Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20

IGNS are not lacking to indi-
cate definite upturn in the
~ business of radio. From the
trade comes official word
that careful merchandising,
newspaper advertising and judi
ciouS sales tactics" will be the
devices the radio manufacturers
and dealers will use this Fall and
Winter to insure sales progress.
To these might be added improved
programs from the broadcaSterS.
The radio trade is entering the
season with higher hopes than it
has had at any time in the last
two years. These hopes are en-
gendered not only by the growing
popular interest in radio broad
casting, but by cold statistics re-
vealing that the market for radios
Is still big and that the demand
continues fairly steady.
The 1892 redo season will be
formally opened this week with
National Radio week. This is the
period of the annual radio manu-
facturerS' show in New York City.
There will then follow similar
shows In various cities, including
one in Chicago, October 10 to Is.
This years shows will be marked
by the display Of a wide variety Of
electrical household appliances as
well as radios. Many Of the manu-
facturers, having found that their
gross has been reduced by the ex-
tremely lower prices for the
greatly demanded midget re-
ceivers, have turned to the pro-
duction Of such products as re-
frigerators, washing machines,
vacuum cleaners, clocks, waffle
irons and the like.
It was adviSedly, then, that the
sponsors of this years show at
New York and Chicago should
have named them radio electrical!
shows instead Of simply radio
shows.
During National Radio week the
broadcaSters, including the net
works, will bend their efforts anew
to attract and please the audience.
Thoughs they try to keep their
programs at a high level during
the Summer months, there is no
secret that their best efforts come
in the months when people stay
at home more. Many of their
best accounts" or commercial
program sponsors come back on
the air in the Autumn, and foot
ball and other sports always in
crease listener interest.
In the industry one OF the best
signs yet available that the
market is still large was furnished
by the radio census figures COM
piled by the Census Bureau. They
reveal, generally, that only about
one third of the homes in the land
have radios-somewhere around
10000, 900 to 100000. They show
that some States have lower than
20 per cent of their homes equip
ped with radios and that only a
few, States have as many as so
per cent, or one out of two.
Since these figures are broken
down by States, counties and
cities, they furnish an excellent
index, along with other known
market data, to the potential
scope of particular markets where
jobberS and dealers can now stress
their merchandising activities.
One of the most heartening
trade signs came from a large
Philadelphia manufacturer last
week when he announced that his
company is producing $500 sets
per day, or more than double the
production Of this time a year ago.
Employment at the plant rose dur
ing the last four weeks from 1000
to $500 workers, which the manu-
facturer predicts he will increase
this Fall and Winter to $500
workers, producing $4,000 sets per
day.
Foreign trade in radio sets has
increased very considerably, De-.
partment of Commerce figures
showing that during the first
seven months Of 1881 they reached
$7,1000O0 to compare with 81, $780,
900 during the same months last
year. Tubes and parts exports,
however. showed slight decreases,