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DUCATION 
QN  THE  AIR 


From  the  collection  of  the 


7 

m 


o  PreTinger 

i     a 

XJibrary 


San  Francisco,  California 
2006 


TWENTY-SECOND  YEARBOOK  OF  THE 

INSTITUTE  FOR  EDUCATION  BY  RADIO 

AND  TELEVISION 


EDUCATION 
ON  THE  AIR 


TWENTY-SECOND  YEARBOOK  OF  THE 

INSTITUTE  FOR  EDUCATION  BY  RADIO 

AND  TELEVISION 


Edited  by 
O.  JOE  OLSON 


OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY 

COLUMBUS 

1952 


ALL   RIGHTS   RESERVED.     PUBLISHED   FEBRUARY, 
COPYRIGHT     1953     BY    THE    OHIO    STATE    UNIVERSITY 


COMPOSED  AND   PRINTED   BY   THE 
OHIO   STATE    UNIVERSITY   PRESS,    COLUMBUS,    OHIO 


CONTENTS 


I.     BROADCASTING  BY  TELEVISION 

The  Improvement  of  Television  Programming 5 

/.  Keith  Tyler,  Presiding 

The  Status  of  Television  Programming  as  Disclosed  by  Studies       6 

Dallas  W.  Smythe 

Toward  Improved  Programming — A  Symposium 

Mrs.  A.  Scott  Bullitt 13 

Edward  Lamb 1 8 

Armand  L.  Hunter 2O 

Discussion    25 

Closed  Circuit  Theater  Television — A  New  Mass  Medium?  ....      31 

Graydon  Ausmus,  Presiding 

Use  in  Civil  Defense  Training Jack  T.  Johnson     31 

Some  Practical  Aspects  of  Closed  Circuit  Operation 33 

Harold  Azine 

The  Effectiveness  of  Training  by  Television 35 

E.  G.  Sherburne,  Jr. 

The  Theater  Owners'  Viewpoint Irvm  Paul  Sulds     38 

Discussion   43 

II.     INTERNATIONAL  ASPECTS  OF  RADIO 

Broadcasting  to  Foreign  Countries 53 

Dorothy  M.  Lewisy  Presiding 
The  Greatest  Story  Being  Told 53 

What  Lies  Ahead? E.  M.  Webster     62 

Program  Evaluation  of  the  Voice  of  America ....  Leo  Loiventhal     7 1 
The  Case  for  International  Radio Pierre  Crenesse     76 

Broadcasting  and   International   Understanding:  Special  Interest 

Group Bernard  R.  Buck>  Presiding     79 


VI  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

III.     TELEVISION  IN  EDUCATION 

What  the  Educational  Administrator  Expects  From  Television.  .  .      89 

David  D.  Henry,  Presiding 
Some   Implications  for   Education  in   the   FCC    Allocations 

Report Ralph  Steetle     90 

What  Can  a  University  Do  With  TV?  .  .  .  .Richard  B.  Hull     92 
What  Can  a  Community's  Educational  Organizations  Do 

With  TV? William  B.  Levenson     97 

The  Need  for  Cooperation  in  Achieving  Educational  TV.  .  .    102 

Frederick  W .  Hoeing 
Discussion    107 

An  Analysis  of  the  Allocation  of  TV  Channels  to  Education 1 1 2 

Paul  A.  Walker 

A  Clinic  on  the  Utilization  of  Educational  TV  Channels 120 

Belmont  M.  Farley,  Presiding 

Some  Thinking  About  Educational  TV.  .  .  .Edward  M.  Webster   129 

Television  Broadcasting  in  College  Public  Relations 134 

Lynn  Poole,  Presiding 

Keeping  Up  With  School  Telecasting:  Work-Study  Group 143 

John  C.  Crab  be,  Presiding 

Simple  Television  Techniques  for  Educational  Programs:  Special 

Interest  Group Edward  Stasheff,  Presiding   146 

The  Production  of  Films  for  Educational  TV:  Special  Interest 

Group John  R.  Winnie,  Presiding   149 

IV.     EDUCATION  ON  COMMERCIAL  STATIONS 

Education   Through    Commercial    Broadcasting   Stations:   Special 

Interest  Group Gordon  Hawkins,  Presiding  157 

Definition  of  the  Subject Dorothy  M.  Lewis  157 

On  the  National  Level Franklin  Dunham  158 

On  the  University  Level Frederick  C.  Gruber  165 

On  the  Community  Level Thomas  J.  Quigley  170 

Special  Educational  Projects Edward  J.  Heffron  175 

Educational  Programming  on  Commercial  TV  Stations:  Special 

Interest  Group Arnold  L.  Wilkes,  Presiding   178 

The  Standard  Hour — On  TV.  .Adrian  F.  Michaelis.  180 


CONTENTS  Vll 

V.  BROADCASTING  IN  ORGANIZED  EDUCATION 

Broadcasting  in   the  School   Public   Relations  Program:    Work- 
Study  Group Allen  H.  Wetter y  Presiding   191 

Broadcasting  Adult  Education :  Work-Study  Group 196 

John  P.  Barden,  Presiding 

School  Broadcasting:   Work-Study  Group 198 

Alvin  M.  Games,  Presiding 

The  High  School  Workshops  in   Radio  and  TV:    Work-Study 

Group William  D.  Boutwell,  Presiding  2O2 

Clinic  for  Educational  Stations:   Work-Study  Group 207 

Gray  don  Ausmusy  Presiding 

Clinic  for  lO-Watt  Stations:  Work-Study  Group 210 

M.  McCabe  Day,  Presiding 

Problems  of  Campus  Stations:  Work-Study  Group 215 

Howard  C.  Hansen,  Presiding 

VI.     TRAINING  FOR  BROADCASTING 

Broadcast  Training  in   Colleges  and   Universities:    Work-Study 

Group Thomas  D.  Rishivorth,  Presiding  225 

Broadcast   Problems  of  Teacher   Training   Institutions:    Work- 
Study  Group Clarence  M.  Morgan,  Presiding  229 

Training  for  Broadcasting  by  Professional  Schools:    Work-Study 

Group Walter  H.  Marshall,  Presiding  232 


VII.     ORGANIZATIONS  UTILIZING  RADIO 

Organized  Radio  Listeners:    Discussion  Group 237 

Mrs.  Harold  W .  Barger,  Presiding 

Broadcasting  by  National  Organizations:    Work-Study  Group.  .  .    256 

Robert  K.  Richards,  Presiding 

Broadcasting  by  Government  Agencies:   Work-Study  Group.  ...    261 

John  P.  Meagher,  Presiding 

Broadcasting  Health  Education:   Work-Study  Group 263 

Claude-Starr  Wright,  Presiding 

Youth  Discussion  Broadcasts:   Work-Study  Group 265 

/.  Keith  Tyler,  Presiding 


Vlll  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

VIII.     PRODUCTION  AND  PROGRAM  AREAS 

Broadcasting  the  News:   Work-Study  Group. 269 

James  Bormann,  Presiding 

Coverage  Via  Television  of  News  and  Special  Events 269 

James  A.  Byron 
Radio  News  Considered  As  an  Adjunct  to  Public  Relations.  .    274 

Charles  R.  Day 
Trends  in  News  Handling John  Shelley   276 

Radio  Writing  and  Production:   Special  Interest  Group 280 

W.  John  Dunlofa  Presiding 

Building  and  Holding  Audiences:   Special  Interest  Group 295 

Allen  Miller)  Presiding 

Planning  the  Campaign M .  S.  Novik  295 

Selecting  the  Target Elizabeth  Black  297 

Measuring  the  Results C.  H.  Sandage  300 

Television  in  Agricultural  Broadcasting:   Work  Study  Group.  .  .  .    303 

Richard  J.  Cech,  Presiding 

Our  Fifth  Annual  Look  at  TV Maynard  A.  Speece  303 

Television  for  the  Consumer Mrs.  Miriam  /.  Kelley  306 

Television  Research  at  WOI-TV Richard  J.  Cech  308 

Radio  in  Agricultural  Broadcasting:   Work-Study  Group 312 

Paul  M.  Visser,  Presiding 

A  County  Agent  Speaks Forest  Hall  313 

The  Woman  Broadcaster Mrs.  Mary  Lou  Pfeiffer  314 

The  College  Broadcaster Miss  Jessie  E.  Heathman  315 

The  Commercial  RFD's  Experience James  Chapman  316 

The  Public  Relations  Viewpoint Charles  R.  Carroll,  Jr.  318 

Music  in  Broadcasting:   Special  Interest  Group 321 

Ronald  W.  Richards,  Presiding 

The  Case  for  Serious  Music W  alb  erg  Brown  321 

Consider  Your  Turntables Richard  Redmond  325 

A  Music  Editor  Views  Radio  and  Television 327 

Ian  Minnenberg 

Religious  Broadcasting:   Work-Study  Group 330 

Albert  R.  Crews,  Presiding 


CONTENTS  IX 

IX.     RESEARCH  TECHNIQUES  AND  PROBLEMS 

Communications  Research:   Special  Interest  Group 335 

Merritt  C.  Ludwig,  Presiding 

How  Teachers  Can  Guide  Children  to  Evaluate  TV  and 
Radio  Programs Ella  Callista  Clark  335 

A  New  Vista  in  International  Communications  Research ...    339 

Leo  Lowenthal 

Research  Implications  of  the  N.A.E.B.  Monitoring  Studies.  .    344 

Dallas  W .  Smythe 

Use  of  Radio  by  Extension  Workers  in  the  North  Central  States .  .    346 

Meredith  C.  Wilson 

X.     ANNUAL  INSTITUTE  DINNER 

The  Cultural  and  Educational  Possibilities  of  Television 353 

Jacob  B.  Taylor y  Presiding 

XL     EXHIBITION  OF  RECORDINGS 

Awards  in  Sixteenth  Annual  American  Exhibition  of  Recordings.  .  363 

Cooperating  Judges,  Coordinators  and  Summarizers 384 

INDEX 391 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  TWENTY-SECOND 
INSTITUTE  FOR  EDUCATION  BY  RADIO 
AND  TELEVISION 


BROADCASTING  BY  TELEVISION 


TELEVISION  AND  THE  PUBLIC  INTEREST 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  OF  TELEVISION 
PROGRAMMING 

I.  KEITH  TYLER,1  Presiding 

THE  SUBJECT  BEFORE  us  is  ONE  which  is  of  concern  to 
everyone.  Television  is  a  new  art,  a  new  industry,  and  a  new 
educational  means.  As  a  young  industry,  it  is  finding  itself,  and 
we  will  expect  it  to  be  improving  from  time  to  time  as  new 
practices  are  developed,  new  techniques  are  discovered,  and 
new  ideas  are  ventured. 

We  meet  in  an  atmosphere  of  free  discussion.  Universities 
have  always  been  the  traditional  citadels  of  freedom  of  ideas. 
Occasionally  such  freedom  has  had  to  be  re-won.  We  always 
have  conducted  this  meeting  on  the  basis  of  give  and  take  in 
ideas  and  opinions. 

This  Institute  is  an  annual  educational  conference  that  pro- 
vides an  opportunity  for  expression  of  varied  viewpoints  on 
important  issues  relating  to  broadcasting.  It  seeks  to  stimulate 
thinking  and  discussion.  It  encourages  the  exchange  of  ideas 
and  techniques.  It  welcomes  all  who  have  a  stake  in  radio  and 
television  including  broadcasters,  civic  leaders,  educators  and 
other  interested  citizens. 

At  this  session  we  will  consider  the  problem  of  how  and 
why  television  programming  might  be  improved.  Our  opening 
speaker  will  be  Dr.  Dallas  W.  Smythe,  research  professor  at 
the  University  of  Illinois,  who  will  bring  us  the  results  of  some 
studies  he  has  made,  and  also  tell  us  about  the  status  of  tele- 
vision programming  today. 

1  Director,  Institute  for  Education  by  Radio-Television,  Ohio  State  University, 
Columbus. 


6  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

THE  STATUS  OF  TELEVISION  PROGRAMMING 
AS  DISCLOSED  BY  STUDIES 

DALLAS  W.  SMYTHE2 

WHEN  THE  GENIAL  DIRECTOR  of  the  Institute  asked  me  to 
talk  at  this  session,  he  suggested  that  I  talk  on  "What  TV  Pro- 
gramming Is  Like."  After  I  started  to  make  some  notes  for 
the  talk,  the  first  and  easiest  speech  I  could  make  came  to  me 
in  a  flash.  I  could  say,  "It's  like  nothing  in  this  world" — and 
then  sit  down.  This  six  word  speech  would  be  the  only  one  I 
could  give  which  would  keep  me  out  of  trouble  of  one  kind  or 
another.  It  would  be  ambiguous  enough  to  let  the  hostile  critics 
of  TV  think  I  was  agreeing  with  their  most  drastic  indictments, 
and,  simultaneously,  it  would  let  the  ardent  defenders  of  the 
status  quo  in  TV  programming  think  I  was  agreeing  with  their 
enthusiasm  for  programming  as  it  now  is.  And  it  would  be 
witty  enough  to  get  a  laugh,  which  is  more  than  can  be  said  for 
a  talk  based  on  content  analysis. 

There  were  only  two  things  wrong  with  this  brilliant 
scheme.  It  wouldn't  take  long  enough  and  it  would  really  tell 
you  nothing  about  the  results  of  various  NAEB  Television 
monitoring  studies  which  have  been  conducted  in  the  past  six- 
teen months.  So,  regretfully,  I  had  to  junk  it. 

Then  I  was  faced  with  a  dilemma.  What  can  you  say  about 
TV  programming  in  twenty  minutes?  If  you  wish  to  live  up 
to  the  stereotype  of  what  an  "educator"  is  like  (according  to 
some  individuals  connected  with  the  industry),  you  can  scath- 
ingly denounce  the  violence  and  the  decolletage  in  TV,  and  the 
escapist  nature  of  most  of  the  programming,  and  having  thus 
laid  a  mortgage  on  a  few  headlines  in  the  press,  retire  into  your 
lair  again.  Or,  if  you  wish  to  avoid  such  sensationalism,  you 
can  take  a  safe  and  sane  course.  You  can  simply  restrict  your- 
self to  describing  the  proportions  of  time  devoted  by  stations  to 
particular  classes  of  programs.  This  way  you  don't  strike  out 
with  controversial  arguments.  These  arguments  remain  im- 
plicit in  the  organization  of  your  information. 

On  this  occasion  I  would  like  to  try  to  avoid  both  poles  of 
this  dilemma  and  to  approach  the  problem  as  a  social  scientist. 
As  such  the  first  obligation  on  me  is  to  state  briefly  the  policies 

2  Director  of  Studies,  NAEB;  Research  Professor,  Institute  of  Communications,  Uni- 
versity of  Illinois,  Urbana,  111. 


TELEVISION    AND    THE    PUBLIC    INTEREST  7 

to  which  this  body  of  monitoring  studies  is  relevant.  This  is  the 
context  of  standards  which  sets  the  framework  for  the  studies. 

These  standards  might  be  expressed  around  two  principles 
with  several  sub-principles.  One  principle  is  that  the  industry 
as  a  whole,  including  the  sponsors,  is  responsible  for  the  indirect 
social  consequences  of  its  overall  program  policy.  This  is  a 
responsibility  over  and  above  their  more  readily  measured  re- 
sponsibility to  their  owners  to  operate  profitably.  The  sub- 
principles  under  this  first  principle  are  perhaps  three  in  number : 
First,  that  the  industry  is  fairly  to  be  held  accountable  for 
recognizing,  and  serving  the  unique  needs  of  the  many  minority 
audiences  which  go  to  make  up  the  total  audience  for  TV,  and 
especially  the  needs  of  large  minority  audiences  such  as  those  of 
children  and  housewives.  Secondly,  that  the  industry  may 
fairly  be  held  accountable  for  using  local  program  talent  and 
resources,  including  the  abilities  of  the  station  management  as 
innovators  of  programs.  The  third  sub-principle  here  is  that 
the  industry  is  responsible  for  limiting  the  extent  of  adver- 
tising. This  means  the  industry's  responsibility  to  refrain  from 
progressively  extending  the  "trivialization"  of  our  cultural 
values  through  permeating  programs  with  indirect  and  direct 
advertising. 

The  second  of  the  major  principles  relates  to  our  society 
as  a  whole.  It  is  that  our  society  has  a  responsibility,  acting 
through  its  Congress  and  its  administrative  agencies,  to  provide 
an  education  of  its  young  which  passes  on  to  them  the  enduring 
cultural  values  of  the  past  and  which  equips  them  to  cope,  with 
the  best  chance  of  wise  decision  making,  with  the  problems  their 
generations  must  face.  The  possible  sub-principles  under  this 
head  are  legion,  but  here  are  several  of  the  more  obvious. 
First,  there  is  the  responsibility  of  all  our  means  of  communi- 
cations— including  within  this  term  the  mass  media,  as  well  as 
the  educational  institutions,  of  the  country — to  maintain  and  to 
serve  the  Miltonian  concept  of  the  free  market  place  of  ideas. 
Second,  there  is  the  responsibility  which  we  have  traditionally 
placed  on  our  educational  institutions  to  transmit  from  one 
generation  to  the  next  and  to  nourish  those  valuable  portions 
of  our  culture  which  lack  aggressive  commercial  exponents. 
And  third,  there  is  what  we  might  call  the  "nothing  is  too  good 
for  the  American  child"  tradition.  By  this  I  mean  the  tradition 
of  pride  in  our  educational  system.  If  television  is  so  superb 


8  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

an  instrument  for  communicating  with  children  and  their  par- 
ents in  the  home  (and  I  am  sure  it  is),  then  how  do  we  proceed 
to  guarantee  the  use  of  TV  facilities  by  our  educational  system? 

These  are  the  chief  principles  against  which  the  TV  moni- 
toring studies  should  be  measured.  They  stand  soberly  founded 
on  our  culture  and  our  traditions. 

Supported  first  by  the  Joint  Committee  for  Educational 
Television,  and  later  by  the  Fund  for  Adult  Education  of  the 
Ford  Foundation,  NAEB  has  brought  to  bear  on  the  study  of 
television  programs  the  best  professional  skills  available.  The 
advice  of  experts  in  content  analysis  has  been  obtained  from  the 
Universities  of  Columbia,  Chicago,  Illinois,  Michigan,  Ohio 
State,  UCLA,  and  USC,  to  single  out  the  principal  institutions 
involved. 

Thus  far,  two  studies  have  been  conducted  in  New  York, 
and  one  each  is  Los  Angeles  and  Chicago.  The  first  to  be  pub- 
lished in  form  useful  to  the  general  reader  is  the  report  on 
Los  Angeles  TV,  published  last  December  and  available  from 
NAEB  headquarters  office  in  Urbana,  Illinois.  The  Chicago 
and  the  second  New  York  studies  are  in  the  process  of  publica- 
tion at  this  time.  The  techniques  of  content  analysis,  like  the 
companion  techniques  of  studies  of  effects,  are  still  not  refined 
enough  to  go  as  far  as  we  should  like  to  go  in  providing  useful 
answers  to  the  kind  of  questions  which  surround  these  studies. 
However,  we  have  observed  noticeable  improvement  in  the 
methods  used,  even  within  these  sixteen  months. 

Rather  than  burden  you  with  a  description  in  detail  of  the 
procedure  and  theory  of  these  studies,  let  me  say,  merely,  that 
they  have  rested  basically  on  the  timing  and  classification  of 
program  and  advertising  material.  We  started  off  using  tenta- 
tively such  classifications  as  had  been  developed  by  the  industry. 
These  were  modified  in  the  light  of  laborious  testing  of  each 
individual  program  against  the  tentative  classifications.  The 
purpose,  of  course,  was  to  develop  a  scheme  of  classification 
which  would  best  fit  the  TV  program  structure  on  the  working 
principle  of  putting  like  things  together.  The  information 
about  the  programs  which  was  used  in  their  classification  was 
obtained — not  from  newspaper  logs  or  TV  guides — but  from 
the  factual  reports  of  trained  monitors  who  observed  and  noted 
down  data  relevant  to  the  classification  problems.  The  purpose 
here  was  to  stick  close  to  manifest  content,  and  to  minimize  in 


TELEVISION    AND    THE    PUBLIC    INTEREST  9 

every  way  possible  subjective  perception  by  the  monitors,  whose 
judgments  were  not  desired  on  the  "good"  or  "bad"  things 
on  the  air. 

We  came  up  with  seventeen  broad  classes  of  programs,  most 
of  which  had  sub-classes  under  them.  And  we  attempted  to 
define  the  broad  classes  of  programs  in  such  a  way  that  they,  in 
turn,  might  be  combined  into  three  groups — the  classes  of  pro- 
grams primarily  devoted  to  factual  information,  those  most 
devoted  to  orientation,  and  those  devoted  to  entertainment. 
"Information"  programs  include  General  and  Sports  News, 
Weather,  Information,  and  Domestic  programs.  "Orientation" 
programs  include  Public  Issues,  Public  Events,  Public  Institu- 
tional, Personal  Relations,  and  Religion.  The  "Entertainment" 
group,  includes  Drama,  Music,  Variety,  Quiz,  Stunts  and  Con- 
tests, Personalities,  Sports,  Fine  Arts  and  Dance.  The  follow- 
ing remarks  are  based  on  the  two  New  York  studies  and  the 
Los  Angeles  study.  The  Chicago  study  was  conducted  on  a 
different  basis  of  counting  program  time,  so  that  within  the 
limits  of  my  time  on  this  program  I  cannot  compare  these 
groupings  of  programs  for  Chicago  with  the  results  of  the  other 
studies. 

What  can  be  said  about  the  broad  pattern  of  TV  program- 
ming based  on  these  studies?  Entertainment  programs  dom- 
inate the  pattern.  Entertainment  occupies  about  three-fourths 
of  the  program  time,  both  in  New  York  and  in  Los  Angeles. 
Information-type  programs  amount  to  1 9  per  cent  of  total  time 
in  both  New  York  studies,  and  to  24  per  cent  in  Los  Angeles. 
Orientation  programs  supplied  only  a  very  minor  part  of  total 
programming — from  4  per  cent  in  the  case  of  Los  Angeles,  to 
7  per  cent  in  the  second  New  York  study. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  you  to  hear  of  the  chief  differences 
and  trends  within  these  groups.  First  as  to  "Entertainment." 

Drama  programs  amounted  to  33  per  cent  of  both  of  the 
1951  studies  in  New  York  and  Los  Angeles.  By  this  year, 
however,  New  York's  drama  programs  amounted  to  42  per 
cent,  a  quite  sharp  increase.  The  largest  single  type  of  drama 
program  in  New  York  was  crime  drama.  Where,  in  1951,  it 
amounted  to  10  per  cent  j  in  1952  it  had  risen  by  half  to  15  per 
cent.  In  Los  Angeles  it  amounted  to  9  per  cent  of  all  time  on 
the  air.  There  (as  might  perhaps  be  expected)  western  drama 
topped  crime  drama  slightly,  with  1 1  per  cent  of  all  time  on 


IO  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

the  air.  In  New- York,  western  drama  stood  second  with  8  per 
cent  in  both  years.  These  two  types  of  drama  are  a  sizable  part 
of  all  TV:  in  Los  Angeles,  they  amounted  to  20  per  cent,  in 
New  York,  18  per  cent  in  1951  and  23  per  cent  in  1952.  Other 
classes  of  drama  were  of  minor  proportions,  with  comedy, 
romance  and  domestic  drama  standing  at  about  4  per  cent  in 
New  York. 

Variety  programs  were  the  second  largest  kind  of  entertain- 
ment. They  provided  almost  one-fifth  of  total  program  time 
in  both  of  the  1951  studies.  This  year,  however,  New  Yorkers 
receive  only  about  half  as  much  variety  as  they  did  last  year; 
it  is  down  to  1 1  per  cent.  Most  of  the  decline  is  in  variety  for 
the  general  audience ;  domestic  and  children's  Variety  programs 
still  are  about  5  per  cent  of  the  total  time. 

The  third  most  abundant  form  of  entertainment  is  sports 
in  New  York,  and  music  (mostly  popular  music)  in  Los  An- 
geles, with  between  7  and  9  per  cent  of  total  time. 

These  three  types  of  entertainment  programs — Drama,  Va- 
riety and  Sports  in  New  York,  and  Drama,  Variety  and  Music 
in  Los  Angeles — together  account  for  almost  two-thirds  (60 
per  cent)  of  all  program  time. 

Information-type  programs,  it  will  be  recalled,  were  rather 
more  common  in  Los  Angeles  than  in  New  York.  This  is 
because  in  Los  Angeles,  Special  News  Features  amounted  to 
9  per  cent  (extensive  remote  pickups  of  the  search  for  a  kid- 
napped child)  j  such  special  features  were  negligible  in  New 
York.  General  news  broadcasts  were  6  per  cent  in  both  New 
York  studies,  and  3  per  cent  in  Los  Angeles.  More  extensive 
presentations  of  information  (as  in  the  case  of  travelogue  and 
similar  programs)  amounted  to  3  per  cent  in  all  three  studies. 
Domestic  information,  being  mostly  cooking,  shopping  and 
merchandising  programs,  mostly  for  housewives,  was  about 
8  per  cent  in  all  three  studies.  Information  programs  for  chil- 
dren, and  sports  news  were  about  i  per  cent,  while  weather 
programs  were  less  than  i  per  cent  in  each  study. 

Orientation-type  programs  were  more  numerous  in  New 
York  than  in  Los  Angeles,  and  increased  in  New  York  within 
the  past  year,  although  the  proportions  were  very  small.  The 
largest  single  class  of  these  in  the  most  recent  New  York  study 
was  2  per  cent  for  Public  Issues  programs.  Since  educational 
institutions  are  more  likely  to  be  identified  with  orientation- 


TELEVISION    AND    THE    PUBLIC    INTEREST  II 

type  programs  than  the  other  two  groups,  this  is  an  appropriate 
place  to  note  that  in  1951,  there  was  only  one  program  identi- 
fied with  an  educational  institution  in  New  York,  and  there  was 
none  in  Los  Angeles.  In  1952,  however,  we  found  thirteen 
such  programs  in  New  York,  of  which  nine  were  on  non- 
network  stations  and  six  were  on  WATV  alone. 

So  much  for  the  highlights  of  the  program  portions  of  our 
studies.  Now,  what  of  the  advertising?  In  all  three  studies  we 
tried,  but  were  unable  to  determine,  from  the  position  of  a 
television  viewer,  just  which  programs  were  sponsored,  and 
which  were  sustaining  programs.  Of  course,  for  some  programs 
this  was  easy  to  tell.  But  for  many  programs,  the  viewer  simply 
could  not  know  this  fact. 

We  found  that  primary  advertisements  (analogous  to  the 
"commercial  announcements"  on  aural  radio)  occupied  more 
time  in  Los  Angeles  (13  per  cent)  than  in  New  York  (with 
10  per  cent)  in  1951,  and  that  this  year  in  New  York  the  figure 
had  dropped  to  8  per  cent.  New  York's  primary  advertise- 
ments this  year  were  shorter  than  a  year  previous  j  this  way  the 
New  York  stations  used  less  total  air  time  on  them,  while  in- 
creasing the  average  number  per  station  for  the  week  from  389 
to  443.  Los  Angeles  TV  stations  in  1951  averaged  519  per 
week. 

Our  definition  of  "secondary"  advertising  runs  something 
like  this:  that  whereas  primary  advertisements  interrupt  the 
program  material,  secondary  advertisements  either  accompany 
the  program  material,  or,  as  in  the  case  of  shopping  and  mer- 
chandising programs,  they  are  the  program  material.  But  in 
identifying  a  program  as  having  secondary  advertising  in  it,  we 
have  ignored  those  cases  where  the  secondary  advertising  is  a 
subordinate  part  of  the  program.  Defined  in  this  way,  sec- 
ondary advertising  amounted  to  4  per  cent  of  all  air  time  in  the 
first  New  York  study,  and  to  6  per  cent  in  the  Los  Angeles 
study.  In  the  second  New  York  study,  I  am  now  able  to  state 
for  the  first  time,  it  rose  to  10  per  cent. 

If  we  add  together  the  time  devoted  to  primary  and  sec- 
ondary advertising,  we  find  that  in  1951,  New  York  devoted 
14  per  cent  of  its  TV  air  time  to  advertising  of  both  kinds,  and 
Los  Angeles  used  19  per  cent  in  this  way.  In  1952,  New  York 
TV  advertising  amounted  to  1 8  per  cent  of  all  air  time. 

Now,  finally,  you  might  fairly  expect  me  to  tell  you  how 


12  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

these  studies  have  supplied  answers  to  the  broad  principles 
which  I  stated  were  the  framework  in  which  the  studies  were 
conceived. 

These  studies  offer  a  map,  if  you  please,  so  that  he  who 
reads  may  travel  where  he  wants  to  go.  The  meaning  of  some 
parts  of  the  map  is  fairly  clear.  I  offer,  as  one  illustration,  the 
findings  on  the  amount  of  advertising  and  the  growing  tend- 
ency to  blend  advertising  and  program  material  into  one  sub- 
stance, often  reminiscent  of  the  carnival  medicine  man.  A 
second  illustration  would  be  the  scarcity  of  local  live  program- 
ming (other  than  for  sports  and  quiz  shows),  and  the  predom- 
inance of  recorded  programming. 

Our  map  also  clearly  reveals  substantially  total  absence  of 
many  culturally,  but  not  commercially,  valuable  areas  of  enter- 
tainment, information  and  orientation.  I  refer  here  to  the 
neglect  of  Fine  Arts,  the  Dance,  Religion,  and  the  literature 
developed  in  this  and  other  countries.  These  deficiencies  are 
particularly  apparent  in  the  field  of  Children's  programs,  where 
the  sponsors'  interest  in  the  "fast  buck"  result  in  casting  most 
programs  into  juvenile  versions  of  programs  designed  for  the 
general  audience. 

The  meaning  of  some  parts  of  the  map  is  not  altogether 
clear,  as  yet,  but  with  the  rapid  growth  now  taking  place  in 
communications  research,  there  is  real  hope  that  these  frontiers 
will  soon  be  explored.  For  example,  take  the  matter  of  crime 
and  violence  on  TV.  We  are  still  doing  an  extensive  analysis 
of  the  amount,  kind,  and  psychological  context  of  violence 
found  in  the  second  New  York  TV  study.  At  this  time,  all  I 
can  say  about  this  is  that  there  is  reason  to  suspect  that  the 
relation  of  fictional  crime  to  the  real  thing  is  not  at  all  as  simple 
as  many  of  TV's  critics  make  it  seem. 

An  issue  of  even  wider  implications  than  that  of  violence 
revolves  around  the  apparent  predominance  of  stereotyped 
material  in  the  entertainment  which  provides  the  bulk  of  TV 
fare.  Individuals  may  differ  as  to  how  much  they  think  this 
matters,  but  the  fact  can  hardly  be  disputed.  In  the  social  sci- 
ences, however,  evidence  is  developing  that  thinking  in  stereo- 
types is  associated  with  emotional  coldness,  cynicism  and  a 
generally  destructive  and  manipulative  attitude  toward  people.. 
Further,  these  tendencies  are  found  to  be  destructive  of  the 
individual's  capacity  to  be  and  to  know  himself.  While  it 


TELEVISION    AND    THE    PUBLIC    INTEREST  13 

remains  to  be  demonstrated  in  the  laboratory  that  the  mass 
media  "cause"  these  personality  traits,  it  is  quite  probable  that 
this  is  the  case.  If  this  be  true,  then,  indeed,  studies  such  as 
these  may  lead  to  revisions  of  TV  program  policy  of  the  highest 
importance. 

TOWARD  IMPROVED  PROGRAMMING 

MRS.  A.  SCOTT  BULLITT3 

JUST  ABOUT  A  WEEK  AGO,  THE  NEWS  broke  over  the  coun- 
try, for  which  broadcasters  have  waited,  with  varying  degrees 
of  impatience,  for  three  and  one-half  years.  The  "freeze"  was 
lifted.  This  seems  to  be  interpreted  as  the  thawing  of  the  ice 
block  in  the  big  pipe,  with  still  some  work  to  be  done  before 
the  entire  system  is  warmed  up  and  the  water  begins  to  flow 
freely  through  it.  But,  the  process  has  begun.  There  may  be 
some  air  pressure  to  release  as  circulation  starts,  and  a  few 
grunts  and  groans,  if  not  bangs  and  blasts.  But  these  problems 
will  be  solved,  and  the  great  television  industry  will  grow  and 
expand. 

In  the  field  of  programming,  I  wonder  about  the  reactions. 
In  many  locations  and  markets,  where  the  proportion  of  popu- 
lation to  the  number  of  stations  puts  a  sudden  pressure  on  the 
economics  of  station  operations,  it  could  panic  the  stations  into 
such  policies  as  would  penalize  the  public  in  the  community  for 
a  period,  until  the  economic  adjustment  is  made. 

I  believe  that  most  broadcasters  who  plan  and  build  a  new 
station,  go  on  the  air  with  high  hopes  of  providing  a  good  service 
as  well  as  making  money.  But,  when  the  pinch  comes,  and 
there  has  to  be  a  choice  between  the  two,  the  good  service 
usually  suffers,  the  urge  for  survival  being  what  it  is. 

By  good  service,  I  mean  not  only  sustaining  time  given  to 
public  service,  I  mean  a  high  level  of  program  selection  and 
production.  This  takes  time,  study,  search  for  the  right  talent, 
gathering  together  the  ones  who  have  taste  as  well  as  ability  j 
and  work  on  the  technical  and  production  side,  as  well.  This 
means  going  to  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  with  very  little  assur- 
ance of  public  acceptance  when  it's  done. 

Stations  are  prone  to  make  a  thorough  survey,  as  to  viewing 

3  President,  King-  Broadcasting  Company,  Seattle,  Wash. 


14  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

reactions  and  tastes  in  programs — what  kind  of  people  prefer 
what  kind  of  shows,  percentages  on  men,  women  and  children, 
etc.  The  end  results  are  a  set  of  conclusions  and  quite  a  large 
bill.  Having  done  this  research,  the  station  proceeds  to  pro- 
gram accordingly.  But,  sad  to  say,  such  a  research  project,  like 
a  Presidential  poll,  only  gives  the  answers  for  that  day.  A  few 
years  later,  the  station  is  quite  possibly  still  directing  its  pro- 
gram policies  to  those  three-year-old  conclusions.  They  assume 
that  those  conclusions  are  still  valid.  But  they  neglect  the  fact 
that  the  public's  taste  usually  changes,  and  frequently  for  the 
better.  Broadcasters  should  at  least  keep  pace  with  that  prog- 
ress and  preferably  lead  it — gently,  and  little  by  little.  If  they 
move  too  fast,  they  risk  losing  the  audience  they  could  other- 
wise serve. 

What  makes  a  program  good  or  bad?  Programs  can  fall 
into  any  one  of  three  general  classifications:  good,  average,  or 
bad.  Sometimes  the  good  and  the  bad  may  be  rather  close 
together.  Usually  they  are  as  far  apart  as  the  poles,  and  the 
decision  then  is  an  easy  one.  These  bad  programs  are  admitted 
to  have  a  destructive  effect  on  the  growing  generation.  With 
television  the  powerful  social  force  it  has  shown  itself  to  be,  the 
type  of  program  to  which  I  am  referring  should  and  must  be 
dealt  with  and  replaced. 

It  is  the  average  that  is  easy  to  identify  and  define.  Here  is 
a  popular  recipe  for  the  average  program: 

RECIPE  FOR  AN  AVERAGE  PROGRAM 

Take  I  cup  of  Sponsor's  Requirements  and  sift  gently,  next 
2  tablespoons  of  Agency  Ideas,  carefully  chilled,  add 
}/2  dozen  Staff  Suggestions,  well-beaten.  However 

fresh  and  flavorful,  they  will  curdle  when  combined 

with  Agency  Ideas,  so  they  must  be  beaten  until  stiff. 
Stir  together  in  a  smoke-filled  room  and  sprinkle  generously 

with  Salesmen's  Gimmicks. 
Cover  the  mixture  with  a  tight  lid  so  that  no  Imagination 

can  get  in  and  no  Gimmicks  can  get  out,  and  let 

stand  while  the  costs  increase. 
Then  take  I  jigger  of  Talent,  domestic  will  do. 
Flavor  with  Production  Problems 

A  pinch  of  Doubt 

And,  if  you  have  any,  a  dash  of  Hope. 
Fold  these  ingredients  carefully  together  so  they  can  get 

into  a  small  studio.    This  requires  a  very  light 

touch  as  the  slightest  jolt  will  sour  the  results. 


TELEVISION    AND    THE    PUBLIC    INTEREST  1 5 

Be  sure  to  line  the  pan  thoroughly  with  Union  Regulations 

otherwise  the  mixture  will  stick. 
Place  in  the  oven  with  your  fingers  crossed. 
Sometimes  it  comes  out  a  tasty  delicacy,  and 
Sometimes,  it's  just  cooked. 

That  is  the  average  program.  But  I  am  concerned,  mainly, 
with  the  good  and  bad,  and  how  they  may  be  judged.  For  a 
start,  probably  by  the  effect  they  produce  on  the  viewers.  Some 
cause  amusement,  increase  knowledge  or  are  inspiring — all 
good;  while  others  may  produce  the  opposite  reactions — all 
bad.  If  certain  specific  crimes  are  ruled  out,  Shakespeare  and 
Ibsen  are  likely  to  go  with  them.  Sometimes,  the  distinction 
can  be  a  very  subtle  one.  Even  studio  lighting  can  violate  good 
taste  and  become  offensive.  It  is  extremely  difficult  to  draw  a 
vertical  line  between  acceptance  and  elimination. 

The  recently  formed  Television  Code  Review  Board  is 
determined  to  make  every  honest  effort  toward  the  restraining 
of  unacceptable  program  material  or  production.  But  this  is  a 
negative  effort,  and  it  devolves  upon  each  licensee  to  go  farther 
— much  farther — in  the  development  of  good  programs. 

It  is  not  impossible  to  make  these  so-called  good  programs 
pay.  Many  of  them  do.  It  must  be  done  carefully  and  it  takes 
the  right  kind  of  promotion.  Some  promotion  can  be  costly  and 
still  be  the  wrong  kind  to  appeal  to  the  audience  you  want  to 
reach.  Usually  the  right  kind  of  promotion  is  much  less  ex- 
pensive. Above  all,  the  station  must  win  the  approval  and 
support  of  the  viewers  in  the  community,  to  the  end  that  those 
viewers  may  be  moved  to  express  their  approval  of  the  pro- 
grams that  are  worth  it. 

Criticism,  of  course,  is  a  healthy  thing.  But  too  often  a 
station  puts  on  something  extra  fine — usually  at  its  own  expense 
— and  the  average  family  sits  at  home  murmuring  to  each 
other,  "Now  there  is  a  really  good  program.  Why  don't  we 
have  more  like  it?"  The  family  does  nothing.  The  station  gets 
the  silence  treatment. 

The  manager  or  licensee,  probably  after  much  thought  over 
how  he  could  do  something  really  good,  and  carefully  consid- 
ering "how  badly  can  we  get  hurt  if  it  fails,"  approaches  his 
staff  rather  timorously  and  the  conversation  goes  something 
like  this: 


1 6  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

"Don't  you  think  it  would  be  a  good  idea  if  we  put  on  the 
show  we  talked  about  the  other  day?  You  remember  I  sent  you 
the  script." 

STAFF — (Responsible  for  making  both  ends  meet).  "Why 
sure,  Boss,  it  sounds  all  right.  But  you  know  people  won't  like 
it,  and  our  ratings  and  mail  count  will  drop  off." 

Boss — "Well,  let's  just  give  it  a  try." 

STAFF — "Okay,  Boss,  anything  you  say,  but  when  our  audi- 
ence falls  off,  we'll  have  a  reduce  our  rates." 

The  program  goes  on  the  air.  Everyone  is  sitting  at  home, 
nodding  his  head  approvingly  and  beaming  with  inner  satisfac- 
tion. But  no  mail  to  the  station.  How  much  chance  do  you 
suppose  another  good  program  has,  if  it  crosses  that  station 
operator's  path?  By  the  public's  apathy  and  indifference,  not 
only  is  that  one  program  lost,  but  all  desire  for  another  such 
noble  experiment  is  more  or  less  permanently  quenched. 

Can't  the  public  be  made  to  understand  that  silence  to  a 
good  effort  is  lethal? 

Dividends  from  dreams  are  not  impossible — a  great  sense 
of  satisfaction  to  feed  your  ego,  and  little  round  hard  dollars  to 
feed  your  bank  account.  But  for  these  special  programs  I  am 
talking  about,  the  ground  has  to  be  carefully  prepared  ahead 
of  time.  When  a  ship  is  launched  into  a  sea  of  doubt,  every- 
thing has  to  be  made  as  secure  as  possible.  When  "Telaven- 
ture  Tales"  was  put  on  station  KING,  Miss  Chandler  started 
work  on  it  nearly  a  year  ahead,  testing  different  formats,  testing 
the  response  from  children,  and  holding  auditions  of  story 
tellers.  The  promotion  was  started  weeks  ahead  of  the  first 
program,  so  that  the  public  knew  it  was  coming  and  was  waiting 
to  see  it. 

I  think  the  chief  factors  needed  for  a  good  program  are: 

1 .  A  willingness  on  the  part  of  a  station  operator  to 
give  the  public,  if  only  a  fairly  large  minority,  a  type  of 
material  that  has  not  been  offered  them. 

2.  A  staff  with  ability  to  put  good  production  into  a 
program  or  series.    Television  requires  a  closer  team 
coordination  than  radio.   A  good  technical  and  produc- 
tion staff  can  turn  a  fair  program  into  a  thoroughly  good 
show. 

3.  An  understanding  of  the  medium  and  the  ma- 


TELEVISION    AND    THE    PUBLIC    INTEREST  I*J 

terial  suitable  to  it.  Television  is  much  more  intimate 
than  radio,  and  the  utmost  sensitivity  and  sincerity  is 
required  to  handle  it  skillfully.  The  medium  can  not  be 
expected  to  reflect  situations  and  formats  that  cannot  be 
transmitted  successfully.  There  is  really  no  rut — yet. 
There  is  no  need  to  be  tied  down  by  methods  that  are 
often  carry-overs  from  radio  and  theater. 

4.  A  knowledge  and  understanding  of  the  audience 
you  expect  to  reach.  This  is  extremely  important  and 
not  the  least  bit  difficult. 

These  are  the  "Big  Four."  Once  a  station  has  put  its  best 
into  such  a  program,  and  it  has  gone  out,  it  is  up  to  public 
response  to  give  it  life  and  vitality.  Without  that  it  is  still-born. 

Most  station  operators  have  the  desire  to  offer  the  best  and 
most  carefully-selected  program  material.  Some  of  the  pro- 
grams now  on  the  air  are  skillfully  and  beautifully  planned  for 
a  medium  that  has  challenged  all  our  ingenuity. 

I  have  every  confidence  that  program  content,  as  well  as 
the  production,  will  steadily  improve  in  quality  and  that  the 
objectionable,  the  misleading,  the  spurious  and  the  unworthy 
content  will  be,  to  a  great  extent,  eliminated  from  the  programs. 

Obviously,  this  can  not  happen  over  night,  nor  is  the  situa- 
tion likely  ever  to  be  completely  satisfactory,  but  signs  of 
improvement  have  been  noted  and  with  encouragement  from 
the  public,  this  should  continue. 

Television  today  has  progressed  out  of  one  era  of  its  devel- 
opment, and  is  about  to  enter  upon  the  next.  There  is  still  time 
to  do  something  about  its  programming.  The  pattern  has  not 
yet  crystallized. 

During  the  recent  war,  when,  after  losing  every  battle,  the 
Allies  finally  won  at  El  Alamein,  Mr.  Churchill  analyzed  the 
situation  by  saying:  "Perhaps,  this  is  not  the  beginning  of  the 
end,  but  it  is  the  end  of  the  beginning." 

In  a  short  time,  with  many  more  stations  on  the  air,  pro- 
gram patterns  will  have  been  set  to  a  much  greater  extent  than 
they  are  now. 

With  many  of  the  scientific  advances  made  by  our  civiliza- 
tion, the  public  has  had  very  little  opportunity  to  exert  a  direct 
influence.  But  with  good  programs  being  offered  in  almost 
every  city  that  has  television — there  is  a  perfect  opportunity 


1 8  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

for  the  best  minds  and  influences  to  make  themselves  felt  effect- 
ively, and  to  make  of  this  new  scientific  marvel,  a  source  of  joy 
and  enlightenment  to  everyone  within  its  reach. 


