DuMont Laboratories

Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc.[1] (commonly referred to as DuMont Laboratories & also referred to as DuMont Labs; referred to on company documents as DuMont) was an American television equipment manufacturer and broadcasting company. At one point it owned TV stations WABD (now WNYW; FOX O&O), KCTY (defunct; DuMont affiliate), W2XVT (experimental; defunct; DuMont affiliate), KE2XDR (experimental; defunct; DuMont affiliate), & WDTV (now KDKA-TV; CBS O&O), as well as WTTG (FOX O&O), all former affiliates of its defunct DuMont Television Network.

Dual-beam Cathode Ray Oscillograph, Du Mont Laboratories, c. 1950s

The company was founded in 1931, in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, by inventor Allen B. DuMont. Among the company's developments were durable cathode ray tubes that would be used for TV and its magic eye tube.[2]

History

In 1938, the company began manufacturing televisions at a factory in nearby Passaic, New Jersey.[2]:191 To sell TVs, it began the DuMont Television Network in 1942, one of the earliest TV networks. Later, they manufactured cameras and transmitters for TV. DuMont equipment was known for its high quality. The main CRT factory was in Clifton, New Jersey. It made black and white TV tubes as well as instrumentation and military fire control tubes in the early 1950s.

In 1956, DuMont shuttered the network and spun off WABD & WTTG to "DuMont Broadcasting Corporation". Eventually, the company was renamed "Metropolitan Broadcasting Company" in order to distance itself from the DuMont branding, which was seen as a failure.

In 1958, John Kluge bought Paramount's stake in the company, renaming it to Metromedia.[2]:38 DuMont's partner, Thomas T. Goldsmith, remained on Metromedia's board of directors until the stations were sold to the Fox Television Stations Group. Nearly every original DuMont television program is considered lost, and presumed destroyed. Only roughly 100 recordings of any DuMont series have been recovered.[3]

DuMont eventually sold its TV manufacturing division to Emerson Radio in 1958, and sold the remainder of the company to Fairchild Camera in 1960.[2]:38 Fairchild later developed semiconductor microchips. Robert Noyce, founder of Intel, originally worked for DuMont Labs as an engineer.

DuMont TVs outside the US were assembled under license in Montreal, Quebec, Canada by Canadian Aviation Electronics, currently a manufacturer of flight simulator and pilot training equipment.

Name ownership

On April 18, 2012, a US federal trademark registration was filed for "Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc." by Alan Levin of Cabin John, Maryland. The description provided to the United States Patent and Trademark Office for it is "Antennas for radio, for television; Electrical and optical cables; Electronic and optical communications instruments and components".[4]

However, by June 5, 2020, the trademark registration for "Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc." by Mr. Levin had lapsed, with the status having changed to "CONTINUED USE NOT FILED WITHIN GRACE PERIOD, UN-REVIVABLE", resulting in the trademark no longer being active,[5] with a search on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website for the "Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc." trademark confirming the trademark's status as "DEAD".

See also

References
  1. "Allen B. DuMont | American engineer and inventor". Encyclopedia Britannica. DuMont set up a company in 1931 that later was known as Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc.
  2. Weinstein, David (2009). The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television. Temple University Press. ISBN 9781592134991.
  3. Adams, Edie (March 1996). "Television/Video Preservation Study: Los Angeles Public Hearing". National Film Preservation Board. Library of Congress.
  4. https://trademark.trademarkia.com/allen-b-dumont-laboratories-inc-85601141.html
  5. "ALLEN B DUMONT LABORATORIES INC. Trademark of Levin, Alan Serial Number: 85601141 :: Trademarkia Trademarks". trademark.trademarkia.com. Abandonment Notice! On Friday, June 5, 2020, status on the ALLEN B DUMONT LABORATORIES INC. trademark changed to CONTINUED USE NOT FILED WITHIN GRACE PERIOD, UN-REVIVABLE." "Status Update! On Friday, June 5, 2020, status on the ALLEN B DUMONT LABORATORIES INC. trademark changed to CONTINUED USE NOT FILED WITHIN GRACE PERIOD, UN-REVIVABLE.
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