor Wagner (Vol. 3:38 plO). It permits small familyoperated businesses to remain open on Sun. if owner closes another day of week to observe Sabbath. Sylvanla has introduced lowboy color console at $529.95.