NATIONAL  SCHOOL  OF  THE  AIR 
PROPOSED  FOR  TELEVISION 

EDWARD  LAMB4 
YOUR  ABLE  DIRECTOR  AND   MY  GOOD   FRIEND,  Dr.   I.   Keith 

Tyler,  made  it  very  clear,  in  asking  me  to  participate  in  this 
discussion,  that  I  should  not  get  into  a  fight.  I  could  never  fight 
anyone  whose  opinions  I  so  thoroughly  approve  of  as  I  do  those 
expressed  here  by  Prof.  Dallas  Smythe,  of  the  Institute  for 
Communications  Research,  University  of  Illinois. 

Yet,  the  subject,  "The  Improvement  of  TV  Program- 
ming" offers  a  most  provocative  challenge.  I  have  long  since 
realized  that  in  the  broadcasting  business,  one  man's  meat  may 
be  another  man's  poison.  And,  as  teachers,  we  all  know  that 
classical  music,  and  highly  intellectual  entertainment,  seldom 
gain  the  high  Hooper  rating. 

During  the  past  week  there  occurred  a  most  revolutionary 
development  in  American  broadcasting.  The  Federal  Commu- 
nications Commission  set  aside  for  the  exclusive  use  of  non- 
commercial, educational  institutions,  some  80  VHF  television 
channels,  and  162  UHF  channels.  Thus,  it  seems  this  fantastic 
new  visual  medium  has  entrusted  to  American  schools,  colleges 
and  universities,  the  obligation  of  bringing  to  the  people  a  menu 
prescribed  by  our  most  enlightened  citizens. 

The  green  light  has  been  given  to  the  educators.  The  FCC 
will  give  their  applications  a  special  priority  in  processing. 
Possibly  not  more  than  a  dozen  educational  television  stations 
will  be  on  the  air  within  the  next  two  years.  It  seems  to  me, 
that  the  real  challenge  to  all  forward-looking  Americans  lies  in 
our  working  out  methods  by  which  everyone  of  these  242  new 
educational  channels  may  be  utilized. 

We  need  to  help  these  new  projects  all  we  can  because  the 
obstacles  of  financing,  programming  and  maintaining  these  TV 

4  President,  Edward  Lamb  Enterprises,  Inc.,  New  York  City. 


TELEVISION   AND    THE    PUBLIC    INTEREST  19 

stations  will  be  many.  However,  I  know  of  no  greater  civic  or 
cultural  advancement  that  can  occur  in  America  than  the  crea- 
tion of  such  a  video  outlet. 

Our  immediate  problem  is  how  we  can  improve  telecasting 
over  the  existing  commercial  stations.  Now  that  the  educators 
have  been  granted  their  own  channels,  will  the  commercial 
telecasters  refuse  to  grant  free  time  to  educational  or  even 
public  service  programs? 

U.  S.  Senator  Edward  Johnson,  and  many  others,  have 
urged  the  FCC  to  require  commercial  telecasters  to  render  a 
specified  amount  of  public  service  programming  each  day. 
However,  the  new  allocations  report  has  by-passed  that  pro- 
posal for  the  time  being. 

Outside  of  the  obligation  stated  in  our  licenses  to  conduct 
programming  in  the  public  interest,  there  are  many  factors 
which  lead  me  to  believe  that  TV  programming  on  commercial 
stations  will  improve.  I  consider  the  self-policed  codes  of  good 
conduct  as  only  a  mild  incentive.  On  the  other  hand,  con- 
sumers and  civic  organizations,  like  the  Parent-Teachers  and 
religious  groups  will  be  even  more  effective.  But,  beyond  that, 
more  and  more  commercial  broadcasters  are  coming  to  the 
realization  that  the  position  of  the  FCC  in  its  Blue  Book  pro- 
nouncements several  years  ago  concerning  the  nature  of  good 
programming  was  essentially  correct.  The  broadcasters  at 
that  time  generally  opposed  these  standards  of  good  program- 
ming, but  some  of  them  have  gradually  come  to  see  that 
the  best  programming  is  local  and  public  service  programming. 
Whether  in  the  newspaper  or  in  broadcasting,  we  realize  that 
the  doings  on  our  own  Main  Street,  and  the  happenings  which 
concern  our  own  friends  and  neighbors,  are  of  paramount 
interest. 

As  I  see  it,  the  great  improvement  in  TV  will  come  from 
rugged  competition  for  audience  attention.  When  we  started 
programming  on  television  station  WTVN,  in  Columbus,  and 
television  station  WICU,  in  Erie,  some  three  years  ago,  we 
operated  for  many  months  on  one  camera.  We  did  this  because 
of  the  great  cost  of  an  extra  television  camera.  Many  schools 
will  soon  be  confronted  with  the  same  problem. 

However,  while  our  production  now  is  smoother  and  more 
eye-catching  with  two  and  three  cameras,  the  success  of  our 


2O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

operations  is  essentially  due  to  the  large  amount  of  local  pro- 
gramming which  we  undertake.  In  Erie,  where  all  four  tele- 
vision networks  have  outlets,  we  do  five  to  six  hours  a  day  of 
local  programming. 

At  WTVN,  in  Columbus,  we  are  building  one  of  the  most 
modern,  efficient,  and  sizeable  television  centers  in  the  United 
States.  We  expect  to  do  more  local  programming  here. 

None  of  us  should  be  naive  about  the  importance  of  the 
FCC  action  in  granting  242  television  channels  to  educational 
institutions.  In  spite  of  this  action,  we  will  not  be  able  to  sit 
back  and  merely  talk  about  the  need  for  educational  telecasting. 
Each  of  us  will  need  to  help,  in  order  to  put  a  television  station 
on  the  air  in  our  own  community. 

But  the  stakes  are  so  great,  I  suggest  we  all  lock  arms 
together  and  establish  a  National  Educational  Television  School 
of  the  Air,  in  spirit  and  in  fact. 

The  future  physical  development  of  the  world  depends 
largely  on  the  field  of  electronics.  Our  government  has  set 
aside  a  large  portion  of  the  broadcasting  spectrum  for  public, 
educational  use.  Now  it's  up  to  American  educators  to  think 
big.  Together  we'll  work  for  a  vast  educational  broadcasting 
system  which  will  assure  the  advancement  of  our  culture,  and 
make  certain  the  political,  social  and  economic  growth  of  the 
United  States  of  America. 


EDUCATION'S  CONTRIBUTION  TO  THE 
IMPROVEMENT  OF  TELEVISION  PROGRAMMING 

ARMAND  L.  HUNTER5 

DR.  SMYTHE'S  REPORT,  REPRESENTING  as  it  does  the  ap- 
proach of  the  social  scientist  to  the  problem  of  television  pro- 
gramming, leaves  no  doubt  but  that  it  must  be  improved,  if  we 
are  to  realize  the  fundamental  nature  of  the  medium,  and  the 
potential  values  it  contains  for  the  intellectual  and  cultural 
development  of  our  society.  The  big  questions  would  appear 
to  be  how  this  improvement  is  to  be  brought  about,  and  how  we 
can  insure  the  fact  that  it  will  be  improvement,  rather  than  just 
change.  In  other  words,  progress  or  improvement  for  the  bet- 

5  Director,  Television  Development,  Michigan  State  College,  East  Lansing,  Mich. 


TELEVISION    AND    THE    PUBLIC    INTEREST  21 

ter,  implies  some  knowledge  of  the  end  and  purpose  to  be 
fulfilled  j  in  short,  a  yardstick  by  which  qualitative  improve- 
ment can  be  measured,  rather  than  a  yardstick  by  which  the 
quantitative  fact  of  change  only  is  recorded.  Such  a  yardstick, 
and  purpose  can  be  established  only  upon  the  basis  of  the 
criteria  suggested  by  Dr.  Smythe  in  his  statement  of  standards 
and  principles,  and  by  the  verification  and  acceptance  of  such 
standards  through  further  research  and  empirical  proof. 

I  pay  all  due  respect  to  the  commercial  industry  and  the 
problems  it  faces  in  the  development  of  programs.  These  prob- 
lems are,  of  necessity,  largely  economic  in  character  and  subject 
to  numerous  pressures  in  the  direction  of  the  line  of  least  resist- 
ance and  the  status  quo.  But  I  don't  believe  that  we  can,  or 
perhaps  even  should,  depend  upon  or  expect  the  industry  to  do 
this  job  alone.  It  has  a  definite  responsibility  to  do  this  job. 
The  facts  of  the  situation  under  which  it  functions  leave  little 
hope  that  the  desired  results  can  soon,  if  ever,  be  achieved.  It 
will  probably  have  to  be  the  major  responsibility  of  the  edu- 
cator and  the  educational  broadcaster  to  take  on  the  challenge 
of  qualitative  research,  the  establishment  of  standards,  and  the 
improvement  of  television  broadcasting.  I  say  this,  because  the 
industry  has  certain  philosophical  and  economic  obstacles  in  its 
path,  the  Commission  has  no  practical  method  of  enforcing  it, 
and  the  public  has  no  articulate  means  of  demanding  it.  Only 
the  educational  forces  and  institutions  of  our  society  have  the 
resources  and  the  freedom  of  operation  necessary  to  achieve 
this  objective. 

Let  me  illustrate  what  I  mean.  The  commercial  industry 
is  quite  aware  that  "all  is  not  well"  with  its  present  television 
programming  service.  It  has  certainly  been  told  about  it  often 
enough,  through  such  studies  as  those  which  Dr.  Smythe  is 
making  for  the  NAEB,  through  certain  columnists,  like  John 
Crosby,  who  are  extremely  discerning  and  articulate  critics  of 
the  medium,  through  listener's  groups  and  numerous  news 
reports  of  public  reaction,  through  the  stand  of  the  Commis- 
sion on  fulfillment  of  public  service  responsibilities,  and  even 
through  the  trade  press  which  itself  has  called  for  a  better  per- 
formance and  some  serious  self-analysis.  For  example,  "Abel," 
writing  in  an  editorial  in  Variety  for  October  3,  1951,  had 
this  to  say: 

"In  a  relatively  short  period  TV  has  started  to  pall.  Video 


22  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

fans  air  the  same  gripes  about  the  mediocre  programs  after  two 
years  as  they  did  about  pictures  after  a  quarter-of-a-century. 
Films  are  making  a  box-office  comeback  j  TV  is  standing  still,  if 
not  retrogressing. 

"Video  is  in  for  some  serious  self-examination  and  soul- 
searching.  And  the  sooner  the  better.  Too  many  programs  are 
not  so  good.  Audience  reaction  is  lethargic  or  negative — cer- 
tainly not  as  enthusiastic  as  in  the  first  flush  of  TV's  vigor  .  .  . 

".  .  .  Ratings  are  no  longer  a  criterion.  They  only  indicate 
that  the  number  of  viewers  is  the  same  because  of  the  constantly 
replenishing  new  set  owners.  It  also  means  that  sets  in  use  are 
not  the  same,  because  the  veteran  video  fan  has  gone  back  to 
motion  pictures,  or  gone  out  of  the  house  for  other  entertain- 
ment. Ratings  certainly  don't  tell  of  the  many  tune-outs  on 
programs  of  late — and  this  goes  for  the  biggest  shows. 

"It's  a  challenge,  therefore,  to  the  new  medium's  showman- 
ship if  TV  is  to  maintain  its  potency.  It  certainly  indicates  a 
necessity  to  dare  to  do  the  different;  to  explore  new  avenues 
and  channel  new  talents  for  that  iconoscope.  There's  a  limit  to 
comedians,  variety  shows,  ballets,  whodunits,  panels,  quizzes, 
charades.  That  limit  is  being  reached.  In  some  instances,  it's 
over  the  deadline.  .  .  ." 

Here  we  have  an  instance  of  the  industry  taking  itself  to 
task,  so  to  speak,  and  an  insight  into  the  problem  which  is 
reflected  in  many  other  cases  where  station  men  and  network 
executives  have  laid  the  conditions  on  the  line.  All  of  this  has 
brought  about  the  recent  NARTB  code,  with  which  I'm  sure 
you  are  all  familiar.  But,  the  reason  I  don't  believe  that  even 
all  this  will  bring  any  great  or  far-reaching  improvement,  at 
least  not  quickly  or  in  the  immediate  future,  is  that  there  are 
too  many  program  originators  and  producers  who  apparently 
think  like  Hal  Roach,  Jr.,  who  was  thumbnailed  in  Time  mag- 
azine for  October  29,  1951,  as  believing  that  "televiewers  have 
even  lower  I.Q.'s  than  moviegoers,"  and  that  "TV  is  every  - 
man's  entertainment."  Believing  this,  there  is  little  doubt  but 
that  the  Hal  Roach  studios  will  turn  out  movies  for  TV  that  are 
pitched  at  this  level,  and  for  the  lowest  common  denominator 
of  public  taste.  There  is  considerable  evidence  to  support  the 
belief  that  this  is  not  an  isolated  instance  of  program  thinking, 
in  terms  of  certain  accepted  stereotypes  and  cliches  of  audience 
evaluation  (which  I  personally  believe  to  be  mis-evaluation). 


TELEVISION    AND    THE    PUBLIC    INTEREST  23 

Faced  with  this  type  of  thinking  and  conviction  on  the  part 
of  certain  elements  within  the  industry,  the  men  of  different 
conviction,  who  hold  to  higher  standards,  are  caught  in  a  fun- 
damental philosophical  conflict  and  opposition  which  makes  it 
extremely  difficult  for  much  progress  to  be  made.  It  is  a  conflict 
of  basic  ideas  and  opinions,  which,  unfortunately,  has  to  be 
fought  out  on  the  practical  battleground  of  limited  and  ex- 
pensive program  resources,  where  the  logistics  supplied  by  the 
other  guy's  dollar  has  strong  strings  attached,  and  the  ground 
rules  have  been  established  by  noses,  and  not  needs.  For  this 
reason,  I  would  personally  encourage  every  step  taken  by  the 
industry  to  improve  standards  and  programming,  and  urge  the 
active  and  vocal  support  of  those  men  "fighting  on  the  side  of 
the  angels."  In  short,  let's  give  all  and  full  credit  where  it's 
due.  But,  I'm  still  of  the  opinion  that  the  battle  will  be  long 
and  hard,  and  that  the  educators,  as  outside  forces,  are  the  only 
ones  who  can,  perhaps,  swing  the  support  and  weight  needed  to 
help  the  industry  win  the  fight  and  eventually  achieve  our 
common  objective  of  program  improvement. 

At  this  point,  you  might  ask,  "Just  how  do  you  propose  that 
this  be  done ;  and  just  why  is  it  the  responsibility  of  the  edu- 
cator?" In  the  first  place,  I  believe  that  it  is  the  responsibility 
of  the  educator,  because  he  is  the  instrument  through  which 
society  preserves  and  transmits  its  intellectual  and  cultural  heri- 
tage. That  is  his  major  function  and  his  "raison  d'etre"  Re- 
turning to  Dr.  Smythe's  report — it  is  the  responsibility  of  all 
our  means  of  communications — including,  as  well,  the  educa- 
tional institutions  of  the  country — to  serve  the  Miltonian  con- 
cept of  the  free  market  place  of  ideas.  If  this  is  the  case,  then, 
surely,  the  educator  must  carry  this  responsibility  as  his  primary 
purpose  and  major  function.  Television,  as  a  medium  of  com- 
munication, a  method  of  transmission,  is  by  its  very  nature  a 
part  of  the  process  and  means  by  which  education  must  fulfill 
its  purpose  and  discharge  its  obligation  to  society.  Television 
and  education  cannot  be  separated.  The  means  and  the  end 
cannot  be  divorced. 

If  this  is  true,  then  how  can  the  educator  and  education 
contribute  to  the  improvement  of  television  programming,  and 
fulfill  this  purpose?  I  can  give  you  no  simple  answer  to  the 
question.  Time  does  not  permit  a  lengthy  and  detailed  analysis. 
And,  perhaps  we  will  have  done  all  that  we  can  do  at  this 


24  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

meeting,  if  we  succeed  only  in  stimulating  your  thinking  and 
convincing  you  of  the  need,  and  of  the  importance  of  your 
assuming  the  responsibility.  But,  Dr.  Smythe  has  pointed  out, 
perhaps,  the  major  method  of  realization,  and  that  is  through 
a  full  and  complete  program  of  basic  research.  This,  I  fully 
support  as  the  first  of  education's  contributions — audience  re- 
search and  program  research.  If  we  are  to  prove  our  higher 
standard  of  evaluation,  to  establish  the  right  criteria,  and  to 
support  those  industry  men  and  efforts  battling  against  the 
forces  of  pure  exploitation,  then  we  must  establish  a  yardstick 
that  all  will  accept,  through  the  only  method  the  pragmatist 
understands — empirical  proof  and  experience — or  the  "proof 
in  the  eating."  This  can  be  done  only  upon  the  facts  and  evi- 
dence of  sound  and  consistent  research.  Dr.  Smythe  has  pointed 
this  out  to  us,  clearly  and  with  a  stimulating  challenge  for 
continued  development. 

Secondly,  however,  the  nature  of  the  desired  improvement 
must  rest  fundamentally  in  the  creative  imagination  of  those 
who  plan  and  produce  the  programs  out  of  the  available  re- 
sources, according  to  the  patterns  established  through  this 
research.  In  other  words,  if  through  research  we  can  establish 
the  standards  and  the  purpose,  the  actual  achievement  of  im- 
provement, rather  than  just  change,  must  come  through  a 
creative  selection  of  content  and  invention  of  form.  This,  I 
propose  as  the  second  contribution.  In  other  words,  there  are 
two  major  contributions  to  the  improvement  of  television  pro- 
gramming which  the  educator  can  make.  First,  the  determi- 
nation of  needs  and  standards  through  qualitative  research,  and, 
second,  the  realization  of  these  standards  through  creative  ex- 
perimentation in  program  content  and  form. 

The  question  as  to  how  these  may  be  achieved  cannot  yet 
be  answered  in  detail,  perhaps,  but  I  offer  the  following  reso- 
lutions as  a  means  of  working  toward  this  end: 

1.  To   assume   the   leadership   in   program   and   audience 
research. 

2.  To  seek  to  really  know  and  understand  the  people  whom 
the  medium  serves. 

3.  To  give  positive  recognition  and  credit  to  better  pro- 
gramming when  and  where  found. 

4.  To  resist  and  fight  the  shoddy,  the  shallow,  and  cynical 
exploitation  of  undeveloped  levels  of  taste. 


TELEVISION    AND    THE    PUBLIC    INTEREST  25 

5.  To  dare  to  provide  education  without  adulteration,  and 
entertainment  without  apology. 

6.  To  teach  with  imagination,  stimulation,  and  sincerity. 

7.  To  put  service  above  self  at  all  times. 

8.  To  work  toward  these  ends  with  a  sense  of  humor,  and 
an  adult  objectivity,  which  will  put  the  differences  in  belief  and 
conviction  in  their  proper  place  and  correct  perspective. 

All  these  resolutions,  I  repeat,  are  means  for  the  final  pur- 
pose of  realizing  the  full  educational  potential  and  impact  of 
the  television  medium  for  the  benefit  and  welfare  of  the  yeo-ple, 
who  we  all  serve,  as  educators  and  as  broadcasters.  These,  I 
believe,  are  contributions  which  education  can  make  toward  the 
improvement  of  television  programming. 

If  you  are  interested  in  why  I  bring  these  particular  reso- 
lutions, there  are  some  in  the  field  of  education  who  feel  that 
as  far  as  industry  programming  is  concerned,  it  consists  of 
nothing  but  entertainment.  At  the  same  time,  there  are  some 
in  the  industry  who  believe  that  the  only  way  one  can  develop 
or  present  an  educational  program  is  to  wrap  it  up  like  a  sugar- 
coated  pill. 

I  am  a  little  disturbed  by  these  two  extremes  of  opinion.  I 
don't  want  those  of  us  who  are  on  the  extreme  poles  of  this 
problem  to  end  up  like  the  customers  of  Sweeney  Todd,  the 
"demon  barber."  You  remember  the  lines: 

"All  'people  who  maintain  in  solemn  earnest,  not  in  joke 
That  quantities  of  sugar  flums  are  bad  for  little  folk, 
And  those  who  hold  the  -principle  unalterably  fixed, 
That  instruction  with  amusement  must  carefully  be  mixed, 
They  never  would  be  missed!    They  never  would  be  missed!" 

DISCUSSION 

KENNETH  G.  BARTLETT,6  Presiding 
MR.  CHARLES  W.  SivERsoN:7 

Mr.  Smythe,  as  I  understand  it,  your  surveys  and  figures  were  just 
for  New  York  and  Los  Angeles.   Is  that  correct? 
MR.  SMYTHE: 

That  is  correct. 
MR.  SIVERSON  : 

Is  the  NAEB  planning  to  study  the  smaller  communities  to  see 
what  we  are  doing? 

8  Director,  Radio  and  Television  Center,  Syracuse  University,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
7  Program  Director,  Station  WHAM-TV,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


26  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

MR.  SMYTHE  : 

Yes,  we  also  plan  to  study  some  single  station  communities. 
Miss  ELLA  CLARK  :8 

I  should  like  to  ask  Mrs.  Bullitt  how  important  she  considers  the 
mail  from  listeners? 
MRS.  BULLITT: 

We  think  the  mail  from  listeners  is  extremely  important,  because  it 
gives  us  some  reflections  and  some  viewpoints. 

We  broadcast  the  recent  Toscanini  concert  by  television  and  the 
mail  response  was  most  gratifying.    Letters  came  in  by  the  hundreds. 
We  are  trying  now  to  get  another  similar  program. 
MR.  SIVERSON  : 

Mr.  Hunter  mentioned  several  articles  that  had  appeared  in  the 
trade  papers.    I  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  Smythe  if  he  would  comment 
about  the  article  written  by  Jack  Kuhl  of  the  New  York  Times,  in 
which  he  criticized  the  method  of  the  survey. 
MR.  SMYTHE: 

You  are  referring  to  the  article  he  wrote  in  January,  1951? 
MR.  SIVERSON  : 

Yes. 
MR.  SMYTHE: 

He  wrote  another  article  in  January,  1952,  in  which  he  withdrew 
the  major  part  of  his  criticism  in  1951. 

His  criticism  originally  was  that  a  study  which  attempts  to  classify 
a  group  of  programs  on  the  basis  that  I  outlined  in  my  prepared  state- 
ment, cannot  take  account  of  the  differences  between  high  quality  and 
low  quality  programs  in  the  same  class  of  programs.  We  never  con- 
tended that  it  did.  We  said  that  there  were  some  extraordinarily  fine 
programs.  We  thought  it  was  significant,  however,  to  show  how  many 
programs  of  a  given  class,  such  as  drama,  or  sports,  were  on  the  air. 

We  were  talking  about  a  different  thing  than  Mr.  Kuhl  cited. 
MR.  GEORGE  KATZ:S 

Will  Mr.  Lamb  give  us  some  idea  of  the  cost  of  an  educational 
television  station? 
MR.  LAMB: 

I  am  sure  that  you  can  put  a  first-class  television  station  on  the  air, 
UHF  or  VHF,  for  $200,000.  It  will  cost  approximately  $100,000  a 
year  to  carry  on  a  full  schedule  of  programming. 

I  think  that  educational  television  will  raise  the  teaching  standards 
and  the  salaries  of  the  teaching  profession. 

8  Marquettc  University,  Milwaukee,  Wise. 

9  Gary  Public  Schools,  Gary,  Ind.  * 


TELEVISION    AND    THE    PUBLIC    INTEREST  2J 

I  hope  and  pray  that  you  won't  sit  back  and  advise  the  rest  of  us 
how  to  function.  I  expect  you  educators  to  accept  this  tremendous 
challenge. 

I  had  a  commercial  broadcaster  tell  me  on  the  long-distance  phone 
yesterday:  "Think  of  it!    These  educators  are  going  to  have  242  tele- 
vision stations!    And  they  are  going  to  use  your  money  and  mine!" 
MR.  WALTER  H.  MARSHALL:™ 

You  mentioned  a  cost  of  $200,000.  Without  putting  you  on  the 
spot,  what  help  would  the  industry  give  the  educational  TV  stations  out 
in  Montana  or  the  far  Northwest?  We  are  not  going  to  have  $200,000. 
MR.  LAMB: 

In  many  communities  you  will  not  get  cooperation  from  the  in- 
dustry. You  will  get  opposition  instead. 

I  think  that  commercial  broadcasters  are  beginning  to  realize  that 
petty  opposition  to  public  service,  education,  religion,  etc.,  is  not  in  their 
own  interest.  I  think  the  FCC,  in  due  time,  will  adopt  regulations  that 
will  make  it  easier  for  commercial  broadcasters  to  cooperate  with  public 
service  activities. 

I  am  quite  certain  that  as  you  focus  the  attention  of  the  public  on 
television  viewing,  many  organizations  and  foundations  will  cooperate 
in  getting  local  educational  stations  on  the  air. 
CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

I  will  ask  Mrs.  Bullitt  if  she  believes  that  the  television  industry,  as 
represented  by  the  commercial  interests,  is  likely  to  oppose  the  educators? 
MRS.  BULLITT: 

I  think,  with  Mr.  Lamb,  that  there  are  some  individuals  in  the 
industry  who  will  oppose  you.    However,  when  you  start  to  build  an 
educational  network  across  this  country,  I  believe  the  opposition  will 
vanish. 

The  whole  world  is  in  a  chaos  of  ideas.  The  unrest  will  continue 
until  we  all  learn  to  think  straight.  That  brings  us  back  to  education. 
I  think  television  is  the  greatest  medium  for  instruction  that  has  been 
devised.  I  cannot  see  why  anyone  would  resist  a  move  to  educate  the 
citizens  of  the  United  States,  from  coast  to  coast. 
MR.  WILLIAM  P.  FROOM:U 

Not  long  ago,  I  was  in  an  argument  with  a  man  who  was  against 
the  idea  of  state  colleges  receiving  TV  channels  and  using  public  money 
to  go  on  the  air.  At  least  two  of  our  speakers  have  touched  on  the  ques- 
tion of  whether  educational  TV  can  be  expected  to  compete  with  Hooper 
ratings. 

10  Director,  Northwest  School  Radio  Theater,  Helena,  Mont. 

II  Director  of  Radio,  Northern  Illinois  State  Teachers  College,  DeKalb,  111. 


28  EDUCATION    ON    THE   AIR 

My  question  is  this:  Would  it  be  a  wise  expenditure  of  the  public's 
money  to  invest  in  a  television  station  whose  principal  purpose  was  to 
attract  minority  audiences? 
MR.  HUNTER: 

I  don't  think  there  is  any  question  but  that  the  educational  broad- 
casters face  a  very  real  fight.  We  should  realize  that  the  stakes  are 
tremendous.  According  to  statistics,  the  average  television  station  gross 
for  1951  was  approximately  $1,000,000. 

I  don't  know  what  the  outcome  will  be.  It  is  likely  that  some  of  the 
educational  institutions  will  be  forced  to  yield  to  political  pressures.  I 
am  not  naive  enough  to  think  that  practical  political  pressure  cannot  be 
brought  to  bear  against  an  educational  institution.  Very  often  funds  for 
the  operation  of  the  institution  come  from  the  legislature,  and  industry 
has  strong  forces  operating  at  legislative  levels. 

I  think  the  educators  must  unite  by  areas  and  agree  upon  a  common 
objective.    Over  a  period  of  time,  I  think  we  can  resolve  the  disputes 
and  come  to  some  method  of  cooperation. 
MRS.  JERRIE  L.  MocK:12 

There  is  a  minority  group  that  wants  education  on  television,  and  I 
think  that  many  want  high  class  entertainment  which  isn't  on  commer- 
cial stations.   I  wonder  if  the  educators  are  inclined  to  do  anything  about 
that? 
MR.  HUNTER: 

Schools  and  colleges  also  have  social  activities  and  entertainment. 
Even  in  the  classroom,  at  the  elementary  and  secondary  level,  we  have  a 
break  from  study  now  and  then. 

The  educational  station  will  not  build  a  program  schedule  with 
nothing  but  direct  education.  That  would  be  a  mistake.  Educational 
broadcasters  have  a  responsibility  to  serve  other  demands  and  needs 
as  well. 

We  must  program  for  all  ages  and  every  level  of  economic,  social 
and  cultural  development.    As  a  consequence,  I  think  the  educational 
broadcaster  is  justified  in  providing  programs  of  a  direct  entertainment 
character  as  well  as  others  of  a  direct  educational  nature. 
MR.  VAUGHN  D.  SEiDEL:13 

I  wonder  if  we  educators  shouldn't  apply  this  television  proposition 
to  more  than  one  school  district  when  we  consider  the  cost.  In  Cali- 
fornia, we  can  build  only  half  an  elementary  school  per  500  children  at 
a  cost  of  $200,000.  We  are  contemplating  spending  $200,000  for 
television,  but  we  will  serve  io,OOO  teachers. 

12  Producer,  Youth  Program,  Station  WTVN,  Columbus,   O. 

13  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Alameda  County,  Oakland,  Calif. 


TELEVISION    AND    THE    PUBLIC    INTEREST  29 

Is  that  practical,  Dr.  Tyler? 
MR.  TYLER: 

I  certainly  agree  that  this  is  a  practical  approach. 

In  the  field  of  education,  many  expenditures  are  far  greater  than 
that  contemplated  for  television.  If  you  consider  the  number  of  people 
served,  it  becomes  more  practical. 

Someone  has  pointed  out  that  the  average  television  owner  spends 
$50  a  year  for  electric  current,  repairs  and  maintenance  on  his  set.  If 
he  would  contribute  another  dollar  a  year  there  would  be  ample  funds 
to  maintain  a  television  station  giving  this  alternative  type  program  we 
are  talking  about.  It  is  a  very  small  per  capita  cost  in  terms  of  the 
number  of  listeners.  I  think  it  is  very  practical  to  consider  television  on 
the  basis  of  school  children  and  teacher  service. 
CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

I  would  like  to  call  on  Mr.  Morris  Novik.  He  is  a  chairman's  delight. 
MR.  M.S.  Novnc:14 

I  am  in  the  same  boat  as  everyone  else;  I  am  learning.  I  think  we 
have  serious  problems. 

Mr.  Lamb  is  disturbing  when  he  quotes  $200,000  as  an  initial  in- 
vestment. However,  maybe  the  cost  per  unit  will  come  down. 

I  don't  think  we  ought  to  kid  ourselves  that  there  will  be  ten  educa- 
tional TV  stations  on  the  air  at  the  end  of  the  year,  nor  do  I  think  that 
there  ever  will  be  200  educational  TV  channels  in  use.  While  I  am  in 
complete  agreement  with  the  Commission  on  its  allocation,  I  look  at 
what  may  happen  from  a  realistic  viewpoint. 

I  am  not  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  the  areas  where  the  channels 
have  been  allocated  are  not  areas  of  the  greatest  educational  develop- 
ment. I  happen  to  come  from  a  big  city,  where  all  the  channels  are 
taken  up,  but  I  have  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  during  the  last  five  years 
in  cities  of  30,000  to  50,000  population.  It  seems  to  me  we  have  a  job 
to  do  in  these  communities.  If  we  can  get  ten  stations  on  the  air  in  the 
next  year,  we  will  be  doing  a  good  job. 

It  is  my  conviction  that  no  institution,  even  a  great  university,  should 
have  the  exclusive  use  of  an  educational  station.    All  the  institutions  in 
the  area  should  combine,  under  the  standards  set  by  the  Commission  or 
the  standards  of  the  NAEB,  so  that  it  becomes  a  collective  endeavor. 
MR.  JOE  A.  CALLOWAY:IS 

Mr.  Lamb,  you  seem  to  share  a  certain  skepticism  over  the  effect- 
iveness of  the  NAEB  Code.  I  wonder  if  you  will  tell  us  why  you  do  not 
think  such  a  code  is  likely  to  improve  the  medium? 

"  Radio  and  Television  Consultant,  New  York  City. 

*  Director  of  Radio  Education,  Michigan  State  College,  East  Lansing,  Mich. 


3O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

MR.  LAMB: 

At  the  outset,  let  me  say  that  I  do  not  think  a  dozen  educational 
television  stations  will  be  on  the  air  within  the  next  two  years.    To 
answer  your  question,  I  don't  believe  that  self-policing  of  any  industry 
can  be  very  successful.    I  don't  think  this  code  will  be  very  effective. 
MR.  GEORGE  A.  BERNSTEIN  :16 

Many  of  us  have  been  involved  in  the  FM  fight.    Some  of  us  have 
tried  to  operate  FM  stations  commercially.    I  would  like  to  know  what 
the  panel  thinks  about  the  future  of  UHF  in  an  area  now  being  served 
by  VHF? 
CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

Mrs.  Bullitt  may  we  invite  you  to  answer  that  question? 
MRS.  BULLITT: 

The  UHF  seems  to  be  regarded  as  extremely  feasible  in  many  areas, 
depending  to  some  extent  on  the  terrain.  The  development  of  combi- 
nation sets,  with  VHF  on  one  side  and  UHF  on  the  other,  apparently 
has  been  no  obstacle  in  many  cities. 

Besides,  UHF  does  not  have  the  handicap  of  coming  in,  as  FM  did, 
when  there  was  a  saturation  of  AM  over  the  country.    UHF  at  this 
stage  would  get  a  pretty  even  start  with  the  VHF. 
CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

Mr.  Lamb,  would  you  invest  money  in  UHF  in  an  area  served 
by  VHF? 
MR.  LAMB: 

I  doubt  it.  The  question  actually  comes  down  to  whether  you  are 
considering  operation  as  an  educational  institution  or  a  commercial 
institution. 

As  to  the  failure  of  FM,  I  believe  its  doom  was  sealed  the  day  the 
FM  association  on  this  floor  demanded  that  programs  on  AM  be  dupli- 
cated on  FM.  The  only  way  to  get  an  audience  is  to  present  something 
new  and  good  that  satisfies  a  need. 

If  an  educational  institution  or  a  commercial  organization  has  a 
UHF  station  in  a  VHF  area,  the  only  way  it  will  appeal  to  an  audience 
is  through  good  alternative  programming,  whether  it  is  football,  basball 
or  a  drama.  The  reason  for  a  TV  station  is  to  bring  a  service  to  the 
community.  Therefore,  as  an  educator,  I  would  take  a  UHF  station  in 
an  area  presently  served  by  VHF  because  it  would  bring  a  new  and 
desired  program  service  to  the  area. 
MR.  WILLIAM  L.  PRAGER:IT 

We  have  listened  to  four  splendid  speakers  and  had  some  good  dis- 

18  Assistant  to  the  General  Manager,  Peoples  Broadcasting  Corporation,  Columbus. 
17  President,  Color- Vision  Corporation  of  America,  Hollywood,  Calif. 


CLOSED    CIRCUIT    THEATER    TELEVISION  3! 

cussions  from  the  floor.   I  wonder  if  we  could  hear  from  a  representative 
of  the  FCC?    Surely  they  had  some  definite  conclusions  in  mind  when 
they  allocated  the  242  stations. 
MR.  TYLER: 

This  question,  as  a  matter  of  interpretation,  can  be  answered  only 
by  a  Commissioner. 
CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

Mr.  Dallas  Smythe  suggests  that  you  might  be  interested  in  attend- 
ing the  NAEB  meeting  when  the  Chairman  of  the  Commission  will 
speak. 

Dr.  Tyler  says  that  the  next  step  for  educators  will  be  discussed  here 
tomorrow  and  there  will  be  a  Commissioner  present. 

Before  we  adjourn,  let  us  express  our  appreciation  to  our  speakers 
for  a  stimulating  program. 


CLOSED  CIRCUIT  THEATER  TELEVISION— 
A  NEW  MASS  MEDIUM? 

GRAYDON  AUSMUS,1  Presiding 

USE  IN  CIVIL  DEFENSE  TRAINING 

JACK  T.  JOHNSON2 

CLOSED  CIRCUIT  TELEVISION  is  AN  important  concept  in  our 
Civil  Defense  training  program.  In  order  to  explain  why  it  is 
important,  I  must  first  indicate  something  of  the  task  that  we 
face.  In  the  first  place,  the  Civil  Defense  administration  faces 
one  of  the  largest  training  and  education  jobs  ever  undertaken. 
A  total  of  about  18,000,000  people  have  to  be  trained  in  skills. 
We  don't  anticipate  that  the  job  is  going  to  be  done  right  away, 
but  we  are  working  at  it. 

The  second  thing  is  that  we  have  to  orient  people  to  an 
entirely  new  concept.  We  have  talked  a  lot  in  the  past  about 
defense,  but  that  has  concerned  armies  on  land.  Now  the  air- 
plane and  the  atomic  bomb  have  brought  a  new  concept,  and 
the  home  front  will  become  the  key  in  any  defense  program 
we  have. 

Not  only  is  our  training  job  complicated  by  size  and  by 

1  Vice-President,  NAEB;  Director  of  Radio,  University  of  Alabama,  University,  Ala. 

2  Assistant  Administrator,  Federal  Civil  Defense  Administration,  Washington,  D.  C. 


32  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

orientation  to  a  new  concept,  but  we  have  the  job  of  dealing 
with  volunteers.  We  have  to  think  of  ways  to  interest  people 
in  our  program,  and  keep  them  interested. 

In  our  search  for  new  techniques  that  might  be  useful,  we 
turned  to  closed  circuit  television.  To  date,  we  have  conducted 
two  experiments  in  this  new  medium,  one  that  emanated  from 
the  Washington  studios  and  linked  four  cities,  and  another 
experiment  in  Boston.  We  now  believe  that  closed  circuit  tele- 
vision holds  great  possibilities  for  reasons  that  I  will  outline. 

Anyone  experienced  in  broad  scale  training  knows  that  the 
distribution  of  training  films  is  a  difficult  problem.  The  produc- 
tion of  a  good  training  film  is  a  task,  but  when  it  is  finished  you 
still  have  to  distribute  it  and  show  it. 

With  closed  circuit  television,  you  solve  the  distribution 
problem.  By  linking  the  theaters,  the  people  see  the  training 
film  simultaneously. 

A  second  advantage  of  closed  circuit  television  is  that  it 
encourages  audience  participation  and  this  is  very  important  to 
us.  People  can  sit  in  the  local  theater  and  ask  questions  of  the 
speaker  in  Washington  or  wherever  the  program  emanates. 
You  can  get  a  good  exchange  of  opinion.  This  helps  to  unite  the 
locality  and  the  national  government  into  a  working  team. 

A  third  advantage  is  that  it  may  be  of  extraordinary  use  in 
an  emergency.  We  must  have  stand-by  training  facilities  in 
various  key  spots  in  this  country  and,  in  case  of  an  emergency, 
closed  circuit  television  is  admirably  suited  to  this  purpose.  If 
our  cables  are  unbroken,  we  could  link  together  many  groups  of 
people  in  these  studios,  and  with  rapidity  put  on  effective  train- 
ing programs  emanating  from  one  spot. 

The  fourth  advantage  is  largely  peculiar  to  Civil  Defense 
training.  Closed  circuit  television  can  be  a  means  of  encourag- 
ing volunteers.  It  is  an  interesting  device  and  volunteers  will 
turn  out  to  see  what  it  is.  Adult  groups  like  the  closed  circuit 
device.  While  it  may  not  have  done  as  good  a  job  of  training 
as  some  of  the  other  devices,  it  did  a  good  job  of  orienting 
people  to  the  problem  at  hand. 

Closed  circuit  television  also  may  be  a  means  of  transmitting 
confidential  information,  and  in  time  of  an  emergency  this  may 
be  of  paramount  importance.  Ushers  can  screen  the  people  as 
they  enter  the  local  theater.  Credentials  can  be  checked.  This  is 
an  important  advantage  for  the  Civil  Defense  training  program. 


CLOSED    CIRCUIT    THEATER    TELEVISION  33 

We  recognize  this  as  a  new  device.  It  has  certain  limita- 
tions, and  we  know  that  it  is  no  substitute  for  learning  by  doing. 
But  we  also  think  it  has  great  possibilities,  and  we  hope  by 
experimentation  to  come  up  with  some  new  procedures.  The 
Federal  Civil  Defense  administration  will  do  everything  it  can 
to  develop  this  medium. 


SOME  PRACTICAL  ASPECTS  OF 
CLOSED  CIRCUIT  OPERATION 

HAROLD  AZINE3 

WE  OF  CIVIL  DEFENSE  TRAINING,  have  experimented  with 
this  medium  of  closed  circuit  television  for  a  special  purpose, 
and  some  of  the  practical  aspects  will  interest  you.  Dr.  Jack 
Johnson  has  enumerated  some  aspects  of  the  medium  as  far  as 
a  training  program  is  concerned,  but  there  also  are  certain  phys- 
ical limitations  we  should  consider. 

For  example,  we  will  project  a  show  from  Washington  that 
will  go  to  sixteen  or  seventeen  stations.  We  call  this  a  national 
show,  but  it  is  not  truly  national.  It  will  go  as  far  as  the  mid- 
west. We  come  on  at  9  o'clock  in  the  morning  in  Washington, 
and  this  would  be  6  o'clock  on  the  West  Coast.  So  we  have  to 
resort  to  kinescopes  that  can  be  shown  later  on  the  West  Coast. 
This  is  one  limitation  of  the  medium. 

Another  limitation  is  that  your  program  only  can  go  to 
those  cities  that  are  equipped  for  theater  television.  This  is  a 
temporary  limitation.  At  the  present  time,  thirty-five  cities  can 
receive  theater  television  programs.  Some  cities  have  three  or 
four  theaters  equipped,  and  the  manufacturers  are  installing 
new  facilities  weekly. 

Another  situation  that  might  be  called  a  limitation  is  that 
our  use  of  this  medium  at  the  present  time  is  limited  to  the 
morning  hours.  From  the  Civil  Defense  training  standpoint, 
we  are  interested  in  broadcasting  special  messages  to  a  special 
audience,  and  this  confines  us  to  the  hours  when  the  theaters 
are  not  being  used  for  their  ordinary  function,  to  show  motion 
pictures. 

When  we  became  interested  in  closed  circuit  theater  televis- 

*  Chief,  Television  Branch,  Federal  Civil  Defense  Administration,  Washington,  D.  C. 


34  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

ion  as  a  possible  solution  to  our  problem  of  training  i8,OOO,OOO 
people,  we  went  to  the  leading  theater  chain  owners  and  oper- 
ators in  New  York. 

They  knew  something  about  it,  but  on  the  whole,  it  was  a 
new  thing  for  all  of  us.  There  was  no  organized  theater  tele- 
vision industry.  The  leaders  appointed  a  small  group  of  men 
to  cooperate  closely  with  us  as  a  public  service  committee.  The 
film  distribution  business  is  noted  for  its  intense  rivalry,  and 
yet  all  interests  combined  to  make  the  theaters  available  to  us 
on  an  equal  basis. 

In  addition  to  organizing  a  public  service  committee  repre- 
senting the  theater  exhibitors,  they  adopted  a  commendable 
public  service  attitude.  They  donated  the  theaters  for  the  first 
two  shows,  and  then  worked  out  a  non-profit  policy  that  will 
be  followed  temporarily,  at  least. 

How  long  this  will  last,  we  don't  know,  but  for  the  time 
being  every  dollar  is  spent  for  actual  service.  We  are  all  pio- 
neering to  make  this  work,  and  we  know  it  is  important. 

In  figuring  the  total  cost,  first  of  all  there  is  the  production 
cost  and  then  the  television  pickup  cost.  We  work  with  Station 
WNAL-TV  which  has  the  largest  facilities  in  Washington.  We 
tell  them  what  we  have  in  mind  and  order  our  services  from 
the  television  station.  We  are  not  buying  time;  just  buying  the 
crews,  putting  on  the  picking-up  of  the  television  show.  To  pick 
up  the  show  will  cost  somewhere  between  $  1 200  and  $  1 500. 

