Evening star., 1934-04-08
DISTRICT IS FIRST
|NSETSPER CAPITA
94.6 Per Cent of Homes
Have Radio-NeW Jersey
Ranks Second.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

/ a new survey of American
homes equipped with radios
reveals that 118.740 homes in the
District, or 94.6 per cent of the total
number Of homes in the District, had
radios as of January l, 1884. The
District leads all of the 48 States in
the proportion of its homes having
radios, it's nearest rival being the
State of New Jersey with 87.l per
cent of its homes having radios.
The 1884 figure for the District
represents a 75.5 per cent increase
since 1880, when 67,640 homes, OF
53,9 per cent, had radios.
Maryland is shown as having 262,-
500 homes with radios, or 68.2 per
cent, while Virginia is credited with
2O7 ,507 radio-equipped homes, or 1872
per cent. Both figures are substantial
increases over 1880, Maryland having
increased its radio homes by SO per
cent and Virginia by 1l5.5 per cent
in the last four years.
Industry Takes Census.
The survey was made by one of
the radio networks in cooperation
with the IL leading radio set manu-
facturers, 1922 radio dealers and dis
tributors in all the States and a New
York trade publishing house special
iZing in the radio field. 1t is based
on the known number Of radios mar
keted since the Governments census,
minus the number sold as replace
ments in homes already having radios.
The manufacturers contributing tc
the study represent about 80 per cent
of the Nations radio production.
Whereas the official 1880 census
showed 12,078,345 American homes
had radios, representing 40.3 per cent
of the total number of homes in the
country, the newly compiled census
reveals 17,948,l62 homes with radios
or 60 per cent. In other words, three
out of every five homes in the coun-
try had radios as Of January l, 1884
representing a potential audience OF
nearly 65,0O0,O00 on the Census Bu-
reau's basis of SO persons per family
The home census survey does not
include automobile radios, OF which
700 900 were sold during 1888 alone
Despite the depression, about 12,0O0,-
600 new radios were sold during the
last four years, but only 5,899, 400 were
counted as going into homes that
never before possessed sets. This fg-
ure is not surprising in spite OF the
depression, for radio dealers have con-
sistently reported a large volume OF
set sales. the effects of the depression
being felt chiefly in the demand for
lower priced midget and cigar
box models.
Southern Sales Soar.
The survey breaks down the total
for the country by States, showing the
largest proportional increases in set
ownership in States which were very
low in the 1880 census. This IS readlly
explained by the fact those states
we're so far from the saturation point
in 1880 that the manufacturers and
distributors concentrated their sales
efforts in those markets during the
last four years.
Showing the largest proportional in
creases in radio-equipped homes since
1880 we're the States of Louisiana.
Florida. Georgia, Tennessee, South
Carolina, Virginia. Mississippi, Arkan-
sas and Alabama. All of them show
increases of more than 100 per cent
Relatively lower were the proper
tional increases in those States which
in 1880 were high in the Fedora
count. Many of them, then as now
topped the average for the country
as a whole. All showed some in
creases over 1880, and the relative
ranking of the top States (those ex-
ceeding the country's average) is as
follows:
District of Columbia. 94.6 per cent;
New Jersey, 87l; Rhode Island, 86.3i
New York, 846; Massachusetts,, 82.7i
Connecticut. 70; Delaware, 77.3; Penn
sylvania, 748; Illinois, 1876; Ohio
7O.6; California. 701; Utah, 68.5
Maryland, 682; New Hampshire. 67.4
Wisconsin, 81: Michigan, 65.5; Ore
gon, 646; Missouri, 64.2; Minnesota
63.1; Vermont. 63.3; Washington, 62.7;
Nebraska, 618; Colorado, GIG; Iowa
81; Indiana, 604; Maine, 603.