Evening star., 1935-12-15

Radio Corporation of Americas televisiC
that television as an art and an tn-'
dustry still has long way to go before
it is ready for the public at large. But
as a tecnnical achievement inside the
laboratories and shortly to undergo
rigid field tests, it is an accomplish
ment so remarkably real and good
that it excites the imagination to con-
jure a future far beyond the magic
already achieved by audible broad
casting.
It Is no idle guess to say that tele-
vision as a science is much farther
advanced today than the science OF
sound broadcasting was in its crystal
or two-tube stage.
The obstacles to the introduction
Of television, assuming that the forth
coming technical field tests support
what laboratory tests already reveal,
are chiefly economic. 1t will take
time and tens of millions of dollars
to bring 1t out. But it is hard to be-
lieve that American resource and
American genius can be held back.
1t is easy to conceive, after seeing
r. c. AS accomplishments at Cam
den, that once it is ready for the pub
lie, televiSion will be accepted in
big way.
ONE proof Of business recovery is
offered by the radio manufactur-
ers Of the United States, whose prod
ucts skirt the borderline of luxury
goods. They will tell you that busi-
ness in 1885 will eclipse that of any
year in radio history, and that before
the last leaf of the current year is
torn from the calendar more than
100000 radio sets will have been
sold.
The radio manufacturers, some 900
in number, always look back to their
banner year of 1929 as the good old
days" Of their business. But they
can't any more, because in that year
they sold 4,43s,o0o sets, as against the
expected 100000 total for 1885.
Just how much money the set sales
will yield this year has not yet been
computed, but it more than likely
will surpaSS the former high record.
That again was in 1929, when the
get yield was s592, ,O62. 900. But the
manufacturers got an additional $l72,-
100000 from tube sales and nearly
S200000,000 more from batteries, loud
speakers, parts and other accessories.
Tube sales are still high, but because
OF longer life, they probably will not
equal the 1929 figures. In other ac-
cessory lines the sales are much
lower.
In any event, radio set manu-
facturers have reaped a rich harvest
during the current year. One of the
most gratifying things about the busi-
ness was the substantial increase in
sales Of high-priced sets, capable of
giving excellent reproduction quality.
Immediately following the stock mar
ket break of 1929, price-cutting in
radio sets was rampant, and few COM
panies were able to make profits. The
public pocketbook was so depleted
that the console models and more ex-
pensive units were not in demand.
Midget" sets made their debut, fea-
turing a depression-sized price tag,
and they sold briskly. The margin
of profit, however, was so small that
even with big volume sales many old
line companies dropped out OF the
field.
Manufacturers attribute the upturn
In sales this year not only to generally
improved business conditions. but
also to a vastly improved product
and to the shows on the air, which
have attracted new listeners. Anti
Quated sets in use since the dark days
of the depression have been turned
in on new models. Moreover many
homes now go in for two or possibly
three receivers.
WHEN Helen Hayes, distinguished
Washington-bo born actress, signed
. contract late this Summer calling
for her to broadcast weekly, radio
scored an important victory at the
expense of the motion pictures. In
recent months the trend has usually
been the reverse. Success ON the air
often led to alluring film contracts
with the result that the microphone
performer deserted the kilocycles in
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