The  next  thing  is  to  take  the  show  from  the  studio  to  the 
cities.  This  is  done  by  the  telephone  company,  by  microwave 
facilities  or  by  cable.  Our  programs  travel  the  same  way  as  the 
network  shows.  The  approximate  cost  is  $i  a  mile  an  hour  for 
video,  and  52  cents  a  mile  an  hour  for  audio,  plus  an  additional 
1 5  cents  per  mile  per  hour  for  the  two-way  communication.  By 
knowing  the  number  of  air  miles,  you  can  quickly  figure  the 
cost.  For  example,  1000  miles,  with  15  cities  would  cost  ap- 
proximately $  1 500  an  hour. 

While  the  theater  owners  and  operators  have  adopted  a 
public  service  attitude,  they  still  have  certain  costs,  such  as 
ushers,  etc.  For  fifteen  cities,  this  will  amount  to  about  $2250. 
The  grand  total  is  about  $7000  for  which  we  can  address  our- 
selves, in  two-way  communication,  to  35,000  people  for  one 
hour.  This  breaks  down  to  20  cents  apiece,  which  is  very 
economical. 


CLOSED    CIRCUIT    THEATER    TELEVISION  35 

THE  EFFECTIVENESS  OF  TRAINING 
BY  TELEVISION 

E.  G.  SHERBURNE,  JR.4 

ALTHOUGH  OUR  DISCUSSION  is  ON  CLOSED  CIRCUIT  theater 
television,  I  am  including  all  television  in  my  presentation.  I 
think  you  will  agree  that  the  findings  about  the  effectiveness  of 
television  can  be  applied  to  closed  circuit  theater  television. 

Before  we  discuss  the  problem  of  effectiveness,  let  us  take 
a  closer  look  at  closed  circuit  television.  This  can  best  be  done 
by  examining  the  mechanical  phase  of  television,  and  this  can 
be  divided  into  three  areas — the  pick-up,  distribution  and  recep- 
tion phases. 

The  pick-up  phase  includes  one  or  more  cameras  and  one 
or  more  microphones.  Here,  the  pictures  and  sounds  are  trans- 
lated into  electronic  signals  which  pass  on  to  the  distribution 
phase,  and  then  reception,  where  the  electronic  signals  are  re- 
converted into  recognizable  optical  pictures  on  the  screen  and 
sounds. 

As  far  as  effectiveness  is  concerned,  the  thing  we  should 
consider  most  carefully  is  the  distribution  phase.  Pick-up  and 
reception  are  essentially  the  same.  The  difference  between 
closed  circuit  television  and  other  types  of  television  actually 
occurs  in  the  distribution  phase. 

The  term  "closed  circuit,"  when  applied  to  distribution, 
means  that  reception  of  the  signal  is  limited  to  those  receivers 
tapping  the  circuit.  In  open  circuit,  or  broadcast,  television  you 
can  tune  into  the  broadcast  with  any  television  receiver. 

We  have  a  basic  difference  here,  but  only  in  the  matter  of 
the  distribution.  I  repeat,  there  is  no  basic  difference  between 
closed  circuit  and  broadcast  television,  except  in  distribution, 
which  does  not  affect  the  effectiveness,  except  so  far  as  use  is 
concerned. 

When  the  Navy  first  became  interested  in  television,  it 
wanted  to  know  whether  this  was  a  good  method  of  teaching. 
A  study  was  made  at  Fordham  University,  in  cooperation  with 
the  Army.  In  this  project,  eight  one-hour  lessons  were  telecast 
at  weekly  intervals  to  more  than  3000  Army  reservists.  The 
series  used  formed  a  single  story  called,  "Command  Post." 

4  Television  Coordinator,  Navy  Special  Devices  Center,  Sands  Point,  Long  Island,  N.  Y. 


36  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Each  of  the  individual  programs  explained  a  different  phase  of 
the  operation  of  an  infantry  division  in  repelling  a  hypothetical 
attack  by  an  aggressor. 

The  program  originated  in  the  television  studio  at  the  Spe- 
cial Devices  Center  on  Long  Island,  was  microwaved  to  New 
York  and  sent  out  by  special  television  network  to  ten  major 
cities  in  the  eastern  and  north-central  part  of  the  United  States. 

Army  Reserve  organizations  in  these  cities  got  their  mem- 
bers together  and  formed  viewing  groups.  All  reservists  who 
saw  the  programs  were  tested  immediately  before  and  after 
each  program.  The  tests  were  designed  to  find  out  how  much 
they  had  learned  from  the  lesson  just  seen,  and  also  how  much 
they  remembered  from  previous  lessons. 

We  found  that  television  was  a  good  teaching  method.  All 
grades  of  officers  and  enlisted  men  made  higher  scores  after  the 
telecasts  than  before.  Officers  retained  85  per  cent  of  newly- 
learned  material  over  a  period  of  six  weeks,  while  enlisted  men 
retained  65  per  cent  over  the  same  period. 

The  majority  of  the  reservists  thought  "Command  Post" 
was  better  than  the  average  training  film.  Nearly  75  per  cent 
said  they  would  rather  be  taught  by  television  than  by  the  usual 
classroom  method. 

A  further  study  was  done  to  find  out  how  television  com- 
pared with  conventional  methods  of  classroom  instruction. 

Two  series  of  eight  lessons  each  were  used  in  the  experi- 
mental training  program.  One  was  a  refresher  course  for  officer 
pilots ;  and  the  other  was  a  basic  training  course  for  enlisted 
airmen.  Nine  Naval  air  stations  were  chosen,  and  trainees  in 
the  Naval  Air  Reserve  at  these  stations  were  the  subjects. 

At  three  air  stations,  students  watched  live  television  pro- 
grams. At  three  other  stations,  the  students  saw  kinescope  re- 
cordings of  these  programs,  presented  as  sound  motion  pictures 
and  shown  in  the  classroom.  At  the  other  three  stations,  the 
trainees  received  conventional  classroom  instruction  based  on 
the  same  lesson  plans  as  the  television  programs. 

All  trainees  were  tested  immediately  before  and  after  each 
training  session.  The  same  tests  were  given  to  all  who  partic- 
ipated in  a  particular  lesson. 

We  found  that  the  men  taught  by  television  learned  as 
much  as  men  taught  by  conventional  classroom  instruction.  In 
fact,  television  instruction  was  found  to  be  better  than  teaching 


CLOSED    CIRCUIT    THEATER    TELEVISION  37 

by  local  instructors  in  half  the  comparisons  made.  Eighty  per 
cent  of  the  comparisons  showed  that  television  was  as  good  or 
better  than  local  instructors. 

Recordings  made  from  television  programs  were  almost  as 
good  as  the  live  television  programs.  Recordings  were  just  as 
effective  as  the  television  programs,  themselves,  in  84  per  cent 
of  the  cases. 

In  summary,  this  research  indicated  that  television  was  as 
good,  or  better,  than  classroom  instruction  in  the  majority  of 
cases. 

Our  next  study  was  in  a  natural  training  situation.  This  was 
done  with  "Drill  Call,"  produced  by  Special  Devices  in  New 
York  City.  It  consisted  of  forty  half-hour  programs,  directed 
to  Naval  Reserve  recruits,  in  nineteen  Naval  training  stations 
in  the  New  York  metropolitan  area.  It  originated  at  Special 
Devices  Center,  was  microwaved  to  WOR-TV  in  New  York, 
and  transmitted  as  a  regular  television  program.  Anyone  could 
receive  it  at  home,  as  well  as  the  young  men  in  the  training 
station. 

All  of  the  subjects  presented  on  the  program  were  basic. 
These  ranged  from  "Survival  at  Sea,"  "Organization  of  the 
Navy,"  and  "Fire-Fighting"  to  "Naval  Discipline." 

A  preliminary  evaluation  of  the  marks  of  TV  students  indi- 
cates that  they  scored  consistently  higher  than  non-TV  students 
who  took  the  same  subjects  by  conventional  instruction. 

We  also  were  interested  in  the  general  reaction  of  the  train- 
ing personnel  to  this  type  of  instruction.  On  the  basis  of  obser- 
vation, reports,  and  preliminary  evaluation  studies,  we  found 
that  television  in  its  present  state  of  development  is  a  most 
capable  training  medium. 

Some  of  the  comments  about  television: 

"Student  attention  to  the  TV  screen  held  up  throughout  the 
program  and  series.  Student  interest  did  not  seem  to  slacken 
when  the  novelty  wore  off." 

"The  instruction  can  be  adapted  readily  to  any  teaching 
situation  or  student  learning  level." 

"Television  maintains  a  higher  vitality  of  presentation  than 
the  usual  instructor  or  the  best  training  films." 

I  would  like  to  quote  from  the  "Film  Research  Report." 
This  states: 

"The  leadership  qualities  of  the  instructor  affect  the  effi- 


38  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

ciency  with  which  his  class  will  learn  from  the  film.  One  of  the 
most  significant  findings  of  film  research  is  that  the  amount  of 
learning  from  an  instructional  film  depends  not  only  on  the 
film,  but  also  on  the  motivation  and  morale  that  result  from  the 
leadership  qualities  of  the  instructor.  A  well-trained  instructor 
is  one  of  the  essential  elements  of  film  instruction." 

I  think  this  applies  to  television  as  well.  If  you  have  a  good 
classroom  instructor  to  introduce  the  television  program  and 
conduct  the  discussion  afterward,  it  is  much  more  effective. 

In  conclusion,  we  can  safely  say  that  television,  in  general, 
and  closed  circuit  theater  television,  specifically,  can  teach.  Tel- 
evision is  probably  equal  to,  or  better  than,  the  conventional 
instruction  in  the  majority  of  cases.  Television  can  be  used 
alone,  but  it  will  be  more  effective  when  used  in  and  with  class- 
room instruction. 


THE  THEATER  OWNERS'  VIEWPOINT 

IRVIN  PAUL  SULDS5 

As  THE  THEATER  REPRESENTATIVE  on  this  panel,  I  want  to 
express  my  appreciation  to  the  Institute  for  the  invitation  to 
attend  and  join  in  this  discussion.  It  is  particularly  interesting 
to  me  to  talk  of  the  potential  of  closed  circuit  theater  television 
in  a  gathering  of  educators  and  those  who  have  dedicated  them- 
selves to  the  public  service  aspects  of  broadcasting.  In  a  new 
field,  there  are  bound  to  be  many  views  of  the  course  to  be 
followed.  We  have  believed  from  the  start  that  theater  tele- 
vision has  its  greatest  future  in  selective  communication  in  the 
areas  of  education,  public  service  and  straight  commercial  pro- 
gramming, where  training  and  information  are  the  basic  ingre- 
dients. Other  segments  of  the  industry  have  favored  the 
entertainment  possibilities,  but  at  the  same  time  have  under- 
stood and  supported  the  experiments  with  non-entertainment. 

The  wording  of  the  subject  selected  for  discussion  at  this 
session — "Closed  Circuit  Theater  Television — A  New  Mass 
Medium?" — is  quite  significant.  While  theater  television  may, 
in  fact,  develop  as  a  new  mass  medium,  we  have  looked  upon  it 
as  the  ideal  medium  for  particularized  communication  which, 

6  Theater-TV  Consultant,  New  York  City.^ 


CLOSED    CIRCUIT    THEATER    TELEVISION  39 

when  added  to  the  nation-wide  system  of  broadcast  television, 
can  provide  the  most  complete  system  of  telecommunication  of 
any  nation  in  the  world.  In  our  view,  closed  circuit  theater 
television  complements  broadcast  television,  adds  the  specific 
approach  to  the  general  approach,  and  with  the  adaptation  of 
existing  electronic  devices  makes  possible  face  to  face  meetings 
of  large  or  small  groups  thousands  of  miles  apart. 

Perhaps  the  fundamental  strength  of  theater  television  as  a 
communications  medium  lies  in  two  factors — its  selectivity  and 
in  the  nature  of  the  theater  audience.  Because  it  is  a  closed 
circuit  medium,  theater  television  makes  it  possible  for  the  orig- 
inator of  a  program  to  target  his  audiences,  both  geographically 
and  as  to  size,  all,  of  course,  within  the  limitations  of  the  exist- 
ing cable  and  theater  facilities.  It  will  be  possible  to  have  a 
far-flung  hook-up  of  theaters  embracing  the  major  cities  of  the 
nation  perhaps  with  two,  three  or  even  four  theaters  partici- 
pating in  larger  cities  to  accommodate  audiences  in  the  thou- 
sands. On  the  other  hand,  you  can  limit  the  closed  circuit  tie-up 
to  a  few  cities,  perhaps  regional  in  nature,  and  using  theaters 
with  a  relatively  small  seating  capacity.  In  short,  the  medium 
lends  itself  readily  to  use  by  groups  who  wish  to  reach  not  the 
mass  audience,  but  small  selected  groups  and,  therefore,  can  be 
economical. 

Theater  television  audiences  are  not  unlike  classroom  audi- 
ences. The  theater  audience  is,  first  of  all,  a  controlled  audi- 
ence. That  is,  it  consists  of  individuals  who  have  come  to  the 
theater  with  a  predisposition  to  be  informed,  educated  or  enter- 
tained together.  This  "togetherness"  is  important  to  the  pro- 
grammer, because  individuals  do  react  differently  when  they 
are  part  of  a  group.  Their  response  to  the  program,  be  it 
informative  or  educational,  is  intensified  by  the  reciprocating 
actions  of  the  many  other  persons  who  are  witnessing  the  show 
at  the  same  time.  Beyond  this,  the  physical  surroundings  of  the 
theater  auditorium  are  calculated  to  give  further  impetus  to  this 
feeling.  The  viewers  are  free  from  distractions.  The  comfort- 
able seats,  air  conditioning,  the  excellent  sound  reproduction, 
and  the  darkened  auditorium — all  provide  the  setting  which 
induces  the  maximum  attention  span  on  the  part  of  the  audi- 
ence. Furthermore,  the  large  theater  screen — 15  by  20  feet- 
reflects  the  personality  of  the  individual  appearing  on  the  screen 
and  conveys  small  details — changing  facial  expressions,  ges- 


4O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

tures,  background  information — which  may  otherwise  be  lost. 
These  larger  than  life-size  pictures  give  a  dramatic  impact  to 
the  program. 

These  are  some  reasons  for  believing  in  the  future  of  thea- 
ter television  as  the  new  medium  where  the  direct  approach  and 
immediate  response  is  needed. 

Our  actual  experience  from  a  programming  standpoint, 
quite  frankly,  has  been  rather  limited.  This  is  due  to  several 
reasons.  First,  the  number  of  theaters  equipped  for  theater 
television  is  small  and  is  increasing  slowly.  There  are  a  great 
number  of  theaters  which  have  orders  for  the  equipment,  but 
installation  has  been  held  up  in  many  instances  because  of  the 
lack  of  coaxial  cable  or  microwave  relay  facilities.  Until  there 
is  a  sufficient  number  of  theaters  ready  to  start  theater  television 
programming,  the  cost  factor  is  a  major  problem.  However, 
these  are  the  growing  pains  of  every  new  field  and  are  not  in 
themselves  discouraging  factors. 

There  are  now  approximately  seventy-five  theaters  equip- 
ped for  theater  television  in  about  thirty-five  communities.  We 
expect  that  number  to  increase  substantially  in  the  near  future. 

This  is  the  twenty-second  Institute  for  Education  by  Radio 
and  Television.  Glancing  through  the  program,  I  see  many 
general  sessions  as  well  as  special  interest  meetings  scheduled 
for  the  next  three  days.  I  don't  know  the  exact  attendance 
figures,  but  I  am  told  that  this  symposium  is  the  most  important 
event  of  its  kind  in  the  country.  I  wonder  how  many  people 
interested  in  the  work  of  this  Institute  could  not  attend  this 
twenty-second  session  because  of  the  press  of  other  duties,  be- 
cause of  the  travel  difficulties  and,  also,  perhaps  because  of 
expense.  Closed  circuit  theater  television,  we  believe,  could  in 
part  provide  the  solution  to  some  of  these  problems  by  bringing 
the  Institute  to  local  or  regional  meetings.  It  could  do  this  not 
as  an  abstract  coverage  of  the  events,  but  in  the  form  of  direct 
personal  participation  on  the  part  of  local  groups  with  the 
national  meeting.  By  using  two-way  communications  systems 
from  the  theaters  to  the  Deshler-Wallick  hotel  here  and,  in 
the  not-too-distant-future,  two-way  video  communication  from 
theaters  to  hotel,  the  Institute  audience  in  Oakland,  California, 
for  example,  could  not  only  see  and  hear  the  proceedings  but 
could  be  seen  and  heard  by  the  Institute  in  session  here  in 
Columbus. 

Theater  television  would  serve  not  only  the  existing  Insti- 


CLOSED    CIRCUIT    THEATER    TELEVISION  41 

tute  audience  of  interested  individuals,  who  have  attended  these 
sessions  from  time  to  time,  but  could,  indeed,  greatly  expand 
the  audience  appeal.  If  you  make  the  activity  of  the  Institute 
available  to  people  in  their  own  areas,  you  would,  quite  obvi- 
ously, be  appealing  to  many  people  with  direct  or  fringe  rela- 
tionships to  this  field. 

The  two-way  communications  system,  which  I  have  men- 
tioned, is  simply  a  multiple  microphone  set-up  at  the  various 
theaters  as  well  as  the  central  meeting  place.  This  system  is 
familiar  to  all  of  you  and  was  used  quite  effectively  in  the  Civil 
Defense  theater  television  experiments.  Questions  from  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  country  to  a  central  panel  have  to  be  allocated 
as  to  time.  However,  every  other  phase  is  as  spontaneous  as  if 
the  questioner  were  in  the  same  room  with  the  speaker  or  panel. 
The  two-way  video  communication  has  not  been  used  in  our 
experimental  programs  thus  far,  but  it  is  in  frequent  usage  on 
broadcast  television.  This  is  the  so-called  split  screen  technique 
where  two  images  from  widely  separated  points  appear  on  the 
same  screen.  For  example,  programs  whereby  congressmen  in 
Washington  are  questioned  by  reporters  in  New  York  are  not 
unusual  occurrences  on  television  any  more. 

There  is  no  great  engineering  feat  involved  in  this  system. 
It  is  workable  and  it  is  practical ;  it  is  only  a  question  of  time 
before  institutes  and  conventions,  while  attracting  group  leaders 
to  the  national  meeting,  will  provide  audience  participation  in 
the  proceedings  in  dozens  of  communities  at  the  same  time.  It 
is  true  that  closed  circuit  theater  television,  or  for  that  matter 
broadcast  television,  can  never  replace  the  personal  touch.  How- 
ever, the  advantages  are  quite  obvious  of  participation  in  this 
manner,  as  compared  to  second-  or  third-hand  reports  by 
delegates  or  printed  accounts  in  the  daily  or  trade  press. 

Two  events  in  the  past  year,  which  have  advanced  the 
progress  of  theater  television  along  public  service  lines,  have 
been  the  experiments  conducted  by  the  Federal  Civil  Defense 
Administration.  Mr.  Johnson,  of  the  FCDA,  has  given  you 
the  details  of  these  programs.  I  only  wish  to  add  that  the 
theater  industry  has  been  happy  to  cooperate  with  the  FCDA, 
both  from  the  standpoint  of  public  service,  and  also  from  the 
point  of  view  of  advancing  the  art.  Other  government  agencies 
also  are  studying  the  training  and  informational  potentials  of 
theater  television.  Our  staff  has  held  several  meetings  with  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  and  the  Department  of  Justice,  as 


42  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

well  as  the  State  Department.  With  the  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, we  worked  on  a  program  for  the  4-H  club  national 
convention  in  Chicago  this  past  September.  Arrangements  could 
not  be  completed  in  time  for  the  actual  convention.  However, 
the  interest  aroused  gives  us  reason  to  believe  that  4-H  club 
boys  and  girls  in  various  parts  of  the  country  will  be  attending 
their  national  convention  this  year,  if  not  in  person,  then  by 
closed  circuit  theater  television. 

When  we  have  sufficient  theater  television  installations,  and 
can  get  coaxial  cable  or  microwave  relay  service  as  a  matter  of 
normal  routine,  we  fully  expect  a  plan  developed  with  the  Girl 
Scouts  to  come  into  operation.  Our  staff  worked  out  a  partial 
plan  with  national  Girl  Scout  headquarters  in  connection  with 
their  convention  in  Boston  in  October.  The  estimate  of  costs 
we  worked  out  will  be  of  particular  interest.  The  total  cost  of 
the  pick-up  from  Mechanics  hall,  in  Boston,  together  with  the 
long  lines  charges,  were  divided  among  fifteen  theaters  from 
New  York  to  Minneapolis,  to  Washington  in  the  south,  and  to 
Albany  in  the  north.  The  average  was  about  20  cents  per  seat. 
This  means  that  each  Girl  Scout  or  Girl  Scout  leader  in  many 
cities  could  participate  in  her  national  convention  for  a  very 
small  sum. 

There  is  another  possibility  for  important  theater  television 
programming  which  we  have  discussed  among  ourselves  and,  to 
a  limited  degree,  with  people  in  the  educational  world.  I  would 
like  to  mention  it  here,  since  the  reaction  of  this  group  would 
be  very  helpful,  and  if  the  program  is  to  develop  it  will  be 
because  people  in  the  educational  and  public  service  fields  feel 
that  it  is  worthwhile.  This  is  a  plan  for  a  series  of  teacher 
training  courses,  in  which  we  would  engage  the  services  of 
outstanding  experts  in  various  fields  from  many  college  cam- 
puses. The  classes  would  be  conducted  on  Saturday  mornings 
in  theaters  across  the  country.  High  school  or  elementary  school 
teachers  could  enroll  for  this  graduate  or  refresher  course  for  a 
tuition  fee  of  about  50  cents  per  class.  Because  of  the  size  of 
the  classroom  and  the  combined  power  of  theater  television, 
teaching  personalities  heretofore  available  at  only  a  few  major 
institutions  of  learning  could  be  brought  to  the  teacher  in  Salt 
Lake  City  and  Norfolk,  Virginia,  at  the  same  time. 

Now,  obviously,  a  plan  of  this  kind  could  only  be  admin- 
istered by  educators  themselves.  The  theater  industry  could 


CLOSED    CIRCUIT    THEATER    TELEVISION  43 

not  in  any  way  control  the  operation.  In  the  first  place,  we  are 
not  equipped  to  exercise  any  control  and  it  would  serve  a  better 
purpose  if  this  entire  educational  project  were  handled  by  peo- 
ple directly  involved  in  the  profession.  The  theaters  would 
give  their  complete  cooperation  to  the  project.  I  will  welcome 
your  reactions  and  comments  to  this  plan  during  the  discussion 
period. 

In  addition  to  the  prospects  of  public  service  programming 
via  theater  television,  there  is,  of  course,  the  vast  field  of 
straight  commercial  usage.  This  medium  can  make  more  effec- 
tive the  sales  meetings  of  large  nation-wide  business  concerns. 
As  an  example,  the  Philco  Corp.,  a  few  weeks  ago  conducted  a 
closed  circuit  experiment  in  which  the  National  theater  in  Rich- 
mond, Virginia,  was  used.  Salesmen  came  to  Richmond  from 
Tennessee,  Georgia,  Florida,  North  and  South  Carolina  to 
watch  the  program,  which  originated  in  New  York.  According 
to  reports,  the  program  was  a  success. 

We  expect  many  similar  uses  in  the  near  future.  New 
products  of  manufacturers,  stockholders  meetings  of  large  cor- 
porations, professional  training — all  of  these  will  be  part  of 
closed  circuit  theater  television's  service.  Most  of  this  type  of 
programming  will,  of  course,  be  conducted  during  the  morning 
hours  when  the  theater  is  normally  closed.  However,  there 
will  be  many  theaters  able  to  provide  matinee  service  and,  in  a 
good  many  instances,  evening  hours  as  well. 

I  have,  of  course,  touched  only  upon  a  few  highlights  in 
theater  television  programming.  Obviously,  there  are  many 
more  plans,  some  well  under  way,  others  in  the  research  stage. 

As  theater  television  progresses,  as  more  theaters  are  equip- 
ped, and  as  transmission  facilities  become  more  readily  avail- 
able, we  feel  confident  that  this  new  medium  of  many  facets 
will  be  welcomed  by  the  people  of  the  country  as  an  important 
specialized  adjunct  to  their  cultural  and  educational  source  of 
knowledge.  Within  the  broad  programming  framework  I  have 
outlined,  I  think  it  will  become  apparent  that  theater  television 
will  be  operated  in  the  public  service. 

DISCUSSION 

KENNETH  G.  BARTLETT,6  Leader 
Let's  go  to  work.   Do  I  hear  a  question? 

*  Director,  Radio  and  Television  Center,  Syracuse  University,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 


44  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

MR.  VAUGHN  D.  SEiDEL:7 

In  broadcasting  by  microwave,  can  it  be  beamed  to  more  than  one 
receiver  at  the  same  time? 
MR.  SHERBURNE: 

The  microwave  can  only  be  received  by  a  piece  of  equipment  which 
is  as  complicated  as  the  broadcasting  transmitter.   There  is  one  disk  that 
sends  out  a  beam.    Another  unit  means  a  complete  new  set  up. 
MR.  ARNOLD  L.  WILKES:® 

Mr.  Sherburne  said  that  the  television  teachers  were  better  than 
those  in  the  classroom.    How  did  you  train  the  teachers  in  order  to  get 
such  favorable  results  from  teaching  by  television? 
MR.  SHERBURNE: 

I  wouldn't  say  that  the  results  were  due,  necessarily,  to  the  teacher. 
Actually,  the  teacher  with  training  aids  used  on  television  was  more 
effective   in   the   majority    of   cases   than    the    conventional    classroom 
method  of  instruction. 
MR.  WILKES: 

I  think  one  problem  facing  us  is  to  train  teachers  for  television.  Too 
often  a  good  teacher  in  the  classroom  does  not  amount  to  much  on 
television. 

There  seems  to  be  no  training  place  for  teachers,  except  experience. 
I  was  wondering  if  your  group  offered  training  for  your  teachers? 
MR.  SHERBURNE: 

I  don't  know.     Perhaps  Chaplain   George   Birney,   of  the   Army 
Chaplain  school,  can  answer  that. 
MR.  GEORGE  H.  BIRNEY  :9 

I  believe  an  attempt  was  made  to  use  teachers  with  considerable 
experience  in  both  types  of  training. 

MR.  ROBERT  JACKSON  :10 

The  same  teacher  was  used  in  both  experiments.   The  teacher  made 
the  presentation  before  the  television  camera  and,  later,  in  the  classroom, 
he  used  the  same  method.   I  know  we  did  as  much  as  possible  to  equalize 
the  two  situations. 
MR.  HERBERT  CAHAN:IX 

Mr.  Sulds,  what  effect  will  the  postponement  of  the  FCC  hearings 
have  on  theater  television? 

7  Superintendent,  Alameda  County  Schools,  Oakland,  Calif. 

8  Director,  Public  Service  and  Education,  Hearst  Corporation,  Baltimore,  Md. 
8  Radio-TV  Section,  the  Chaplain  School,  Fort  Slocum,  New  York  City. 

10  Psychologist,  Human  Engineering  Division,  U.  S.  Naval  Special  Devices  Center, 
Port  Washington,  N.  Y. 

II  Program  Manager,  Station  WAAM,  Baltimore,  Md. 


CLOSED  CIRCUIT  THEATER  TELEVISION  45 

MR.  SULDS: 

I  think  there  may  be  a  lessening  of  interest  on  the  part  of  the  theater 
owners.  However,  at  a  meeting  last  week  in  New  York  City  they  issued 
a  statement  that  they  were  looking  forward  to  the  final  result  with  a 
great  deal  of  confidence.  Eric  Johnson  has  described  theater  television 
as  "a  sleeping  giant." 
Miss  ELOISE  WALTON  :12 

I  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  Sulds  if  he  foresees  a  time  in  the  near  future 
when  there  will  be  a  convention  theater  in  every  city  to  take  television? 
MR.  SULDS: 

Yes,  I  think  perhaps  the  smaller  and  newer  theaters  will  install 
television  equipment  and  adopt  a  theater  television  policy.    I  think  thea- 
ters in  many  communities  will  lean  heavily  on  theater  television. 
MR.  EDWARD  C.  RASP,  JR.:IS 

I  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  Johnson  a  question. 

We  have  been  quite  fortunate  at  State  Teachers  College  in  Upper 
Montclair,  New  Jersey,  in  having  television  studios  made  available  to  us 
by  one  of  the  large  television  manufacturers.  We  are  now  planning  a 
series  of  programs  on  Civil  Defense,  transmitted  on  a  semi-closed  circuit 
proposition,  to  the  receivers  in  two  local  school  systems.  Can  the  Civil 
Defense  authority  cooperate  in  any  way  in  that  type  of  programming  on 
the  local  basis? 
MR.  JOHNSON: 

I  cannot  speak  for  all  the  officers  of  Civilian  Defense,  but  our  Train- 
ing and  Education  office  will  help  all  we  can.    Civil  Defense  is  a  state 
activity,  essentially,  and  if  we  give  you  help  some  people  may  take  a  dim 
view  of  it.   We  will  do  the  best  we  can  on  the  training  side. 
MR.  ERLING  S.  JORGENSEN:** 

On  Mr.  Sherburne's  television  training  or  teaching  programs,  I  wish 
to  ask  whether  the  teacher  was  visible  on  the  screen  as  a  teacher,  or  was 
the  TV  screen  used  merely  as  an  audio-visual  aid  for  the  teachers  in  the 
classroom  ? 
MR.  SHERBURNE: 

As  I  recall,  "Command  Post"  was  a  dramatic  presentation,  with  the 
viewer  watching  the  division  staff  work  to  repel  an  aggressor  nation. 

In  the  Naval  Air  Reserve  series,  for  pilots  and  enlisted  crew,  the 
instructor  appeared  on  the  TV  screen  and  talked  to  the  students. 

12  Consultant,  Public  Relations,  Community  Chest,  Inc.,  New  York  City. 

13  Director,  Television   in   Education   Project,   State  Teachers   College,   Upper    Mont- 
clair, N.  J. 

14  Director  of  Radio,  University  of  Nebraska,  Lincoln,  Neb. 


46  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

You  would  consider  these  two  programs  the  adult  adaptation  type. 
In  "Drill  Call,"  television  was  intended  to  be  a  training  aid.  The  class- 
room instructor  received  an  outline  of  questions  the  students  were  to  be 
asked,  and  he  led  a  class  discussion.  In  other  words,  it  was  simply  an 
improved  type  of  lecture. 

In  my  opinion,  if  you  can  use  a  classroom  instructor  you  are  better 
off.    What  do  others  think? 
MR.  JACKSON  : 

I  believe  a  question  that  is  bothering  many  here  is  whether  Naval 
research  is  proposing  this  as  a  substitute  for  classroom  teaching?  We 
would  never  dream  of  proposing  such  a  substitute. 

Actually,  for  research  purposes,  the  two  situations  were  as  close  as 
we  could  get  them.    In  our  planning,  this  field  is  to  furnish  a  kind  of 
superior  audio-visual  aid  to  classroom  instructors.    That  sums  up  our 
overall  goal  rather  well. 
CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

I  hope  you  will  forgive  the  chairman  for  a  personal  reference. 

Last  summer,  we  did  a  test  of  teaching  by  television  on  a  closed 
circuit.  We  have  a  freshman  class  called,  "Citizenship,"  that  seeks  to 
develop  critical  judgment,  reading,  viewing,  listening,  and  to  develop 
information  on  citizen  responsibilities.  We  took  an  ordinary  freshman 
class  and  tabulated  results  in  an  ordinary  teaching  situation.  During  the 
second  term,  the  class  was  divided.  One  group  was  taken  to  the  tele- 
vision studio.  The  discussion  technique  was  employed  throughout  and 
what  the  students  said  and  did  was  televised. 

The  other  half  of  the  class  received  the  lesson  in  another  room.  The 
only  teacher  was  the  television  receiver.  No  attendance  records  were 
kept  and  no  discussion  was  held.  These  students  simply  sat  in  the  room, 
looked  and  listened. 

At  the  end  of  the  second  term,  the  evaluation  center  again  tested 
both  groups.  It  is  interesting  to  report  that  there  was  no  noticeable 
difference  in  scores.  The  students  who  saw  and  heard  the  lesson  by 
television  did  just  as  well  as  those  who  had  been  taught  in  the  classroom 
by  an  effective  discussion  leader. 

May  I  point  out,  as  Mr.  Sherburne  did,  this  is  not  conclusive  proof 
but  an  exploratory  effort  to  see  whether  you  can  teach  by  television. 
MR.  BIRNEY: 

We  have  had  two  interesting  experiments  at  the  chaplain  schools. 

In  one  case,  we  telecast  by  closed  circuit.  The  same  instructor  then 
presented  the  same  lesson  to  a  classroom  in  person.  There  was  no  notice- 
able difference  in  the  amount  of  information  retained  by  the  student. 


CLOSED    CIRCUIT    THEATER    TELEVISION  47 

We  also  have  used  television  as  a  training  aid  in  the  teaching  of 
speech. 

MR.  FLOYD  E.  CARLSON  :15 

I  was  surprised  to  hear  that  there  are  theaters  in  thirty-five  com- 
munities that  are  using  television  as  a  means  of  presenting  pictures.  I 
wish  to  ask  whether  the  quality  of  the  pictures  is  comparable  with  the 
conventional  film? 

MR.  SULDS: 

Actually,  there  are  seventy-five  theaters  in  operation  in  thirty-five 
communities.  When  you  compare  the  image  to  film  along  entertain- 
ment lines,  the  film  is  better.  But  here  we  are  after  the  instantaneous 
and  immediate,  and  we  are  not  so  much  interested  in  the  quality  of  the 
film.  It  is  the  immediate  message  that  we  want  to  get  across. 

MR.  AZINE: 

The  image  quality  of  closed  circuit  television  is  sharp  and  clear,  but 
not  quite  as  good  as  the  film  from  Hollywood.  In  the  electronic  trans- 
mission, a  certain  amount  of  the  image  is  lost. 

MR.  RovLAHR:16 

I  wish  to  ask  Mr.  Bartlett  to  tell  us  about  the  nature  of  the  course 
on  which  he  experimented,  and  also  make  some  statement  about  what 
types  of  subjects  lend  themselves  best  to  television. 

CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

The  course  was  a  course  in  citizenship.  Its  purpose  was  the  develop- 
ment of  critical  judgment  in  a  student  so  that  as  a  citizen  he  might 
understand  the  good  and  the  bad  features  of  the  mass  media.  We  also 
wanted  him  to  know  the  nature  of  a  citizen's  responsibility  in  a  free 
society. 

As  to  what  other  courses  lend  themselves  to  this  method  of  teaching, 
let  us  ask  the  panel. 

MR.  SHERBURNE: 

So  far,  we  haven't  found  anything  we  cannot  teach  by  television. 

MR.  JACKSON  : 

We  have  divided  our  program  into  three  types — the  informational 
type,  the  application  type,  and  the  skilled  training  type.  We  believe  that 
the  informational  courses  can  be  taught  most  successfully  by  television. 
Television  is  exceptionally  good  for  orientation  and  in  stimulating  in- 
terest. We  still  have  some  doubt  whether  TV  can  do  a  job  of  training. 

15  In  charge,  Radio  and  Television,  College  of  Forestry,  New  York  State  University, 
Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

16  Teacher,  W.  K.  Kellogg  Senior  High  School,  Battle  Creek,  Mich. 


48  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

MR.  WILLIAM  C.  DEMPSEY:" 

I  wish  to  raise  a  question  relative  to  the  expansion  of  the  closed  cir- 
cuit television  to  the  general  audience.  Mr.  Sherburne  said  he  thought 
his  findings  were  applicable  to  all  forms  of  television.  However,  Mr. 
Sulds  emphasized  that  in  the  closed  circuit  situation,  we  are  working 
with  a  specialized  audience,  a  selective  audience. 

I  wonder  if  Mr.  Sherburne  would  like  to  comment  on  that? 
MR.  SHERBURNE: 

We  know,  in  general,  that  television  is  more  effective  in  the  majority 
of  teaching  situations,  but  it  still  comes  down  to  the  question  of  what  you 
are  trying  to  do.   Far  be  it  from  me  to  recommend  television,  if  it  is  not 
the  best  medium  for  the  particular  situation. 
MR.  GERALD  P.  CAFFREY:IS 

What  financial  gain  can  the  theater  owners  hope  to  get  out  of 
educational  programs  shown  in  their  theaters? 
MR.  SULDS: 

There  will  be  quite  a  bit  of  profit  in  theater  television.  First  of  all, 
it  comes  during  a  period  when  the  theater  is  normally  dark. 

In  the  field  of  public  service,  there  are  two  methods  of  meeting 
certain  expenses.  Either  you  charge  10  to  20  cents  admission,  or  you 
get  an  industrial  corporation  to  sponsor  the  activities. 

There  is  no  great  profit  for  theaters  in  public  service  programs,  but 
there  is  a  considerable  potential  profit  in  the  straight  commercial  pro- 
gram.  When  we  go  into  a  medium  as  expensive  as  theater  television,  the 
profit  motive  is  important. 
CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

In  closing  this  session,  we  have  asked  each  of  the  speakers  to  make  a 
one-minute  summary,  starting  with  Dr.  Johnson. 
MR.  JOHNSON: 

In  Civil  Defense,  we  have  a  difficult  training  problem  and  we  will 
continue  to  experiment  with  closed  circuit  television  as  well  as  other 
mediums.    I  like  to  put  it  this  way:  We  believe  that  television  is  the 
device  of  which  it  should  be  the  cure. 
MR.  AZINE: 

The  television  branch  of  the  Federal  Civil  Defense  Administration 
is  in  the  business  of  providing  a  channel  for  men  who  have  something 
to  say,  like  Dr.  Johnson. 

With  respect  to  the  theater  television  closed  circuit,  we  feel  it  is 
practical.  It  is  possible  for  a  man  to  go  on  the  air  in  Washington, 

17  Director  of  Radio  and  Television,  San  Francisco  State  College,  San  Francisco,  Calif. 

18  Coordinator  of  Radio  and  Publications,  City  of  Milwaukee,  Wise. 


CLOSED    CIRCUIT    THEATER    TELEVISION  49 

Detroit  or  Chicago,  and  have  him  address  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
people  simultaneously,  face-to-face,  swiftly,  and  uniformly,  giving  them 
sight,  sound  and  motion.  Two-way  communication  also  is  practical. 

Theater  television  is  physically  attractive.  The  auditoriums  are  built 
for  large  numbers  of  people.  They  are  centrally  located  and  com- 
fortable. 

For  a  fraction  of  the  cost  of  a  telegram  or  a  long  distance  telephone 
call,  you  can  address  a  person  with  a  full  hour  of  the  whole  works — 
sight,  sound  and  motion. 
MR.  SHERBURNE: 

We  can  sum  up  the  results  of  the  Navy  experience  in  television  with 
the  following  conclusions: 

In  the  majority  of  cases,  television  will  teach  better  than  the  conven- 
tional methods  of  classroom  instruction. 

It  has  been  used  effectively  in  the  national  training  situation;  not  an 
experimental  situation. 

It  will  be  more  effective  when  used  in  conjunction  with  classroom 
instruction. 
MR.  SULDS: 

I  would  like  to  have  you  give  me  your  opinion  on  the  proposal  for 
this  teacher  training  course  on  theater  television.    I  hope  that  you  will 
speak  to  me  or  write  to  me  about  it.    Our  public  service  committee  will 
be  glad  to  consider  it. 
CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

In  bringing  this  meeting  to  a  close,  let  us  all  express  our  appreciation 
for  the  great  amount  of  information  this  panel  has  given  us. 


INTERNATIONAL  ASPECTS  OF  RADIO 


BROADCASTING  TO  FOREIGN  COUNTRIES 


THE  GREATEST  STORY  BEING  TOLD 

SPECIAL  INTEREST  GROUP 
DOROTHY  M.  LEWIS,1  Presiding 

SOME  STARTLING  CHANGES  IN  OUR  PATTERN  of  living  have 
been  recorded  by  history  during  the  past  few  years.  Hiroshima 
brought  about  a  re-evaluation  of  our  importance  as  human  be- 
ings j  it  demonstrated  our  interdependence  and  basic  equality. 
Recovering  from  the  severe  body  blow  of  World  War  II,  our 
human  family  cannot  seem  to  adjust  itself  to  the  surprisingly 
complicated  task  of  building  a  secure  peace.  We'd  like  to  be  let 
alone,  sit  by  our  fireside,  or  go  fishing.  Instead,  through  the 
atomic  threat,  all  men  are  now  exposed  to  potential  annihila- 
tion. That  we  are  now  our  "brothers'  keepers"  becomes  an 
urgent  directive.  A  western  bishop  described  the  United  Na- 
tions as  "the  most  Christian  thing  in  the  world  today,  and  man's 
greatest  achievement."  I  like  to  call  it  the  "Greatest  Story 
Being  Told." 

This  story  is  being  told  mostly  through  media,  but  more 
effectively  by  person-to-person,  by  those  people  who  have  vis- 
ited or  worked  with  the  United  Nations.  This  latter  method, 
while  convincing,  can't  meet  entirely  the  urgency  of  the  times. 
Media's  responsibility  in  adequately  interpreting  the  breadth 
and  depth  of  the  United  Nations  operation  is  probably  its 
greatest  challenge.  To  paraphrase  Voltaire,  "The  most  potent 
thing  in  the  world  is  media  whose  time  has  come."  It  is  my 
considered  opinion  that  the  coverage  has  not  as  yet  been  com- 
prehensive or  fair.  The  Press,  particularly,  has  a  conflict  com- 

1  Coordinator,  U.  S.  Station  Relations,  United  Nations  Radio,  New  York  City. 

53 


54  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

plex.  Trouble  and  disagreement  make  headlines.  If  that  were 
the  only  activity  of  the  U.N.,  no  one  should  quarrel.  But  the 
fact  is  that  every  hour  that  passes  sees  in  some  part  of  the  world 
United  Nations  at  work,  building  foundations  for  peace. 

It  is  well  to  remember  that  the  United  Nations  is  not  a 
political  organization,  static,  with  fixed  policies  and  executive 
powers.  George  Ivan  Smith,  director  of  the  U.N.  Information 
Center  in  London,  has  likened  it  to  a  great  lake  into  which  all 
the  streams  of  thought  are  pouring,  at  a  tremendous  rate.  Polit- 
ical, economic,  social  and  cultural  streams.  The  work  of  the 
organization  is  to  adjust  levels,  to  channel  the  richness  back 
out  into  the  world.  Perhaps  it  is  no  coincidence  that  the  real 
beginnings  of  the  U.N.  were  started  at  a  place  called  Lake 
Success. 

Media  are  waking  up  to  the  vast  and  fascinating  story  that 
United  Nations  is  unfolding.  Such  newspapers  as  the  Christian 
Science  Monitor,  the  New  York  Times  and  Herald  Tribune, 
are  pioneering  patterns  in  bringing  consistent  comprehensive 
U.N.  coverage  to  the  people.  Motion  picture  companies  now 
seek  to  make  shorts.  Magazines,  such  as  Colliers  and  Look,  are 
doing  special  feature  stories.  U.N.  Radio,  however,  has  made 
the  most  of  this  greatest  story  being  told.  It  has  created  a  world 
auditorium.  Millions  of  people  throughout  the  world  have 
heard  about  U.N.  Statistics  tell  us  that  while  some  200  million 
are  reached  by  the  press  today,  600  million  can  be  reached  by 
radio.  Yet  this  is  but  one-fifth  of  the  earth's  population,  and 
millions  are  still  hungry  for  hope. 

Radio  is  a  particularly  effective  way  of  reaching  a  mass 
audience,  because  it  reaches  across  borders  to  the  illiterate  as 
well  as  the  educated.  Sir  Gerald  Campbell  once  said  of  broad- 
casting: "Through  man's  inventive  genius,  we  now  live  in  each 
other's  backyards.  We  shall  be  like  the  family  who  said  they'd 
willingly  die  for  each  other  but  found  living  together  almost 
impossible."  By  radio  and  man's  inventive  genius,  we  are  only 
one-seventh  of  a  second  apart.  We  are  neighbors  over  a  fre- 
quency back  fence.  Soon  we  shall  even  see  these  neighbors  by 
television. 

United  Nations  Radio  is  a  vital  division  of  U.N.'s  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Information.  It  is  dedicated  to  over-all  policies 
laid  down  in  1946  in  London,  namely: 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  55 

"That  the  U.N.  cannot  achieve  the  purposes  for  which  it 
has  been  created  unless  the  peoples  of  the  world  are  fully  in- 
formed of  its  aims  and  activities." 

