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NEWS BULLETIN ..,.. MANUFACTURERS COUNCIL FORMED.. .A new 16-member group called the Manufacturers Council, the brainchild of AMOA president Jack Kerner, met for the first time in Chicago on Aug. 9. According to Kerner, " The idea behind the Manufacturers Council is to enhance communication between AMOA and the manufacturers who provide coin-op equipment." These members represent each segment of manufacturing in the coin-op industry. Those present at the meeting, which Kerner termed a "fact-finding session," were Kerner, Craig Johnson, and John Schumacher of AMOA, Jerry Gordon of Rowe International Oukeboxes), Joe Dillon of Williams-Bally/Midway (pinballs), Jim Newlander of Atari Games (videos), Chuck Mil hem of Valley Recreation Products (pool tables), Bill Rickett of Dynamo (air hockey and foosball) , Bernie Powers of Merit (darts), Sal Mirando of SMS Manufacturing (video pokers and redemption), Kira Burdick and Steve Kinder of Mars Electronics (bill acceptors), Ed Sokolofski of Wice Distributing (parts, flippers, coils), Jack Regan of RJR (cigarettes), Bill Truman of Automatic Products (cigarette machines), and Mark Wood of lntellicall (pay phones). Council representatives will serve revolving terms of an as-yet unspecified length, though it will probably be anywhere from one to two years, Kerner says. Each facet of the industry will always have representation on the Manufacturers Council. For example, should Gordon decide to depart after six months, another jukebox manufacturer would step in to fill out the term, ensuring a jukebox voice among the group. Kerner will be the chairman for three years, with assistance from Johnson. When Kerner steps down, Johnson will assume the chairmanship for a three-year term and another AMOA member will be his right-hand man . "We found that the dollar coin , a capital gains tax, and investment tax credit are all of mutual interest to us," Kerner said. ''The main things we discussed at the first meeting were the upcoming AMOA show, dollar coin legislation, and the banning of cigarette vending machines. We plan to meet about four times a year, but that may go down to two or three in the future. " Each meeting will have a formal agenda. We'll try to tie future meetings in with other major meetings going on within the industry, because it's likely that most of us would be planning to attend them. For example, our next meeting is in November . at the IAAPA show in Washington, D.C." Kerner stressed that the Manufacturers Council is not an attempt to sever relations with AAMA. "As I said, the purpose is to enhance the communications between vendors and manufacturers. Anything we can do toward that end would be beneficial to all." ..,.. RICCI ARRESTED. .. Grayhound Electronics chairman Carmen Ricci was arrested in New Jersey on Aug. 22 along with 28 others, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. He was charged with possession of gaming devices, racketeering, and conspiracy. The arrests stemmed from a year-long undercover investigation. ..,.. SNK SYSTEM BEING READIED FOR THE HOME . .. According to the September issue of Video Games & Computer Entertainment, SNK is preparing to bring its Neo-Geo system to the home market. It is supposed to be released sometime this fall. SNK declined comment when contacted, saying the article in VG & CE contained inaccuracies. The company said it would divulge more specific information in a few months. ..,.. ATARI WINS LAWSUIT.. . Atari Games Corp. has won a jury verdict in a two-year-old lawsuit brought by Australia's largest video game distributor/operator. Avel Pty. Ltd., one of several Australian video game companies owned by Malcolm Steinberg, filed suit in September 1988. It claimed Atari had breached an oral and implied contract that would have given Avel exclusive distribution rights for all Atari products in Australia for an unlimited period of time. Atari, which had for many years granted distribution rights to Ave I on a game-by-game basis only, countered that Avel 's claims were "self-serving fabrications." It sought $3.6 million in compensatory damages, as well as unspecified punitive damages. ..,.. GORDON TO BE HONORED. .. The Half Century Club will honor the late Jack Gordon at its Oct. 26 meeting in New Orleans, held in conjunction with AMOA Expo '90. A Pioneer Award will be accepted by Bob Breither on behalf of Gordon's wife, Muriel. This will take place at the Williams' suite in the Marriott Hotel at noon. Food and drink will be served at the affair. In order to have an accurate count, those planning to attend should contact Steve Kordek at Williams as soon as possible. He can be reached at (312) 267-2240. ..,.. ROCKY MOUNTAIN AMOA SET.. .The Rocky Mountain AMOA's 15th Annual Meeting and Convention will take place Sept. 7-9 at the Holiday Inn North in Denver. In addition to the exhibits on display, the three-day event includes a golf tournament, technical seminars, legislative and business meetings, and a banquet. For more information, call (303) 289-6200. .,.. SEEBURG QUELLS RUMORS .. .Tom Siemieniec, vice .,.. BUSH ELECTRONICS RELOCATES . . . Bush Electronics president of operator sales for Seeburg, says the jukebox manufacturer has not gone out of business. "We are in the process of working with various groups to refinance the company, but everything else is on track," he said . " We've had a temporary closure during the summer for inventory and vacations. Seeburg is still a viable company. Nick Hindman, Joe Pankus, Bob Breither, and our engineering staff are all here." Siemieniec added that Seeburg will definitely be exhibiting at the AMOA show, though it is unsure whether any new product will be displayed. has moved to larger manufacturing facilities. The address is 300 Ames St., Saginaw, Ml 48602. The phone number is (517) 797-0200; the FAX is (517) 797-0069. ..,.. LOOK FOR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.. . Next month , we'll follow-up on the South Dakota video poker story in this issue with an interview with Susan Walker, executive director of the South Dakota Lottery Commission. Don't miss her insightful views on the fever that's sweeping the coin-op industry! PLAY METER MAGAZINE, September 1990, Volume 16, No. 10. Copyright 1990 by Skybird Publishing Company. PLAY METER MAGAZINE (ISSN 1048-8243)(UPS 358-350) is published monthly, except for the two issues in January. Publishing office: 6600 Fleur de Lis, New Orleans, LA 70124. MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 24970, New Orleans, LA 70184, USA. Phone: 504/488-7003; FAX 504/488-7083. For subscriptions: 504/488-7003. Subscription rates: U.S. and Canada-$50. Advertising rates are available on request. NO PART OF THE MAGAZINE MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION. The editors are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. PLAY METER MAGAZINE buys ALL RIGHTS, unless otherwise specified, to accepted manuscripts, cartoons, art work, and photographs. Second-class postage paid at New Orleans, LA 70113 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER Send Form 3579 to Play Meter, P.O. Box 24970, New Orleans, LA 70184. September 1990/PLAY METER 3