Music Trade Review

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Survey Discloses 14% Postwar
Radio-Phonograph Demand
THE postwar market for radios, both
with and without phonograph at-
tachments, will be substantial, accord-
ing to the findings of a survey recently
completed by the Research Department
of The Curtis Publishing Co., Phila-
delphia. The survey dealt primarily
with the postwar urban home building
market, but families were also queried
as to their buying intentions for ra-
dios and other household appliances
which increase the comfort and live-
ability of a home.
The survey, which is based on com-
plete interviews with families in 35
states and 118 urban centers, was
started some time ago under the direc-
tion of Donald M. Hobart, when the
company became convinced that there
was a great deal of wishful thinking
on the subject of housing and that no
true picture of the probable postwar
market could be obtained except
through the medium of a eomprehen-
sive consumer survey.
Of all the families interviewed, 27.8
per cent plan to buy a new radio.
Over 14 per cent will buy a radio with
a phonograph attachment, and 14.4
per cent one without a phonograph
attachment. A few will buy both types
or more than one.
Ten Per Cent Replacements
Over 95 per cent of the families now
own at least one radio. Replacement
possibilities in this market are indi-
cated by the fact that about one out
of every ten of those who now 7 own a
radio-phonograph combination expect
to buy a new one of the same type.
and nearly one-sixth of those who own
a radio without a phonograph atta"ch-
ment will replace these sets. The medi-
an aee of the sets owned by those who
say they will replace them is now four
years for the radio-phonograph com-
bination, and eight years for radio
without phonogranh. The market for
the latter type radio will be essentially
replacement, but for radio-phonograph
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, AUGUST, 1945
Predicts Fast
Radio Reconversion
Reconversion of the radio industry
combinations will be largely new cus-
from war to civilian production is ex-
tomers.
pected to be easier and quicker than
Prices Buyers Expect to Pay
The prices these prospective pur- that of any other major Industry and
chasers expect to pay for radios are will be accomplished without interfer-
ence with the war effort, Melvin E.
shown below:
Karns, newly designated director of
Estimated Expenditure for Radios
the War Production Board's Radio and
Phonographs
w ith
Radar Division, predicted at a meeting
Amount of
Per Cent
of the Receiving Tube Scheduling In-
Expenditure
of Total
dustry Advisory Committee, the agen-
Under $50
1.1
cy reported today.
$50 $99
11.9
$100—$149
14.9
Unless there is an unforeseen turn
$150 $199
14.6
in the military situation and on the
$200 $299
1.67
clear understanding that war needs
$300 and over
8.6
must be filled first, the radio and elec-
Don't know
32.2
tronics and equipment industry will
Median
$170
be authorized to produce for civilians
Estimated Expenditure for Radios
approximately one-half its pre-war
without Phonographs
civilian output during the last quarter
Under $25
5.2
of 1945, and approximately its full
$25 $49
6.9
pre-war production in the first quar-
$50 $74
15.0
ter of 1946, Mr. Karns stated.
$75 $99
75
Mr. Karns pointed out, however, that
$100 $149
17.2
the amount of electronic equipment, in-
$150 and over
13.2
cluding home radio sets, that will actu-
Don't know
35.0
ally be produced and available to con-
Median
$93
While these prices ranges may ap- sumers during these periods might well
be considerably under that authorized
p e a r t o b e h i f f h ? t h e v a r e significant in
that they indicate that the anticipated due to the continued tightness of mate-
availability of pending new technical rials, components and manpower. This
developments in radio—such as fre- statement was made to allay any false
quency modulation and television—in- impression that sufficient production
fluence purchaser opinion of expendi- and delivery of home radio sets will be
achieved to satisfy public demands by
tures.
the end of the year.
.
^
Television OS a Career
Issued by General Electric
A four page pamphlet titled "Tele-
vision as a Career," with a bibliogra-
phy of recent literature on television
and illustrated with pictures taken at
Station WR.GB, has been prepared by
the transmitter division of the General
Electric Company. It is available free
on request to the Publicity Section,
G. E. Electronics Department, Schenec-
tady, N. Y.
A general discussion was held con-
cerning the recently revised L-265 or-
der which, as the first step in the re-
conversion of the radio industry, re-
moves the basic restrictions on the pro-
duction of all radio components and
relaxes the restrictions on the sale
of all radio end equipment, which may
now be produced under WPB "spot"
authorization. General Limitation Or-
der L-265 (Electronic Equipment) was
amended July 26, 1945.
2J