Specifically,  it  is  designed  to  furnish  existing  systems  of 
broadcasting  with  news  and  feature  material,  and  to  offer  its 
full  facilities  to  accredited  correspondents  from  all  member 
states.  With  a  staff  of  some  one  hundred  international  civil 
servants,  that  is,  broadcasters  drawn  from  member  states,  U.N. 
Radio  broadcasts  daily  in  thirty  languages,  around  the  clock. 
Every  word  that  is  spoken  at  U.N.  sessions  is  documented,  not 
only  on  paper  but  on  recordings.  It  is  important  to  know  not 
just  what  is  said,  but  how  it  is  said.  U.N.  records  an  average  of 
45,000  words  a  day,  and  has  in  its  record  library  some  30,000 
records.  These  records  prove  most  helpful  to  radio  editors, 
who  must  each  day  prepare  news  summaries  for  release  to  all 
parts  of  the  world.  Many  broadcasts  contain  excerpts  of  the 
actual  voices  of  delegates  from  the  floor  of  the  meetings.  Accu- 
racy and  truth  are  "musts"  in  U.N.  reporting,  since  the  ear- 
phones of  sixty  governments  are  monitoring  the  output. 

The  daily  news  story  is  arresting,  originating  as  it  does  at 
U.N.  headquarters  or  perhaps  from  some  far  away  U.N.  meet- 
ing or  outpost.  Each  day  overseas  circuits  bring  in  such  infor- 
mation direct  from  the  source,  as,  for  example,  Korea.  Equally 
interesting  and  sometimes  more  listenable  are  the  feature  broad- 
casts and  "documentaries"  which  U.N.  Radio  produces.  Never 
before  has  any  radio  system  had  such  a  wealth  of  material  on 
tap.  Everything  from  top  ranking  officialdom  to  missing  per- 
sons and  DP's  is  grist  for  the  U.N.  air  waves.  For  these  pro- 
grams U.N.  Radio  has  received  numerous  top  awards  such  as 
the  Peabody  and  the  award  of  the  Ohio  State  University  Insti- 
tute for  Education  by  Radio  and  Television. 

Networks  and  stations  are  becoming  aware  of  the  daily 
drama.  In  the  United  States,  five  networks  and  about  1,600 
stations  carry  programs  about  the  United  Nations,  daily  or 
weekly.  On  U.N.  Day,  1951,  an  estimated  audience  of 
100,000,000  heard  about  U.N.  Programs  range  from  the  daily 
news,  "U.N.  Today,"  "Spotlight  on  the  U.N."  and  the  CBS 
"U.N.  on  the  Record,"  to  occasional  spectacular  documentaries. 
A  feature  I5~minute  program  called  "U.N.  Story"  is  broad- 
cast by  500  stations  scattered  from  coast-to-coast.  This  series, 


56  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

with  arresting  sub-titles  such  as  "Citizens  of  the  World,"  covers 
the  lesser  human  but  impartial  activities  of  U.N.  What  spe- 
cifically do  these  programs  feature? 

First  of  all,  the  success  stories.  Palestine,  where  the  U.N. 
lost  its  first  martyr  of  peace,  Count  Folke  Bernadotte,  and 
where  Dr.  Ralph  Bunche,  1950  Nobel  prize  winner,  became 
the  new  Colossus  of  Rhodes.  While  tensions  still  exist,  and 
numerous  problems  must  inevitably  be  faced  where  such  vast 
changes  have  taken  place,  we  must  remember  that  a  cease-fire 
order  was  obtained  and  that  it  held.  This  small  fire  was  extin- 
guished when  it  might  have  spread  into  a  world  conflagration. 
The  Kashmir  story  is  another  case  of  cease-fire  and  nego- 
tiation. We  might  say  that  those  "pale  hands"  laid  down  the 
sword  and  picked  up  the  gavel.  The  end  of  the  story  has  not 
been  written,  but  men  of  good  will  are  giving  their  lives  in  an 
effort  to  satisfy  the  valid  and  vast  interests  of  Pakistan  and 
India.  The  immediate  objective  is  the  plebiscite,  which  we 
anticipate  in  1952. 

The  most  significant  saga  is  that  of  Indonesia,  thought  of 
by  some  as  a  tiny  area  in  the  South  Pacific,  and  yet  which  holds 
the  destiny  of  70,000,000  people — nearly  half  the  population 
of  the  U.  S.  Again,  after  bitter  fighting,  a  Commissioner  of  the 
United  Nations  secured  a  cease-fire  order  and  began  the  ardu- 
ous task  of  arranging  trade  treaties  that  could  satisfy  the  Neth- 
erlands, which  for  years  had  held  the  rich  territory  as  part  of 
its  colonial  empire,  and  at  the  same  time  insure  adequate  eco- 
nomic conditions  for  the  New  Republic.  History  recorded  the 
success  of  this  operation  at  a  brilliant  occasion  in  the  Hague  on 
December  27,  1949,  when  Queen  Juliana  gave  the  Indonesians 
their  freedom  and  the  bells  rang  out  the  two  national  anthems. 
We  can  truthfully  say  that  a  new  nation  was  born  with  a  min- 
imum of  bloodshed  by  the  U.N.  techniques — mediation,  arbi- 
tration and  conciliation. 

The  story  of  Korea  is  being  written  day  by  day,  and  the 
principle  of  collective  security  is  being  tested  there.  Some  basic 
facts  to  remember  are  these: 

i.  That  President  Truman,  representing  the  U.S.A. 
in  taking  immediate  action  upon  the  invasion  of  South 
Korea  by  North  Korea,  was  within  the  terms  of  refer- 
ence of  the  U.N.  Charter. 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  $J 

2.  That  the  Security  Council,  which  Mr.  Lie  called 
at  once,  supported  the  action  of  the  U.S.A. — 54  to  6. 

3.  That  there  are  17  U.N.  member  states  maintain- 
ing troops  in  Korea,  and  that  while  the  U.S.  has  carried 
the  greatest  burden  in  Korea,  France  has  1 50,000  troops 
in  Indo-China  and  Britain  100,000  in  Malaya,  serving 
us  and  the  interests  of  free  men  everywhere. 

Let  us  turn  to  the  lesser-known,  but  even  more  significant, 
phases  of  the  United  Nations — activities  that  carry  out  the 
basic  long-term  objectives  of  its  charter,  namely,  the  creation 
of  a  climate  for  peace. 

The  Trusteeship  Council,  for  example,  in  very  simple  terms 
can  be  described  as  the  strong  helping  the  weak.  Actually,  the 
Trusteeship  Council  is  carrying  on  the  work  of  the  old  League 
of  Nations  and  countries  under  mandate.  Already,  under  its 
administration,  one-fifth  of  the  earth's  population  have  emerged 
from  the  status  of  colonialism  to  free  citizens  of  new  republics. 
I  refer  to  such  countries  as  the  Philippines,  India,  Burma,  Cey- 
lon, Jordan,  Israel,  Korea,  Nepal.  Libya  celebrated  its  birth- 
day on  December  26,  1951. 

Arnold  J.  Toynbee  wrote  in  the  New  York  Times  recently: 
"Can  we  guess  what  the  outstanding  feature  of  our  Twentieth 
Century  will  appear  to  be  in  the  perspective  of  300  years?— 
My  own  guess  is  that  our  age  will  be  remembered,  chiefly, 
neither  for  its  horrifying  crimes  nor  for  its  astonishing  inven- 
tions, but  for  its  having  been  the  first  age  since  the  dawn  of 
civilization,  some  five  or  six  thousand  years  back,  in  which  peo- 
ple dared  to  think  it  practicable  to  make  .  .  .  the  ideal  of 
welfare  for  all  a  practical  objective  instead  of  a  mere  Utopian 
dream." 

Under  the  varied  commissions  and  agencies  of  the  Eco- 
nomic and  Social  Council,  we  have  the  most  exciting  sagas  of 
the  United  Nations,  those  that  deal  primarily  with  human  val- 
ues. Time  will  permit  but  a  glimpse  into  the  functions  of  each 
of  these  world  bodies.  Briefly: 

The  World  Health  Organization,  founded  in  1948  with 
seventy-six  member  states;  headquarters,  Geneva.  Its  objec- 
tive: "the  attainment  by  all  peoples  of  the  world  of  the  highest 
possible  level  of  health." 


58  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

More  than  thirty-five  countries  have  received  200  fellow- 
ships for  health  and  medical  personnel.  It  is  impossible  to 
delineate  all  its  achievements,  but  let  me  illustrate  with  two 
stories  how  it  is  pioneering  new  patterns.  In  Greece,  WHO  set 
up  a  pilot  project  on  malarial  control.  We  DDT'ed  the  swamps 
in  certain  areas  in  Greece.  Cases  were  reduced  from  1,000,000 
to  50,000  in  one  year,  the  income  of  the  people  living  in  the 
areas  was  increased  by  one-third.  In  Panama,  yellow  fever 
broke  out  in  a  jungle  village  two  years  ago.  The  Panamanian 
government  being  a  member  of  WHO,  cabled  Geneva  for 
serum.  Geneva  cabled  member  states  in  this  hemisphere  to  send 
serum  to  Panama.  This  was  the  second  day.  The  third  day  the 
serum  arrived  and  was  administered  to  all  villagers.  The  fourth 
day,  the  epidemic  was  over.  We  might  say  through  the  WHO, 
major  epidemics  are  a  thing  of  the  past,  the  result  of  coopera- 
tion and  coordination. 

In  1945,  I  had  the  opportunity  of  attending  the  first  con- 
ference of  the  Food  and  Agriculture  Organization  in  Quebec. 
Today,  it  has  sixty-six  members  with  its  headquarters  in  Rome. 
Its  name  indicates  the  scope  of  its  activities:  higher  levels  of 
nutrition,  improved  production  and  distribution  of  food,  etc. 
The  1951  FAO  report  contains  several  fascinating  stories  of 
FAO's  work  and  its  interrelation  with  the  Technical  Assistance 
program.  Let  me  relate  a  few  of  them. 

In  Ecuador  there  are  30,000  weavers  who  make  blankets, 
rugs,  clothing  and  other  such  items.  For  300  years,  no  changes 
have  been  made  in  the  hand  looms  and  native  dyes.  An  expert 
from  Oklahoma  was  sent  down  to  study  their  methods.  As  a 
result  the  looms  were  changed  slightly  and,  whereas  in  previous 
times  natives  received  1 8  cents  per  day,  today  their  daily  income 
has  reached  $2.70,  and  with  no  increase  in  prices.  Imagine  the 
changes  ahead  for  the  30,000  weavers  and  their  families. 

One  of  the  unique  stories  is  that  of  a  group  of  experts  from 
Iceland  who  have  been  sent  to  the  West  Indies  to  study  the  uses 
of  volcanic  steam  for  heating,  power  and  lighting  purposes. 
Why  from  Iceland?  Because  for  years  Iceland  has  used  its  hot 
springs  to  heat  and  generate  electricity. 

Another  fascinating  story  is  told  of  one  of  our  U.N.  experts 
who  was  sent  to  Afghanistan  to  study  methods  to  improve 
cotton  production,  since  that  country  must  import  much  of  its 
cotton.  He  found  no  hoes — a  necessary  tool  for  cotton  farming 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  59 

— so  he  persuaded  a  nearby  sugar  factory  to  make  a  few. 
Farmers  were  brought  together  from  sixty-five  areas  to  watch 
demonstrations.  The  result,  needless  to  say,  is  a  marked  in- 
crease in  the  cotton  production  and  a  large  order  for  new  hoes 
is  being  filled  by  a  European  manufacturer  for  these  Afghan- 
istan farmers. 

Rinderpest  is  a  dread  disease  of  cattle  throughout  the  Far 
East.  Thailand  made  a  concerted  effort  to  wipe  it  out  of  the 
country  by  innoculating  every  cow.  This  arduous  task  was  done 
and  not  a  single  case  has  appeared  since  1949.  Farmers  have 
been  saved  valuable  animals  and  the  people  have  more  meat 
and  milk.  Veterinarians  have  been  able  to  concentrate  their 
efforts  on  other  animal  husbandry  problems. 

Under  the  FAO  are  other  subsidiary  bodies  such  as  the 
International  Rice  Council,  the  International  Fisheries  Council 
and  still  another  devoted  to  forestry  and  erosion. 

These  are  only  vignettes,  but  they  indicate  the  practical 
ways  in  which  the  world's  peoples  are  learning  to  work  together 
and  share  experience. 

There  are  other  world  organizations  under  the  U.N.  um- 
brella: the  International  Trade  Organization,  with  fifty-two 
member  governments  participating  j  headquarters,  Geneva.  The 
largest  trade  conference  in  the  world  was  held  at  Torquay, 
England,  in  1950;  forty  nations,  representing  over  four-fifths 
of  the  world's  trade,  attended.  Tariffs  on  some  45,000  items 
have  been  adjusted  through  its  machinery. 

The  International  Refugee  Organization  which  closed  its 
offices  January  31,  1952,  has  rendered  one  of  the  great  services 
to  mankind  in  moving  hundreds  of  thousands  of  DP's  to  new 
homes  in  many  U.N.  member  countries,  and  in  tracing  over 
100,000  missing  persons  and  restoring  them  to  their  families. 

The  International  Labor  Organization,  with  sixty-two  mem- 
ber states,  also  has  headquarters  in  Geneva.  While  it  is  over 
thirty  years  old,  it  now  functions  under  the  U.N.  During  its 
existence,  it  has  adopted  ninety-eight  conventions  and  eighty- 
eight  recommendations  dealing  with  standards  of  work,  hours, 
working  conditions,  etc. 

Another  world  body  with  headquarters  in  Montreal  is  the 
ICAO — the  International  Civil  Aviation  Organization — with 
fifty-seven  member  nations.  It  promotes  greater  efficiency  and 
safety  in  flying,  seeks  to  unify  aviation  regulations  in  various 


6O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

countries,  develops  codes,  etc.  It  works  closely  with  the  World 
Meteorological  Organization  and  its  study  of  weather  and  main- 
tenance of  weather  ships. 

You  are  doubtless  well  acquainted  with  the  purposes  and 
work  of  the  United  Nations  Educational,  Scientific  and  Cul- 
tural Organization,  known  as  UNESCO,  which  operates  out  of 
Paris  with  a  membership  of  fifty-nine  governments.  Its  famous 
charter  states  that  "wars  begin  in  the  minds  of  men,"  and  its 
efforts  are  long-term  and  dedicated  to  exchange  of  knowledge 
in  educational,  cultural  and  scientific  fields. 

Time  will  not  permit  a  review  of  the  other  organizations 
such  as  the  UPU — Universal  Postal  Union;  IMF — Interna- 
tional Monetary  Fund;  and  IBRD — International  Bank  for 
Reconstruction  and  Development. 

We  should,  however,  mention  UNICEF,  that  vast  human- 
itarian body  that  has  ministered  to  the  needs  of  millions  of 
children  by  providing  clothes,  food  and  medicine.  It  has  been 
supported  by  governments  and  by  volunteer  contributions. 

The  Human  Rights  Commission  must  not  be  overlooked 
with  its  signally  successful  document,  "The  Declaration  of 
Human  Rights,"  adopted  by  the  General  Assembly  in  1948. 
Many  feel  that  it  supercedes  all  previous  documents  and  bills 
of  history  that  have  been  dedicated  to  fundamental  human 
rights.  Incredible  patience  was  exercised  in  drafting  its  articles 
by  the  first  chairman,  Mrs.  Franklin  Delano  Roosevelt,  and 
her  committee.  Speaking  of  "Human  Rights,"  Ben  Franklin, 
many  years  ago,  said:  "God  grant  that  not  only  the  love  of 
liberty  but  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Rights  of  Man  may 
pervade  all  nations  of  the  earth  so  that  a  philosopher  may  set 
his  foot  anywhere  on  its  surface  and  say  'This  is  my  country.' ' 

Under  the  Commission  on  Human  Rights  is  a  division 
devoted  to  the  status  of  women,  which  undertakes  studies  in  the 
raising  of  standards  for  women  in  fields  of  equal  rights,  equal 
pay  and  equal  educational  opportunities. 

Another  facet  of  U.N.  operation  is  the  large  body  of  the 
Secretariat — 4,000  international  civil  servants  who  prepare  for 
all  meeetings  and  carry  out  the  directives  of  these  U.N.  organs. 
This  is  the  working  body,  made  up  of  experts  from  all  member 
states. 

Finally,  I  should  like  to  point  out  the  essential  differences 
between  the  League  of  Nations  and  the  United  Nations,  because 
it  is  of  real  concern  to  all  of  us,  the  people.  We  are,  by  action 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  6 1 

of  the  United  Nations,  an  integral  part  of  this  world  commu- 
nity. At  San  Francisco,  the  charter  was  drafted  to  read,  aWe 
the  peoples," — not  governments,  but  peoples — and  provision 
was  made  for  our  participation  under  the  Non-Governmental 
section  of  the  Department  of  Public  Information. 

Today,  most  major  organizations  maintain  an  accredited 
"observer"  at  U.N.  headquarters.  They  have  access  to  meet- 
ings, records  and  delegates.  They  report  back  to  their  groups. 
Today,  thousands  of  people  are  working  with  the  United  Na- 
tions in  various  capacities.  It  is  a  token  of  love.  Prof.  Henry 
Overstreet  says:  "The  extent  to  which  persons  engage  in  vol- 
untary effort  may  be  considered  a  measure  of  maturity."  We 
would  appear  to  be  growing  up.  No  longer  are  negotiations 
conducted  behind  palace  doors,  but  in  a  world  forum,  and  we, 
the  people,  have  a  front  seat  and  a  voice.  Perhaps  another  great 
strength  of  the  United  Nations  lies  in  the  participation  of  thou- 
sands of  the  world's  top  leaders,  scientists,  economists  in  its 
long-term  program.  Surely,  through  that  constant  collabora- 
tion and  exchange  we  are  building  foundations  for  a  more  secure 
world. 

The  problems  of  peace  are  not  new.  Here  is  a  prayer  of 
Aristophanes,  spoken  in  400  B.C.:  "O  thou,  that  maketh  wars 
to  cease  in  all  the  world  in  accordance  with  thine  ancient  law, 
we  beseech  thee  make  war  and  tumult  now  to  cease.  From  the 
murmur  and  subtlety  of  suspicion,  with  which  we  vex  one  an- 
other, give  us  rest.  Make  a  new  beginning  and  mingle  again 
the  kindred  of  the  nations  in  an  alchemy  of  love.  With  some 
finer  essence  of  forbearance  and  forgiveness  temper  our  words." 
Sounds  familiar,  doesn't  it  ?  The  world  may  be  a  neighborhood  j 
it  is  not  yet  a  brotherhood. 

What  can  we,  as  individuals,  do  to  help? 

We  can  be  better  informed. 

Encourage  better  coverage  of  U.N.  by  newspapers,  radio 
and  TV. 

Schedule  meetings  about  the  U.N. 

Pass  constructive  resolutions. 

Contact  our  Senators  and  Congressmen. 

Encourage  libraries  to  stock  U.N.  material. 

See  that  schools  teach  about  the  U.N. 

Send  suggestions  and/or  criticisms  to  our  Department  of 
State. 

Most  of  all,  have  faith. 


62  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Mark  Twain  was  asked  one  day,  "Don't  you  find  many 
things  in  the  Bible  difficult  to  understand?"  He  answered, 
"The  things  I  find  most  difficult  are  the  things  I  do  under- 
stand." If  we  understand  the  United  Nations,  we  will  find 
much  to  do,  much  that  challenges  us.  If  we  work  together 
within  the  United  Nations,  we  can  solve  many  of  the  problems 
of  the  world.  It  requires  dedication,  courage,  faith  and  patience. 


WHAT  LIES  AHEAD 

E.  M.  WEBSTER2 

IN  MY  POSITION  AS  A  MEMBER  of  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission,  I  hesitate  to  discuss  international  radio  con- 
ferences from  other  than  the  standpoint  of  the  technical  aspects 
involved.  Discussions  of  the  diplomatic  and  substantive  phases 
of  international  broadcasting  normally  fall  within  the  scope  of 
our  Department  of  State.  However,  for  over  a  period  of  more 
than  twenty  years,  I  attended  many  radio  conferences  as  a  Uni- 
ted States  delegate,  and  I  speak  from  personal  knowledge  when 
I  say  that  not  only  are  intricate  technical  factors  involved,  but 
also,  more  often  than  not,  political  and  economic  forces  of  a 
global  nature. 

A  discussion  of  recent  world  conferences  concerned  with 
radio  frequencies  is  meaningless  unless  one  has  some  knowledge 
of  frequency  propagation  and  usage  problems,  as  well  as  the 
results  of  earlier  conferences  which  dealt  with  these  problems. 
Therefore,  I  would  like  to  begin  by  giving  you  some  back- 
ground information. 

Because  of  the  phenomenon  of  radio  propagation,  long  dis- 
tance radio  communications  are  presently  accomplished  almost 
entirely  through  the  use  of  those  high  frequencies  which  lie 
between  the  limits  of  4  and  27  megacycles,  and  constitute  only 
a  relatively  small  portion  of  the  total  radio  spectrum.  These 
too  few  frequencies  are  required  by  long  distance  radio  com- 
munication users,  such  as  overseas  point-to-point  telegraph  and 
telephone  companies,  international  broadcasters,  and  the  mari- 
time and  aeronautical  services.  Therefore,  these  channels  must 
be  allocated  according  to  the  needs  and  relative  importance  of 
the  services. 

The  full  use  of  such  frequencies  at  all  times  is  restricted  as 

3  Commissioner,  FCC,  Washington,  D.  C. 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  63 

a  result  of  alterations  in  propagating  ability  caused  by  atmos- 
pheric conditions,  changes  which  take  place  when  day  becomes 
night,  sunspot  cycles  and  seasonal  changes.  Accordingly,  no  one 
particular  high  frequency  will  reach  far-flung  areas  at  all  times, 
day  and  night.  For  example,  a  6  megacycle  frequency  might 
be  required  for  a  particular  circuit  on  a  winter  night  when  sun- 
spots  are  at  a  minimum,  while  a  1 7  or  2 1  megacycle  frequency 
might  be  required  on  a  summer  day  when  sunspots  are  at  a 
maximum. 

Since  the  high  frequencies  are  readily  transmitted  across 
international  boundaries,  their  indiscriminate  use,  without  con- 
sideration of  the  effect  upon  other  countries,  would  result  in 
utter  chaos  through  interference.  In  view  of  this  fact,  a  number 
of  years  ago  leading  nations  of  the  world  recognized  interna- 
tional radio  conferences  and  agreements  to  be  a  necessary  and 
recurring  phase  of  relations  between  nations,  in  order  to  prevent 
chaotic  global  conditions  in  electronic  communications. 

During  and  following  World  War  I,  great  strides  were 
made  in  developing  the  use  of  high  frequencies.  The  Interna- 
tional Radiotelegraph  Conference  held  in  Washington,  D.  C.  in 
1927,  being  aware  of  the  long  distance  characteristics  of  those 
frequencies,  established  a  frequency  allocation  table  consonant 
with  the  needs  of  long  distance  services.  At  this  time  high  fre- 
quency broadcasting  was  recognized  as  a  means  for  disseminating 
propaganda,  but  most  nations,  including  the  United  States, 
strongly  opposed  the  use  of  these  channels  for  such  a  purpose. 
They  considered  that  the  primary  basic  objective  should  be  the 
exchange  of  cultural  and  entertainment  programs  between 
widely  separated  countries,  to  be  rebroadcast  over  the  domestic 
system  of  the  country  receiving  the  program.  It  also  was  con- 
templated that  these  channels  would  provide  for  transmitting 
programs,  including  news,  from  the  homeland  to  the  colonies 
of  countries  with  overseas  possessions.  This  was  known  as  "em- 
pire" or  "colonial"  broadcasting.  In  the  United  States  trans- 
missions of  these  types  were  referred  to  as  "relay"  broadcasting. 
In  addition,  nations,  such  as  Brazil,  Canada,  Russia,  India,  and 
Australia,  having  large,  sparsely  settled  land  areas  and  domestic 
broadcast  systems  in  the  conventional  radio  band  not  reaching 
all  sections  of  their  respective  countries,  proposed  to  use  such 
frequencies  for  domestic  broadcasting.  This  conference  con- 
cluded with  the  allocation  of  850  kilocycles  of  space  for  the 
purpose  of  international  broadcasting. 


64  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

The  International  Radiotelegraph  Conference  in  Madrid, 
Spain,  in  1932,  made  practically  no  changes  in  the  high  fre- 
quency broadcast  band,  but  the  conference  in  Cairo,  Egypt,  in 
1938,  added  about  50  kilocycles  of  space.  While  it  had  no 
immediate  effect  upon  international  broadcasting,  the  Madrid 
conference,  in  1932,  established  the  International  Telecommu- 
nication Union,  which  in  restricted  form,  actually  had  been  in 
existence  under  another  name  since  1 865.  Its  headquarters  were 
first  set  up  in  Bern,  Switzerland,  and  later  moved  to  Geneva. 
Its  Secretary  General  was  intended  to  serve  as  a  "housekeeper" 
for  countries  using  international  frequencies. 

With  the  outbreak  of  World  War  II,  almost  every  country, 
including  the  United  States,  knowing  that  an  extremely  potent 
weapon  of  psychological  warfare  was  to  be  found  in  interna- 
tional broadcasting,  revised  the  earlier  philosophy  as  to  the 
limited  uses  which  should  be  made  of  high  frequency  broad- 
casting, and  arranged  to  use  the  facilities  of  international  broad- 
cast stations  for  propaganda  purposes  also.  After  the  shooting 
war  was  over,  the  cold  war  of  propaganda  became  more  intense 
than  ever. 

In  1947,  the  first  post-war  International  Telecommunica- 
tion Conference  was  held  in  Atlantic  City,  New  Jersey.  There 
the  conferees  were  faced  with  many  complex  problems  brought 
on  by  the  fact  that  practically  all  countries  had  increased  their 
use  of  radio  between  the  years  1938  and  1947,  and  had  devel- 
oped plans  for  post-war  expansion  of  their  services  in  this  field. 
Accordingly,  it  was  necessary  for  the  conference,  among  other 
things,  to  redivide  the  high  frequency  portion  of  the  spectrum 
among  the  broadcasting,  fixed  point-to-point,  maritime  and 
aeronautical  services.  Significantly  enough,  the  countries  agreed 
that  the  allocation  for  high  frequency  broadcasting  should  be 
increased  to  1350  kilocycles  of  space,  50  per  cent  more  than  the 
900  kilocycles  allocated  at  the  1938  Cairo  Conference. 

The  additional  space  was  located  in  that  highly  desirable 
portion  of  the  spectrum  between  5  and  20  megacycles,  which 
contains  frequencies  most  useful  from  the  standpoint  of  prop- 
agation. This  space  was  made  available  to  the  broadcast  service 
primarily  by  depriving  the  fixed  point-to-point  telegraph  and 
telephone  service  of  some  of  its  frequencies.  In  view  of  the  fact 
that  the  fixed  service  had  also  grown  in  the  years  since  1938, 
this  action  undoubtedly  reflected  the  importance  which  the  vari- 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  65 

ous  countries  attached  to  international  broadcasting.  However, 
the  50  per  cent  increase  in  spectrum  space  granted  the  broadcast 
service  did  not  solve  the  problem  of  unplanned  or  unilateral 
station  assignments,  because  the  number  of  broadcast  stations 
which  the  various  countries  were  operating,  or  claimed  to  be 
operating,  on  paper  more  than  filled  even  the  enlarged  broad- 
cast bands.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  at  the  time  of  the  Atlantic  City 
Conference,  the  number  of  international  broadcast  stations 
throughout  the  world  had  reached  such  fantastic  proportions 
that  the  planned  use  of  international  broadcasting  frequencies 
to  avoid  interference,  had  become  inoperative.  The  situation 
was  such  that  no  country  could  select  frequencies  for  its  broad- 
cast stations  with  any  assurance  that  some  other  country  was  not 
already  broadcasting  on  the  same  frequency,  or  contemplated 
doing  so  shortly.  In  fact,  a  number  of  countries  found  it  neces- 
sary to  operate  in  derogation  of  the  international  agreement, 
regardless  of  the  interference  created. 

The  Atlantic  City  Conference  of  1947  established  a  new 
table  of  frequency  allocations,  but  it  was  so  different  from  the 
Cairo  table  that  it  was  not  possible  for  the  countries  to  commit 
themselves  to  its  implementation  until  they  could  see  the  actual 
impact  of  that  table  on  their  individual  operations.  In  other 
words,  they  wanted  first  to  see  and  evaluate  a  station  assignment 
plan.  Accordingly,  the  table  was  not  scheduled  to  come  into 
effect  until  such  a  plan  was  agreed  to  by  the  participating 
countries. 

The  engineers  at  the  conference  were  of  the  opinion  that,  if 
precise  information  could  be  obtained  from  each  country  as  to 
exactly  how  many  stations  it  operated,  the  hours  and  frequency 
bands  used  by  each,  and  other  technical  particulars,  the  problem 
could  be  resolved  then  and  there  from  a  technical  point  of  view. 
With  this  end  in  mind,  a  special  conference  assembled  at  Atlantic 
City  concurrently  with  the  latter  part  of  the  basic  international 
radio  conference  for  the  purpose  of  preparing,  on  a  world-wide 
basis,  a  station  assignment  plan  which  would  provide  appro- 
priate frequencies  for  each  active,  on-the-air  high  frequency 
broadcast  station.  The  practical  result  of  this  special  conference 
was  to  hammer  home  the  importance  and  the  complexity  of  the 
problem  to  all  delegates,  who  soon  realized  that  they  could  not 
prepare  an  engineered  frequency  plan  without  the  indispensable 
tools  of  all  engineers — facts  and  figures.  In  this  case  it  was  the 


66  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

essential  data  regarding  the  number  of  stations,  their  locations, 
hours  of  programming  to  various  areas,  and  related  technical 
information  which  the  delegates  did  not  have  and  appeared 
unable  to  obtain  in  a  short  time.  As  a  result,  no  final  plans  could 
then  be  adopted. 

However,  a  planning  group  was  organized  to  prepare  a  first 
approximation  of  a  high  frequency  broadcast  assignment  plan 
which  would  be  reviewed  by  another  world  conference  in  Mex- 
ico City  scheduled  for  October,  1948.  It  was  contemplated 
that  the  conference  would,  on  the  basis  of  data  supplied  by  the 
planning  group,  draw  up  an  engineered  assignment  plan  for 
the  high  frequency  broadcast  stations  of  the  world,  acceptable 
to  all  concerned. 

The  prospects  for  such  a  plan  looked  hopeful  when  the 
Mexico  City  Conference  convened.  It  soon  became  apparent, 
however,  that  the  demands  far  exceeded  the  available  space. 
Many  countries  insisted  that  a  certain  number  of  frequency 
hours  be  assigned  to  them  whether  or  not  they  had  the  on-the- 
air  broadcast  stations  to  justify  their  request.  By  way  of  illus- 
tration, a  country  having  possibly  but  one  broadcast  station 
programming  three  hours  an  evening  to  a  certain  area  would 
insist  on  perhaps  thirty  frequency  hours  where  three  would 
suffice.  Faced  with  numerous  demands  of  this  sort,  the  conferees 
found  the  nature  of  the  problem  to  be  one  of  pouring  a  gallon 
of  milk  into  a  pint  jar. 

Both  the  United  States  and  Russia  submitted  suggested  in- 
ternational broadcast  plans  with  the  United  States  plan,  nat- 
urally, providing  for  the  minimum  basic  high  frequency  broad- 
cast needs  of  this  country.  Much  of  the  engineering  contained 
in  the  American  plan  served  as  a  basis  for  the  conference  plan, 
which  was  signed  by  more  than  fifty  countries  of  the  world. 
However,  the  final  plan  was  not  accepted  by  the  United  States 
since,  where  its  plan  provided  for  the  use  of  certain  high  fre- 
quency broadcast  channels  substantially  free  of  interference,  the 
conference  plan  placed  additional  stations  which  would,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  United  States,  degrade  the  service  it  would  be 
able  to  render. 

Nevertheless,  the  conference  was  not  a  total  loss,  since  much 
was  accomplished  by  way  of  technical  accord,  useful  in  future 
conferences.  The  conferees  agreed  upon  certain  sunspot  indices, 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  67 

channel  spacing  between  assignable  frequencies,  bandwidth, 
frequency  tolerance,  a  minimum  signal  to  be  protected,  etc. 

Before  concluding  the  Mexico  City  Conference,  the  dele- 
gates agreed  that  a  technical  plan  committee  should  meet  in 
Paris,  later  in  1949,  to  project  the  agreed  upon  phase  of  the 
plan  into  five  other  phases  for  the  sunspot  indices.  Since  the 
United  States  did  not  sign  the  Mexico  City  agreement,  it  was 
excluded  from  active  participation  in  the  meeting  of  the  com- 
mittee in  Paris,  but  observers  were  sent  thereto. 

The  next  world  broadcasting  conference,  known  as  the 
Rapallo  Conference,  convened  in  Florence,  Italy,  in  April  1950, 
but  moved  to  Rapallo,  Italy,  shortly  thereafter.  It  had  as  its 
primary  task  the  development  of  an  acceptable  plan  for  high 
frequency  broadcasting,  using  such  applicable  progress  as  was 
made  at  the  Mexico  City  and  Paris  meetings.  However,  the 
conference  was  confronted  with  new  and  altered  requirements 
from  many  of  the  countries,  including  the  United  States.  De- 
spite these  demands  progress  was  being  made  when  the  conflict 
in  Korea  broke  out.  Since  there  was  little  or  no  chance  that  any 
plan  developed  at  Rapallo  could  be  agreed  upon,  because  of  the 
uncertainty  of  the  requirements  which  might  arise  as  a  result  of 
this  conflict,  the  conference  was  terminated  before  the  plan  could 
be  completed  in  draft  form. 

In  October,  1951,  an  extraordinary  administrative  radio 
conference  convened  in  Geneva,  Switzerland,  to  consider,  among 
other  things,  steps  to  be  taken  to  implement  the  entire  Atlantic 
City  Allocation  Table  of  1947.  This  conference  recognized  that 
the  operations  of  international  broadcast  stations  of  many  coun- 
tries on  high  frequencies  in  bands  allocated  for  the  aeronautical, 
maritime  and  fixed  point-to-point  services  presented  a  major 
problem  in  connection  with  the  implementation  of  the  plans 
designed  to  provide  for  these  growing  services.  It  was  unable  to 
do  anything,  however,  but  reaffirm  the  progress  made  at  Mexico 
City  and  Rapallo,  and  to  assign  to  the  International  Frequency 
Registration  board  the  task  of  continuing  the  work  of  preparing 
an  acceptable  plan.  The  conference  ended  on  December  3,  1951, 
after  all  of  the  participating  countries,  except  those  within  the 
Soviet  sphere,  realizing  that  the  problem  of  allocating  the 
spectrum  between  1 600  kilocycles  and  30  megacycles  presented 
too  many  difficulties  to  permit  a  single  plan  therefor  to  be 


68  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

immediately  developed,  signed  an  agreement  setting  forth  steps 
which  will  be  taken  to  progressively  bring  all  international  fre- 
quency usage  into  accord  with  the  Atlantic  City  Table  of  Fre- 
quency Allocations. 

Before  the  allocations  conferences  convened  in  Atlantic  City 
in  1947,  high  frequency,  or  international  broadcasting,  found 
itself  in  a  rather  restricted  and  chaotic  condition.  Today,  five 
years  later,  the  situation,  for  the  most  part,  is  relatively  un- 
changed, and  might  even  be  considered  worsened.  Accordingly, 
it  would  appear  on  the  surface  that  little  or  nothing,  has  been 
accomplished  by  the  frequency  allocations  conferences  which 
have  taken  place  during  the  past  five  years.  But  it  would  be  as 
incorrect  and  as  unfair  to  reach  such  a  conclusion,  with  respect 
to  these  conferences,  as  it  would  be  to  make  such  a  statement 
with  regards  to  the  success  of  the  United  Nations  Assembly  in 
bringing  about  peaceful  relations  among  all  of  the  nations  of 
this  world.  The  goal  is  a  wise  one,  but  the  path  thereto  is  long 
and  tortuous. 

While  I  believe  the  present  international  broadcasting  prob- 
lem may  be  even  more  serious  than  it  was  in  1947,  this  is  no 
reflection  on  the  conferences,  but  rather  is  due,  among  other 
things,  to  the  fact  that,  since  World  War  II,  the  frequency 
demands  of  virtually  all  nations  have  far  exceeded  the  spectrum 
area  available  to  long  distance  communication  users,  and  the 
countries  thus  far  appear  to  have  been  unable,  collectively,  to 
tailor  their  demands  to  the  restricted  space. 

What  then,  has  been  accomplished  in  the  field  of  high  fre- 
quency broadcasting  by  these  recent  years  of  conferences? 

In  my  opinion,  the  greatest  single  achievement  has  been 
the  realization  by  most  nations  that,  in  the  face  of  increasing 
international  radio  communication  requirements  and  limited 
spectrum  space,  chaos  cannot  and  will  not  give  way  to  order 
until  a  single  international  organization  is  empowered  to  plan 
individual  station  assignments  on  an  international  basis.  Recog- 
nizing the  situation  to  be  hopeless  unless  everyone  cooperates, 
the  1947  Atlantic  City  conferees  gave  the  International  Tele- 
communication Union  this  authority,  and  all  nations  are  now  in 
the  process  of  listing  their  needs  with  that  organization's  Inter- 
national Frequency  Registration  board.  The  fact  that  com- 
parable radio  problems  have  been  solved  by  the  methods  now 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  69 

being  set  up  for  international  broadcasting,  lends  weight  to  the 
philosophy  that  the  essential  ingredient  required  is  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  common  goal  and  the  determination  on  the  part 
of  all  nations  to  make  concessions  in  this  connection.  I  believe 
that  these  conferences  have  instilled  most  countries  with  this 
spirit  of  cooperation. 

Another  result  is  reflected  in  the  post-war  increase  in  high 
frequency  allocations  for  broadcast  purposes  at  the  expense  of 
other  services.  Obviously,  a  majority  of  the  nations  are  placing 
greater  emphasis  on  international  broadcasting  as  a  medium  for 
exchanging  programs  of  an  educational  and  cultural  nature 
when  the  world  is  at  peace,  and  as  a  potent  propaganda  weapon 
during  troubled  times  such  as  these.  Only  history  will  reveal 
whether  or  not  this  emphasis  is  justified  and  should  be  classified 
as  an  accomplishment. 

In  addition,  technical  achievements  have  flown  from  these 
conferences.  As  I  have  already  advised  you,  agreement  has 
been  reached  in  connection  with  sunspot  indices  for  planning 
purposes,  channel  spacing  between  assignable  frequencies,  band- 
width, frequency  tolerance,  and  a  minimum  signal  to  be  pro- 
tected. These  are  technicalities  which  hold  little  meaning  for 
most  of  you,  and,  therefore,  may  be  unimpressive.  But  I  can 
assure  you  that  they  are  of  great  importance  and  represent 
weeks,  months,  and  years  of  study,  discussion  and  compromise, 
in  which  scientifically  advanced  nations,  such  as  the  United 
States,  have  played  leading  roles.  Moreover,  this  country,  and 
possibly  others  similarly  situated,  is  prepared  to  assist  less  tech- 
nically advanced  nations  in  their  efforts  to  find  channels  in  the 
high  frequency  broadcast  band  for  their  international  broadcast 
stations  now  operating  in  bands  allocated  for  other  services. 

To  you,  possibly  these  accomplishments  appear  meager  in 
the  light  of  years  of  allocation  conferences.  But,  actually,  they 
constitute  a  giant  step  in  the  right  direction.  When  you  stop 
and  consider  the  political,  economic  and  social  pressures  within 
each  country,  creating  suspicion  and  antagonism  toward  neigh- 
bors across  the  border  or  across  the  sea,  one  does  not  have  to  be 
schooled  in  diplomacy  to  appreciate  the  difficulties  attached  to 
reaching  an  accord  on  any  subject  involving  eighty  or  more 
nations  of  this  globe.  The  wonder  is  that  we  have  made  as  much 
progress  as  we  have. 


7O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Having  formulated  a  pattern  for  resolving  the  technical 
problems  surrounding  international  broadcasting,  the  question 
of  what  lies  ahead  in  this  field  depends  for  the  most  part  on  the 
degree  of  political  and  economic  accord  which  can  be  reached  by 
the  nations  of  the  world.  So  long  as  this  cold  war  exists,  I  can- 
not see  a  satisfactory  solution  to  the  international  broadcast 
frequency  problem  in  the  near  future,  because  the  high  fre- 
quency allocation  agreement  reached  at  Atlantic  City  was  a 
peacetime  allocation  and  was  not  sufficient,  nor  was  it  intended 
to  be  sufficient,  to  provide  for  the  international  broadcasting 
requirements  of  a  deeply  troubled  world  using  high  frequencies 
as  a  means  of  engaging  in  a  heated  propaganda  battle. 

You  will  note  that  I  say  I  cannot  see  a  satisfactory  solution 
in  the  near  future.  I  use  the  phrase  "in  the  near  future"  because 
I  sincerely  believe  that,  having  gotten  on  the  right  track  during 
the  conferences  of  the  last  few  years,  the  world  will  eventually 
reach  its  international  broadcast  goal.  There  may  be  discourag- 
ing breakdowns  along  the  way  which  may  result  in  further 
delays,  nevertheless,  the  goal  can  and  will  be  attained.  But,  to 
achieve  this  end,  the  sovereignty  of  nations  must  be  respected. 
The  understandable  pride  of  a  country,  however  small,  and  its 
desire  to  avail  itself  of  the  use  of  radio  as  a  medium  for  making 
known  to  other  countries  its  culture,  aims  and  ideas,  cannot  be 
ignored.  On  the  other  hand,  the  particular  needs  of  large  and 
powerful  nations  with  vital  interests  at  stake  also  must  be  ap- 
preciated. Each  country  must  learn  to  recognize  the  problems 
and  respect  the  rights  of  its  neighbors.  Thus  far,  no  nation,  or 
group  thereof,  has  come  forward  willingly  to  make  concessions 
and  serve  as  a  fitting  example. 

The  large  and  powerful  nations,  being  more  advanced  tech- 
nically, have  had  to  assume  world  leadership  in  radio,  as  in 
other  fields  of  endeavor  where  technical  knowledge  is  of  prime 
importance.  However,  they  appear  reluctant  to  accept  the  re- 
sponsibilities that  go  with  leadership.  In  my  opinion,  it  is  the 
obligation  and  the  duty  of  the  powerful  nations  to  set  the  pat- 
tern in  this  connection  and  see  to  it  that  the  high  frequency 
broadcasting  problem  is  equitably  resolved.  Once  this  responsi- 
bility has  been  assumed  the  efforts  of  the  International  Fre- 
quency Registration  board,  to  draft  a  complete  high  frequency 
broadcast  plan  acceptable  to  every  nation,  will  be  crowned  with 
success. 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  7! 

PROGRAM  EVALUATION  OF  THE 
VOICE  OF  AMERICA 

LEO  LOWENTHAL3 

THE  DIVISION  OF  PROGRAM  EVALUATION,  which  I  have  the 
honor  to  direct,  tries  to  follow  the  "Voice  of  America"  broad- 
casts all  the  way  through,  from  the  moment  they  are  written 
and  produced  in  our  studios  in  New  York,  to  the  moment  they 
reach  the  listener.  The  Voice  also  is  much  interested  in  the 
non-listener,  since  it  has  heard  that  not  everybody  is  a  consumer 
of  its  broadcasts.  All  stages  in  this  communication  process  of 
the  Voice  are  interlocked.  We  find  it  convenient  for  purposes 
of  administration  and  classification  to  think  of  the  research 
operations  under  four  main  questions. 

First,  what  is  said?  What  is  the  content  of  our  broadcasts? 
Secondly,  how  it  is  said.  How  can  the  presentation  be  improved? 
Thirdly,  who  listens?  What  is  the  size  and  nature  of  our  audi- 
ence? Fourth,  what  are  the  effects  of  each  of  our  produced 
broadcasts?  How  does  our  audience  react? 

