Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-08-22
Lack of Control
By D. c. Called
Peril to Public

Norman Selinger, spokesman
for the Television Service As
ISOLATION of Metropolitan
Washington, said Is to 80 per
cent of the city's television re-
pairmen have no qualifica-
lions whatever" for their
trade.
He said this situation ex-
poses TV owners to the dan.
ger Of fires and electrocution.
He also assailed what he
termed "gimmick operators"
whom he charged with inn
proper business practices. He
said they are misleading the
public and threatening the
health of the legitimate TV
service industry.
Mr. Selinger and other
spokesman for the TV group
appeared before the Commits
sioners to urge official District
licensing of TV service BUSH
nesSes and examining and GER
tifying of repairmen.
Radio Included
The group proposed legisla-
ton which also would cover
radio and other similar install
IlationS.
Cabell Gwathmey. director Of
licenses and inspections, OPP
posed the associations move.
He said it would open the door
to licensing of large areas of
business not now controlled by
the city government. This
would unduly tax the city's
licensing staff, he said.
Corporation Counsel Chester
H. Gray told the Commissioners
Legislation is not needed. He
said the District already has
power to control televiSion re-
pairmen.
Hymie Nussbaum, attorney
for the television group. which
has 80 members. told the city
heads:
I'VE feel the televiSion serv-
ice industry is too big, too inn
portant and too dangerous to
the public welfare not to be
controlled by the District gov
eminent"
Mr.. Nussbaum said he be-
llieves the city has at least 500
full time television technicians
of its own and another 500
coming in to do repair work
from the suburbs. He said the
city has about ITS television
repair shops.
S4O-a-Year Average
The average television owner
pays about $40 a year for main
tenance and makes about four
service calls per set. he esti-
mated. He said that 100000
television sets are being used
in the city.
The television service in
dustry is doing a Sl2 million
annual business in the District,
he asserted.
Mr.. lSelinger said that when
a television owner calls for serv-
ice he has no way of knowing
whether the serviceman is
qualified or not. There are
no Standards" he declared
Mr.. Selinger said that the
"gimmick operators" are build
ing up erroneous ideas in the
minds of the public regarding
the proper charges for televi-
sion service. A reasonable rate,
he said. is SIS for a service
call. But he said some opera
tors. through the power Of
advertising" fssve been pro-
noting a $1.5G charge.
Other Shops Forced Out
I'VE cannot compete with
with them" he said, noting
that some Legitimate" repair
shops have gone out of business
because Of this kind of compe-
tition.
Mr.. Selinger also attacked
an emphasis which he said
some operators have put on
charges for parts. rather than
for labor.
Labor actually is the great
est cost we have" he told the
city heads.
Mr.. Gwathmey. in opposing
the licensing move, said there
are many technical fields in
which the public has as little
knowledge as it does in that
of television which the city
does not attempt to regulate.
He cited automobile repair as
one example.
Regarding the safety prob
lem, he declared:
1T is possible to be electro
cuted by a waffle iron or a
toaster."
Mr.. Nussbaum said that his
association had polled 375 tele-
vision service firms on the
regulation question. Licensing
was favored by SO and opposed
by II, he said.
Commissioner Robert E. Nc
Loughlin said he would give
the television group five days
to submit more information on
practices elsewhere. The
Commissioners took the mat
ter under advisement.