RETAIL TRADE: Record Dither

In the record war between RCA Victor and Columbia Records, Inc., both sides have hotly wooed Decca Records, Inc. as a prospective ally. But Decca, third largest U.S. recordmaker, has played hard to get, shrewdly watching & waiting to see whether RCA's 45 r.p.m. or Columbia's 33⅓ r.p.m. long-playing record would win the battle on retail counters. Last week, convinced that it was getting in on "the biggest possible market," Decca lined up with Columbia. With 15 smaller recorders already making 33⅓ r.p.m. LP records, Decca's decision meant that Columbia had just about won the war.

There was no doubt...

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