In  addition  to  studies  designed  to  answer  these  four  ques- 
tions, our  staff  organizes  and  supervises  research  on  the  com- 
munications behavior  of  people  in  the  countries  in  which  we  are 
most  interested.  This  means  research  on  how  important  a  role 
radio  and  other  mass  media  play  in  their  lives,  which  media 
they  prefer,  how  news  is  suppressed  and  similar  basic  questions. 

The  question  of  what  the  Voice  of  America  is  telling  the 
world  is  answered  by  our  evaluation  program  on  an  almost 
continual  basis  and  in  considerable  detail.  We  not  only  do 
studies  within  our  own  offices,  and  with  our  own  staff,  but  we 
also  farm  out  a  good  deal  of  our  research  work  to  academic  and 
commercial  research  organizations  and  institutions  which,  in 
turn,  may  subcontract  research  organizations  or  persons  in 
foreign  areas. 

Samples  of  the  output  of  every  language  broadcast,  of 
which  we  now  have  forty-six,  are  periodically  subjected  to  quan- 
titative content  analysis.  The  product  of  such  research  is  a  kind 
of  profile  of  the  broadcasts,  in  terms  of  such  characteristics  as 
are  of  most  interest  to  the  Department  of  State.  Completed 
studies,  for  example,  have  analyzed  our  broadcasts  in  terms  of 

8  Chief,  Program  Evaluation  Division,  Office  of  International  Broadcasting,  Voice  of 
America,  New  York  City. 


72  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

amount  of  attention  to  particular  countries,  favorable  or  critical 
reference  to  them,  the  relative  emphasis  placed  on  various 
themes,  tone  of  presentation,  and  similar  problems. 

The  characteristics  chosen  for  analytical  attention  are 
selected  by  our  own  area  and  research  specialists  after  consul- 
tation with  the  chiefs  of  our  language  services.  Preference  is 
given  to  characteristics  which  may  be  related  to  other  research 
studies,  to  policy  guidance  or  to  current  political  problems.  The 
analytical  technique  is  drafted  by  our  research  specialists  in 
cooperation  with  our  research  contractor. 

A  detailed  analysis  is  followed  by  a  report  summarizing  and 
interpreting  the  statistical  findings.  Such  reports,  we  believe, 
serve  two  functions.  First,  the  comprehensive  and  detailed 
descriptions  of  the  broadcasts  enable  the  Voice  chiefs,  and  indi- 
vidual language  chiefs,  to  check  on  the  degree  to  which  the 
broadcasts  actually  are  doing  what  they  are  supposed  to  do, 
namely,  implementing  and  explaining  United  States  govern- 
ment policy.  Second,  the  detailed  descriptions  of  broadcast 
content,  help  to  determine  the  more  precise  causes  of  any 
observed  audience  reaction.  Clues  provided  by  the  content  an- 
alysis of  our  Voice  broadcasts  are  followed  up  in  program  tests 
and  audience  effect  studies  in  the  field  abroad.  A  process  of 
more  enlightened  self-criticism  and  continued  program  im- 
provement is  thus  made  possible.  Such  quantitative  content 
analyses  of  all  Voice  of  America  language  programs  are  carried 
out  on  a  continuing  basis  by  the  Research  Section  for  Human 
Relations  of  New  York  University  under  contract  to  the  De- 
partment of  State.  A  comparative  analysis  of  Voice,  BBC,  and 
USSR  broadcasts  was  completed  some  time  ago  by  the  Com- 
mittee on  Communications  of  the  University  of  Chicago. 

We  are  aware  that  rigidly  objective  quantitative  analysis 
cannot  wholly  answer  the  question  of  what  is  said.  Structure, 
tone,  and  the  overall  nature  of  the  finished  broadcast  cannot  be 
described  in  statistical  terms.  To  avoid  losing  touch  with  such 
important,  but  less  tangible,  content  characteristics,  we  are  con- 
ducting a  continuing  series  of  impressionistic  or  subjective  an- 
alyses of  content.  Several  such  studies  have  been  performed 
for  us  by  very  distinguished  scholars  in  various  specialties. 

In  analyzing  quantitatively  or  qualitatively  Voice  of  Amer- 
ica broadcasts,  we  also  must  consider  a  dimension  which  is  very 
decisive  for  a  broadcast,  namely,  the  auditory  dimension.  We 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  73 

do  not  neglect  this  area  of  "How  is  it  said?"  Aside  from  the 
question  of  what  is  said,  we  have  studied  how  it  is  said,  with 
particular  emphasis  upon  the  speaker's  themselves.  General 
stylistic  tone,  language  usage  and  such  relatively  intangible 
matters  as  announcer  personality,  are  all  evaluated  by  a  tech- 
nique which  amounts  to  having  the  programs  auditioned  by 
special  audiences  whose  criticisms  and  reactions  are  likely  to 
anticipate  the  reactions  of  the  actual  audience  abroad. 

Among  the  typical  examples  of  our  evaluation  of  the  pre- 
sentation aspects  of  broadcasts  is  a  series  of  language  tests,  which 
is  conducted  for  us  under  contract  by  the  director  of  motiva- 
tional research  of  McCann-Ericson.  In  these  studies,  recorded 
Voice  of  America  broadcasts  are  played  to  test  audiences,  in 
America,  composed  of  language  experts  and  recent  arrivals  from 
the  countries  to  which  the  broadcasts  are  beamed.  Audience 
reaction  is  studied  and  all  members  of  the  audience  are  indi- 
vidually interviewed.  These  interviews  include  questions  de- 
rived from  content  analysis  of  the  broadcasts  and  other  questions 
designed  to  identify  aspects  of  the  broadcasts  which  might  prof- 
itably be  the  subject  of  later  content  analysis.  Information  thus 
accumulated  helps  to  identify  the  desirable  characteristics  and 
specific  shortcomings  of  the  language  used,  of  the  accents  and 
delivery  of  individual  announcers,  and  of  other  such  presenta- 
tion aspects  of  the  programs.  Findings  are  sent  as  recommen- 
dations to  our  language  services  from  the  Voice,  which,  in  turn, 
may  make  any  necessary  changes  in  language  tone,  personnel 
or  similar  things.  Since  many  of  the  experts  used  in  such  pre- 
sentation tests  know  their  countrymen  well  and  are  fairly  fresh 
from  home  impressions,  their  occasional  spontaneous  comments 
on  the  content  of  the  broadcast  provide  a  useful  by-product  of 
the  language  tests.  This  by-product  is  put  to  good  use  as  a  sort 
of  supplement  to  data  obtained  in  out  and  out  program  im- 
provement studies,  and  specialized  effect  studies,  which  I  shall 
mention. 

Next  is  the  problem  of  "Who  listens?"  In  reference  to  this 
question,  both  the  techniques  of  inquiry  and  the  degree  of  pre- 
cision obtained  in  the  ultimate  answer  naturally  differ  according 
to  whether  the  area  involved  is  within  or  outside  of  the  Iron 
Curtain.  The  former  raises  a  very  interesting  problem  of  study- 
ing audience  reaction  in  inaccessible  areas. 

First,  let  us  consider  audience  reaction  in  the  free  world. 


74  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

In  many  countries  outside  the  Iron  Curtain,  it  is  possible  to 
administer  scientific  surveys  among  a  cross  section  of  the 
national  population.  For  instance,  the  American  Institute  of 
Public  Opinion,  better  known  as  the  Gallup  organization,  under 
contract  to  the  government,  and  working  through  its  affiliated 
agencies  in  various  countries,  has  conducted  for  us  such  polls  in 
France,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden  and  Finland.  Similar  polls  on 
the  audience  size  and  composition  are  conducted  by  or  in  close 
cooperation  with  the  BBC,  with  the  Office  of  Public  Affairs, 
HICOG,  in  Germany,  etc.  My  own  staff  and  the  staff  of  BBC 
continuously  exchange  the  results  of  our  studies  which  we  make 
independently.  We  also  work  closely  together.  At  present,  for 
instance,  we  have  engaged  the  BBC  to  conduct  a  survey  in 
Austria,  and  exploratory  conversations  are  being  held  with  other 
experts  relative  to  additional  studies  on  audience  size  in  West- 
ern Europe,  Latin  America,  Israel  and  other  countries  of  the 
Middle  East.  Exploratory  work  also  has  been  undertaken  to 
determine  the  feasibility  of  conducting  similar  or  related  types 
of  sample  surveys  in  socially  less  developed  areas  of  the  free 
world,  as  in  southeast  Asia. 

Audience  surveys  of  this  sort  reveal  not  only  the  size,  but 
also  the  nature,  of  the  Voice  of  America  audience,  together  with 
data  on  the  potential  audiences  for  comparative  broadcasts. 
They  provide  data  on  the  relative  proportions  of  the  audience 
in  various  age  groups,  on  the  educational  and  income  levels,  etc., 
and  thus  reveal  the  degree  to  which  Voice  of  America  is  reach- 
ing target  groups.  The  degree  to  which  the  Voice  of  America 
reaches  community  opinion  leaders  also  is  revealed.  Equally 
important,  such  polls  also  indicate  the  type  of  people  who  are 
not  listeners  at  the  time  to  the  Voice  of  America,  and  thus  sug- 
gest measures  which  might  be  taken  to  increase  the  audiences 
to  the  Voice  of  America. 

There  is  one  other  instrument,  in  addition  to  scientifically 
designed  polls,  to  study  the  composition  of  our  audience.  This 
is  the  mail  which  we  receive,  currently  between  300,000  and 
400,000  letters  a  year  from  all  countries. 

A  detailed  analysis  of  mail  from  eight  countries  was  under- 
taken by  a  group  of  social  researchers,  and  additional  analyses 
are  conducted  on  the  same  continuous  basis  by  our  own  staff.  In 
regard  to  countries  for  which  polls  are  feasible,  such  mail  an- 
alysis provides  additional  information  on  the  attitudes  and 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  75 

interests  of  our  listeners,  as  well  as  on  their  specific  reactions  to 
our  broadcasts.  For  countries  in  which  polls  cannot  be  con- 
ducted, or  cannot  yet  be  conducted,  mail  analysis  also  provides 
some  indication,  although  not  a  conclusive  one,  on  the  spread 
of  the  audience.  The  distribution  of  letter  writers,  for  example, 
can  be  compared  with  statistics  of  the  distribution  of  radio 
receivers,  to  provide  some  information  on  the  penetration  of 
the  country  by  Voice  broadcasts.  There  are  still  other  things 
one  can  learn  from  audience  mail. 

Behind  the  Iron  Curtain,  of  course,  no  valid  cross  section 
sample  of  the  population  can  be  reached  for  direct  and  sys- 
tematic study.  At  least,  Dr.  Gallup  and  Mr.  Roper  always  have 
turned  me  down  when  I  made  such  overtures  to  them.  Mail 
from  such  countries  is  reduced  to  a  bare  trickle  by  censorship 
procedures.  Refugees  in  various  social  situations  are  inter- 
viewed. Military  and  other  governmental  interrogation  ser- 
vices are  exploited  fully  by  us.  Refugees  also  are  interrogated 
for  us  by  their  own  countrymen,  in  interviews  made  under  con- 
tract by  the  foreign  news  service  and  the  organization  of  refugee 
exiled  countrymen.  These  interviews  provide  a  vast  number  of 
individual  estimates  on  the  nature  of  the  Voice  audience  behind 
the  Iron  Curtain,  and  help  us  to  ascertain  the  validity  of  many 
casual  observations  which  drift  in  through  both  official  and  in- 
formal chats. 

In  the  problem  of  studying  the  effectiveness  of  our  broad- 
casts, we  have  to  make  a  dichotomy  between  what  we  are  doing 
in  free  countries,  and  what  we  are  doing  in  inaccessible  areas. 
In  free  countries,  we  are  particularly  interested  in  how  attractive 
our  program  formats  are  to  various  audiences.  We  are  studying 
this  by  many  methods. 

With  regard  to  captive  audiences,  one  of  our  main  sources 
of  information,  in  addition  to  interviewing,  is  the  analysis  of  the 
more  or  less  official  communications  behind  the  Iron  Curtain 
itself.  The  study  originally  was  executed  by  Harvard  and  pres- 
ently is  being  done  at  Rutgers  University.  We  are  studying 
continuously  the  total  radio  broadcasts,  and  a  good  sample  of 
the  newspapers  and  magazines  of  the  Soviet  Union  and  of  the 
satellite  countries,  with  regard  to  their  treatment  of  the  Voice 
of  America.  We  believe  that  if  we  study,  very  closely,  content 
and  trends  of  content  in  these  reactions  to  the  Voice,  we  may 
learn  more  about  the  needs  of  our  audience. 


76  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

The  last  type  of  studies  which  I  want  to  mention,  refers  to 
the  following  problem.  I  believe  that  it  belongs  to  the  mythol- 
ogy of  our  profession  as  communication  specialists,  that  we  think 
we  know  everything  about  media  habits  in  the  United  States — 
who  listens  when  to  radio,  what  is  the  readership  of  magazines, 
what  are  the  motivational  aspects  and  the  relative  position  of  the 
media,  etc.  Advertisers  are  spending  many  millions  of  dollars 
every  year  based  on  this  work.  I  am  pretty  certain,  however, 
that  for  remoter  areas  we  know  relatively  little  about  the  com- 
munications habits,  or  communications  anthropology  of  peoples. 
This  is  because  the  United  States  is  relatively  new  in  the  field 
of  foreign  policies,  with  regard  to  those  areas,  and  because  the 
media  of  mass  communications  are  newcomers  from  a  technical 
point  of  view.  Therefore,  it  seemed  fitting  to  initiate  a  number 
of  basic  studies  in  the  communications  anthropology  of  peoples 
in  Asia,  in  order  to  find  out  what  these  various  instruments  of 
communications  really  mean  to  the  people  in  Lebanon,  Syria, 
Thailand,  Indonesia,  and  elsewhere.  With  the  help  of  a  large 
university,  we  have  just  finished  a  number  of  basic  communi- 
cations studies  in  the  near  and  middle  East. 

During  the  last  three  years,  in  which  we  have  tried  to  build 
up  a  study  in  the  field  of  communications  research,  we  have 
discovered  only  one  law.  This  is  the  law  of  inverse  ratio.  The 
less  important  a  country  is  for  us,  in  terms  of  political  policy, 
the  easier  it  is  to  do  studies  there.  The  more  important  it  be- 
comes, the  more  difficult  it  is.  While  this  might  sound  like  a 
word  of  boasting,  it  also  is  a  word  indicating  humility.  There 
are  a  lot  of  things  we  still  have  to  learn. 

THE  CASE  FOR  INTERNATIONAL  RADIO 

PIERRE  CRENESSE4 
A   SIMPLE   DEFINITION   OF    INTERNATIONAL   RADIO   might  be 

the  following:  "A  medium  through  which  the  people  of  one 
country  hear  the  voice  of  another  country."  But  international 
radio  is  more  than  that. 

International  radio  is  a  combat  weapon,  whether  its  message 
is  based  on  truth  or  lies.  In  our  day,  it  always  fights  for  or 
against  the  truth.  It  exists  to  uphold  or  defeat  the  tyrant. 

In  its  ideal  conception,  however,  international  radio  was 

4  Director,  French  Broadcasting  System  in  North  America,  New  York  City. 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  77 

born  to  grow  in  a  climate  of  understanding  and  in  an  atmos- 
phere of  confidence.  It  is  of  the  ideal  that  I  wish  to  speak.  The 
aim  of  the  ideal  is  that  people  may  understand  each  other  better. 
This  can  best  be  promoted  by  program  exchanges. 

I  wish  to  thank  you  for  this  opportunity  to  speak  about 
certain  problems  with  which  I  have  grappled  a  great  deal  of 
my  life. 

In  the  first  place,  let  me  say  that  I  do  not  believe  in  short 
wave  radio.  During  the  Occupation,  in  France,  we  listened 
religiously  to  both  American  and  British  short  wave  broadcasts, 
and,  today,  the  enslaved  peoples  of  Eastern  Europe  listen  to 
them.  But  neither  the  baker  in  Marseilles,  France,  nor  the 
butcher  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  U.S.A.,  takes  the  trouble  to  listen 
to  short  wave  radio,  unless  it  is  his  hobby.  We  must  use  the 
numbers  on  the  dial  which  listeners  are  in  the  habit  of  using. 
This  means  international  radio,  and  there  can  be  no  peace  time 
international  radio  without  cooperation. 

I  am  proud  to  be  the  representative  of  an  organization  which 
was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  international  cooperation  through  the 
medium  of  radio.  It  may  interest  you  to  know  that  every  day 
a  half-hour  program  in  French,  produced  by  the  Voice  of 
America,  is  picked  up  from  short  wave  and  re-transmitted 
throughout  France  over  one  of  the  networks  of  Radiodiffusion 
Frangaise.  In  exchange,  the  Voice  of  America  re-transmits,  via 
short  wave,  one  of  our  news  programs,  to  French  territories  in 
various  parts  of  the  world. 

A  total  of  350  American  stations  now  broadcast  transcribed 
programs  in  English,  produced  in  Paris  by  RDF,  and  distrib- 
uted in  this  country  by  our  network.  We,  in  turn,  broadcast  in 
France  programs  produced  here,  in  the  French  language,  when- 
ever stations  wish  to  offer  them  to  us.  We  ask  only  that  the 
program  have  some  cultural  value,  whether  musical  or  docu- 
mentary. 

In  1951,  RDF  broadcast  in  forty  countries  a  total  of  38,733 
hours  of  transcribed  programs,  and  1,115  hours  of  re-transmis- 
sions. During  the  same  year,  in  France,  RDF  broadcast  990 
hours  of  live,  relayed,  foreign  programs. 

I  know  that  the  BBC,  Radio-Netherland,  and  the  national 
radios  of  Italy,  Switzerland,  Belgium,  Israel,  and  others  have 
done  the  same  thing.  However,  to  date,  the  United  Nations 
radio  is  the  only  truly  international  radio. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  enumerate  the  many  relays  obtained 


78  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

by  United  Nations  radio.  The  RDF  broadcasts  a  daily  report 
on  one  of  its  AM  networks,  received  directly  by  short  wave 
from  the  U.N.  in  New  York. 

If  the  collaboration  of  international  broadcasting  depended 
only  on  radio  producers,  it  would  get  along  pretty  well,  with  no 
boundaries  other  than  those  of  taste  of  regional  audiences,  ma- 
terial possibilities  and  technical  problems.  However,  we  are 
hemmed  in  by  political  factors  and  other  considerations.  In  a 
sense,  we  are  the  first  martyrs  of  international  radio. 

There  are  many  things  we  might  work  for  together.  For 
example,  it  would  be  a  great  stride  forward  for  international 
radio  if  programs  could  enter  or  leave  a  country  without  a  lot 
of  red-tape  required  by  customs  regulations.  It  would  be  won- 
derful if  radio  equipment  were  standardized,  with  the  same 
speeds  and  sizes  of  tapes.  Still  another  goal  might  be  for  all 
the  nations  of  the  free  world  to  devote  part  of  their  regular 
radio  time  to  foreign  programs. 

I  am  optimistic,  and  I  believe  that  international  radio  is  on 
the  right  road.  Nevertheless,  in  its  present  concept,  it  unfor- 
tunately imposes  certain  limitations  upon  itself — those  of  na- 
tional sovereignty.  The  United  Nations  radio  is  the  only  radio 
which  is  truly  international,  but  even  that  network  and  service 
must  limit  its  field  of  action  to  problems  which  come  before  that 
international  organization. 

In  1938,  I  drew  up  a  blueprint  for  an  international  radio 
organization.  In  this  plan,  I  foresaw  the  creation  of  an  inter- 
national radio  agency,  similar  to  the  international  news  agencies 
which,  for  example,  distribute  news  of  the  U.S.  in  Spanish,  the 
latest  Chilean  events  in  English,  and  news  of  India  in  French. 
This  radio  agency  would  operate  on  a  non-profit  basis,  and  dis- 
tribute to  the  radio  stations  of  the  entire  world,  programs  pro- 
duced in  other  countries,  in  the  language  native  to  the  country 
of  destination. 

In  this  manner,  the  cooperation  about  which  I  have  been 
speaking,  would  be  established  around  a  central  production 
agency  which  would  be  completely  international.  Then,  and 
only  then,  the  recorded  sound  treasures  of  the  world  would  be 
available  to  all. 

I  believe  that  the  future  welfare  of  the  world  depends  to  a 
great  extent  on  the  establishment  and  successful  operation  of 
international  radio. 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  79 

BROADCASTING  AND  INTERNATIONAL 
UNDERSTANDING 

BERNARD  R.  BUCK,1  Presiding 
SPECIAL  INTEREST  GROUP 

MR.  BASIL  F.  THORNTON  :2 

International  broadcasting  may  be  broken  down  into  several  types, 
all  of  which  bear  upon  the  problem  of  international  understanding. 

One  type  concerns  the  audiences  that  listen  in  to  the  domestic 
broadcasts  of  other  countries.  This  practice  developed  long  before  the 
war  in  Europe,  where  there  are  many  broadcasting  systems  in  a  relatively 
small  area.  The  audiences,  for  example,  would  tune  in  London,  Paris, 
Rome  and  Berlin  to  augment  their  national  offerings  of  good  music. 

In  Latin  America,  there  is  a  great  interchange  of  audiences  due  to 
several  countries  speaking  the  same  language.  In  Paraguay,  for  example, 
the  people  hear  broadcasts  daily  from  Chili,  Uruguay,  Argentina  and 
Bolivia.  As  a  result,  there  is  a  more  general  understanding  of  one 
another's  problems.  The  same  is  true  here  in  North  America,  between 
the  U.S.  and  Canada. 

A  second  type  is  the  fruitful  exchange  of  broadcasting  programs 
among  various  countries.  Many  nations  realize  there  is  a  considerable 
interest  among  their  people  in  broadcasts  of  other  countries.  Both 
dramatic  productions  and  special  events  programs  are  brought  in  and 
rebroadcast. 

A  third  type  of  international  radio  is  that  type  of  program  planned 
especially  by  a  country  for  foreign  consumption.  Some  people  believe 
this  type  should  be  abolished,  but  I  believe  it  should  be  permitted  to  exist. 
If  nationals  are  going  to  overhear  each  other's  programs,  I  do  not  think 
this  programming  should  be  left  entirely  to  accident. 

I  think  that  broadcasting  is  a  powerful  factor  in  holding  the  British 
Commonwealth  of  nations  together  today.  Much  of  the  BBC's  oversea's 
English  service  is  taken  from  the  home  programs,  particularly  records  of 
music,  drama,  documentaries  and  talks.  But  in  many  cases  there  has 
to  be  modification,  mainly  towards  simplification.  The  BBC  broadcasts 
in  more  than  forty  languages.  It  is  ironic  that  the  first  of  these  programs, 
in  Arabic,  was  put  on  the  air  not  to  further  international  understanding, 
but  to  counteract  the  lies  that  were  being  told  by  Mussolini. 

No  country  can  afford  to  stand  back  and  let  itself  be  slandered 

1  Assistant  Program  Director,  Station  WNYE,  Municipal  Broadcasting  System,  New 
York  City. 

a  Director  and  North  American  Representative,  BBC,  New  York  City. 


8O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

without  replying.  I  think  the  best  form  of  defense  against  an  attack  like 
that  is  to  broadcast  an  interesting  projection  of  one's  national  life  and 
culture.  The  public  mind  is  directed  too  much  to  the  political  warfare 
type  of  program. 

Wherever  I  go,  people  ask  me  about  broadcasts  to  Russia.  I  am, 
personally,  most  interested  in  those  phases  of  international  broadcasting 
that  will  endure  beyond  a  war.  There  is  an  intense  desire  in  the  world 
for  knowledge  of  all  kinds,  and  one  of  the  best  ways  of  filling  this  void 
is  through  adult,  educational,  international  broadcasting.  One  of  the 
most  successful  things  the  BBC  has  done  in  the  international  field  is  the 
news  broadcasts  which  go  out  in  forty  to  forty-four  languages.  These 
help  to  fill  the  air  with  good,  straight,  clean  news  and  make  it  difficult 
for  the  distorted  view  of  the  news  to  prevail. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  war,  we  started  something  that  has  turned 
out  to  be  one  of  the  best  series  we  have  attempted.  This  is  "English 
by  Radio."  We  have  been  teaching  English  by  radio  for  six  years  now, 
and  our  English  by  Radio  lessons  are  used  in  practically  every  part  of  the 
foreign  non-English-speaking  world. 

Teaching  languages  is  one  of  the  best  ways  of  promoting  interna- 
tional understanding.  We  also  have  been  very  successful  with  school 
broadcasts.  We  have  done  a  great  deal  of  school  broadcasting  to  the 
less  developed  areas  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  there  has  been  consid- 
erable exchange  of  programs  between  such  countries  as  Canada,  Aus- 
tralia, and  Great  Britain. 

We  also  have  produced  some  fine  series  of  school  broadcasting  pro- 
grams in  Spanish.  It  happens  that  we  have  a  colony  of  Spanish  people 
in  London  who  prefer  to  live  there  at  present.  They  have  worked  with 
us  and  this  series  in  Spanish  has  been  used  throughout  Latin  America. 

Finally,  I  suppose  our  drama  has  been  most  successful.  We  have 
found  that  it  does  not  pay  to  preach  to  people  and  tell  them  about  your 
superior  national  culture.  It  is  better  to  give  the  information  in  the 
form  of  drama.  Another  thing  of  which  I  am  convinced  is  that  when 
one  is  broadcasting  in  many  different  languages,  the  best  policy  is  to 
tell  the  plain,  unvarnished  truth  all  the  time  and  never  to  angle  it  at  all. 
MRS.  DOROTHY  LEWIS :3 

It  is  significant  that  the  1952  Institute  has  devoted  two  meetings  to 
this  important  subject  of  international  broadcasting. 

Some  of  you  may  have  seen  the  latest  report  of  UNESCO  on  the 
World  Communications.  This  is  one  of  the  most  useful  reports  I  have 
seen.  "World  Communications"  is  the  title,  and  it  can  be  secured  at 

3  Coordinator,  U.  S.  Station  Relations,  United  Nations  Radio,  New  York  City. 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  8 1 

the  Columbia  University  Press.  Because  it  fits  into  our  discussion  of 
international  understanding,  and  the  utilization  of  radio  and  television, 
I  want  to  cite  a  few  excerpts  from  that  report.  It  was  based  largely  on 
data  assembled  during  1948,  1949  and  1950.  The  foreword  reads: 
"In  this  century,  methods  of  communicating  ideas  have  developed  with 
astonishing  speed,  spurred  on  by  scientific  advances  for  the  reproduction 
and  transmission  of  the  written  and  spoken  word  and  visual  image. 
Between  the  man  with  news  or  an  idea,  and  his  audience,  there  now 
stretches  a  network  of  press,  radio  and  film  communications,  each  with 
its  own  special  techniques  and  appeal,  each  constantly  changing  and 
developing  under  the  impetus  of  still  new  inventions.  For  millions  of  the 
world's  citizens,  these  resources  of  ideas,  news  and  entertainment  can 
be  tapped.  For  millions  more,  however,  these  facilities  are  lacking  and 
men  are  cheated  of  a  rich  heritage." 

This  report  places  the  world  population  at  2  billion,  379  million 
persons.  For  these  people  there  are  223  million  copies  of  newspapers 
each  day,  181  million  radio  receiving  sets  and  42  million  seats  in  cinemas. 
These  facilities  are  serviced  by  65  major  news  agencies  in  46  countries, 
and  about  6,000  transmitters  to  service  the  world,  of  which  approximate- 
ly 3,000  are  within  the  continental  U.S.  The  significant  fact  is  that 
where  illiteracy  is  high,  communications  facilities  are  few.  The  world 
average  of  illiteracy  is  5  I  per  cent,  with  this  breakdown  by  areas:  Africa, 
83  per  cent;  North  America,  20  per  cent;  South  America,  50  per  cent; 
Asia,  67  per  cent;  and  Europe,  16  per  cent. 

At  the  San  Francisco  Conference,  with  all  the  countries  of  the 
world  assembled,  we  had  a  tremendous  opportunity  to  set  down  some 
overall  techniques  for  reaching  the  peoples  of  the  world,  but  we  weren't 
able  to  do  it.  When  the  United  Nations  set  up  its  information  division, 
it  was  decided  that  programs  would  be  created  by  United  Nations  Radio 
and  transmitted  through  the  facilities  of  its  member  states.  And  so  we 
feed  the  BBC,  the  CBC,  the  ABC,  South  African  Broadcasting  Corp- 
oration, the  Radiodiffusion  Franchise,  etc.,  regular  news  and  feature 
programs,  which  they,  in  turn,  relay  locally.  I  had  hoped  that  United 
Nations  Radio  might  coordinate  all  of  these  systems.  Perhaps,  that  may 
come.  We  are  grateful  to  the  BBC  and  other  systems  that  pioneered 
in  the  field  of  short  wave  broadcasting,  because  we  have  capitalized 
on  their  know-how. 

United  Nations  Radio  is  faced  with  the  gigantic  task  of  interpreting 
its  sixty  member  state  operation,  on  a  global  scale,  back  to  its  citizenry. 
What  do  we  do,  what  do  we  talk  about?  First  of  all,  we  give  U.N. 
news  on  the  world  front.  For  example,  in  Paris  we  have  a  circuit  coming 


82  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

into  U.N.  headquarters,  bringing  the  General  Assembly  proceedings 
each  day.  From  those  proceedings  we  extract  the  parts  that  are  most 
significant.  There  is  a  difference  between  the  U.N.  Radio,  and  every 
other  system  of  broadcasting  in  the  world.  U.N.  Radio  comes  as  near 
to  broadcasting  precise  facts  as  any  system  in  the  world.  We  dare  to 
make  that  claim  because  we  broadcast  the  same  news  to  all  member 
states  alike.  Beyond  that,  we  have  another  check  and  balance.  Every 
program  is  subject  to  monitoring  by  any  member  state.  In  other  words, 
anything  that  is  broadcast  to  any  country  in  the  world  is  subject  to 
monitoring  by  another  member  state.  If  we  do  not  do  the  job  right, 
any  member  state  can  say,  "Why  didn't  you  say  this?",  or  "You  did 
not  quote  our  delegate  correctly."  We  have  built  up,  at  the  United 
Nations,  an  extraordinary  know-how,  and  an  international  conscience 
on  the  part  of  our  editors  and  broadcasters.  They  must  always  reflect 
the  facts  in  balance. 

You  will  be  interested  in  how  we  operated  our  TV  this  year  from 
Paris.  The  CBS  TV'd  the  General  Assembly  proceedings  in  Paris. 
Their  editors  sent  the  films  by  air  to  New  York,  and  within  24  hours 
of  the  meeting,  viewers  in  America  saw  the  actual  proceedings.  That 
is  the  way  we  are  trying  to  bring  to  the  people  the  actual  story  of  what 
is  going  on  in  their  U.N. 
MR.  PHILIP  L.  BARBoun:4 

"Radio  Free  Europe"  was  organized  about  two  years  ago,  under 
rather  unusual  circumstances.  Unlike  either  the  "Voice  of  America"  or 
the  BBC,  our  station  was  planned  eventually  to  programme  to  each  one 
of  several  different  countries  almost  continuously,  at  least,  all  day  long. 
We  broadcast  in  seven  languages  at  the  start,  in  Czech  and  Slovak  to 
Czechoslovakia,  and  to  Poland,  Hungary,  Bulgaria,  Roumania  and 
Albania  in  their  native  languages. 

At  first,  we  were  on  the  air  only  3O-minutes  to  each  country  in 
rotation.  In  May,  1951,  we  went  on  the  air  with  a  medium  wave 
transmitter  for  Czechoslovakia.  With  this  transmitter  and  short  wave, 
we  broadcast  sixteen  to  eighteen  hours  a  day.  Next  month,  in  May,  1952, 
we  shall  start  another  group  of  transmitters  for  Poland  and  broadcast 
to  that  country  twelve  hours  a  day. 

We  must  give  our  listeners  more  than  propaganda,  otherwise  we 
would  have  no  audience.  For  that  reason,  we  broadcast  drama,  music, 
entertainment  and  factual  news  reports,  as  unbiased  as  we  can  make 
them. 

4  Director,  Educational  Programs,  Radio  Free  Europe,  New  York  City. 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  83 

We  answer  lies  that  are  broadcast  immediately.  This  takes  up  only 
a  small  amount  of  our  time.  What  is  more  important,  we  are  engaged 
in  building  educational  broadcasts.  We  are  working  with  members  of 
the  NAEB  to  develop  a  series  of  programs  for  high  school  children, 
who  have  never  known  life  in  a  democratic  country. 

I  know  the  Russian  language  and  I  keep  informed  on  what  is 
broadcast  by  Moscow  both  for  their  own  people  and  for  use  in  other 
countries.  We  shall  guide  our  educational  program  accordingly.  We 
will  emphasize  the  truth  about  biology  and  genetics.  We  will  tell  the 
truth  about  history,  and  other  subjects  that  are  distorted  behind  the  Iron 
Curtain. 

Another  series  of  broadcasts  is  planned  to  help  guide  parents  and 
teachers  of  children  under  14.  We  are  aiming  at  an  audience  from 
which  we  get  practically  no  reaction.  We  get  a  little  bit  of  mail  and  we 
learn  things  from  people  who  escape  from  the  country.  For  the  most 
part,  we  have  barged  ahead  in  the  dark,  by  guesswork,  trying  to  deter- 
mine what  is  going  on  in  Russia. 

We  have  a  monthly  publication   called,   "News  from   Behind  the 
Iron  Curtain."    This  contains  items  from  newspapers,  magazines,  and 
reports  from  individuals.    We  will  be  glad  to  mail  free  copies  on  request 
to  Radio  Free  Europe,  no  West  57  Street,  New  York  16,  N.Y. 
MR.  LEO  HOCHSTETTER  :5 

People  who  are  working  in  international  broadcasting  are  concerned 
with  the  number  of  listeners  they  have  as  well  as  the  effect  of  the 
programs.  In  an  occupied  country,  the  subject  is  open  to  speculation,  but 
in  open  countries  some  reliable  facts  have  come  to  light. 

Indo  China  is  especially  interesting  to  us  at  this  time  because  a  part 
of  it  is  occupied  territory,  and  a  part  of  it  is  not.  We  can  check  our 
results  in  a  portion  of  Indo  China,  but  in  the  other  section  we  have  to 
"play  by  ear."  With  19,000,000  people  in  Indo  China,  the  country 
only  has  1,500  radio  sets,  and  one  wonders  if  the  audience  there  could 
be  considered  substantial. 

In  my  opinion,  even  though  there  are  only  an  estimated  100,000 
listeners  in  Indo  China,  they  represent  a  segment  of  society  which  has  a 
disproportionate  influence  and  is  articulate  to  a  point  of  importance. 

Another  thing  is  that  radio  listening  there  is  linked  to  the  "grape 
vine."  The  first  listener  may  not  be  the  most  important  man,  but  the 
second,  third,  or  fourth  man  who  hears  the  report  by  word  of  mouth. 

In   Indo   China,   we   have   attempted   to   expand   our  audience   by 
6  Information  Officer,  Mutual  Security  Administration,  Saigon,  French  Indo  China. 


84  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

installing  community  listening  sets.  These  are  placed  in  community 
houses  and  reach  from  500  to  2500  people.  We  are  installing  400  sets 
with  gasoline  driven  generators. 

While  we  will  not  make  undying  friends  for  a  free  world  in  any 
single  broadcast,  we  have  given  the  listener  an  opportunity  to  draw  a 
conclusion  from  new  data  that  he  would  not  get  elsewhere. 

I  think  it  is  a  mistake  to  assume  that  you  have  converts  simply 
because  they  hear  your  words.  It  is  important  to  document  your  views 
and  your  culture  with  specific  examples. 

In  my  opinion,  the  long  range  role  of  international  broadcasting 
should  put  the  emphasis  on  the  cultural,  educational,  and  informational 
side  of  programming.  This  will  help  to  establish  and  maintain  under- 
standing. However,  we  cannot  avoid  the  political  crises  and  the  distor- 
tions which  face  us  on  the  air  today.  I  am  afraid  that  for  the  time 
being,  radio  will  be  governed  by  necessity  rather  than  choice. 
MR.  RICHARD  MILBAUER:G 

My  company,  with  its  camera  crews  and  film  library,  has  been 
making  a  variety  of  films  which  are  distributed  abroad.  A  particular 
experience  last  summer  set  me  thinking  seriously  about  this  business 
of  communicating  between  peoples. 

Last  summer,  we  produced  a  3O-minute  documentary  about  the 
visit  of  a  group  of  German  coal  miners  to  the  U.S.  The  purpose  of  their 
visit  was,  first,  technical,  but  also  to  show  how  Americans  live,  and  what 
we  are  like.  At  first,  the  Germans  were  a  little  distant.  They  felt 
superior  to  the  Americans  who  thought  they  could  teach  them  anything 
about  coal  mining. 

I  researched  the  story  and  apparently  the  Germans  did  learn  some- 
thing useful  on  their  visit.  Twenty  pages  of  the  script  contained  examples 
of  new  ideas  they  said  they  thought  would  help  German  miners  get 
more  coal  out  faster. 

What  was  equally  interesting,  every  visitor  went  back  to  Germany  a 
booster  of  some  aspect  of  American  life.  They  liked  our  informality, 
in  relations  between  management  and  labor.  Miners'  wives  fed  them  in 
Wilkes-Barre  and  they  were  amazed  to  find  that  most  miners  here  had 
a  car.  They  were  impressed  with  our  miners'  welfare  benefits.  They 
were  impressed  with  the  brain  power  and  private  money  behind  our 
research  for  better  mining  techniques  and  increased  safety  for  the  men. 

I  drew  some  conclusions  from  their  experience,  as  well  as  from  my 
own  experience  in  writing  about  their  trip.  It  became  evident  that  these 

*  Writer,  Telenews  Productions,  Inc.,  New  York  City. 


BROADCASTING    TO    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES  85 

visitors  returned  home  with  a  new  outlook  on  the  U.S.  and  its  people. 
Every  time  they  read  or  hear  a  word  about  America  from  now  on  their 
thinking  will  be  influenced  by  their  experiences  here. 

What  is  the  moral,  as  it  relates  to  our  discussion?  My  central 
conclusion  is  that  they  changed  their  attitudes  because  they  participated 
in  an  experience.  It  was  a  "two-way  communication"  between  two 
peoples.  It  was  not  only  listening  to  some  one  explain  a  good  idea.  They 
learned  by  asking  questions.  In  a  sense,  they  taught  themselves.  It  was 
a  "two-way"  exchange  of  ideas  and  feelings  that  arose  from  direct 
contact. 

It  is  impracticable  to  think  that  everyone  can  visit  a  foreign  country, 
but  the  principle  I  have  cited  seems  pertinent  for  us  all.  My  company  has 
developed  an  approach,  in  this  business  of  communicating  with  other 
peoples,  that  we  think  will  promote  better  understanding.  In  our  case 
it  is  for  film,  but  I  think  it  is  applicable  to  radio  and  any  other  means 
of  communication.  Perhaps,  in  one  form  or  another,  you  may  have 
attempted  it  yourselves.  We  plan  a  question  and  answer  exchange  on 
film.  This  will  be  a  direct  "two-way"  communication.  The  other 
nationals  will  find  out  what  they  want  to  know  about  us,  and  we  will 
find  out  about  them. 

I  do  not  believe  that  we  should  abandon  our  present  methods  of 
international  communication,  but  I  think  we  should  re-examine  our 
present  techniques  and  search  our  conscience  to  decide  whether  our 
present  methods  are  satisfactory.  If  not,  perhaps  the  two-way  com- 
munication I  have  been  talking  about  is  the  answer.  When  we  make 
communication  effective  both  ways,  we  will  be  using  our  media  more 
successfully  to  promote  international  understanding. 


TELEVISION  IN  EDUCATION 


TELEVISION  IN  EDUCATION 


WHAT  THE  EDUCATIONAL  ADMINISTRATOR 
EXPECTS  FROM  TELEVISION 

Program  arranged  in  cooperation  with 
The  American  Council  on  Education 

DAVID  D.   HENRY,1  Presiding 

I  BRING  YOU  GREETINGS  from  Dr.  Arthur  Adams,  president 
of  the  American  Council  on  Education,  co-sponsors  of  this 
meeting.  Dr.  Adams  had  hoped  to  be  present,  but  his  preoc- 
cupation with  television  problems  accounts  in  part  for  his  not 
being  able  to  attend. 

The  American  Council  on  Education  has  been  active  from 
the  beginning  of  the  educational  television  movement.  It  helped 
in  the  early  days,  when  discussions  first  began  about  allocations 
for  educational  purposes.  It  helped  in  forming  the  Joint  Com- 
mittee on  Educational  Television.  It  endorsed  the  petition  for 
funds,  which  made  JCET  possible,  and  it  has  led  in  the  pro- 
curement of  funds  for  the  educational  TV  programs  planned 
for  Penn  State  College  next  week. 

The  American  Council  is  the  largest  body  representing  all 
classes  of  education  in  this  country.  The  aim  of  the  Council  is 
to  bring  the  full  import  of  educational  television  home  to  the 
educational  administrators.  We  are  convinced  that  educational 
television  must  be  regarded  as  a  vital  part  of  the  educational 
agency,  both  in  its  opportunity  and  in  its  obligation,  and  not  be 
put  aside  as  a  peripheral  auxiliary,  dependent  upon  budget 
crumbs  and  left-over  energy. 

The  administrator  is  a  key  to  giving  educational  TV  its 
proper  place  in  the  educational  program.  So,  as  I  have  said, 
the  main  task  of  the  Council  has  been  to  acquaint  the  adminis- 

1  President,  Wayne  University,  Detroit,  Mich. 

89 


9O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

trators  of  education  with  the  opportunities  and  the  obligations 
that  have  been  thrust  upon  us  by  television.  One  theme  of  this 
meeting  will  be:  "What  the  Educational  Administrator  Expects 
from  Television." 


SOME  IMPLICATIONS  FOR  EDUCATION 
IN  THE  FCC  ALLOCATIONS  REPORT 

RALPH  STEETLE2 

As  THE  MAJORITY  OF  YOU  KNOW,  the  Joint  Committee  on 
Educational  Television  is  made  up  of  representatives  from  seven 
organizations.  This  list  illustrates  the  wide  scope  of  interest,  on 
the  part  of  education,  in  the  wise  use  of  television  for  the 
American  people.    I  would  like  to  have  you  review  this  list  of 
organizations  that  comprises  the  JCET. 
The  American  Council  on  Education 
The  Association  for  Education  by  Radio  and  Television 
The  Association  of  Land  Grant  Colleges  and  Universities 
The  National  Association  of  Educational  Broadcasters 
The  National  Association  of  State  Universities 
The  National  Council  of  Chief  State  School  Officers 
The  National  Education  Association  of  the  United  States. 
The  JCET  was  called  into  being  in  November,  1950,  by 
Mr.  Richard  B.  Hull,  then  president  of  the  NAEB,  to  present 
the  case   for  education  before  the   Federal   Communications 
Commission. 

For  three  months,  in  November,  December  and  January, 
the  Joint  Committee  stood  by  the  Commission  as  it  heard  testi- 
mony and  considered  the  point  whether  education  should  have 
a  major  role  in  the  development  of  television.  The  Joint  Com- 
mittee did  not  provide  the  answer,  but  it  served  as  a  channel 
through  which  the  answer  came. 

As  a  result,  the  Commission's  Third  Report,  issued  in 
March,  1951,  proposed  209  channels  be  set  aside  for  use  by 
educational  institutions.  The  Commission  then  called  for  an 
expression  of  the  interest  of  education  in  utilizing  these  chan- 
nels. Again,  the  Joint  Committee  was  the  instrument  through 
which  the  institutions  made  their  sentiments  and  intentions 

2  Executive  Director,  Joint  Committee  on  Educational  Television,  Washington,  D.  C. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  91 

known.  A  total  of  838  colleges,  school  systems,  state  depart- 
ments of  education,  public  service  agencies,  legislatures  and 
newspapers  responded.  This  was  evidence  that  education  must 
have  a  part  in  the  development  of  television. 

Now,  the  Commission  in  its  Sixth  Report  and  final  plan,  on 
April  14,  1952,  has  reserved  242  channel  assignments  for  edu- 
cation. Of  these,  80  are  in  the  VHP  and  162  are  in  the  UHF. 
Potentially,  they  cover  approximately  90  per  cent  of  the  popu- 
lation of  this  nation. 

