New TV line an 'opportunity' for Sony plant

Losing 900 jobs at Sony Technology Center-Pittsburgh is hard to swallow, but the potential for manufacturing liquid crystal display televisions in Westmoreland County is a real plus, a former Sony executive said Friday.
"If they do get the Bravia line (of LCD televisions), that's a real growth opportunity for Pittsburgh," said Edward Taylor, San Diego-based vice president of television research at DisplaySearch, Austin, Texas, and former head of business planning for Sony's U.S. television operations.

In announcing layoffs and moving assembly of rear-screen projection TVs to Mexico, Sony said it will relocate to New Stanton production of its Bravia LCD televisions from Mexico and convert the technology center to an immense distribution center.

"We're going to be putting more emphasis on the Bravia brand ... going forward, rear projection (TVs) will come under the Bravia name," said Rick Clancy, spokesman for Sony Electronics Inc.

"Pittsburgh always had a unique advantage in that 60 percent of consumers live in the East," Taylor said.

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