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From: greg@olivee.UUCP (Greg Paley)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: How long can I wait?
Message-ID: <348@olivee.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-May-85 12:52:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: olivee.348
Posted: Tue May  7 12:52:17 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 17-May-85 00:17:55 EDT
References: <5000002@hpgrla.UUCP>
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca
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> 
> Any ideas on how long any given title on CD will be available?
> 

A couple of months ago I saw an article on this subject in Gramophone.
The article centered on the CD manufacturing process and there were
comments by one of the managers of the Polygram plant in Hanover.

CD demand has apparently far surpassed the expectations of the
manufacturers.  In Europe, in particular, many record companies
were convinced that the high price would restrict CD's to a
relatively elite crowd.  This has not been the case.  In many
areas record stores are suffering from a glut of vinyl LP's that,
if their program material is also available on CD, are just not
moving.  People are either buying the CD or else waiting until they
will be able to afford the CD.

This has made it difficult for the manufacturing plants to meet
the demand.  Therefore, companies are forced to give priority to
the "hottest" items.  What this means in terms of CD availability
of a particular title is that it depends on the company's estimate
of the market impact of that title.  If they count on a heavy
moneymaker, the CD will probably appear simultaneously with the LP,
if not before.  Generally, new titles will be given higher priority
than material which has been out for a while on LP, since sales
on most material reaches a peak shortly after initial release.
As far as CD issues of older material, digitally mastered items are
likely to appear first except in the case where an analogue recording
was an unusually good, solid seller.  

If the availability of a particular older, analogue recording on
CD in the absence of certain digitally mastered material seems
puzzling, you might need to consider that the U.S. may not have
been the target market.  For example, recordings by Toscanini on
RCA and Furtwaengler on EMI dating from the 40's and early 50's
have been best sellers in Japan for the last 15 years or so.  This
accounts for their presence on CD, even though they are mono and
(particularly in the case of the Toscanini) by no means 
representative of the best sonic achievements of their time.

If you are anxious to see a particular recording on CD, it might
not hurt to write to the company and express your feelings.  If their
is enough feedback of this sort, it is bound to enter into prioritizing
decisions.  Otherwise, you have to depend on the company's marketing
staff.

	- Greg Paley