What  are  the  implications  for  education  in  such  a  plan?  To 
my  mind,  the  FCC  has  issued  not  only  a  technical  plan,  pro- 
viding for  channels  at  strategic  geographical  locations  and  for 
the  rules  by  which  these  may  operate,  but  the  Commission  has 
set  forth  a  social  document.  In  the  widest  sense  of  the  word, 
this  action  is  "in  the  public  interest." 

Education  must  seize  this  opportunity  and  act  quickly.  This 
is  a  medium  capable  of  transmitting  all  that  can  be  seen  and  all 
that  can  be  heard  within  the  offerings  of  education  to  American 
people  everywhere.  Against  this  sweeping  concept  of  television, 
the  cost  factor  begins  to  assume  a  relatively  insignificant  role. 

I  have  been  impressed  by  the  changing  reaction  of  admin- 
istrators to  television  costs  in  the  last  twelve  months.  At  the 
start,  the  huge  sums  mentioned  for  construction  and  operation 
had  a  paralyzing  effect.  But  now  the  educational  world  is  an- 
alyzing television  costs  in  a  new  light  and  looking  upon  six  digit 
figures  as  an  obstacle  to  be  overcome,  just  as  education  has 
overcome  every  other  obstacle  in  the  past.  This  is  a  background 
for  some  of  the  implications  for  education  in  this  allocation  plan. 

Several  weeks  ago,  in  Detroit,  I  sat  for  several  hours  with 
a  group  representing  all  the  educational  interests  in  that  great 
city.  Included  were  the  public,  private  and  parochial  schools, 
the  museum,  library,  the  Dearborn  Institute,  colleges  and  uni- 
versities— twenty  institutions  in  all.  I  discovered  this  group  had 
been  meeting  for  many  weeks  to  consider  a  united  approach  on 
the  use  of  television  for  the  benefit  of  the  people  of  Detroit. 

I  wonder  if  such  diverse  interests  in  any  community  ever 
met  together  regularly  before  this  allocation  plan  was  an- 
nounced? It  seems  to  me  that  one  of  the  implications  for  tele- 
vision is  found  in  this  paragraph  from  the  Commission's  Third 
Report,  issued  in  1951: 


92  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

"It  is  recognized  that  there  are  more  institutions 
than  there  are  channels,  and  these  institutions  must  co- 
operate to  secure  the  equitable  use." 

I  have  traveled  40,000  miles  around  the  country  since  last 
November,  and  I  am  happy  to  report  that  this  challenge  to 
education  is  being  met  readily  and  fully.  Education  is  showing 
strong  evidence  that  it  can  practice  what  it  preaches. 

Another  thing  I  would  like  to  cite  as  an  implication  is  that 
a  broad  pattern  of  operation  is  contemplated  virtually  every- 
where. Television  is  being  considered  as  something  more  than 
a  means  of  extension  of  knowledge  and  education.  It  is  being 
thought  of  as  dealing  with  the  very  heart  of  this  country's  ideal 
of  living,  with  our  democracy. 

It  has  been  said,  perhaps  too  often,  that  this  is  a  century  of 
the  common  man.  I  think  that  the  search  of  the  medieval 
alchemists  for  a  touchstone  to  change  base  metals  into  gold  has 
at  last  been  realized  in  television.  This  new  medium  and  art 
has  the  capability  of  touching  the  lead  of  ignorance  and  trans- 
muting it  into  the  gold  of  knowledge.  This  is  another  impli- 
cation of  the  FCC's  allocation  plan. 

Our  century  of  the  common  man  may  become  a  century  of 
the  uncommonly  well-informed  and  well-educated  man. 

These  opinions  are  not  mine  alone  but  a  compendium  of 
thoughts  I  have  heard  expressed  around  the  country.  The  con- 
sensus of  opinion  is  that  television  can  become  an  instrument  of 
great  service  to  this  nation. 

WHAT  CAN  A  UNIVERSITY  DO  WITH  TV? 

RICHARD  B.  HULL3 

No  ONE  REGRETS  MORE  DEEPLY  THAN  I  the  absence  of  Dr. 
Charles  E.  Friley,  President  of  Iowa  State  College.  I  had 
hoped  for  once,  as  a  member  of  the  audience,  to  hear  my  Pres- 
ident speak  about  these  problems.  Now  this  report  to  you 
becomes  my  assignment. 

As  you  know,  we  were  the  first  educational  station  on  the 
air  with  television,  the  first  to  own  and  operate  our  own  trans- 
mitter. We  were  the  first  in  our  state,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  to 
apply  for  a  license. 

3  Director,  Station  WOI-AM-FM-TV,  Iowa  State  College,  Ames,  Iowa. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  93 

We  are  a  land  grant  institution  with  a  tradition  of  service 
to  all  the  people  of  the  state.  This  is  a  part  of  the  function  of 
our  state  college,  as  established  by  law.  There  is  a  tradition  of 
off-campus  service.  In  our  case,  we  have  a  record  of  nearly  a 
quarter  of  a  century  of  non-commercial  broadcasting  on  an  AM 
station,  which  has  literally  extended  the  borders  of  the  campus 
to  the  borders  of  the  state. 

In  1945,  Dr.  Friley,  after  talking  with  a  few  experts,  first 
began  to  consider  seriously  the  opportunities  and  the  problems 
of  television  for  our  college.  He  thought  of  television  in  terms 
of  a  natural  projection  of  the  philosophy  we  followed  in  our 
radio  broadcasting,  which  was  to  bring  the  best  the  college  had 
to  offer  to  as  many  people  as  possible,  to  attempt  to  reach  a 
majority  of  the  minority  groups,  and,  finally,  to  provide  some 
kind  of  a  listening  choice. 

I  believe  Dr.  Friley  envisioned  the  impending  revolution  in 
communications  that  we  now  are  witnessing,  and  he  wanted  to 
have  an  active  part  in  it.  We  had  no  concrete  goals,  but  thought 
that  through  television  we  might  perform  the  same  tasks  which 
we  had  done  regularly  on  radio,  but  with  the  greater  impact 
which  the  new  medium  offered.  We  began  to  plan  a  building 
and  in  February,  1950,  we  were  on  the  air. 

The  question  has  been  asked:  "What  can  the  university  do 
with  television?"  It  can  do  a  lot  of  things.  It  can  get  a  lot  of 
publicity,  some  of  it  good  and  some  of  it  adverse. 

We  encountered  the  peculiar  situation  in  which  the  univer- 
sity had  a  monopoly  on  the  facility,  as  well  as  an  obligation  to 
the  general  public — not  only  our  regular  audience  as  an  educa- 
tional station.  Because  of  this  freeze  on  new  licenses  we  were 
the  only  outlet  within  the  area.  We  faced  a  delicate  choice  in 
our  programming  and  ultimately  became  a  semi-commercial 
station,  setting  aside  a  25-year  precedent. 

Our  Board  of  Education,  or  ruling  body,  voted  that  we  be 
allowed  to  carry  various  network  programs  on  a  special  basis,  at 
least  until  additional  Des  Moines  stations  were  on  the  air.  So 
we  set  up  a  schedule  which  put  us  on  the  air  approximately 
twelve  hours  a  day,  serving  90,000  receivers  within  a  6o-mile 
area,  with  selected  programs  from  the  several  networks.  Under 
terms  of  our  contract,  we  may  reject  or  cancel  programs  which 
do  not  seem  suitable  to  our  total  college  policy.  From  these 


94  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

facts,  it  is  seen  that  we  got  into  network  and  commercial  pro- 
gramming by  accident,  and  because  we  recognized  an  obligation 
to  the  total  public. 

We  deviated  sharply  in  practice,  however,  from  what  might 
be  called  the  normal  commercial  operation.  We  defined  three 
goals  for  ourselves. 

One  was  to  telecast,  as  nearly  as  we  could,  in  a  pattern  of 
public  service,  and  offer  the  best  in  the  college  to  as  many  people 
as  possible. 

Next,  we  planned  to  set  up  a  training  and  teaching  program 
for  television  students,  program  people  and  engineers. 

The  third  area  took  in  research  and  development. 

President  Friley  made  the  following  statement: 

"This  is  an  experiment  in  education  .  .  .  The  field 
of  television  has  such  fascinating  possibilities  that  Iowa 
State  College  is  convinced  the  experiment  will  be  fully 
justified  on  the  basis  of  its  potential  contributions  to 
education,  particularly  extension  and  adult  education." 

As  a  land-grant  college,  we  spend  thousands  of  dollars  each 
year  in  extension  education.  Specialists  from  the  college  campus 
talk  to  groups  of  people  and  advise  them  on  everything  from 
livestock  and  crops  to  child  nutrition.  An  extension  specialist 
may  drive  seventy-five  miles  to  address  a  meeting  of  thirty  or 
forty  people.  Yet,  the  same  man  can  conduct  the  same  function 
in  one-eighth  of  the  time  by  television  and  reach  from  30,000 
to  40,000  people.  This  represents  not  only  an  economy,  but 
an  expanded  use. 

We  are  now  producing  sixteen  regular  shows  every  week. 
We  have  a  staff  of  no  people  who  operate  our  three  stations. 
The  AM  station  serves  the  whole  state,  while  television  reaches 
60  miles.  We  also  have  an  FM  station  which  serves  a  75-mile 
radius  and  operates  only  at  night. 

The  television  service,  being  restricted  in  its  coverage,  has 
worked  hard  to  justify  itself  in  the  eyes  of  the  taxpayers.  Some 
of  our  programs  follow. 

"Magic  Window,"  a  children's  program,  designed  for  chil- 
dren from  6  to  12  j  includes  an  informative  film,  as  well  as 
chatter  and  demonstrations.  Produced  in  cooperation  with  the 
Child  Development  Department. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  95 

"Weather  Forecast,"  produced  in  cooperation  with  the 
Weather  Bureau,  with  maps,  explanations  and  long  range 
forecasts. 

"Television  News,"  world  news  in  headlines  and  pictures, 
produced  in  cooperation  with  the  Department  of  Technical 
Journalism. 

"Tele-Visit,"  news  of  special  TV  shows  and  features,  in- 
cluding explanation  of  technical  phases  of  television  production. 

"What  Do  You  Think?"  a  discussion  of  current  local  issues, 
produced  in  cooperation  with  the  Adult  Education  Council,  Des 
Moines  public  schools  and  the  Film  Council  of  America. 

"Down  to  Earth,"  special  features  on  gardening  and  house 
plants,  produced  in  cooperation  with  the  Division  of  Agricul- 
ture and  Agricultural  Extension  Service. 

"The  Home  You  Want,"  an  exploration  of  economic  facts 
and  planning,  in  cooperation  with  Better  Homes  and  Gardens 
magazine,  Division  of  Home  Economics,  the  Department  of 
Architecture  and  Architectural  Engineering,  and  the  Depart- 
ment of  Landscape  Architecture. 

"Books  on  Trial,"  a  distinctly  high-brow  critical  discussion 
of  books. 

"Iowa  News  Conference,"  on  which  newsmen  quiz  a  prom- 
inent lowan  on  some  topic  in  the  news. 

"This  Is  Iowa  State,"  the  teaching,  research  and  extension 
activities  of  the  college  on  parade. 

"Focus  on  Sports,"  news  of  Iowa  sports  and  interviews  with 
sports  personalities,  produced  in  cooperation  with  the  athletic 
department. 

"You,  the  Artist,"  an  opportunity  to  learn  more  about  art 
and  about  exhibits  currently  on  view  for  I  o wans,  produced  in 
cooperation  with  the  Des  Moines  Art  Center. 

"Tele-Farm  Facts,"  farm  news,  markets,  weather,  and  spe- 
cial farm  features,  produced  in  cooperation  with  the  Division  of 
Agriculture  and  the  USDA. 

"This  Week  in  Pictures,"  feature  material  from  the  week's 
news. 

"Your  Health,"  medicine,  hygiene  and  health  facts,  pro- 
duced in  cooperation  with  the  Iowa  Medical  Society. 

1  will  say  a  few  words  about  research  and  program  develop- 
ment, and  then  conclude.  Our  most  important  program  develop- 


96  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

ment  area  is  being  conducted  under  a  grant  from  the  Fund  for 
Adult  Education  of  the  Ford  Foundation.  We  developed  one 
program  on  Eldora,  Iowa,  and  called  it,  "Eldora,  a  Town  with 
a  Problem."  We  said  that  television  was  attempting  "to  catch 
the  faces  and  voices  of  America  itself." 

The  Des  Moines  Register-Tribune  said  of  this  program: 

"One  of  the  most  interesting  experiments  in  the 
country  is  now  taking  place  in  Iowa,  in  and  out  of  WOI- 
TV.  The  first  program  in  the  new  series,  'The  Whole 
Town's  Talking,'  gave  the  general  public  their  first 
glimpse  of  one  aspect  of  the  experiment  last  week.  But 
ordinary  citizens,  in  a  half  dozen  or  more  Iowa  commu- 
nities, and  educators  and  other  professionals  from  all 
over  Iowa,  have  been  taking  part  in  it  for  many  weeks. 

"The  idea  is  for  a  new  and  broader  sort  of  'audience 
participation' — not  simply  dragging  a  few  members  of 
the  public  up  before  mikes  and  cameras  as  a  relief  from 
the  professional  entertainers  and  commentators.  It  is  to 
use  the  highly  personal  yet  dazzling  limelight  of  a  TV 
program  to  spark  participating  communities  into  more 
active  discussion  of  their  own  problems,  and  stimulate 
TV  audiences  in  other  communities  into  a  livelier,  more 
personal  touch  with  problems  and  the  choices  a  com- 
munity has  to  make,  and  how  it  makes  them. 

"The  Ford  Foundation  put  up  the  money  for  this 
experiment,  and  sent  in  some  distinguished  staff  mem- 
bers to  work.  These  and  the  WOI  staff  are  guided  and 
criticized  by  a  state-wide  advisory  committee  and  by 
other  experts  in  the  fields  they  explore. 

"The  January  3,  10  and  17  programs  are  all  con- 
cerned with  different  aspects  of  the  school  reorganiza- 
tion problems,  which  so  many  Iowa  communities  now 
are  facing.  They  bring  out  clearly  the  conflict  between 
the  school,  as  an  efficient  educational  instrument,  and  the 
school  as  a  community  center  which  kept  the  'consoli- 
dation' movement  of  a  generation  ago  from  achieving 
its  purpose. 

"The  shows  are  partly  on  film  and  partly  live.  This 
gives  them  both  flexibility,  in  time  and  space,  and  the 
clarity  and  impact  of  a  live,  decision-making  session. 

"When  a  test  run  of  a  couple  of  these  school  reor- 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  97 

ganization  programs  was  filmed  and  shown  to  various 
groups,  professional  educators  were  miffed  because  the 
film  looked  like  propaganda  against  reorganization.  At 
the  same  time,  anti-reorganization  participants  thought 
the  film  was  unduly  loaded  in  favor  of  organization!" 
The  whole  idea  of  the  series  was  to  get  people  talking  on 

their  own  small-town  level. 

After  two  and  one-half  years  of  work,  it  seems  I  know  a  lot 

less  about  it  than  I  did  originally.   The  duty  of  the  television 

station  and  the  program  will  vary  according  to  the  community 

and  the  area. 

We  had  mail  response  from  many  individuals,  but  I  want 

to  tell  you  about  one  letter  that  came  to  us  written  in  pencil  on 

a  piece  of  ruled  stationery,  the  nickel  tablet  kind.    The  man 

wrote: 

"Dear  Friends: 

"The  wife  and  I  have  bought  us  a  television  set.  It  cost  $209.50. 
We  have  it  in  our  dining  room,  and  we  sure  have  a  lot  of  neighbors 
coming  to  visit  us.  It  makes  an  extra  lot  of  coffee  making  for  my 
wife.  I  don't  know  if  you  guys  down  there  at  Ames  know  what  kind 
of  a  revolution  you  have  started,  but  I  want  to  tell  you,  it's  just 
wonderful  to  see  all  them  folks  in  them  Eastern  cities." 

WHAT  CAN  A  COMMUNITY'S  EDUCATIONAL 
ORGANIZATIONS  DO  WITH  TELEVISION? 

WILLIAM  B.  LEVENSON4 

"WHAT  CAN  A  COMMUNITY'S  EDUCATIONAL  Organizations 
Do  With  Television?"  For  one  thing  they  can  ignore  it,  blindly 
pretend  it  was  never  invented,  overlook  the  fact  that  the  aver- 
age home  set  is  on  more  than  five  hours  daily,  and  close  their 
eyes  to  an  actual  miracle  of  communication.  And  having  ignored 
it,  they  can  later  play  the  popular  game  of  complaint,  and 
grumble  about  the  programs  they  see  or  hear  about. 

The  second  choice  is  dynamic.  It  recognizes  that  any  edu- 
cational institution  and  every  member  of  its  staff  must  do  more 
than  merely  harbor  knowledge.  There  must  be  sharing.  The 
lifeblood  of  the  educative  process  is  the  exchange  of  meanings. 
In  short,  there  must  be  communication.  Scholars?  Yes.  But 
popularizers,  too.  And  don't  for  a  moment  assume  that  the 
latter  are  necessarily  superficial. 

*  Assistant  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Cleveland,  O. 


98  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Therefore,  it  is  evident  that  any  organization  which  pur- 
ports to  call  itself  educational  cannot  overlook  the  proven 
instruments  of  communication,  whether  they  be  the  printed 
word,  film,  radio  or  television.  And  if  it  does,  it  either  is  asleep 
or  negligent,  or  probably  both. 

Of  course,  when  we  speak  of  the  community's  educational 
organizations,  we  are  not  confining  ourselves  to  the  formal 
school  institutions.  In  every  community  of  reasonable  size, 
there  are  numerous  agencies  in  addition  to  schools  that  directly 
or  indirectly  influence  thought  and  change  behavior,  and  to  that 
extent  they  are  educational.  These  include  the  zoo,  the  mu- 
seums, libraries,  the  hundreds  of  social,  health  and  welfare 
agencies,  countless  divisions  of  the  municipal  and  state  govern- 
ment, labor  and  industrial  units,  the  various  nationality  groups, 
musical  and  dramatic  clubs.  Everything  from  model  airplane 
enthusiasts  to  garden  lovers. 

That  concept  may  be  too  broad,  but  even  if  you  limit  the 
field  to  those  agencies  that  are  primarily  educational,  it  is 
obvious  that  the  American  community  in  terms  of  special  in- 
terests is  highly  organized. 

The  point  is  that  this  is  the  raw  material  of  educational 
television.  I  certainly  don't  pose  as  an  expert  in  this  medium, 
but  I've  been  close  enough  to  it  in  some  program  planning  to 
conclude  that  for  educational  purposes,  at  least,  the  basis  of 
success  is  not  clever  gimmicks,  contrived  situations  and  elab- 
orate production.  The  key  is  people — people  doing  the  things 
they  have  been  doing  expertly  for  years.  With  television  we 
open  a  window  to  observe  their  activity,  and  it  can  be  artistic, 
too,  whether  it  is  masterful  teaching,  skillful  bricklaying,  hat 
designing,  wood-burning  or  glass  blowing. 

Now,  let's  not  be  naive.  A  camera  aimed  at  just  anybody 
.working  is  not  necessarily  worthwhile,  even  educationally. 

Certainly,  talented  production  is  essential,  and  compelling 
program  ideas  have  to  be  laboriously  evolved.  However,  the 
community  has  within  it  the  real  makings  of  that  which  is 
inherently  dramatic,  and  purposeful  as  well. 

Those  communities  which  are  blessed  with  high-minded  TV 
station  management  already  have  evidence  of  television's  pow- 
erful impact  through  the  effective  use  of  community  resources. 
In  our  city,  Station  WEWS  is  a  remarkable  example. 

However,  in  some  regions,  those  unfortunately  regarded 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  99 

largely  as  markets,  greater  coordination  will  be  needed.  Com- 
munity groups  may  find  it  desirable  to  pool  their  resources, 
either  to  help  in  more  effective  programming,  or  possibly  for 
their  own  station  operation. 

In  our  town  the  idea  of  the  Community  Chest  first  took  root 
— a  pooling  of  needs,  or,  as  one  wag  described  it,  "putting  all 
your  begs  in  one  asket."  Cooperation  paid  off.  You  have  seen 
similar  group  planning  and  support  in  the  radio  field.  For 
example,  Station  WGBH,  in  the  Boston  area. 

Is  it  too  much  to  expect  similar  steps  in  television?  Remem- 
ber, please,  that  my  assigned  topic  was  what  can  be  done,  not 
what  will  be  done. 

Now,  let's  move  in  for  a  close-up  on  the  community,  and 
let's  highlight  one  agency.  What  can  the  schools  do  with 
television? 

Again,  keeping  in  mind  our  experience  with  school  radio, 
it  is  interesting  to  see  how  similar  steps  are  developing  in 
television. 

Once  more  an  enterprising  PTA  is  here  and  there  providing 
a  school  with  a  receiver.  And  again  the  unit  is  placed  in  an 
auditorium  or  large  hall  for  some  special  event.  More  class- 
room installations  may  come  later.  Once  more,  some  imagina- 
tive teacher  is  organizing  a  workshop  within  the  school.  Far- 
sighted  station  management  in  some  areas  is  inviting  schools  to 
present  TV  programs  and,  no  less  important,  it  is  helping  to 
polish  the  production. 

As  with  radio,  the  first  program  efforts  are  largely  in  public 
relations,  where  a  home  audience  is  available.  Some  school 
administrators,  as  yet  not  enough,  are  exploring  ways  and  means 
by  which  television  can  be  used  for  classroom  purposes.  Equip- 
ment that  is  satisfactory,  yet  inexpensive,  is  again  an  obstacle 
to  overcome. 

Yes,  it  all  seems  strangely  familiar.  The  TV  contributions 
to  teaching  are  now  being  voiced.  The  fact  is  that  most  of  them 
apply  to  radio  as  well.  The  timeliness  of  the  medium,  the  fact 
that  it  can  give  pupils  a  sense  of  participation,  that  it  can  be  an 
emotional  force  in  the  creation  of  desirable  attitudes,  that  it  can 
add  authority  and  thus  up-grade  teaching,  that  it  can  bring  a 
variety  of  points  of  view  into  the  classroom — and  so  challenge 
dogmatic  teaching  and  passive  learning,  that  it  can  be  used  to 
develop  pupil  discrimination,  that  it  conquers  space,  that  it  can 


IOO  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

help  in  continuous  curriculum  revision,  that  it  can  aid  in  inter- 
preting the  schools  to  the  community.  All  of  these  possibilities 
are  familiar  to  you,  and  they  apply  to  both  radio  and  television. 

I  presume  you  recognize  by  this  time  that  I  am  not  one  of 
those  who  believes  that  TV  will  replace  radio,  no  more  than  the 
telephone  has  replaced  the  telegraph,  and  the  wireless  the  cable, 
in  the  general  communications  field.  In  my  opinion,  each  me- 
dium, TV  and  radio,  has  its  own  contribution  to  make,  educa- 
tionally as  well  as  commercially. 

I  believe  it  would  be  unfortunate  if  we,  of  the  schools,  with 
our  justifiable  enthusiasm  for  this  newer  scientific  marvel, 
neglected  other  media  such  as  films,  radio,  recordings,  etc.,  not 
to  mention  books. 

But  this  is  true:  Whereas  radio  is  blind,  except  for  the  lis- 
tener's imagination,  television  can  actually  demonstrate.  It  is 
this  quality  of  television  that  many  school  administrators  are 
thinking  about  in  these  days,  particularly.  I  say  "these  days" 
because  of  the  tremendous  increase  that  has  taken  place  in  our 
school  enrollment. 

For  example,  the  need  for  qualified  teachers  in  Ohio  is  now 
so  crucial  that  it  would  require  one  of  every  seven  high  school 
graduates  to  start  teacher  training  next  fall  in  order  for  us  to 
meet  the  1956  demand.  Obviously,  no  such  supply  will  be 
forthcoming.  Now,  so  far  as  I  know,  no  one  is  thinking  of 
television  as  a  means  of  replacing  teachers,  or  even  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  those  that  cannot  be  employed.  However,  it  is  dem- 
onstrable that  television,  skillfully  used,  could  help  to  reduce 
the  losses  that  inevitably  take  place  when  classes  are  much  too 
large  and  sub-standard  personnel  is  necessarily  employed.  For 
with  the  use  of  this  medium,  teacher  expertness  can  be  dis- 
tributed. More  than  twenty  years  of  demonstration  teaching 
with  radio,  blind  as  it  is,  have  convinced  us  in  Cleveland  of  the 
contributions  that  can  be  made  in  this  direction.  The  inspiration 
that  comes  from  an  outstanding  teacher  can  be  shared,  to  some 
extent,  by  thousands  of  children  rather  than  by  the  few  fortu- 
nate enough  to  be  in  her  class.  Beginning  teachers,  too,  benefit 
from  the  chance  to  observe  a  colleague  with  real  know-how. 
No,  this  is  not  a  proposal  to  use  television  to  supplant  teachers, 
only  to  supplement  them.  Thus,  as  we  look  at  the  many  contri- 
butions that  television  can  make  to  teaching,  it  seems  evident 
that  the  schools  can  do  much  with  television.  However,  if  the 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  IOI 

topic  assigned  to  me  used  another  word,  What  will  the  schools 
do  with  television? — I  am  afraid  I  should  have  to  temper  my 
answer. 

I  should  feel  much  more  optimistic,  if  I  were  convinced 
that  the  schools,  by  and  large,  were  already  making  maximum 
use  of  radio,  even  after  thirty  years  of  its  existence. 

I  would  be  more  certain,  if  I  were  convinced  that  teachers, 
by  and  large,  were  making  effective  use  today  of  the  existing 
visual  aids  available  in  their  community  now. 

Let's  keep  in  mind,  also,  that  the  same  limitations  that  con- 
front school  radio  face  television.  In  the  secondary  grades, 
there  is  still  the  problem  of  selecting  the  optimum  time  for  any 
one  broadcast.  The  bell  schedules  present  a  problem.  There  is 
still  the  difficulty  of  meeting  the  requirements  of  the  local 
course  of  study.  In  fact,  as  far  as  television  is  concerned,  we 
sometimes  hear  this  question,  for  which  an  adequate  answer 
must  be  given:  Aside  from  immediacy,  what  values  for  class- 
rooms— and  please  remember,  I  am  speaking  here  only  of 
classrooms  j  to  be  sure,  adult  education  at  home  is  also  an  im- 
portant part  of  the  school  functions — has  television  that  a  good 
sound  motion  picture  cannot  match,  for  the  latter,  has,  in  addi- 
tion, flexibility  as  well  as  permanence? 

Nor  can  I,  in  all  honesty,  overlook  the  very  fundamental 
question  of  economics.  At  a  time  of  record  breaking  birth-rates, 
when  both  school  staff  and  housing  are  sorely  needed,  when 
inflation  aggravates  the  problem,  what  priority  on  the  tax  dollar 
should  be  given  to  television — tremendously  effective  though 
it  can  be? 

I  assure  you  that  many  alert  school  administrators,  anxious 
to  enlist  the  help  of  this  instrument,  are  searching  for  an  answer. 

But  lest  we  get  discouraged,  let's  avoid  the  natural  temp- 
tation of  expecting  too  much,  too  soon.  Can  we  actually  expect 
publicly  supported  education  to  move  much  faster  than  it  does? 

Social  institutions  require  many  years  to  make  effective  use 
of  technical  developments.  Even  the  introduction  of  print  took 
many,  many  years.  This  so-called  lag  may  be  deplored,  but,  on 
the  other  hand,  it  is  naive  enthusiasm  to  assume  that  within  one 
generation  a  still  evolving  instrument  such  as  broadcasting  could 
be  fully  exploited  in  terms  of  socially  desired  aims. 

Education,  rightly  or  wrongly,  moves  slowly.  You  know 
that.  But  sometimes  the  reasons  are  not  apparent  to  the  lay- 


IO2  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

man.  A  school  system  wishing  to  establish  a  television  station, 
for  example,  cannot,  like  a  corporation  for  profit,  issue  stock 
and  quickly  capitalize.  Before  budgeting  a  special  service,  it  is 
imperative  that  its  stockholders,  the  general  public,  understand 
the  reasons  for  such  action.  All  too  often,  the  tag  of  fads  and 
frills  is  given  to  forward-looking  steps.  It  would  be  pleasant  to 
move  quickly  and  to  spend  tax  dollars  as  educators  believe  best. 
However,  we  know  only  too  well  this  lag  that  exists  between 
a  social  vision  and  general  acceptance  of  it.  Yet  that  lag  may  be 
a  safeguard  in  a  social  order  that  depends  upon  popular  support. 
However,  this  does  not  mean  that  an  enterprising  school 
administration  can  sit  back  and  contentedly  wait  for  the  public 
to  catch  up  at  some  distant  future.  There  are  steps  that  should 
be  taken  now.  Cooperation  with  television  stations  should  be 
encouraged.  Good  relations  flow  on  a  two-way  street.  Experi- 
mental programs  should  be  launched.  Selected  young  teaching 
personnel  should  be  given  TV  training  at  home  if  possible,  or 
be  sent  elsewhere  for  experience.  Educational  film  shorts  should 
be  prepared  and  tested  in  actual  use.  The  teaching  staff,  in 
general,  should  be  given  maximum  in-service  training  in  the 
classroom  use  of  audio-visual  materials.  It  is  good  to  see  that 
much  of  this  has  already  been  started  in  some  school  systems — 
not  enough,  however.  Those  who  wait  for  the  best  time  usually 
wait  forever.  I  am  reminded  that  Mahatma  Gandhi  once  said 
of  a  political  opponent.  "He  thinks  of  a  difficulty  for  every 
solution."  Certainly,  there  are  difficulties  in  the  school  use  of 
television.  Let's  be  aware  of  them,  but  let's  proceed.  There  is 
real  work  to  be  done! 


THE  NEED  FOR  COOPERATION  IN 
ACHIEVING  EDUCATIONAL  TELEVISION 

FREDERICK  W.  HOEING5 

IN  THE  LAST  FEW  WEEKS,  it  has  been  my  good  fortune  to 
visit  a  number  of  cities  where  outstanding  work  in  educational 
television  now  is  being  carried  on.  I  have  had  the  opportunity 
to  see  some  of  the  programs  being  presented  in  the  studios  and 
to  talk  with  the  men  and  women  in  charge. 

5  Consultant  to  Director,  Educational  Television  Programs  Institute,  American  Coun- 
cil on  Education,  Washington,  D.  C. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  IO3 

I  find  it  difficult  not  to  use  superlatives  in  describing  what  I 
have  seen.  I  was  impressed  by  the  pioneering  spirit  which  I 
observed  everywhere,  always  an  exciting  and  a  typically  Amer- 
ican phenomenon,  as  well  as  by  the  tremendous  amount  and 
variety  of  work  being  done  by  individuals  in  the  field.  I  was 
struck  by  the  ingenuity  displayed,  by  the  courage  in  face  of 
serious  obstacles,  by  the  originality  and  variety  of  thought  and 
action,  by  the  creative  ability  at  work.  It  would  be  an  exag- 
geration to  say  that  all  of  the  present  efforts  are  being  entirely 
successful  or  that  the  programs  produced  are  uniformly  on  the 
highest  level.  The  handicaps,  at  the  moment,  of  finances  and 
personnel  and  time  and  material,  are  too  great  to  make  that 
possible.  But  much  already  is  on  a  high  level  j  much  more 
shows  definite  promise  for  the  future;  and  practice  and  experi- 
mentation are  leading  to  the  necessary  know-how. 

As  a  result  of  many  conversations  and  of  my  own  observa- 
tion, I  have  become  convinced  that  cooperation  is  essential  in 
order  to  utilize  fully  this  terrific  and  revolutionary  new  medium 
for  education.  It  is  not  a  field  in  which  one  individual  or  one 
institution  can  go  it  alone.  I  should  like  to  discuss  this  obvious 
need  for  cooperation  under  five  headings. 

First,  educational  television  must  have  the  cooperation  and 
the  support  of  the  thinking  people  of  the  community.  By  think- 
ing people,  I  mean  most  of  the  college  graduates  as  well  as  those 
who  haven't  been  lucky  enough  to  have  a  college  education  but 
who  have  continued  throughout  life  in  a  process  of  self-educa- 
tion. I  mean  the  thoughtful  parents  of  our  school  children,  the 
faculties  of  our  schools  and  colleges,  the  members  of  the  various 
professions  and  the  residents  of  the  community  who  support 
good  music  and  drama,  literature  and  art.  These  people,  along 
with  school  children  and  college  students,  are  the  potential 
audience.  Without  their  cooperation  and  support,  and  their 
understanding,  educational  television  can  not  succeed. 

Personally,  I  have  been  shocked  by  the  attitude  of  many  of 
my  friends  and  acquaintances  in  this  thinking  group,  who  ex- 
press disinterest  or  even  contempt  for  television.  This  reaction 
seems  to  be  based  largely  on  ignorance.  The  most  violent  seem 
to  know  the  least  on  the  subject.  This  strikes  me  as  a  prime 
example  of  stereotyping.  They  have  seen  one  poor  program, 
or  one  program  they  thought  was  poor,  or  they  have  heard 
about  poor  programs,  and  the  whole  medium  stands  con- 


IO4  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

demned.  This  is  such  an  unexpected  reaction  from  a  thinking 
group,  that  I  hope  my  personal  experience  has  been  an  unrep- 
resentative one. 

I  found  that  much  has  already  been  done  in  many  commu- 
nities to  win  the  interest  and  support  of  people  of  this  type. 
Faculties,  both  of  schools  and  colleges,  have  been  won  over. 
The  parents  have  rallied  behind  television  for  the  schools. 
Various  professional  and  cultural  groups  have  demonstrated 
their  support.  For  the  country  as  a  whole,  however,  I  believe 
that  a  tremendous  public  relations  job  remains  to  be  done. 

Secondly,  I  feel  that  educational  television  should  have  the 
cooperation  of  the  commercial  stations.  That  is  essential  at  the 
moment}  I  believe  it  is  important  for  the  near  future ;  and  I 
feel  it  will  be  useful  in  the  more  distant  future.  Educational 
and  commercial  television  are  going  to  exist  side-by-side.  In 
my  opinion  they  are  stuck  with  each  other  for  all  time,  whether 
or  not  they  are  happy  about  it.  I  don't  see  how  commercial 
television  can  get  along  without  cooperation  from  the  educa- 
tional and  cultural  leaders  and  institutions,  if  they  are  going  to 
give  the  type  of  public  service  which  they  seem  sincerely  to 
wish  to  give,  not  to  mention  conforming  with  regulations  which 
I  understand  exist  on  the  subject.  In  turn,  in  some  parts  of  the 
country,  education  may  be  wholly  dependent  on  commercial 
television  in  the  future,  and  everywhere  education  may  need  the 
help  of  commercial  television  to  reach  certain  mass  audiences. 

Cooperation  between  educational  institutions  and  commer- 
cial stations  is  at  present  proceeding  very  successfully  in  a  num- 
ber of  American  cities.  To  be  fair  to  the  commercial  stations, 
it  should  be  pointed  out  that  at  this  moment  in  some  places  the 
commercial  interests  are  asking  for  more  educational  programs 
than  the  educators  are  prepared  to  give.  On  the  other  hand,  I 
believe  that  a  certain  amount  of  friction  has  already  developed 
in  other  cities,  particularly  concerning  the  hours  to  be  devoted 
to  educational  telecasts. 

If  it  is  true  that  commercial  and  educational  television  are 
destined  to  exist  side-by-side,  it  seems  to  me  important  that  both 
parties  try  to  look  at  the  situation  calmly  and  carefully,  and 
work  out  constructive  plans  for  cooperation.  Particularly  I  think 
there  should  be  an  end  to  the  name  calling,  which,  I  am  in- 
formed, has  been  indulged  in  by  both  sides. 

Although  I  feel  that  cooperation  with  commercial  stations 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION 

will  always  be  a  factor  in  the  situation,  I  do  not  personally 
believe  that  that  is  the  sole,  or  best,  solution  for  educational 
television  in  most  sections  of  the  country.  That  would  seem  to 
me  to  lie  in  independent,  non-profit,  educational  stations.  The 
fundamental  reason  for  this  is  the  importance  for  education  of 
controlling  its  own  destiny  in  such  a  vital  field.  Of  significance, 
also,  in  the  picture  are  the  prize  hours  of  7  to  10  in  the  evening. 
Educational  television  can  reach  the  school  and  college  students 
and  the  housewives  of  the  nation  at  other  times.  But  if  educa- 
tional television  is  ever  going  to  influence  the  adult  male  popu- 
lation of  the  country,  and  the  almost  equally  important  group 
of  women  workers,  it  must  do  it  in  those  favored  hours. 

It  is  too  much  to  expect  commercial  stations  to  grant  this 
time  freely  for  educational  telecasts.  These  are  the  hours  in 
which  they  must  reap  the  financial  profit  in  which  they  are 
necessarily  and  properly  interested.  If  the  commercial  stations 
can  not  devote  this  time  to  programs  of  an  educational  nature, 
educational  stations  must  take  over  and  fill  the  gap.  It  is  a 
most  important  gap. 

Granted  that  independent  educational  stations  are  to  be 
established,  the  third  field  of  cooperation  would  be  among  all 
the  educational  and  cultural  organizations  in  each  community. 
This  would  be  necessary  to  avoid  placing  a  crushing  burden  on 
one  institution,  as  well  as  to  secure  a  well  rounded  series  of 
programs  for  a  thinking  audience  with  many  and  varied  inter- 
ests. This  would  include  the  primary  and  secondary  schools, 
and  all  institutions  of  higher  education.  It  would  include  the 
local  art  gallery,  the  museum,  the  public  library,  the  historical 
association,  the  musical  organizations,  the  dramatic  groups,  the 
professional  associations  and  many  other  groups  and  organiza- 
tions. The  number  of  potential  partners  would  be  very  great 
in  our  large  metropolitan  centers.  The  number  might  be  com- 
paratively few  in  a  small  city,  or  a  largely  rural  area.  In  the 
latter  case,  I  suspect  more  intimate  interest  and  greater  enthu- 
siasm might  well  make  up  much  of  the  difference. 

This  cooperation  among  the  various  organizations  in  the 
community  has  already  been  begun  in  many  American  cities.  It 
would  not  seem  to  present  serious  obstacles  elsewhere,  once  the 
significance  of  educational  television  is  grasped  and  the  contri- 
bution that  each  organization  could  make  is  understood. 

Even  with  all  the  cultural  organizations  of  the  community 


IO6  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

cooperating,  there  still  remains  the  ghastly  problem  of  rilling 
eight  hours  or  more  a  day,  seven  days  a  week,  with  good  educa- 
tional programs.  That  would  seem  to  be  an  impossibility  for 
any  local  station  except  in  the  largest  metropolitan  centers,  and 
even  there  the  cost  and  the  stress  and  strain  would  be  terrific. 
One  of  the  great  shocks  to  the  newcomer  to  television  is  the 
amount  of  time  required  for  the  preparation  of  even  the  sim- 
plest live  production.  Two  or  three  hours  a  day  of  live  pro- 
grams by  an  educational  station  would  be  a  real  accomplishment. 

Therefore,  the  fourth  type  of  cooperation  needed — and  it 
would  seem  to  be  essential — is  some  plan  of  program  sharing 
among  educational  stations.  This  could  be  on  a  regional,  or, 
preferably,  a  national  basis.  A  feasible  plan  would  be  the 
establishment  of  a  center,  or  a  number  of  centers,  throughout 
the  country,  for  the  handling  of  kinescopes  of  outstanding  edu- 
cational programs,  as  well  as  educational  films.  This  center 
could  act  as  a  receiving  agency  for  kinescopes  from  all  contrib- 
uting educational  stations,  and  as  the  distributor  of  these  kine- 
scopes to  the  other  stations  in  the  chain.  By  a  cooperative  sharing 
of  expenses  among  a  large  number  of  educational  stations,  this 
kinescope  exchange  plan  should  considerably  reduce  the  cost 
of  the  programming  and  operation  of  the  individual  stations. 

It  would  entail  the  wide  ownership  and  use  of  kinescope 
machines,  or  whatever  new  recording  devices  might  be  devel- 
oped, but  that  would  be  advisable  in  any  event.  It  is  tragic  that 
so  many  excellent  programs  are  now  gone  forever,  once  the 
original  is  off  the  air.  More  ambitiously,  the  center  might  also 
have  a  production  unit  where  kinescopes  of  various  educational 
programs  that  seemed  to  be  needed  could  be  produced  for  the 
use  of  the  local  stations. 

Much  more  ambitious  is  the  idea  of  a  regular  educational 
network,  along  the  lines  of  the  present  national  commercial 
networks.  I  do  not  have  adequate  knowledge  of  the  financial 
or  technical  demands  of  such  a  network  to  discuss  the  subject 
intelligently.  If  it  is  a  practical  possibility,  it  certainly  has  tre- 
mendous appeal.  I  think  it  should  be  made  clear  that  there  is 
no  thought  of  government  control  of  such  a  network.  If  such 
a  national  network  is  not  practical,  networks  on  a  regional  or 
state  wide  basis  might  very  well  be.  I  know  that  serious  consid- 
eration is  already  being  given  to  such  projects,  at  least  on  the 
state  level. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION 

It  is  obvious  that  these  remarks  have  been  extremely  vague 
on  the  financial  side  of  the  whole  problem  of  educational  tele- 
vision, and  this  is  a  side  which  must  be  of  primary  concern  to 
any  educator  faced  with  making  decisions.  Private  educational 
institutions  working  together  might  be  able  to  meet  the  financial 
requirements  for  an  individual  station  in  some  communities. 
State  institutions  might  also,  in  some  cases,  receive  adequate 
financing  from  public  funds.  But  the  more  ambitious  program 
sharing  schemes,  and  even  the  establishment  of  local  stations  in 
many  communities,  might  require  substantial  financial  help  from 
outside  the  educational  system  itself. 

Here  is  a  fifth  place  in  which  cooperation  is  needed.  The 
two  possible  sources  of  help  would  seem  to  be  the  great  founda- 
tions dedicated  to  the  enrichment  of  American  life,  and  Amer- 
ican industry  itself,  in  its  humanitarian  role  of  distributing  a 
portion  of  its  profits  to  worthy  causes.  The  vigor  and  vitality 
of  American  democracy  has  been  greatly  increased  by  the  gen- 
erosity of  wealthy  individuals  and  successful  corporations.  Edu- 
cational television  would  seem  a  most  promising  and  rewarding 
field  for  such  generosity.  Once  careful  planning  has  been  done, 
large  grants  to  help  meet  the  present  challenge  and  the  prob- 
lems of  the  future  would  seem  a  worthwhile  investment. 

These  five  needed  fields  of  cooperation  strike  me  as  of  real 
significance  in  the  planning  for  educational  television.  Certainly 
there  is  need  for  some  profound  brains  to  give  some  constructive 
thought  to  the  whole  problem  at  this  particular  time,  and  to 
make  some  definite  and  realistic  recommendations  and  plans. 

DISCUSSION 
KENNETH  G.  BARTLETT,6  Leader 

While  you  are  preparing  your  questions  or  statements,  I  should  like 
to  ask  a  question.  My  question  goes  to  Mr.  Steetle. 

The  JGET,  of  which  you  are  the  able  administrator,  aided  all 
educators  in  presenting  our  case  to  the  American  people,  and,  more 
particularly,  to  the  Commission.  You  helped  the  educators  get  an 
assignment  of  12  per  cent  of  the  television  channels.  Now  that  you 
have  done  such  an  effective  job  with  the  people  and  with  the  Commis- 
sion, how  are  you  going  to  help  the  educational  leaders  of  America  with 
their  programming?  These  men  are  worried  about  how  they  can  keep 
an  educational  station  going  eight  hours  a  day  with  good  programs. 

6  Director,  Radio-Television  Center,  Syracuse  University,  Syracuse,  N.Y. 


IO8  EDUCATION    ON    THE   AIR 

MR.  STEETLE: 

That  is  a  large  order. 

The  JCET  believes  there  must  be  a  source  of  good,  effective 
educational  television  programs.  In  radio,  it  took  twenty-five  years  to 
form  an  NAEB  network,  which  is  just  a  couple  of  years  old,  but  already 
this  network  has  done  quite  a  bit  to  increase  the  effectiveness  of  education- 
al radio  programs. 

