[opendtv] Re: Japanese Television History
- From: "Allen Le Roy Limberg" <allimberg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2006 23:33:24 -0500
The idea that the Japanese television industry originated with NHK doesn't
square with what I little I know about the history of TV development in Japan.
Before WW2 RCA had a Japanese subsidiary Japan Victor. A German-Jewish
businessman Hans Strauss left Germany in the 30's and took up residence in
Japan. He was a personal friend of David Sarnoff's. I am not sure whether or
not he was associated with Japan Victor. After the war Japan Victor made
overtures to rejoin itself with RCA, but the decision was to make it a separate
company which became JVC. RCA decided it preferred licensing foreign companies
rather than attempting to manage foreign subsidiaries. This decision was
probably arrived at because of the huge investments RCA was making at the time
in the television and computer businesses. Hans Strauss set up the basic
network of patent agents RCA used abroad and initiated the licensing programs
in Japan and in Europe. Radios were the matter of concern just after the war.
Sony became an early licensee, and a Japanese national Toshiro Sawya worked for
Sony and later for RCA. He had a good technical background for the day, was
extremely affable and spoke excellent English. RCA Industry Service Lab had a
laboratory in Tokyo that offered assistance in monochrome TV and later on in
color. In the 60's Ed Johnson was the head of the Tokyo lab, and he may still
live in the Princeton, NJ area. Hans Strauss is probably dead, but the other
two men would be in their 80's and might still be living.
Al Limberg
Other related posts:
