Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-23
RADIO OPENING
GREATER OUTLETS
Manufacturers CurtaH Few
Expenditures, Despite
Depression.
BY MARTIN CoDEL.

Through the medium Of broadcast
ing, the only branch Of radio that Is
progressing full sails up and full speed
ahead through the Silly sea Of business,
tn radio manufacturing industry pro-
poses to develop new and permanent
y outlets for its products.
Dealt q severe blow by the current
bt@iness depression, several Of the far
sighted makers Of radios and radio
materials see strong trade prospects in
foreign trade. They intend using long
ment Of that trade, hitherto scarcely
skinned because Of the greater and
more immediate profits that have ex-
listed In the domestic market.
The sale Of radio receiving-and some
transmitting equipment is the real
motive behind recent applications to the
Federal Radio Commission for permiS-
sion to utilize the relay short waves for
sending American staged sponsored
programs for rebroadcasting abroad,
particularly In Latin American coun-
tries. The sponsors would be Ameri-
can radio manufacturers, and the pro-
grams, though staged in this country,
would be suited to the particular taste
Of the countries Of destination.
Few Curtail Expenses.
1t is a noteworthy fact that few, If
any, of the radio manufacturers have
curtailed their expenditures for broad
casting, in spite of the business let
down. The reason may either be sat-
isfaction with the pulling power of ra-
do or an appreciation Of the fact that
they (the Manufacturers have too
great stake in the maintenance of
program excellence to allow 1t to dete-
r1orate by failure to support broad
tasting.
At any rate, the radio manufacturers
account far more than any other single
industry for the income Of the chains,
whose Joint income, exclusive of profits
from the sale Of their program talent,
has reached $1S,798, 359 for the first
nine months Of this year, to compare
with $18, 729,5 for the whole Of 1929.
Certainly there Is no philanthropy in
the desire to broadcast special pro-
grams for reception in foreign coun-
tries. The real motive is the creation
and development Of foreign markets
for radios, and also for other American
made goods. The radio makers believe
they can repeat abroad, particularly in
the countries Of Latin America, which
Il o natural sphere Of trade and where
purchasing power is normally quite
flrst, the Offering OF f1ne programs, and
then the creation Of o desire among the
populace to acquire the instruments for
hearing them.
Since the business depression is world
wide in scope, the American export
trade in radio IL tagging along with the
domestic trade. The latter is now
marked by the losses or extremely low
earnings currently revealed by some Of
poration Of America, Tor example, re.
ported net loss Of nearly $1,000, 900
Tor the third quarter Of 1890.
Turn to Other Lines.
Some Of the radio makers are turn
! tng 70 other lines to diversity their
OHtput, and thus we find them produc-
ing electric refrigerators, home talking
pActllre equipment, electric clocks, COM
btnation broadcast and short-wave re-
Ceivers, midget sets and q variety Of
other products But even here they are
meeting the sales resistance felt in al
most all other lines Of business due to
the general depression.
There Is q conviction among the more
alert and enterprising leaders Of the
radio industry that even when the do
megtic depression Is overcome they
must make the export trade IN integral
factor in all their production calcula-
tons, just as does the automotive in
dustry.
A few awoke early to the foreign
market possibilities, but all too I'D.
So far this year-that Is, for the first
nine months-the American export trade
In radio has amounted to $13,062, 1856.
Though the last three months are the
best for the export business, there seems
to be little likelihood that the 1929
total Of $23, opt viii be exceeded or
even reached at the end Of this year.
Future years, however. should see the
figure swell enormously. Certainly the
present income from export Is O baga-
telle in the total volume of radio busi-
ness in this country that has amounted
to anywhere from $500,000,000 to