We  cannot  wait  twenty-five  years,  or  any  appreciable  fraction  of  it, 
in  television.   There  will  be  a  source  of  programs.   I  cannot  specify  under 
what  auspices  these  programs  will  be  provided,  but  I  am  confident  they 
will  be  made  available. 
CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

Your  answer,  then,  as  I  understand  it,  is  that  you  think  there  will  be 
a  program  source  equivalent  to  the  NAEB  tape  network  for  TV? 

Commissioner  Hennock  do  you  want  to  comment  on  that? 
Miss  FRIEDA  HENNOCK :T 

I  want  to  ask  a  question. 

Mr.  Hoeing  talked  about  eight  hours  a  day  of  television  program- 
ming for  a  station.   I  would  like  to  know  where  he  got  that  figure  for  an 
educational  station  just  starting  out? 
CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

Mr.  Hoeing,  would  you  like  to  comment? 
MR.  HOEING: 

In  complete  innocence,  I  thought  that  an  educational  station  should 
be   on    the   air   eight   hours   or   more   to   make   the   effort  worthwhile. 
Certainly,  that  goal  does  not  have  to  be  reached  immediately. 
Miss  HENNOCK: 

I  just  want  to  say  this:  Do  not  make  this  problem  so  complicated, 
it  will  be  impossible  for  educators  to  get  started. 

I  take  off  my  hat  to  the  1 88  stations  at  present  on  the  air.  They 
came  in  and  got  licenses.  They  didn't  start  with  eight-hours-a-day 
programming.  There  would  have  been  no  television  without  the 
commercial  people  who  took  the  venture.  They  came  on  for  an  hour, 
and  then  two  hours.  They  weren't  talking  about  networks  before  they 
started  their  stations. 

What  is  the  network  you  are  talking  about?  Are  you  talking  about 
a  network  of  stations  before  a  single  application  for  a  station  is  on  file 
from  the  educational  television  people? 

The  channels  are  lying  idle  until  you  build  stations.  We  want  these 
applications  in  and  this  spectrum  space  used,  and  so  does  the  public.  Why 

7  Commissioner,  Federal  Communications  Commission,  Washington,  D.  C. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  IO9 

all  this  concern  about  a  network  and  eight  hours  a  day  of  programming? 
MR.  HULL: 

I  think  the  general  phrase  of  eight  hours  a  day  is  only  a  point  of 
reference.  If  we  look  toward  the  purchase  of  242  stations,  I  think  it  is 
realistic,  even  before  an  application  for  a  single  station  is  made,  to  think 
about  where  the  program  resources  are  going  to  be. 

I  believe  it  is  a  realistic  thing  to  consider  the  program  sources,  now. 
Miss  HENNOCK: 

Why  talk  about  program  sources  before  you  have  channels  on  the 
air,  or  stations? 
CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

I  am  the  one  who  started  this  discussion,  and  who  should  take  the 
major  portion  of  the  blame. 

I  was  simply  running  down  the  panel,  saying  so  much  depends  on 
programs,  I  wondered  whether  the  JCET  had  any  plans  for  helping  us? 
Mr.  Steetle's  answer  was  wonderful.  He  said,  "We  think  there  will  be 
sources  that  will  supply  you  folks." 

That  brought  attention  to  one  cardinal  point.  No  one  has  been  told 
they  had  to  operate  eight  hours  a  day.  We  stand  corrected  at  that  point. 

Now,  let  us  go  on  to  other  questions  from  the  audience. 
MRS.  DOROTHY  GORDON  :8 

I  think  the  allocation  of  channels  for  educational  broadcasting  is  a 
very  important  thing. 

Miss  Hennock  is  not  at  all  out  of  place  in  the  statement  she  has  made. 
We  ought  to  get  down  to  brass  tacks. 

I  would  like  to  ask  whether  anyone  on  the  platform  is  in  a  position 
to  apply  for  an  educational  channel? 
MR.  STEETLE: 

Let's  be  practical.  An  administrator  has  methods  for  handling  a 
problem,  such  as  a  capital  outlay.  Also,  what  it  is  going  to  cost  to  run 
the  stadiums,  classrooms  or  station. 

This  meeting  is  planned  as  an  educational  approach  to  the  use  of 
television.    We  are  saying  that  the  time  and  concern  we  are  giving  now 
to  the  discussion  of  programs  is  a  part  of  applying  for  a  channel,  and  a 
very  basic  and  important  part. 
Miss  HENNOCK: 

I  am  all  for  this  little  discussion  on  programming.  The  final  test  is 
the  end  product,  the  program. 

But,  please,  get  your  application  in.  Get  on  the  air.  Start  occupying 
these  channels.  Don't  let  them  lie  idle.  They  are  too  valuable. 

8  Moderator,  New  York  Times  Youth  Forums,  New  York  City. 


IIO  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Mr.  Steetle  and  the  gentleman  on  the  platform  want  to  give  you 
great  programming,  and  spend  years  planning  it.    That  is  fine,  that  is 
wonderful.    But  you  will  have  all  this  planning  lying  on  a  shelf  some- 
where unless  you  get  the  stations  built  and  operating. 
MR.  JOHN  L.  HUNT:° 

I  am  just  a  little  mad.  I  could  never  apply  for  an  educational 
channel.  I  haven't  that  authority.  But  I  was  sent  here  by  the  board 
of  education,  in  my  city,  to  find  out  what  this  is  all  about.  When  I  go 
back,  every  member  of  the  board  will  be  given  a  lot  of  material  from 
this  Institute. 

But  before  they  start  talking  about  putting  up  money  and  building  a 
station,  they  will  ask  what  this  is  going  to  do  for  education,  and  that  is 
where  programming  comes  in.  I  think  that  programming  is  the  first 
thing  we  have  to  sell  to  our  boards  of  education  and  our  communities. 
If  we  can  prove  there  is  a  need  to  be  met,  the  rest  will  come. 
MR.  M.  S.  NoviK:10 

This  is  a  serious  point,  and  I  think  Mr.  Hunt  has  clarified  the  issue. 

But  I  say  to  you,  that  all  we  need  to  do  is  to  use  our  heads.  We  don't 
need  a  blueprint  as  to  what  constitutes  good  programming.    We  are 
going  to  give  the  viewers  something  they  can't  get  from  anyone  else. 
Your  board  of  education  will  get  the  idea  and  spend  the  money. 
MRS.  KATHLEEN  N.  LARDiE:11 

Television  is  new,  but,  actually,  teachers  have  been  televising  all  their 
lives.  Anyone  who  has  taught  "ninety-five  years"  like  myself,  knows 
how  to  use  the  spoken  word,  and  there  you  have  TV. 

I  think  we  should  say  to  our  board  of  education,  "Take  down  the 
walls  of  the  classroom  and  have  confidence  in  your  teachers."  We 
don't  have  to  worry  about  programming — and  I  mean  good  program- 
ming. 

Nothing  will  take  the  place  of  the  work  we  do  in  our  local  com- 
munity. Television  will  give  us  an  opportunity  to  show  the  community 
what  magnificent  work  the  schools  are  doing.  I  don't  think  we  have 
to  worry  about  complicated  programs. 

I  support  the  idea  at  hand.  Let's  turn  in  the  applications.  Let's  use 
the  talents  of  our  teachers.  Let's  get  going. 

MR.    MlLLARD  C.   FAUGHTI12 

I  want  to  suggest  one  or  two  reasons  why  I  think  it  would  be  a 
wonderful  thing  to  get  these  stations  now,  while  the  getting  is  good. 

9  Coordinator  of  Public  Relations,  Wilmington  Public  Schools,  Wilmington,  Del. 
10  Radio  Consultant,  New  York  City. 
u  Manager,  Board  of  Education  Station  WDTR,  Detroit. 
12  President,  Faught  Company,  Inc.,  New  York  City. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  III 

There  are  a  lot  of  wonderful  things  going  on  inside  our  schools. 
This  is  certainly  true  of  the  colleges  and  universities  in  the  country,  but 
the  information  is  useful  only  to  those  who  can  attend  and  listen. 

As  our  society  gets  more  complicated — as  the  cities  get  larger,  park- 
ing space  more  difficult  to  find,  and  baby-sitters  more  expensive — there 
will  be  less  opportunity  for  adults  to  be  practical  consumers  of  education. 
It  strikes  me  that  the  great  potential  of  television  lies  in  its  capacity  to 
expand  the  walls  of  schools  and  universities. 

I  think  educators  are  inclined  to  underestimate  the  desire  of  the 
people  to  know  things,  to  acquire  information.  Somehow,  we  have  the 
notion  that  we  have  to  doll  up  this  information  and  contrive  situations 
in  contrast  to  the  rather  obvious  way  we  go  about  getting  at  the  root  of 
things  in  an  educational  classroom. 

The  people  today  need  a  great  deal  of  information  just  to  keep  up 
with  the  world.  They  are  frightened  and  confused.  They  would  like 
to  have  a  lot  of  the  answers  that  you  have  as  educators. 

I  think  this  is  the  cardinal  reason  why  you  ought  to  have  an  educa- 
tional television  station  in  your  community,  and  also  an  answer  as  to 
where  you  are  going  to  get  your  programming.    At  least,  I  think  that 
is  enough  of  an  answer  at  this  stage  of  the  game. 
Miss  HENNOCK: 

In  summary,  I  wish  to  repeat  that  you  educators  have  been  handed 
the  ball.  You  have  been  granted  the  channels. 

You  have  won  a  battle,  but  it  constitutes  only  a  temporary  victory. 
Chairman  Walker,  of  the  Commission,  has  told  you  what  could  happen 
in  a  year.  Anyone  can  come  in  then  and  make  an  application  for  one 
of  these  channels.  I  don't  say  that  we  would  grant  the  application,  and 
yet  I  can't  say  that  we  wouldn't. 

I  want  to  warn  you,  that  first  things  come  first,  in  any  business. 
You  should  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  offered  to  you.  If  you  do 
not  act,  it  would  be  a  reflection  on  the  Commission  to  have  spent  weeks 
and  months  on  educational  television  without  something  to  show  for  it. 
We  know  that  the  public,  the  people  who  pay  your  salaries  and  our 
salaries,  want  action.  We  are  representing  the  same  general  public. 

Let  me  remind  you  that  the  commercial  broadcasters  didn't  wait 
for  fine  programming  to  get  their  stations  going.  Again,  I  say  that  I 
take  off  my  hat  to  them.  They  started  from  scratch.  They  couldn't 
even  buy  a  decent  motion  picture.  They  still  have  terrific  problems  in 
programming.  For  example,  they  have  spent  a  fortune  in  putting  on  a 
half-hour  news  program  by  Ed  Murrow  which  we  all  admire.  Are 
you  going  to  try  to  out-Murrow  Murrow?  Let's  talk  sense. 


112  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Start  where  you  are.  This  is  not  AM  radio,  and  it  is  not  FM  radio. 
It  is  a  very  complicated  art,  a  new  art.  The  only  way  to  learn  how  to 
do  it  is  to  do  it.  Be  yourselves,  get  started. 

Let's  go  to  work,  on  all  levels.   Don't  forget  your  applications.   Don't 
be  ashamed  to  come  in  with  only  a  small  amount  of  concrete  program- 
ming planned.    We   will  be  happy   to  help  you  get  started  televising 
educationally. 
CHAIRMAN  BARTLETT: 

Immediately  following  this  session,  a  kinescope  will  be  shown  in  this 
room,  and  we  invite  you  to  stay. 


AN  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  ALLOCATION 
OF  TV  CHANNELS  TO  EDUCATION 

GRAYDON  AUSMUS,1  Presiding 

Annual  Meeting  of  the  National  Association 

of  Educational  Broadcasters 

PAUL  A.  WALKER2 
THIS  OCCASION  SHOULD  RIGHTLY  BE  CONSIDERED  a  victory 

luncheon.  You  educators  have  every  cause  to  celebrate.  You 
have  come  into  a  fabulous  inheritance.  You  have  been  given  a 
highly  valuable  portion  of  that  etherial  public  domain,  the 
radio  spectrum. 

It  seems  only  yesterday  that  apportionment  of  the  prized 
television  channels  to  education  was  only  a  dream.  Now  that 
dream  has  come  true. 

The  Ice  Age  of  television  has  ended. 

After  three  and  a  half  years,  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  has  lifted  the  freeze  on  the  construction  of  new 
television  stations  and  has  issued  its  blueprint  for  the  future 
development  of  the  art. 

As  the  Commission's  report  of  700  pages  stands  revealed, 
we  see  the  outlines  of  America's  new,  improved  and  expanded 
national  system  of  television. 

With  the  addition  of  70  Ultra  High  Frequency  channels  to 
the  previously-authorized  12  Very  High  Frequency  channels, 

1  Vice-President,  NAEB;  Director  of  Broadcasting,  University  of  Alabama. 

2  Chairman,  FCC,  Washington,  D.  C. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  113 

the  Commission's  assignment  table  can  provide  for  about  five 
times  as  many  stations  as  were  possible  with  only  the  existing 
12  VHP  channels. 

This  new  system  can  accommodate  upwards  of  2,000  sta- 
tions in  1,300  communities. 

In  order  to  grasp  the  true  significance  of  this,  you  must 
realize  that  this  is  almost  as  many  communities  as  have  a  radio 
station  of  their  own. 

And  this,  after  30  years  of  broadcasting  and  with  2,300 
radio  stations  on  the  air. 

Nor  is  that  all.  A  quarter  of  those  radio  stations  can  oper- 
ate only  in  the  daytime.  And  many  of  those  operating  at  night 
can  be  heard  satisfactorily  for  only  a  few  miles. 

Each  of  the  2,000  television  stations  that  can  be  built  under 
the  Commission's  assignment  plan  can  provide  wide  coverage 
and  can  operate  around  the  clock. 

Under  this  plan,  more  communities  can  have  a  television 
station  of  their  own  than  now  have  a  daily  newspaper. 

In  order  to  obtain  the  fullest  possible  information  to  lay 
the  foundation  for  the  new  system  of  television,  the  Commis- 
sion took  testimony  and  evidence  totaling  more  than  21,000 
pages  of  transcript  and  received  in  evidence  845  exhibits. 

More  than  1,500  documents  were  filed  on  the  proposed 
city-by-city  assignment  table. 

This  table  and  the  rules  that  go  with  it  provide  a  high 
degree  of  protection  against  the  immediate  cause  of  the  historic 
freeze  of  1948 — excessive  interference  between  stations.  You 
have  seen  this  interference  in  such  forms  as  the  "venetian  blind 
effect"  and  multiple  images. 

We  refused  to  sacrifice  a  margin  of  safety  for  the  sake  of 
jamming  in  a  few  extra  stations. 

It  is  possible  that  when  many  stations  go  on  the  air,  their 
operating  experience  will  give  us  concrete  information  that  may 
permit  us  to  reduce  that  safety  factor.  If  that  should  prove 
true,  we  can  always  reduce  the  mileage  separations  between 
stations  and  make  some  additional  assignments. 

This  plan  is  calculated  to  get  stations  and  service  into  the 
smaller  towns  and  rural  areas. 

And,  what  is  of  special  interest  to  you,  it  affords  the  most 
effective  mechanism  for  providing  for  non-commercial  educa- 
tional television. 


114  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Flexibility  is  also  provided  to  take  care  of  the  future  needs 
of  both  commercial  and  non-commercial  television.  Not  all 
possible  assignments  have  been  made. 

The  Commission's  decision  means  that  assignments  are 
available  to  provide  television  service  to  practically  every  citi- 
zen of  the  United  States,  no  matter  where  he  lives. 

To  achieve  this  distribution,  the  Commission  had  to  take 
account  of  the  geographic,  economic  and  population  conditions 
that  vary  from  area  to  area  and  even  within  the  boundary  of 
a  single  state. 

From  this,  you  can  understand  that  it  simply  was  not  pos- 
sible to  follow  a  mechanical  and  rigid  formula  in  distributing 
these  assignments. 

The  Commission  also  decided  that  as  many  communities  as 
possible  should  have  their  own  station.  We  have  seen  in  radio 
how  important  it  is  for  a  community  to  have  a  voice  and  forum 
of  its  own  to  deal  with  its  own  special  local  problems. 

We  realized  that  at  the  outset  some  of  the  communities 
listed  in  our  table  might  today  be  considered  too  small  to  sup- 
port their  own  stations,  but  we  concluded  that  enterprising 
individuals  will  come  forward  in  many  such  communities  to 
arrange  the  financing.  We  considered  that  the  television  art 
is  relatively  new  and  that  ambitious,  ingenious  operators  will 
find  various  means  of  reducing  costs. 

If  in  the  future  there  remain  unused  assignments  that  could 
be  used  elsewhere,  the  procedure  we  have  adopted  would  per- 
mit such  shifts. 

A  word  about  that  new  element  in  our  television  system — 
the  UHF  channels. 

It  is  true  that  there  are  some  differences  in  propagation 
characteristics  of  the  UHF  and  the  VHF  band,  but  those  dif- 
ferences are  not  nearly  as  significant  as  some  have  thought. 

We  received  evidence  that  equipment  will  be  available  for 
UHF  stations.  There  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  manu- 
facturers who  have  already  made  so  much  progress  will  produce 
the  necessary  transmitters  in  time  for  the  fullest  development 
of  the  potentials  of  UHF. 

As  to  the  utilization  of  the  UHF,  the  Commission's  report 
has  this  to  say: 

"Because  television  is  in  a  stage  of  early  development,  and 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  115 

the  additional  consideration,  that  the  limited  number  of  VHF 
channels  will  prevent  a  nationwide  competitive  television  ser- 
vice from  developing  wholly  within  the  VHF  band,  we  are 
convinced  that  the  UHF  band  will  be  fully  utilized  and  that 
UHF  stations  will  eventually  compete  on  a  favorable  basis  with 
stations  in  the  VHF." 

In  communities  where  VHF  stations  are  now  operating  and 
where  all  the  sets  are  designed  to  receive  only  VHF  broadcasts, 
the  set-owners  can  buy  relatively  inexpensive  adapters  if  they 
wish  to  receive  the  broadcasts  from  new  UHF  stations  that 
may  be  built  in  their  city. 

There  has  been  enough  experimentation  in  UHF  television 
to  give  the  Commission  confidence  in  its  utility. 

I  have  seen  UHF  demonstrated.  I  am  sold  on  it.  UHF  is 
going  to  grow  because  it  has  to  grow.  It  is  needed. 

I  suggest  that  those  of  you  who  wish  to  get  into  television 
and  your  only  chance  to  do  so  is  via  UHF,  ponder  very  care- 
fully before  passing  up  that  chance. 

You  may  be  gnawed  by  the  same  remorse  that  has  gnawed 
at  the  hearts  of  those  during  this  long  freeze  who  failed  to  file 
applications  for  the  VHF  at  a  time  when  they  were  being 
granted  quickly. 

Now  let  us  examine  the  valuable  estate  to  which  you  edu- 
cators have  fallen  heir. 

There  they  are:  242  television  channels. 

And  even  more  can  be  granted  later. 

And  let  us  remember  some  significant  history: 

The  Congress,  in  adopting  the  Radio  Act  of  1927,  did  not 
see  fit  to  reserve  any  channels  for  education. 

The  Radio  Commission  set  up  in  1927  did  not  allocate  any 
channels  for  education. 

The  educators  waged  several  campaigns  later  to  have  chan- 
nels reserved.  Their  first  success  came  in  1945  when  the  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  reserved  20  FM  channels. 

Now,  in  this  year  of  1952,  you  educators  are  allocated 
twelve  per  cent  of  all  the  available  television  assignments. 

I  say  that  this  allocation  for  education  is  tremendous 
progress. 

In  order  to  convince  the  Commission  of  the  need  for  this 
reservation,  you  educators  did  a  magnificent  job. 


Il6  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

By  giving  your  time  and  effort  and  by  raising  the  necessary 
funds  to  make  your  presentation,  you  have  rendered  a  historic 
service  to  education. 

The  educators  that  come  after  you,  and  the  public,  too,  will 
forever  have  cause  to  honor  you  for  the  fight  you  made. 

No  one  can  ever  say  to  you  happy  warriors  what  Henry  the 
Fourth  said  to  one  of  his  generals  who  was  tardy  for  a  battle  at 
which  a  great  victory  was  won  : 

"Hang  yourself,  brave  Crillon! 
"We  fought  at  Argues,  and  you  were 
not  there" 

I  have  pointed  out  that  there  are  unassigned  channels  that 
may  be  available  to  communities  for  non-commercial  educa- 
tional stations.  But  there  is  still  another  path  by  which  you 
educators  can  enter  television. 

You  have  the  right  to  compete  with  any  commercial  appli- 
cant for  any  of  the  commercial  VHP  or  UHF  channels  assigned 
to  your  city.  And,  according  to  the  rules,  if  you  are  granted 
such  a  channel,  you  may  employ  that  channel  either  for  com- 
mercial purposes  or  for  non-commercial  educational  purposes. 
Of  course,  this  report  does  not  mean  that  commercial  tele- 
vision stations  are  expected  to  let  the  educational  stations  carry 
the  whole  burden  of  meeting  educational  needs  in  a  community. 
In  fact,  the  report  specifically  states  that  the  provision  for  non- 
commercial educational  stations: 

".  .  .  does  not  relieve  commercial  licensees  from 
their  duty  to  carry  programs  which  fulfill  educational 
needs  and  serve  the  educational  interests  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  they  operate.  This  obligation  applies 
with  equal  force  to  all  commercial  licensees  whether  or 
not  a  non-commercial  educational  channel  has  been  re- 
served in  their  community,  and  similarly  will  obtain  in 
communities  where  non-commercial  educational  stations 
will  be  in  operation." 

As  one  with  a  lifetime  interest  in  educational  movements 
and  as  a  member  of  a  government  commission  charged  with 
promoting  the  public  interest,  I  congratulate  the  National  As- 
sociation of  Educational  Broadcasters  on  the  splendid  role  it 
played  in  the  campaign  for  exclusive  educational  assignments. 
On  the  basis  of  the  entire  record,  the  Commission  is  con- 
vinced of  the  need  for  educational  television  stations. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  I  IJ 

To  my  mind,  you  have  exciting  opportunities.  I  am  espe- 
cially impressed  by  this  fortuitous  and  fortunate  meeting  of  the 
need  and  the  mechanism  in  the  field  of  adult  education. 

I  am  told  that  in  this  field  we  are  about  to  witness  the  same 
acceleration  that  occurred  when  Horace  Mann  entered  the  field 
of  elementary  education  a  century  ago. 

The  need  is  here.   It  is  urgent.   It  presses  from  all  sides. 

When  an  explosion  occurs  in  a  far  corner  of  the  globe,  we 
need  to  be  informed  of  the  up-to-the-minute  background  of  the 
situation — geography,  sociology,  economics,  politics.  The  same 
is  true  of  many  domestic  crises. 

What  tool  can  give  that  information  to  the  masses  more 
fully  or  more  quickly  than  television? 

Let  skeptics  consider  how  many  American  adults  even  now 
are  seeking  education  in  their  spare  time.  And  not  by  television, 
but  by  attending  classes  after  a  hard  day's  work.  Four  million 
Americans  are  in  such  classes  now.  One  million  are  taking  cor- 
respondence school  lessons.  Seven  million  attend  the  demon- 
strations and  classes  conducted  by  the  county  agents. 

A  recent  survey  disclosed  that  40  per  cent  of  the  adults 
interviewed  are  interested  in  further  education  of  a  systematic 
kind. 

No,  we  are  not  entirely  a  race  of  rug-cutters  and  drugstore 
cowboys. 

The  outstanding  service  already  being  performed  by  edu- 
cators through  aural  radio  stations  is  an  indication  of  the  value 
of  educational  broadcasting.  I  hope  you  will  continue  and  ex- 
pand your  efforts  in  that  field.  Some  of  the  finest  broadcasting 
service  in  America  is  being  rendered  by  educational  radio 
stations. 

There  is  a  tremendous  educational  job  to  be  done  if  our 
citizens  are  to  be  fitted  for  their  responsibilities  in  these  difficult, 
fast-moving  times. 

You  educators  are  primarily  responsible  for  that  impressive 
task.  You  have  assured  the  Commission  that  television  can  help 
you.  I  am  sure  you  are  right.  Now  you  have  the  opportunity 
to  test  the  full  power  of  this  magical  medium. 

These  educational  stations  can  assure  a  community's  demo- 
cratic control  over  its  educational  process.  A  community  with 
such  a  station  need  not  depend  for  its  educational  television 
material  upon  the  desires  of  a  commercial  network,  nor  upon 


Il8  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

the  desires  of  other  independent  program  sources,  perhaps  far 
from  the  scene.  The  community  can  make  its  own  survey  of  its 
local  educational  needs,  and  then  it  can  serve  those  needs 
through  its  own  television  station  in  the  manner  it  sees  most 
fitting. 

This  is  true  democracy  in  education.  This  is  education  by 
educators. 

Yes,  television  costs  money.  It  cost  the  pioneers  hard- 
earned  money  when  they  built  the  Little  Red  Schoolhouse.  It 
cost  money  when  we  built  centralized  schools  with  bus  systems. 
It  cost  money  to  build  and  maintain  high  schools  and  our 
universities. 

Educational  television  is  the  latest  way  of  trying  to  keep 
pace  with  the  onrush  of  progress. 

In  any  event,  modern  schools  are  no  strangers  to  cost.  I 
have  just  obtained  some  figures  on  the  cost  of  various  univer- 
sity buildings  now  under  construction: 

Auditorium,  $2,ooo,ooOj  dental  school,  $2,OOO,OOO;  field 
house,  $2, 500,000  j  men's  residence  hall,  $2, 500,000  j  biolog- 
ical science  laboratory,  $4,500,000  j  and  a  teaching  hospital, 
$6,OOO,OOO. 

One  mile  of  express  highway  costs  as  much  as  an  educational 
television  station. 

The  Commission,  in  granting  these  assignments,  was  im- 
pressed by  the  possibilities  of  cooperative  programming  and 
financing  among  the  several  educational  institutions  in  large 
communities. 

But  I  am  not  here  to  extol  the  potentials  of  educational 
television.  You  did  that  far  better  than  I  could  hope  to  do 
when  you  appeared  before  the  Commission. 

I  consider  that  I  do  have  a  duty  to  speak  out  on  another 
phase  of  this  situation. 

I  feel  I  would  be  derelict  in  my  duty  if  I  did  not  on  this 
day  and  at  this  place  sound  a  solemn  warning. 

I  want  you  to  read  most  carefully  the  Commission's  Sixth 
Report  and  Order  lifting  the  freeze  and  reserving  these  242 
channels. 

And  I  urge  you  to  heed  the  plain  warnings  of  that  document. 

This  decision  recognizes  that  financing  ".  .  .  will  require 
more  time  for  educational  institutions  than  for  commercial 
interests." 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  1 19 

The  decision  recognizes  that  "the  great  mass  of  educational 
institutions  must  move  more  slowly  and  overcome  hurdles  not 
present  for  commercial  broadcasters  ..." 

But  the  decision  also  states  that  "the  setting  aside  of  chan- 
nels for  non-commercial  educational  use  is  precisely  the  same 
type  of  reservation  of  channels  as  that  provided  by  the  assign- 
ment table  for  commercial  stations  in  the  various  communities, 
and  the  two  should  be  governed  by  the  same  rules." 

That  means  that  just  as  an  assignment  for  a  commercial 
station  may  be  deleted,  so  may  an  educational  reservation  be 
deleted. 

I  repeat  that  at  the  end  of  one  year  from  the  effective  date 
of  this  report,  anyone  may  request  the  Commission  to  change 
an  educational  assignment  to  a  commercial  assignment. 

In  my  State  of  Oklahoma,  the  Five  Civilized  Tribes  at  one 
time  had  vast  holdings  under  a  treaty  with  the  United  States. 
They  understood  that  they  were  to  have  these  lands,  to  use 
their  own  picturesque  phrase,  "as  long  as  grass  grows  and  water 
runs." 

There  is  nothing  in  the  Commission's  Sixth  Report  and 
Order  that  gives  you  any  assurance  that  your  channels  will  be 
reserved  "as  long  as  grass  grows  and  water  runs."  Or  anything 
like  it. 

So,  you  see,  you  have  won  only  the  first  round  in  this  fight. 
If  you  relax  now,  you  may  find  that  you  have  won  the  battle 
and  lost  the  war.  Already  efforts  are  underway  to  initiate  an 
organized  campaign  for  the  commercialization  of  these  non- 
commercial educational  assignments. 

And  if  you  wonder  why,  consider  these  figures:  Some  com- 
mercial television  stations  these  days  are  being  priced  at 
$6,000,000,  $7,000,000  and  up. 

Last  year,  with  only  14,000,000  sets  in  existence  and  only 
1 08  stations  in  operation,  the  television  industry  had  an  income 
—before  federal  taxes — of  more  than  $43,000,000.  The  93 
independent  stations  retained  30  cents  in  income  (before  fed- 
eral taxes)  on  each  dollar  of  revenue.  The  networks  derived  a 
greater  proportion  of  their  revenues  from  the  newly-established 
television  than  they  did  from  their  3O-year-old  AM  radio. 

You  must  explain  the  need  for  action  to  your  boards  of  edu- 
cation, to  your  boards  of  trustees,  to  your  state  legislatures.  Do 
not  neglect  sources  of  endowment. 


I2O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Some  educators  already  have  lost  some  of  the  most  valuable 
television  channels  in  the  land.  In  the  days  when  VHP  chan- 
nels were  freely  available,  and  when  they  had  every  reason  to 
believe  they  could  obtain  a  grant,  they  let  them  slip  through 
their  ringers.  Do  not,  I  beg  of  you,  let  these  reservations  go 
by  default. 

Exercise  your  knowledge,  your  courage  and  initiative  to 
persuade  your  authorities  of  the  seriousness  of  this  situation. 
They  must  not  be  penny-wise  and  pound-foolish  or  they,  too, 
will  be  haunted  by  their  negligence. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  utilization  of  these  valuable  chan- 
nels for  education  is  furthered  with  the  same  zeal  and  foresight 
demonstrated  by  you  in  your  efforts  to  obtain  the  assignments, 
I  have  every  confidence  that  education  will  both  keep  its  assign- 
ments, and  contribute  immeasurably  to  the  well-being  of  the 
American  people  through  television. 

I  hope  with  all  my  heart  that  you  who  have  fought  so  bril- 
liantly for  the  242  educational  television  channels  now  reserved 
will  rally  your  forces  this  afternoon  to  fight  on  to  preserve  the 
victory  you  have  so  nobly  won. 


A  CLINIC  ON  THE  UTILIZATION  OF 
EDUCATIONAL  TV  CHANNELS 

BELMONT  M.  FARLEY,1  Presiding 

IN  THE  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION  in  this  country,  the  year 
1952  undoubtedly  will  be  remembered  as  an  important  year. 
It  also  is  a  very  important  year  in  the  history  of  human  society. 

Five  hundred  years  ago,  if  someone  in  authority  had  said  to 
the  colleges  and  universities,  "From  now  on,  it  shall  be  your 
privilege  to  have  libraries,"  they  would  have  faced  a  decision 
fraught  with  as  much  consequence  to  the  human  race  as  the 
decision  made  last  week  by  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission. 

If  the  colleges  and  universities  had  said  that  books  cost  too 
much  money,  and  they  could  not  afford  to  use  them,  if,  with 
one  accord,  they  had  begun  to  make  excuses  and  had  rejected 

1  Director,  Press  and  Radio,  National  Education  Association,  Washington,  D.  C. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  121 

the  opportunity  offered  to  them,  they  would  have  made  a  mis- 
take comparable  to  that  which  we  shall  make  as  educational 
institutions  if  we  fail  to  go  ahead  with  television. 

The  object  of  our  discussion  here  will  be  to  trace  the  next 
steps  for  educational  television  channels.  This  will  be  largely 
a  discussion  session.  However,  in  order  that  you  may  identify 
each  participant  on  this  panel,  and  know  in  what  field  he  may 
be  considered  expert,  we  will  have  a  very  brief  presentation  by 
each  member. 
MR.  RALPH  STEETLE:2 

Let's  start  with  a  figure.  Some  838  colleges,  school  sys- 
tems, state  departments  of  education,  public  service  agencies, 
etc.,  have  indicated  an  interest  in  educational  ownership  and 
operation  of  television  stations.  From  this  expression,  we  can 
see  the  wisdom  of  the  FCC  in  making  a  special  reservation  for 
education.  At  first,  without  the  formality  of  sworn  affidavits, 
these  institutions  expressed  their  support  of  the  reservations. 
Then,  last  fall,  in  affidavit  form,  they  reviewed  their  requests 
before  the  Commission. 

In  my  opinion,  these  statements  constitute  the  best  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  reservations  and  educational  television  stations. 

I  do  not  believe  that  we  need  to  take  education  by  the  hand. 
Educators  are  used  to  making  informed  decisions.  They  have 
responded  to  the  challenge  of  the  first  allocation  report.  I 
believe  they  will  follow  through  on  the  steps  we  will  outline 
here.  I  believe  they  will  do  this  not  because  of  any  vested 
interest  in  the  spectrum,  but  because  education  is  aware  that  in 
its  service  to  the  American  people,  it  must  use  every  possible 
tool,  and  every  medium. 

I  believe  that  education  will  accept  the  challenge. 
Miss  FRIEDA  B.  HENNOCK:S 

The  gratification  which  I  feel,  and  I  know  you  share,  results 
from  the  recent  FCC  television  decision  which,  among  other 
things,  finally  adopted  the  principle  of  reserving  TV  channels 
for  non-commercial  educational  purposes,  and  which  has  ap- 
plied that  principle  in  its  allocations  plan  by  assigning  242 
channels  to  education.  This  decision  is  truly  an  epochal  mile- 
stone in  the  history  of  education  and  broadcasting.  Over  strong 
objections  of  commercial  interests,  both  general  and  specific, 

2  Executive  Director,  Joint  Committee  on  Educational  Television,  Washington,  D.  C. 

3  Commissioner,  Federal  Communications  Commission,  Washington,  D.  C. 


122  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

the  Commission  has  provided  education  with  a  substantial  op- 
portunity in  television,  the  most  vital  medium  of  mass  commu- 
nications that  has  ever  been  known.  While  I  felt  that  fuller 
provision  could  have  been  made  for  education  in  the  allocations, 
I  cannot  help  but  express  the  pleasure  that  comes  from  knowing 
the  Commission  has  acted  in  the  highest  public  interest  and  that 
education  will  have  a  chance  in  television  which  it  needs  and 
deserves. 

But  the  fact  of  the  matter  is  that  although  education  has 
won  a  great  victory  in  these  television  allocations,  I  cannot 
advise  you  that  the  fight  is  over  and  that  you  may  now  relax 
and  enjoy  the  benefits  of  it.  Rather,  I  must  tell  you  that  the 
fight  has  really  only  begun,  that  the  Commission's  decision  is 
only  a  first  step  toward  education's  goal  in  television,  one  which 
will  see  educators'  own  TV  stations  in  full-time  operation  across 
the  land.  To  be  sure,  securing  reservations  is  crucial,  but  make 
no  mistake  about  it,  it  is  only  a  first  step. 

My  concern  is  born  of  the  knowledge  that  the  Commission 
has  placed  a  heavy  burden  of  responsibility  upon  educators 
throughout  the  country.  Educators  now  have  the  primary  duty 
to  see  to  it  that  this  golden  opportunity  of  TV  is  taken  advan- 
tage of  and  that  educational  television  stations  are  built  as  soon 
as  possible.  In  a  sense,  the  Commission  has  staked  out  several 
plots  of  valuable  property  for  education  and  fenced  it  off  from 
ordinary  commercial  usage.  Upon  it,  educators  will  be  able  to 
build  their  homes  in  the  spectrum,  but  the  design,  the  construc- 
tion and  the  use  of  these  homes  will  be  up  to  the  educators 
themselves. 

The  most  important  thing  now  is  to  get  applications  to  the 
Commission  for  construction  permits  to  build  these  educational 
stations.  Therefore,  educators  in  every  city  affected  must,  as 
soon  as  possible,  begin  the  work  necessary  for  the  filing  of  such 
applications. 

At  this  time  there  are  few  specific  Commission  rules  respect- 
ing the  educational  use  of  television,  and  these  for  the  most  part 
have  been  carried  over  from  FM.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the 
Commission  would,  or  ever  could,  adopt  specific  rules  as  to  the 
cooperative  arrangements  required  in  each  community,  since  it 
would  seem  impossible  by  administrative  fiat  to  provide  for 
the  infinite  variety  of  local  situations.  It  is  probably  sufficient 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  123 

to  say  that  bona  fide  and  reasonable  cooperative  arrangements 
for  the  licensing  and  operation  of  educational  stations  will  be 
acceptable  to  the  Commission.  If  several  educational  institu- 
tions are  ready  to  build  or  operate  in  any  given  community, 
they  should  make  every  effort  to  work  out  any  problems 
amongst  themselves. 

Certainly,  there  are  formidable  obstacles  which  must  be 
overcome  before  educational  stations  in  large  numbers  are  built 
and  put  into  operation.  Barring  the  way  to  education's  goal  in 
television  are  the  evils  of  ignorance,  shortsightedness,  timidity, 
selfish  self-interests,  and  the  temptations  and  snares  of  those 
who  disbelieve,  or  who  would  profit  by  education's  failure  here. 

Opponents  of  educational  television  would  throw  away  the 
greatest  opportunity  education  has  had  in  our  time  for  revital- 
ization  and  expansion.  They  carefully  omit  reference  to  the 
fact  that  television  is  not  only  a  relatively  inexpensive  medium 
for  education,  but  is,  in  fact,  its  least  expensive  form,  when  full 
account  is  taken  of  TV's  effectiveness  and  extensive  coverage. 
One  TV  station,  remember,  can  serve  millions  of  people,  day 
and  night,  in  schools  and  homes,  with  the  finest  educational  and 
cultural  programs  that  are  available.  What  other  comparable 
investment  can  education  make? 

The  Commission's  decision  takes  all  of  these  factors  into 
account  in  making  the  242  TV  assignments  to  education.  It 
provides  a  critically  needed  starting  point  for  the  development 
of  educational  television. 

MR.  BURTON  PAULU:* 

In  my  opinion,  the  future  of  educational  television  will  be 
determined  on  the  community  level,  and  you  and  I  are  the 
people  who  are  going  to  do  the  job.  The  JCET  will  offer 
leadership,  and,  undoubtedly,  there  will  be  foundation  grants 
to  assist  us  in  programming.  But  the  foundations  will  not  build 
the  stations  and  they  will  not  operate  them.  We  will  do  it — 
you  and  I.  The  job  is  one  to  which  everyone  can  and  should 
contribute.  We  are  apt  to  develop  a  feeling  of  futility.  The 
problems  that  shape  our  lives  seem  so  far  beyond  our  control. 
We  are  only  one  vote  out  of  millions.  What  can  we  do  about  it? 

There  are  several  things  which  anyone  can  do  to  help.  First 

4  Secretary  and  Publications  Editor,  National  Association  of  Educational  Broadcasters, 
University  of  Minnesota,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 


124  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

of  all,  learn  something  about  television.  View  it  critically, 
study  it.  Secondly,  you  can  organize  support  for  good  television 
programs,  whether  on  commercial  or  educational  stations.  If 
nothing  more,  you  can  pick  out  a  good  show  and  tell  your 
neighbor  to  watch  it. 

We  educators  must  not  put  the  standards  so  high  that  we 
become  discouraged  at  the  outset. 

As  an  individual,  perhaps  you  are  in  a  position  to  set  up  a 
closed  circuit  system.  If  necessary,  you  might  even  use  dummy 
cameras,  until  you  can  afford  the  real  thing.  Perhaps  you  are 
ready  to  prepare  and  present  television  shows  over  local  com- 
mercial stations.  This  helps  to  develop  your  know-how  in 
television.  It  shows  the  people  what  television  can  do  for  edu- 
cation. It  is  easier  to  sell  them  on  a  demonstration  than  just 
on  a  theory. 

Finally,  you  can  work  through  organized  groups  and  put 
your  own  station  on  the  air.  Regardless  of  what  your  position 
may  be  in  the  community,  there  is  something  you  can  do  to 
help.  I  repeat  that  the  future  of  educational  television  is  at  the 
present  time  to  be  decided  on  the  community  level,  and  you  and 
I  are  the  people  who  have  to  do  something  about  it. 
MR.  SEYMOUR  KRiEGER:5 

The  Commission's  decision,  as  has  been  said,  is  just  the  be- 
ginning. The  channels  have  been  reserved  and  the  FCC  now 
will  entertain  applications  from  educational  institutions. 

One  of  the  first  steps  for  any  educator  interested  in  building 
his  own  station  is  to  get  a  copy  of  the  application  form  and  study 
it.  Filing  of  the  application  will  represent  a  certain  culmina- 
tion of  all  the  planning  in  connection  with  that  particular  station. 

Educators  should  know  the  Commission  rules  that  define 
an  educational  station,  who  can  be  licensed  to  run  such  a  station, 
and  how  such  a  station  must  be  operated.  This  is  all  explained, 
in  some  detail,  in  the  Commission's  rules  and  anyone  interested 
in  getting  a  station  organized  should  know  the  facts. 

In  some  situations,  commercial  broadcasters  may  try  to  con- 
fuse the  issues  and  interpose  as  many  obstacles  as  possible. 

They  have  said  that  the  operation  of  a  television  station  is 
very  expensive.  It  is  if  you  operate  24  hours  a  day,  but  the 
Commission's  rules  do  not  require  operation  even  two  hours  a 

5  Counsel,  Joint  Committee  on  Educational  Television,  Washington,  D.  C. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION 

day.  With  respect  to  educational  stations,  there  is  no  maximum 
and  no  minimum  number  of  hours.  An  educational  institution 
should  operate  a  station  as  many  hours  a  day  as  there  is  a  need 
for  programming,  and  as  many  hours  as  it  can  afford. 

I  urge  all  of  you  to  secure  a  copy  of  these  rules.  The  Joint 
Committee  on  Educational  Television  will  assist  anyone  in 
securing  a  copy.  You  should  study  those  rules.  Know  what 
kind  of  a  station  you  hope  to  build  and  operate. 

You  also  should  secure  a  copy  of  Form  301,  which  will  help 
in  your  planning.  This  takes  up  such  topics  as  who  will  be  the 
licensees,  financing,  programming,  and,  finally,  very  detailed 
engineering  information  including  type  of  equipment,  location 
of  transmitter,  transmitter  height,  profiles,  etc. 

I  wish  to  repeat  that  the  Joint  Committee  resources  and 
services  are  available  to  you  at  all  times.  We  will  try  to  answer 
your  questions  concerning  the  FCC  requirements. 
MR.  GEORGE  PROBST  :6 

As  I  interpret  it,  the  FCC  has  honored  education  by  reserv- 
ing for  it  these  television  channels.  Now  it  is  up  to  us  to  culti- 
vate these  allocations. 

In  a  metropolitan  community  like  Chicago,  the  challenge  is 
to  make  the  vision  of  educational  television  so  broad  that  it 
cannot  be  controlled  by  any  single  institution,  and  yet  not  so  big 
as  to  discourage  participation  and  cooperation  from  anyone. 

My  feeling  is  that  democratic  education  needs  its  own  vital 
means  of  communication,  its  own  wild  fire  across  the  sky,  and 
television  is  it. 

In  Chicago,  we  have  enlisted  nine  educational  institutions  in 
a  joint  effort  to  develop  a  channel.  We  have  kept  in  mind  at 
all  times  the  scope  of  the  challenge  that  needs  to  be  met  in  the 
community. 

I  think  that  the  educators  in  Chicago  will  help  to  persuade 
the  city  council  to  permit  televising  of  their  proceedings.  These 
programs  will  provide  a  solution  to  the  problem  of  how  to 
make  classes  in  civics  meaningful.  If  such  television  presenta- 
tions do  not  bring  a  distinct  improvement  in  the  high  school 
problem  of  training  youth  for  citizenship,  then  I  think  we 
should  go  off  the  air. 

I  think  educational  TV  stations  will  prove  their  worth  if 

8  Director  of  Radio,  University  of  Chicago,  Chicago,  111. 


126  EDUCATION    ON    THE   AIR 

they  provide  distinctive  and  unique  programs  such  as  this — also 
programs  of  more  maturity  and  greater  significance  for  adult 
education. 

