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Edited by Christie Barter and Gordon Sell A COMPACT DISC mastering and production facility in McLean, Virginia, is expected to start producing CD's for independent recording companies by this September. The Digital Images Corporation expects to produce between 1 and 3 million CD's the first year, in lots as small as 1,000. This plant will be the first to manufacture CD's in the United States; CBS/Sony's U.S. facility is not expected to begin production until 1984. The world supply of the digital Compact Discs is pro vided at present by one factory in Germany that belongs to PolyGram and two in Japan, one belonging to Sony and the other to Denon. ROCK SINGER DEBORAH HARRY of Blondie is the latest recording star to make a Broadway debut as an actress. Playing the title role in Teaneck Tanzi, which opens in mid-April, Harry is required literally to wrestle with her problems in the ring, refereed by comic Andy Kaufman. The play, by British playwright Claire Luckham, is a nonmusical import Americanized for the United States audience. Harry, who has movie acting credits, has now added her name to the growing list of pop, rock, and r-&-b artists who have made it in the legitimate theater, including Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith (Pirates of Penzance), Patti Labelle and Al Green (Your Arms Too Short to Box with God), David Bowie (Elephant Man), and Cher (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean). TECH NOTES: The U.S. Supreme Court heard the so-called Betamax case this January and is expected to announce a ruling in June. If those who favor a royalty tax on tape and VCR's lose, they are expected to seek a legislative solution through their allies in Congress....The Canadian Department of Communications is planning to take action on the AM stereo question. The powerful CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) is said to be pushing for adoption of a single standard instead of going along with the FCC's free market approach....Sansui plans to begin selling home and car AM stereo units in September. Units will feature Sansui's universal AM stereo circuit that can work with Kahn, Harris, Motorola, and Magnavox systems.... According to a Magnavox study, only 1 percent of the American public is aware of the Compact Disc. The company plans to change this with heavy promotion in "fashion" department stores in twenty-two cities; Philips/Magnavox CD players will initially be sold only in these stores....In an industry that is not noted for corporate longevity, Thorens is celebrating its hundredth birthday as a manufacturer of music reproduction equipment.... National Semiconductor's DNR is now the second best-selling noise-reduction system, with 2 million channels sold in less than a year. According to National Semiconductor's figures, Dolby is expected to sell 31 million channels in 1983, DNR 4 million, dbx 1.2 million. RECORD BARGAINS: The least expensive discs and tapes by well-known classical artists are on Moss Music Group's new Allegro/Melodiya label--a recital by pianist Emil Gilels and mainstream instrumental repertoire by the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theater--all retailing at the rock bottom price of $2.98....The lowest prices for digital recordings are claimed by Pro Arte's new Sinfonia line of orchestral classics on discs and tapes selling for $5.99 to $6.99. ...CBS Records' Nice Price series now totals about 1,000 former hit albums reduced to $5.98. Recent additions include titles by James Taylor, Heart, and Elvis Costello. Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring recorded by Antal Dorati and the Detroit Symphony is the first Compact Disc to win an award. The London CD (400-084-2) has been given a Grand Prix du Disque by the Acaddmie Charles Cros in Paris (see "Classical Briefs" for other winners). The same recording is one of a group of thirty-five CD's, on PolyGram pop and classical labels, currently available nationally in the department stores chosen to introduce Magnavox's new CD digital audio players. May 1983 ---------------- Also see:
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