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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, AUGUST, 19J>0
Columbia Lowers
Record Prices
50% Cut Announced and
Philharmonic Is
Signed
The Columbia Recording Corp, Bridge-
port, Conn., announced on Aug 6th, a gen-
eral 50 per cent reduction in the price of
all phonograph records manufactured by
the company. Effective that day, the list
price of 12-inch disks was reduced from
$2 to $1, and the price of 10-inch disks was
cut from $1.50 to 75 cents.
Hereafter, the Columbia Masterworks
albums will be figured at a dollar per
record, plus the usual addition of 50 cents
for the album itself.
The announcement coincided with the
announcement that Columbia has also
signed exclusive recording contracts with
the country's oldest orchestra, the New
York Philharmonic-Symphony, directed by
John Barbirolli; and its youngest one, the
All-American Youth Orchestra, conducted
by Leopold Stokowski. The company al-
ready has recording contracts with a num-
ber of other distinguished American sym-
phonic bodies, notably the Cleveland
Symphony, Artur Rodzinski, conductor;
the Minneapolis Symphony, Dimitri Mitro-
poulos, conductor; and the Pitsburgh Sym-
phony, which is conducted by Dr. Fritz
Reiner.
The price reduction applies to all
records in the Columbia catalogue at
present, as well as to all forthcoming
records.
"For the average family, the cost of
fine records has always been prohibitive,"
Edward Walierstein, president of Colum-
bia Recording Corp., said in announcing
the new policy of the corupany. "Today,
after two years of preparation, we are able
lo change that unfortunate situation, and,
from now on, much of the greatest music
in the world, performed by many of the
greatest artists, will be within the reach of
every one.
"Part of our plans, made months ago,
was also to give the public an even better
record, and we are proud to say that the
Columbia Masterwork record of today is
the finest ever marketed for home use. It
lasts longer, plays with less surface noise,
and reproduces music with greater clarity
and fidelity of tone than ever before."
Philco had
Large Display
The Philco Radio «& Television Corp.
was a newcomer at the Convention this
year -who had a comprehensive display in
seven rooms on the seventh floor of the
Hotel Stevens. A complete line of radio-
phonographs was featured and of particu-
lar interest was the Philco 616P a sixteen
tube machine with the new XX noise re-
ducing Converter tube. Other features in-
clude: wireless remote control of radio and
records, philco photo-electric reproducer,
with floating jewel, special phonograph
circuit, deluxe inter-mix record changer,
tilt-front georgian cabinet, new overseas
Greeted by a buyers' stampede that
wave-band, built-in american and over-
exhausted
large stocks in New York stores,
seas aerial system, cathedral speaker, 8
a new 'Personal Radio" battery portable
hardly larger than a camera was recently
announced by RCA Victor. Its appearance
in New York was the subject of a first
page story in the New York World-Tele-
gram and other newspapers, magazines
and columnists. It was first put on sale in
the New York metropolitan area at $20,
complete with batteries, and is now being
made available in other large population
centres.
The Personal Radio is encased in a
black metal shell measuring approxi-
mately 9 inches long, 2y 2 inches wide and
3 inches deep. It is equipped with a strap
so that it may be slung over the shoulder,
like a camera. It also has a handle for
E. J. Krause at the Philco 616P
carrying. It operates on two batteries, an
electric push-buttons, variable tone con- A-type (ordinary flashlight variety) of
trol, 4 tuning bands cover standard broad-
casts, American and foreign short-wave
stations, state and city police calls, aircraft,
chip and amateur stations, illuminated
shifting arrow indicates band in use on
edge-lighted horizontal dial.
In the accompanying illustration E. J.
Krause of the company is shown operat-
ing this machine.
RCA Personal
Radio Popular
Mag navox Line
Well Displayed
The Magnavox Co., Inc., Fort Wayne,
Ind., displayed a variety of 18 different
models at the convention. Many of these
were shown for the first time and the ex-
RCA Personal Radio
volts and a new type 6 7 ^ volt B-battery.
Four miniature tubes, a little more than
an inch in length, are used. The tubes
were designed especially for the receiver
and developed after three years of
research. The set is capable of picking up
stations fifty or more miles away by day
or night.
A black steel cover, containing an in-
built loop antenna, protects the speaker
and dials. Raising the lid turns the power
on automatically. Space is provided on
the chromium face of the cover for the
owner's initials.
In Bed, Sells Wurlitzer By Phone
Frank Friemann, vice president of Magnavox Co.,
G. M. Jackson, designer, C. C. Miley, Steinway <&
Sons and D. H. Spicer of Magnavox Co.—at the
Magnavox exhibit.
hibit was visited by a large number of
dealers from all over the counry. A feature
of the week was the Magnavox dinner
which was held on Tuesday night. Among
the interested visitors at the Magnavox
exhibit was Cecil C. Miley of the Steinway
& Sons department in New York who is
seen in the accompanying illustration
standing by one of the more elaborate
Magnavox models with Frank Freimann,
vice president of the Magnavox Co., (left),
G. McStay lackson, designer and Donald
H- Spicer, sales promotion manager of
Magnavox.
The Collins <& Erwin Company. Port-
land, Ore., received a carload of Wurlitzer
pianos on May 3rd which were placed
on the floor late that afternoon.
Retiring early that evening, J. J. Collins,
was aroused when the telephone rang.
The man at the other end of the wire
was Joseph P. Tarola, the local Chrysler
automobile dealer, who wanted some in-
formation about a piano. Mr. Collins gave
him a very distinctive -word picture of the
Wurlitzer Style 480 Spinette, bleached
walnut with white Kordevon, which "was
one of the pianos just received. Mr. Tarola
ordered the piano over the phone with-
out seeing it. The instrument was deliv-
ered by noon the following day to his
summer home in the vicinity of Dodge
Park on the famous Mt. Hood Loop High-
way.