Evening star., 1926-04-21
OUTLOOK IS SBETTER
IN RADIO INDUSTRY
Sales of Sets Going on at an
Unprecedented Rate, Sur
vey DiscIoses.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NyLr>x- vnPK ApriI 81 One of |

Special Dispatch to The star.
NEW YORK, April 81. - One OF
every five families in the United
States now owns a radio receiving set.
The "saturation point" however, is
far from being reached. The volume
of sales by manufacturers in recent
weeks has been higher than during
any similar period in the history or
this infant industry.
The sets now in use represent an
investment by owners Of more than
$500, 900, 900. Yet new radio develop
ments are Enthusiastically approaching
which will exercise tremendous IN
fluence on business life.
Announcement today that radio
transmission of pictures across the
Atlantic will be started May l on
commercial basis and probably will he
followed shortly by establishment of
transoceanic radio telephone service.
Two powerful companies interested in
the radio field are known to be work
ing toward that end. Their engineers,
it is understood are following diver
gent paths. but there is every indica-
ton that they will be successful.
Sending of News.
While the transmission of pictures
documents will form a part of the
business handled by the picturegram
radio transmission, it is expected that
it will prove of even greater value
in the prompt sending of news. AS
the writer pointed out when he fore
cast the establishment of such serv
ice in July, 1925, it will be possible to
transmit with utmost speed six or
seven thousand words of press matter
in one picturegram.
BurdenSome stocks of radio receiv-
ing sets which accumulated late in
1925 have now been greatly reduced
and manufacturers expect the indus
try will be in a stronger position at
the beginning of the third quarter
than at any time sice 1924. Produc-
ton and distribution are progressing
at a ratio which will permit dealers
to enter the Fall season with small
reserve stocks. Sales of batteries,
tubes and accessories so far this year
have exceeded those for any similar
period.
I'm the radio field" said f. NJ
Herr, president of the Westinghouse
Electric and Manufacturing Co., the
most noticeable trends are toward i'm
provement in the quality of broad
casting and demand for receiving
Apparatus regarded as entirely salts
factory short time ago now is con
s1dered very inferior. This will bring
about increased demand for radio
apparatus"
There is small doubt that the in
dustry for time suffered from exces-
slve production, and competition still
is extremely keen. This has forced
prices to point where not all makers
ana dealers have found their balances
on the right side of the ledger. But
foreign demand is expanding, produc-
ton is being lessened to correspond
with actual trade requirements and
the hnal half OF the year is counted
on to return better profits than the
nrSt TWO quarters. Exports have arisen
10 q volume in excess OF $40, 900, 900 IA
year and prices in general are reach.
ing a more stable basis.
Domestic Interest Growing.
The domestic interest in radio is
growing, not waning. This is shown
Dy the intense interest in the recent
court decision regarding the right of
the Secretary OF Commerce to assign
wave lengths and time Of operation
TO broadcasting stations. Secretary
Hoover declared that chaos would re.
suit unless regulations of some sort
were enforced.
The settlement of the problem is
complicated by the fact that the uues
tlon Is international as we'll as ma
t1onal. 1t Is recognized. however. that
the old international regulations of
1912 are now entirely obsolete, and it
is not believed an international con
vention will be much longer DELAYED.
About S15.000,000 was spent on
brOadcaSting programs in this co,,p
try last year, and business men will
not willingly see investments of this
magnitude endangered by loose con
troll.
Six years ago" said Arthur Will
liams, vice president of the New York
Edison Co. radio for most people
was merely a scientific hobby. To-Day
it is one OF the public's principal forms
of entertainment and education. AS
wonderful as this new industry is to-
day, it is only in it's infancy"