The  problem,  as  I  see  it,  is  to  encourage  administrators  of 
institutions  to  move  fast  enough  to  take  advantage  of  the  chan- 
nel reservations,  but  not  so  fast  as  to  become  frightened  at  the 
cost,  or  intimidated  by  the  size  of  the  problem. 


DISCUSSION 
CHAIRMAN  FARLEY: 

The  rest  of  this  session  belongs  to  the  audience. 

Please  address  your  question  specifically  to  a  member  of  the  panel. 
MR.  LAWRENCE  CRESHKOFF:T 

I  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  Paulu  to  enlarge  on  his  suggestion  of  the 
closed  circuit  arrangement  with  dummy  cameras. 
MR.  PAULU: 

As  you  may  recall,  in  the  early  days  of  the  radio  workshop,  many 
teachers  experimented  with  dummy  microphones,  etc.  Today  many 
rehearsals  for  television  shows  are  conducted  without  the  cameras,  for 
the  purpose  of  saving  equipment  and  cutting  down  the  cost. 

In    the    same    way,    students    often    can    assimilate    the    television 
situation.   They  go  through  the  motions  and  they  learn  something. 
MR.  J.  J.  McPHERsoN:8 

Many  educational  groups  in  relatively  sparsely  settled  parts  of  the 
United  States  will  want  to  take  up  TV  channels.    Where  can  such 
organizations  get  the  actual  data  on  setting  up  a  low-cost  station? 
Miss  HENNOCK: 

I  am  very  glad  you  asked  that  question.  This  business  of  closed 
circuit  operations  for  educators  is  not  the  real  thing.  Of  course,  if  you 
want  to  play  around  with  such  an  operation,  it  is  all  right.  But  don't 
forget,  I  look  upon  these  allocations  as  a  very  serious  business.  You 
have  been  given  a  great  deal  of  the  spectrum. 

When  I  read  some  of  these  stories  about  high  costs,  they  make  me 
furious.  The  Washington  Post  said  the  other  day  it  would  cost  $500,000 
a  year  to  program  a  station  in  Washington.  The  next  day  the  newspaper 
said  it  would  cost  $1,000,000  to  build  and  program  the  first  year. 
Where  they  get  those  estimates,  I  don't  know. 

'Assistant   Manager    for   Programs,    Station   WGBH,    Lowell    Institute   Cooperative 
Broadcasting  Council,  Boston,  Mass. 

8  Director,  Audio-Visual  Education,  National  Education  Association,  Washington,  D.  C. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION 

The  commercial  stations  were  given  three  to  five  years  to  pay  off 
their  equipment.  You  can  get  the  same  credit. 

You  heard  what  Mr.  Krieger  said.    He  advised  you  to  get  your 
applications  on  file.    Don't  worry  too  much  about  money.    You  don't 
need  all  of  it  in  cash. 
CHAIRMAN  FARLEY: 

Did  you  want  to  say  something,  Mr.  Probst? 
MR.  PROBST: 

In  Chicago,  we  are  planning  a  cooperative  operation  and  program- 
ming to  cost  $800,000  a  year. 

We  have  discovered  that  the  longer  people  contemplate  what 
educational  TV  can  really  mean  in  democratic  communication,  the  more 
they  believe  we  should  try  to  tackle  the  problem  as  adequately  as  possible. 

It  is  true  that  a  great  deal  can  be  done  for  less  money  than  we  are 
planning  to  spend  in  Chicago.    There  is  no  doubt  about  that  at  all. 
Miss  HENNOCK: 

I  am  happy  to  hear  you  talk  that  way,  Mr.  Probst.   You  have  one  of 
the  most  valuable  channels  on  VHP  in  Chicago.    Please  come  in  with 
your  application  soon. 
MR.  JAMES  F.  MACANDREW^ 

I  should  like  to  address  a  question  to  Commissioner  Hennock. 

It  is  my  understanding,  that  the  Commission  lays  down  certain  basic 
specifications  regarding  transmitter  design  and  components.  In  view  of 
the  fact  that  in  New  York  City  only  the  UHF  remains,  would  you 
comment  on  the  advisability  or  the  possibility  of  the  Commission  taking 
steps  to  try  to  make  the  UHF  band  receiver  the  standard  receiver  of  the 
future  ? 
Miss  HENNOCK: 

I  don't  like  to  get  into  the  receiver  problem  here.  We  have  been 
faced  with  receiver  problems  since  the  day  we  started. 

We  simply  have  no  jurisdiction  over  the  set  manufacturers.  I  think 
the  only  way  we  can  get  a  lot  of  these  receivers  on  the  market  is  through 
our  free  enterprise  system.  When  a  few  stations  get  on  the  air  in  the 
City  of  New  York,  where  they  have  an  educational  television  station,  I 
do  not  believe  you  will  have  much  difficulty  with  the  receivers. 

Eighty-five  per  cent  of  our  television  channels  are  in  the  UHF  part 
of  the  spectrum,  and  only  15  per  cent  are  in  VHF.  They  will  have  to 
use  those  channels.  They  cannot  make  a  choice  between  a  VHF  and 
UHF  set. 

8  Director  of  Broadcasting,  Board  of  Education  Station  WNYE,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


128  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

MR.  FRANK  T.  McCANN:10 

I  would  like  to  direct  a  question  to  Commissioner  Hennock. 

Some  of  the  new  television  areas,  where  only  UHF  channels  are 
available,  are  watching  to  see  how  fast  the  commercial  people  are  filing 
applications.  Aren't  the  commercial  people  on  the  same  spot  that  we  are? 
Miss  HENNOCK: 

I  think  that  is  a  good  question. 

The  commercial  interests  soon  will  find  out  how  valuable  the  UHF 
channels  are,  and  they  will  be  after  them.  Whoever  gets  it,  will  have  it. 

The  reservation  for  education  cannot  be  held  forever.    I  think  you 
should  be  given  a  good  chance  to  get  in,  but,  believe  me,  if  there  is  no 
activity  on  the  part  of  education,  it  will  be  just  too  bad. 
MR.  R.  EDWIN  BROWNE  i11 

Mr.    Probst    mentioned    that    they    were    contemplating    spending 
$800,000.    I  wonder  if  any  of  that  money  includes  facilities  for  record- 
ing these  programs  and  for  making  them  available  in  some  form  to  other 
educational  television  installations? 
MR.  PROBST: 

The  answer  is,  yes. 
MR.  EDWARD  STASHEFF:IS 

I  should  like  to  ask  Mr.  Krieger  a  question. 

In  a  medium-sized  city  with  three  universities,  two  museums,  one 
library  and  a  high  school  system  all  sharing  one  channel,  who  would 
be  the  official  licensee? 
MR.  KRIEGER: 

That  is  a  question  the  Commission  has  not  answered.   It  is  something 
that  will  have  to  be  worked  out  in  the  future.   The  report  and  the  rules 
indicate  clearly  that  a  recognized  educational  institution  can  be  a  licensee. 
I  think  that  questions  of  that  kind  must  be  considered  individually. 
MR.  CRESHKOFF: 

What  does  the  Commissioner  think  about  the  new  corporate  body 
being  formed  in  Boston?    The  directors  will  be  the  member  institutions, 
and  the  licensee  will  be  this  new  corporate  body,  having  no  previous 
existence  as  an  educational  institution,  but  representing  them. 
Miss  HENNOCK: 

I  think  this  will  be   a  very  good  plan.    It  will  come  within  our 
definition,  provided  those  members  be  predominantly  educational — the 
schools,  colleges,  libraries,  etc. 

10  Director  of  Radio,  Mississippi  Southern  College,  Hattiesburg,  Miss. 

II  Director  of  Radio  and  Television,  University  of  Kansas,  Lawrence,  Kas. 
u  Television  Supervisor,  Station  WNYE,  New  York  City. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  129 

MR.  JOHN  L.  HUNT:IS 

If  a  public  school  system  should  get  a  channel  for  a  station,  could  it 
sell  time  to  a  neighboring  university  or  another  school  system,  or  would  it 
have  to  donate  the  time  to  the  other  educational  groups? 
MR.  KRIEGER: 

An  arrangement  whereby  an  educational  institution  made  its  facilities 
available  to  other  educational  institutions  on  a  cost-sharing  basis  would 
be  entirely  appropriate. 

In  situations  of  this  kind,  an  institution  should  have  the  advice  of 
counsel  to  be  sure  it  stays  within  the  rules. 
MR.  UBERTO  KEELY:** 

In  the  Greater  Cincinnati  TV  Educational  Foundation  we  have 
faced  most  of  the  problems  you  have  discussed  here.  We  are  considering 
a  Foundation  which  would  be  similar  in  arrangement  to  the  one  in 
Boston,  an  incorporation  of  six  or  more  of  our  leading  institutions  to 
operate  the  station.  We  are  wondering  whether  it  would  be  proper  to 
rent  our  studio  facilities  to  commercial  stations  to  help  pay  our  way? 
Miss  HENNOCK: 

We  don't  care  what  you  do  with  your  physical  property.    I  don't  see 
how  that  comes  within  our  authority  at  all. 
CHAIRMAN  FARLEY: 

I  think  we  shall  adjourn  this  meeting  now  with  a  rising  vote  of 
thanks  to  our  able  and  cooperative  panel. 


SOME  THINKING  ABOUT  EDUCATIONAL  TV 

Speech  Before  the 
Association  for  Education  by  Radio-Television 

EDWARD  M.  WEBSTER1 

I  HAVE  NO  STARTLING  MESSAGE  to  bring  to  you  at  this  time, 
and  my  talk  will  be  quite  informal.    I  feel  it  will  be  both 
appropriate  and  appreciated  if  I  confine  my  remarks  to  as  few 
words  as  possible  concerning  your  activities  in  the  field  of  edu- 
cation by  radio  and  television. 

A  few  years  ago,  if  I  had  received  an  invitation  to  appear 

13  Coordinator  of  Public  Relations,  Wilmington  Public  Schools,  Wilmington,  Del. 

II  Director,  Radio-TV  Arts,  College  of  Music,  Cincinnati. 
1  Commissioner,  FCC,  Washington,  D.  C. 


I3O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

here,  I  might  have  hesitated  to  accept.  It  so  happens  that,  in 
addition  to  being  a  Commissioner,  I  am  a  retired  United  States 
Coast  Guard  officer.  Just  forty  years  ago  next  month,  I  grad- 
uated from  the  Coast  Guard  Academy  at  New  London,  Conn. 
In  those  days  the  military  academies  were  not  permitted  to 
confer  degrees  on  their  graduates.  In  fact,  it  was  not  until  many 
years  later  that  Congress  authorized  them  to  do  so.  So,  after 
waiting  thirty-eight  years,  I  finally  received  that  much  coveted 
bachelor  of  science  degree.  I  suppose  a  lawyer  would  say  that 
I  received  it  "nunc  'pro  tune."  In  any  event,  I  am  no  longer  shy 
in  the  presence  of  educators.  Isn't  it  amazing  what  a  little 
sheepskin  will  do  for  one's  morale!  Now  I  can  stand  here  and 
look  all  other  intellectuals  straight  in  the  eye.  Seriously,  I  am 
very  proud  of  that  degree,  even  though  tardily  received,  just 
as  proud  of  it  as  I  am  of  my  Commodore's  commission  in  the 
military  service,  and  my  commission  as  a  member  of  the  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission. 

Mrs.  Webster  and  I  feel  so  strongly  about  the  value  of  an 
education  that  we  went  to  great  lengths  to  encourage  and  help 
our  son  and  daughter  obtain  a  college  education.  I  am  not 
unaware  of  the  fact  that  it  is  possible  to  be  an  outstanding  busi- 
ness success  without  the  benefit  of  formal  schooling.  Some  of 
the  most  brilliant  and  successful  men  I  know  have  had  few 
educational  advantages.  However,  I  am  sure  that  if  they  were 
standing  before  you  in  my  place  today,  they  would  unhesi- 
tatingly advocate  more  and  better  education  for  the  people  of 
this  country. 

Chairman  Walker  and  Commissioner  Hennock  have  been 
present  at  previous  meetings  of  your  Association,  but  this  is  the 
first  time  I  have  ever  had  the  opportunity  and  pleasure  of 
attending  the  Institute  for  Education  by  Radio  and  Television, 
or  appearing  before  the  Association  for  Education  by  Radio- 
Television.  In  fact,  this  constitutes  my  first  visit  to  Columbus. 
I  want  to  say,  judging  on  the  basis  of  what  I  have  observed 
during  the  brief  time  I  have  been  here,  that  I  have  seldom 
encountered  any  group  more  enthused  and  determined  regard- 
ing its  goals  and  its  efforts  to  achieve  them.  My  experiences  of 
the  past  day  and  a  half  have  impressed  me  deeply. 

After  the  publication  of  my  separate  opinion,  accompanying 
the  March,  1951,  Third  Notice  of  Further  Proposed  Rule 
Making,  concerning  the  Television  Broadcast  Service,  wherein 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION 

I  stated  that,  on  the  basis  of  the  record  then  made,  I  did  not 
agree  that  a  reservation  of  channels  for  non-commercial  educa- 
tional purposes  should  be  made,  I  heard  rumors  to  the  effect 
that  some  educators  were  shocked  at  my  apparent  antipathy 
toward  the  use  of  television  as  an  aid  to  education.  Of  course, 
I  was  not  and  am  not  against  the  use  of  television  for  this  pur- 
pose. I  favor  placing  non-commercial  educational  television 
stations  on  the  air  at  the  earliest  possible  date,  and  my  statement 
so  indicates. 

However,  being  unable  to  check  the  accuracy  of  the  rumors, 
I  could  not  help  but  wonder  whether  some  might  have  adopted 
the  philosophy  that  if  a  person  is  not  for  you,  in  every  respect, 
he  is  entirely  against  you.  I  realized  that  you  would  not  be 
pleased  with  my  position,  but  I  assumed  you  would  view  it  with 
an  open  mind  and  accept  it  as  an  honest  difference  of  opinion. 
When  you  invited  me  to  take  part  in  the  activities  here,  I  knew 
I  had  not  misjudged  you  and  that  you  respect  my  right  to  take 
a  position  which  may  not  be  fully  in  accord  with  your  own.  I 
commend  you  for  your  attitude,  because  when  one  has  an  in- 
terest at  stake  it  is  very  difficult  to  maintain  an  open  mind.  I 
think  that  one  of  your  most  important  tasks  is,  and  will  be,  to 
educate  the  young  and  remind  the  old  that  there  are  always 
two  sides  to  every  question.  I  believe  this  goes  to  the  heart  of 
freedom  of  thought  and  expression.  If  this  country  is  to  con- 
tinue to  be  the  arsenal  of  democracy,  you  must  advance  this 
philosophy  from  coast  to  coast  and  border  to  border. 

Everyone  here  has,  of  course,  seen  or  heard  about  the  Com- 
mission's recently  published  final  report  on  the  Television 
Broadcast  Service.  Despite  the  fact  that  I  concurred  with  the 
majority  in  reserving  channels  for  future  use  for  educational 
purposes,  some  of  you  may  feel  that  my  comments  attached  to 
that  report  are  less  than  flattering  to  educators.  Well,  I  want 
to  say  at  this  point  that  nothing  in  my  concurring  remarks 
should  be  construed  as  an  attack  upon  you,  because  I  think 
educators  are  engaged  in  the  most  important  work  anyone  can 
undertake.  You  must  derive  a  great  deal  of  personal  satisfac- 
tion from  seeing  your  efforts  bear  fruit,  because  your  task  at 
times  is  certainly  a  thankless  one. 

At  the  time  I  wrote  my  opinion,  I  could  not  quite  overcome 
the  feeling  that,  knowing  the  importance  of  education  to  the 
well-being  of  our  nation,  and  realizing  the  mass  appeal  of  tele- 


132  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

vision,  you  had  been  carried  away  by  its  glowing  potentialities 
and  failed  to  approach  this  new  venture  from  a  practical  point 
of  view.  However,  I  am  greatly  encouraged  by  the  thinking 
and  action  getting  under  way  here.  I  had  no  intention  nor 
desire  of  being  critical  or  unfair  in  my  analysis  of  your  business 
ability,  but  I  have  been  associated  with  the  field  of  electronics, 
in  one  way  or  another,  for  so  long  that  I  am  overly  conscious  of 
the  pitfalls.  Since  I  have  been  a  Commissioner,  I  have  had  a 
number  of  licensees  come  to  me  and  frankly  state  that  the  Com- 
mission would  have  done  them  a  favor  if  their  applications  had 
been  denied.  And,  mind  you,  these  have  been  otherwise  suc- 
cessful business  men,  who  had  the  means  to  operate  a  broadcast 
station,  but  no  concept  of  the  practical  problems  which  attend 
these  operations. 

I  have  no  intention  of  standing  here  and  telling  you  how 
you  should  conduct  your  affairs.  I  am  like  the  man  who  has 
never  met  a  payroll.  While  I  have  had  the  responsibility  of 
operating  Coast  Guard  radio  stations,  I  have  never  operated  a 
television  station.  Television,  especially  educational  television, 
has  a  technique  all  its  own.  It  is  your  problem  to  solve.  It  is 
my  function  to  provide  the  opportunity.  You  are  grown  men 
and  women,  with  intellect  and  resourcefulness,  and  it  is  unnec- 
essary, as  well  as  inappropriate,  for  me  to  lead  you  around  by 
the  hand.  All  I  want  to  do  at  this  moment  is  refer  to  a  few 
phrases  of  your  proposed  operations  which  may  prove  trouble- 
some. In  doing  so,  I  hope  to  stimulate  a  healthy  discussion  of 
the  whole  project. 

Now,  let's  briefly  review  some  of  the  problems  which  un- 
doubtedly confront  the  rank  and  file  of  educational  organiza- 
tions. First,  and  foremost,  you  have  to  get  the  necessary  funds 
from  your  local  and  state  governments.  From  what  I  can 
gather,  educational  institutions  are  having  more  than  a  little 
difficulty  getting  sufficient  appropriation  to  increase  the  salaries 
of  grossly  underpaid  teachers  at  this  time.  Although  many  of 
you  are  having  similar  experiences  in  your  own  state,  read  the 
New  York  Times  of  Monday,  April  14.  The  schools  in  New 
York  City  don't  have  enough  money  for  the  proper  painting 
and  repair  of  their  buildings.  Local  and  state  governments,  in 
the  main,  appear  unwilling  to  recognize  the  fact  that  existing 
teaching  facilities  are  outmoded  and  insufficient.  Is  this  the  place 
from  which  you  contemplate  getting  a  half  million  dollars  for 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  133 

the  purpose  of  constructing  an  educational  television  station?  Is 
this  the  source  to  which  you  propose  to  turn  annually  for  tens 
of  thousands  of  dollars  to  operate  this  non-profit  venture?  I 
salute  you  for  your  courage.  I,  too,  have  had  experience  in  the 
pioneering  field  and  I,  too,  have  had  experience  in  getting 
funds  from  the  public  treasury.  Take  a  tip  from  one  who  has 
engaged  in  a  never-ending  struggle — keep  up  the  battle!  Suc- 
cess is  wonderful  and  worth  all  the  effort. 

But  let  us  turn  aside  from  monetary  problems  and  assume 
that  you  have  an  educational  television  station  in  operation. 
How  much  serious  consideration  has  been  given  to  the  fact  that 
commercial  stations,  whose  existence  depends  on  the  size  of 
their  audience,  will  use  every  means  at  their  command  to  gain 
and  hold  the  attention  of  all  persons  within  their  service  con- 
tours? Men  and  women,  after  a  day's  work,  and  children,  after 
a  day  in  school,  do  not  always  want  to  have  to  concentrate  j  they 
want  to  be  entertained.  I  have  had  practical  experience  on  this 
score  in  my  own  home.  Can  you  make  your  education  programs 
entertaining  enough  to  attract  an  audience  away  from  commer- 
cial entertainment  and  make  it  forget  the  fact  that  it  is  being 
educated?  I  have  heard  it  argued  that  educational  groups  con- 
template that  their  programs  may  have  particular  appeal  to 
only  a  limited  audience,  but  I  am  not  so  sure  that  that  is  a  wise 
approach. 

The  air  waves  belong  to  the  general  public.  It  is  they  who 
need  the  education,  and  it  is  toward  them  your  efforts  should 
be  directed.  Moreover,  first  impressions  are  often  lasting  im- 
pressions, and  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  your  early 
efforts  be  wisely  handled.  If  they  are  not,  it  is  possible  that 
many  persons  will  not  bother  to  view  or  listen  to  your  programs 
again.  However,  I  am  well  aware  of  the  fact  that  it  is  most 
unlikely  you  will  be  immediately  successful  with  all  of  your 
programs.  Even  commercial  stations  cannot  do  that.  It  is  only 
through  trial  and  error  that  you  will  finally  develop  that  which 
the  public  will  accept.  And  no  one  knows  the  disappointments 
of  the  trial  and  error  method  better  than  the  Commission. 
We  were  well  indoctrinated  during  the  television  allocations 
deliberations. 

I  am  not  trying  to  toss  bouquets  to  the  Commission  and  its 
staff,  but  I  can  assure  you  that,  whether  or  not  the  final  tele- 
vision allocation  fully  satisfies  your  needs  as  you  see  them,  it 


134  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

represents  many  months  of  grueling  work,  and  offers,  in  the 
opinion  of  a  majority  of  the  Commission,  the  greatest  good  to 
the  greatest  number.  With  so  many  conflicting  interests  to  be 
considered,  it  is  virtually  impossible  to  develop  anything  which 
provides  all  things  to  all  people.  Too  often  it  appeared  we  had 
the  obvious  answer  to  a  phase  of  the  allocation,  only  to  discover 
later  that  we  were  in  error. 

I  hope  that  the  obstacles  I  have  pointed  out,  where  educa- 
tional television  programming  is  concerned,  will  not  serve  to 
dampen  your  enthusiasm.  I  would  be  distressed  to  feel  that 
they  had.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  believe  you  can  and  will  succeed 
if  you  continue  to  display  the  enthusiasm  and  drive  which  you 
have  thus  far  exhibited.  I  only  caution  you  because  I  think  if 
you  are  alerted  to  the  hurdles,  which  will  surely  confront  you, 
you  will  be  better  prepared  to  take  them. 

In  1492,  Columbus  launched  ships  to  open,  fresh  geograph- 
ical horizons  to  the  Old  World.  Now,  in  1952,  those  of  you 
gathered  here  in  Columbus  should  launch  television  to  open, 
fresh,  educational  horizons  to  the  New  World. 


TELEVISION  BROADCASTING  IN  COLLEGE 
PUBLIC  RELATIONS 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
LYNN  POOLE,1  Presiding 

MR.  O.  LEONARD  PRESS  :2 

THERE  SEEM  TO  BE  TWO  PRIMARY  REASONS  for  a  university  to 
broadcast  over  its  own  or  commercial  station  facilities.  The  first  is  to 
extend  the  class  work  of  radio  and  television  broadcasting  students  into 
the  ultimate  practical  sphere.  The  second  reason,  which  is  usually  the 
major  prod  in  influencing  a  university  to  go  on  the  air,  is  to  promote  its 
prestige  in  the  community,  and  as  far  abroad  as  possible. 

At  Boston  University,  this  promotional  purpose  preceded  the  student 
training  motive  by  a  number  of  years.  Under  Eleanor  Collier,  Director 
of  Publicity  at  Boston  University  for  the  past  twenty  years,  broadcasting 
got  a  solid  start.  In  1 946,  a  radio  assistant  was  appointed  on  the  publicity 
staff.  That  was  just  about  a  year  before  the  University  offered  its  first 

1  Director  of  Public  Relations,  Johns  Hopkins  University,  Baltimore,  Md. 

2  Director  of  Radio  and  Television,  Boston  University,  Boston,  Mass. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  135 

degree  in  broadcasting,  at  that  time,  in  radio.  This  explains  why  at 
Boston  University,  broadcasting  in  television  is  the  responsibility  of  the 
publicity  department,  at  the  present  time,  and  I  wish  to  report  briefly  on 
what  we've  done  about  television. 

Boston  has  two  television  outlets  at  present.  Both  went  on  the  air  in 
1948.  Station  WBZ-TV  is  an  NBC  affiliate  and  mixes  a  good  deal  of 
local  programming  in  with  its  NBC  offerings.  Station  WNAC-TV  is  a 
Mutual  outlet  and  consequently  is  free  to  choose  whatever  television 
programs  the  three  TV  networks  with  no  Boston  outlets  want  to  offer 
it,  and  they  offer  WNAC-TV  everything  they  have.  Because  it  enjoys 
such  a  wide  selection  of  network  offerings.  WNAC-TV  does  practically 
no  local  television  programming.  Whatever  we  have  done  in  Boston 
has  been  done  with  and  on  WBZ-TV. 

Our  first  program  was  in  1949.  In  November  of  that  year,  Prof. 
David  White,  of  the  journalism  faculty,  suggested  an  idea  for  a  television 
news  series.  Together,  we  shaped  it  into  a  program  that  would  attempt 
to  show,  dynamically,  where  the  news  was  being  made  each  day,  how  it 
bore  on  events  happening  elsewhere  and,  generally,  what  it  added  up  to 
in  significance.  Visual  devices  included  maps,  cut-outs  and  pin-ups. 

We  took  the  idea  to  WBZ-TV  and  after  due  consideration,  the 
station  "bought"  it.  Right  away,  I  found  out  how  different  television  is 
from  radio,  at  least  in  Boston.  In  the  first  place,  the  program  immediate- 
ly was  put  up  for  sale.  I  learned  then  that  any  series  we  wanted  to  put 
on  WBZ  had  to  be  saleable  as  well  as  entertainingly  educational.  WBZ- 
TV  agreed,  in  turn,  that  we  would  have  the  right  to  review  any 
interested  sponsor.  If  we  didn't  approve,  WBZ  might  be  allowed  to  sell 
the  program  anyway,  but  minus  the  B.U.  tag.  The  other  thing  I  learned 
was  that  television  did  not  expect  something  for  nothing,  as  radio  had. 
I  appreciate  that  this  may  be  the  idea  of  one  man,  Iran  Berlow,  program 
supervisor  for  WBZ-TV  and  may  not  be  common  among  TV  stations, 
but  from  the  beginning  David  White  was  paid  a  reasonable  rate. 

Dr.  White  went  on  at  first  on  a  twice-a-week,  five  minutes  per 
show,  basis  that  later  went  to  three-a-week.  After  six  months,  the  show 
had  not  been  sold  and  another  program  replaced  it.  Dr.  White  has  not 
been  on  since. 

Last  summer,  I  made  an  all-out  effort  to  conceive  and  sell  at  least 
one  television  series  which  was  basically,  if  not  frankly,  educational. 
This  series  aimed  to  prove  that  the  subject  matter  of  education  can  be 
fun  on  television  and  appealing  enough  to  interest  even  a  sponsor. 

I  approached  Mr.  Berlow  with  three  series  ideas,  with  recommenda- 
tions for  personnel,  material  and  content.  He  bought  two  of  them  which 


136  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

were  finally  titled,  "Away  From  It  All"  and  "From  Adam  to  Atom." 
Dr.  James  A.  Wylie,  professor  of  physical  education,  conducted  the  first 
show  which  was  all  about  how  the  family  could  have  fun  right  around 
home,  even  if  home  is  an  apartment  house,  and  how  to  do  it  for  practical- 
ly no  money.  He  also  demonstrated,  with  guests,  how  to  get  the  most 
out  of  such  pastimes  as  fishing,  camping,  backyard  games,  etc. 

The  host  for  "From  Adam  to  Atom"  was  Prof.  Donald  Born  of 
English.  If  you  haven't  doped  out  the  content  we  paraded  under  that 
title,  the  giveaway  is  that  the  chief  advisor  for  the  program  was  Prof. 
Mervyn  J.  Bailey,  chairman  of  the  Department  of  Fine  Arts. 

These  two  series  were  broadcast  during  the  months  of  July,  August 
and  September,  15 -minutes,  once  a  week,  each.  No  sponsors  came 
forward  to  pick  up  the  check,  so  they  were  dropped  when  the  fall 
schedule  was  made  up.  "From  Adam  to  Atom"  was  renewed  for  a 
short  run  for  a  month  during  the  winter,  a  half-hour  a  week. 

This  is  the  way  we  divided  the  responsibility  for  production  of  these 
series  between  the  University  and  the  station.  On  the  "Adam  to  Atom" 
show,  for  example,  Professors  Born  and  Bailey,  and  myself  provided 
all  the  raw  materials  and  any  guests.  We  spent  many  hours  each  week 
reviewing  potential  material,  and  visiting  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  in 
Boston,  which  was  most  cooperative  in  allowing  us  to  take  many  fine 
replicas  of  ancient  treasures  out  of  the  museum  for  the  show. 

Finally,  we  would  plan  together  the  content  and  progression  of  each 
program,  and  then  take  this  rough  sketch  to  the  station  a  day  or  two 
before  the  broadcast.  There  we  would  huddle  with  the  station's  producer 
assigned  to  each  series,  and  work  out  a  director's  working  script  for  the 
show. 

The  television  programs  were  publicized  through  all  the  channels 
available,  or  that  we  could  afford  to  use.  A  broadcast  notice  was  sent 
for  each  program  to  a  list  which  included  key  faculty,  all  deans,  others 
outside  the  University,  all  trustees,  etc.  Newspaper  radio  editors  were 
notified  and  we  had  a  number  of  good  stories.  In  addition,  the  programs 
were  listed  in  the  headliner  sections  of  the  program  logs  of  most  of  the 
Boston  newspapers.  We  sent  out  home-town  stories  on  program  guests 
and,  of  course,  the  principals,  and  had  some  good  local  newspaper  stories. 
"From  Adam  to  Atom"  was  reviewed  favorably,  in  Variety.  The  New 
England  TV  Guide  magazine  gave  special  mentions  to  the  programs  and 
in  addition,  WBZ-TV  featured  each  of  the  shows  in  their  full  page  TV 
Guide  ads.  The  University  alumni  magazine  carried  a  full  page  spread 
reporting  the  two  series. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  137 

There  were  a  number  of  signs  by  which  acceptance  of  the  series 
could  be  read.  Letters  were  received  from  viewers  of  both  series,  all 
commendatory.  As  a  result  of  a  program  on  photography,  which  featured 
Boston  photographer  Jack  Seltzer,  Seltzer  reported  tallying  more  than 
125  direct  queries  at  his  two  stores  in  regard  to  suggestions  and  ideas  he 
had  mentioned  on  the  program.  His  Kodak  salesman  was  so  impressed 
with  this  response  that  he  made  a  special  report  on  it  to  the  home  office 
of  the  Eastman  Kodak  Co.  in  Rochester,  N.Y. 

One  letter  to  Professor  Born's  art  show  contained  some  valuable 
stamps  with  the  suggestion  that  Professor  Born  might  investigate  the  idea 
of  demonstrating  the  art  displayed  on  stamps.  The  idea  was  valid,  but 
Born  returned  the  stamps  with  some  haste  and  many  thanks.  He  had 
had  enough  with  handling  art  pieces  from  the  Museum,  and  was  getting 
nervous  at  being  responsible  for  so  many  art  valuables. 

Since  the  summer,  two  other  University  faculty  members  have  done 
series  on  WBZ-TV.  One  of  them  I  sold  to  the  station  for  a  series  on 
agriculture,  which  was  already  on  the  station,  and  for  which  I  had 
heard  they  were  looking  for  a  new  personality  host.  I  didn't  learn  until 
after  I  had  made  the  "sale,"  that  no  University  mention  would  be 
forthcoming  on  the  program.  The  reason  was  that  this  was  the  station's 
show,  and  they  wanted  to  be  free  to  sell  it  to  anyone.  However,  the 
effort  of  "selling"  Prof.  Franklin  Roberts  to  the  station  for  this  series 
was  worthwhile  for  an  internal  public  relations  reason. 

So  far,  counting  journalism  Prof.  Victor  Best,  who  is  editor  of 
WBZ-TV's  United  Press-Movietone  News  series  five  times  a  week,  and 
whose  show  is  strictly  commercial  bait  with  no  University  tag,  five 
University  faculty  people  have  conducted  television  series  on  WBZ-TV 
in  a  period  of  three  years.  Their  experience  is  the  most  convincing 
ammunition  I  now  have  for  selling  other  faculty  members  on  television 
work,  and  they  usually  have  to  be  convinced. 

These  five  faculty  people  are  not  the  only  University  personnel  who 
have  been  on  television.  They  are  simply  the  only  ones  who  have 
conducted  series. 

But  in  addition  to  the  series  work,  effective  contributions  to  Univer- 
sity prestige  building  have  been  made  by  arranging  for  University 
personnel  to  appear  on  interview  programs  and  on  science  shows,  by 
filming  major  University  news  for  TV  news  shows,  by  student  participa- 
tion on  variety  and  musical  shows  on  both  local  stations  and  occasionally 
on  the  network.  Each  such  broadcast  is  promoted  by  the  same  means 
described  above  for  the  series. 


138  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

MR.  WILLIAM  B.  WiLcox:3 

Television  at  Ohio  State  University  is  dependent  on  the  cooperation 
of  the  three  local  commercial  stations  for  any  live  program  time,  and 
apparently  it  will  remain  so  for  the  present.  Many  of  you  read  the  FCC 
announcement  of  April  13,  1952,  which  granted  to  Ohio  State  an  ultra 
high  frequency  channel.  This  is  of  little  practical  value  now,  since  there 
are  few  if  any  receiving  sets  in  the  Columbus  area  that  can  receive 
broadcasts  in  this  range. 

This  is  a  testimonial  type  of  panel,  in  which  we  will  tell  what  we 
have  done  in  television.  I  propose  to  relate  our  story  somewhat  in 
chronological  order. 

The  three  commercial  television  stations  in  Columbus  have  an 
estimated  range  covering  nineteen  counties  with  a  potential  audience  of 
one  million  persons.  Surveys  have  established  the  number  of  sets  at 
approximately  225,000.  It  was  found,  as  recently  as  March  I,  1952, 
that  73  per  cent  of  the  families  in  the  city  of  Columbus  have  sets,  and 
more  than  50  per  cent  of  the  families  in  all  but  one  of  the  nineteen 
counties  in  the  viewing  area  have  sets.  Columbus  saw  its  first  television 
on  April  3,  1949,  when  station  WLW-C  started  operations.  The  other 
two  stations,  WTVN  and  WBNS-TV,  came  in  with  the  network 
service  on  Sept.  27,  1949,  when  the  micro-relay  link  was  completed  to 
Dayton,  the  nearest  coaxial  cable  contact  point. 

It  was  anticipated  that  the  university's  first  experience  with  television 
might  come  through  football,  and  the  loan  of  some  of  our  films.  Station 
WLW-C  worked  out  a  contract  with  the  university's  athletic  officials 
to  televise  each  of  Ohio  State's  five  home  games  in  the  season  of  1949 
at  $1,500  per  game.  Station  WBNS-TV,  which  did  not  start  until 
Sept.  27,  televised  the  last  three  games  that  year  at  the  same  rate. 

Early  in  1949,  I  was  approached  by  representatives  of  the  local 
television  stations  and  those  in  nearby  cities  seeking  information  about 
university-produced  films  as  program  material.  As  a  result  of  these 
inquiries,  I  called  on  a  group  of  staff  members  for  information  and 
opinion.  I  also  wrote  to  other  governmental  agencies,  free  film  libraries 
and  other  universities  asking  advice. 

We  inventoried  our  films,  selecting  those  which  we  agreed  would 
be  suitable  for  telecasting.  Dr.  Howard  L.  Bevis,  president  of  the 
university,  called  a  meeting  for  a  discussion  of  the  problem.  Out  of 
that  meeting  came  a  statement  of  television  for  the  campus,  not  including 
athletics. 

8  Director  of  Public  Relations,  Ohio  State  University,  Columbus. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  139 

The  Bureau  of  Public  Relations  was  designated  as  the  clearance  unit 
for  all  requests  for  film  or  live  programs  for  television  purposes.  Any 
films  produced  by  the  university,  considered  suitable  for  television  pur- 
poses by  the  bureau,  were  cleared  for  free  loan  to  any  TV  station  for 
sustaining  programs.  No  such  film  could  be  released  for  a  commercially 
sponsored  program.  Responsibility  for  any  necessary  clearance  of  music 
heard  on  university  films,  and  any  other  legal  involvements,  were  made 
the  assignment  of  the  television  station. 

As  to  live  programs,  departments  of  the  university  were  authorized 
to  cooperate  in  the  presentation  of  activities  for  non-commercial  television 
broadcast,  as  long  as  these  activities  did  not  interfere  with  the  academic 
program  or  policy.  Clearance  of  program  requests  again  was  centered 
in  the  Bureau  of  Public  Relations.  The  adopted  policy  left  the  question 
of  participation  in  commercially  sponsored  programs  open.  Each  request 
was  to  be  decided  on  an  individual  basis. 

At  the  same  time  this  initial  policy  was  established,  in  early  1949, 
a  television  committee  was  created  by  the  president.  This  was  in  April, 
1949,  about  two  weeks  after  the  first  TV  station  started  operations  in 
Columbus.  This  committee  comprised  the  director  of  public  relations  as 
chairman,  the  director  of  athletics,  director  of  radio  education,  director 
of  the  university  radio  station,  chairman  of  the  department  of  photography 
and  a  representative  from  the  bureau  of  educational  research. 

Up  to  this  time,  we  had  not  initiated  any  TV  programs.  The  pub- 
lications staff  of  our  Agricultural  Extension  Service  should  be  credited 
with  making  the  initial  experiments  in  that  field.  In  the  fall  of  1949, 
they  undertook  several  spot  shows,  using  ag  extension  personnel.  En- 
couraged by  their  initial  experience,  and  challenged  by  the  possibilities, 
they  started  two  regular  weekly  programs  early  in  1950. 

A  15-minute  show  entitled  "Yard  'n  Garden"  appeared  over  station 
WTVN,  in  February,  1950,  and  a  month  later,  the  "Magic  Window" 
opened  as  a  25-minute  and  later  3O-minute  show  at  12:30,  noon, 
WLW-C.  Incidentally,  both  of  these  shows  are  currently  on  these 
two  stations,  two  years  later,  although  they  have  not  run  continuously 
during  that  time.  However,  the  "Magic  Window,"  which  has  enjoyed 
the  longest  consecutive  runs  of  any  University  program,  has  been 
especially  distinctive  in  that  it  has  always  appeared  at  12:30,  noon,  on 
Saturdays. 

"Yard  'n  Garden"  was  just  what  the  title  implied;  a  program 
devoted  to  helpful  hints  about  the  care  of  the  yard,  and  the  planting  and 
maintenance  of  a  small  garden  and  its  produce.  For  example,  one  show 


I4O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

was  devoted  to  the  proper  way  to  prune  rose  bushes.  Another  dealt 
with  the  more  complex  problem  of  how  to  pack  strawberries  for  the 
freezer.  The  extension  radio  editor  appears  on  all  the  shows  and 
introduces  the  visiting  expert  or  experts. 

"Magic  Window"  is  a  more  flexible  program,  covering  a  variety  of 
areas,  all  more  or  less  related  to  agriculture.  The  program  starts  with 
the  opening  of  a  window  in  which  appears  some  object  symbolic  of  that 
week's  subject  matter.  This  spring,  however,  the  first  ten  minutes  of 
the  3O-minute  program  were  given  to  what  was  called  "Today's  Guide 
to  Good  Buying."  The  rest  of  the  show  might  be  entirely  unrelated 
to  this  introductory  ten  minutes. 

In  June,  1950,  our  Board  of  Trustees  authorized  the  university  to 
apply  to  the  FCC  for  a  television  channel  for  educational  purposes.  Such 
an  application  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Robert  C.  Higgy,  director  of  the 
university  radio  station,  and  filed  in  July,  1950.  This  application  was 
promptly  returned,  as  the  FCC  was  not  accepting  them  at  that  time. 
Many  of  you  are  familiar  with  the  hearings  that  followed  before  the 
FCC  at  Washington,  relative  to  the  applications  for  assignments  of  TV 
channels  for  educational  purposes.  Ohio  State,  since  September,  1950, 
continuously  participated  in  those  proceedings,  with  our  Dr.  I.  Keith 
Tyler  playing  a  leading  role,  and  the  president  of  the  university  making 
several  appearances. 

The  university  proposed  in  its  application  to  spend  approximately 
$247,630  if  granted  a  channel.  It  estimated  that  it  would  cost  about 
$100,000  to  operate  the  station  the  first  year.  The  university  renewed 
its  application  in  December,  1951. 

Meanwhile,  the  ag  extension  folks  continued  their  work  with  the 
commercial  stations  in  Columbus,  the  Western  Conference  halted  the 
live  televising  of  football  games,  and  the  rest  of  us  did  a  lot  of  talking 
and  speculating  but  nothing  concrete  was  achieved  toward  getting  on  the 
air  with  educational  programs.  The  TV  stations,  themselves,  were  doing 
considerable  experimenting  with  mobile  equipment,  televising  our  June, 
1950,  commencement  exercises  in  Ohio  Stadium.  One  of  the  stations 
televised  a  basketball  game,  but  dropped  the  idea  because  it  proved  to  be 
too  expensive. 

One  of  our  most  gratifying  experiences  with  television,  as  far  as 
public  relations  was  concerned,  came  in  March,  1951,  when  some  of 
our  best  student  talent  was  taken  to  New  York  City  to  appear  on  the 
Ted  Mack  Amateur  Hour.  This  was  witnessed,  we  are  told,  by  some 
30,000,000  Americans.  Ohio  State  became  the  first  university  to  be 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION 

saluted  by  the  Ted  Mack  show  largely  through  the  effort  and  interest 
of  Mr.  Robert  M.  Ganger,  one  of  our  alumni,  now  executive  vice- 
president  of  the  P.  Lorillard  Co.,  sponsors  of  the  program. 

That  spring,  the  university's  Bureau  of  Special  and  Adult  Education 
made  a  suggestion  for  a  science  series  and  offered  the  service,  gratis,  of 
a  young  graduate  student,  Mr.  Richard  H.  Bell,  who  proposed  to  do 
his  graduate  work  in  the  field  of  adult  education  via  television.  Out  of 
that  suggestion  and  the  availability  of  Mr.  Bell,  we  developed  our  first 
sciences  series  of  13  half-hour  shows,  presented  through  the  cooperation 
of  station  WLW-C  in  Columbus  at  1 2 130  noon,  each  Sunday. 

After  the  preliminary  planning  had  been  done,  a  meeting  of  repre- 
sentatives of  all  the  science  departments  on  the  campus  was  held  to 
discuss  the  series  and  decide  on  a  title.  We  came  up  with  the  tag,  "It's 
Your  World,"  and  obtained  promises  of  participation  from  scientists. 

The  Junior  Dean  of  our  College  of  Arts  and  Sciences  agreed  to  serve 
as  moderator  or  coordinator  for  the  series,  and  Mr.  Bell  wrote  the  scripts 
and  program  outlines,  working  about  two  weeks  ahead  after  interviews 
with  the  scientists  to  be  presented.  The  first  show  he  entitled,  "Our 
Planet  and  Space." 

We  set  up  a  budget  of  $287,  and,  since  Mr.  Bell's  services  were  free, 
we  stayed  within  it.  Actually  we  only  spent  $50  for  photographs  and 
art  work,  done  by  the  university  photographic  department  and  the 
campus  chart  and  graph  service. 

Encouraged  by  a  favorable  response,  both  from  viewers  and  faculty 
participants  to  this  series,  the  University  TV  Committee  undertook  to 
determine  how  similar  programs  might  be  continued  and  expanded. 
Upshot  of  all  of  this  discussion  was  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Bell  as 
part-time  coordinator  of  university  television  programs  on  commercial 
stations. 

Currently,  we  have,  in  addition  to  the  two  agricultural  extension 
programs,  three  TV  shows  going  on  two  stations. 

"Picture  of  Health,"  is  a  half-hour  show  every  Tuesday  night  at  the 
remarkably  good  time  of  8:30  o'clock.  Station  WBNS-TV,  made  that 
excellent  time  available,  and  the  show  is  planned  by  Dr.  Richard  L. 
Meiling,  assistant  dean  of  the  College  of  Medicine,  and  Mr.  Bell.  The 
show  recently  had  a  rating  of  15,  which  indicates  some  33,000  TV 
viewers. 

Using  films  and  live  demonstrations,  physicians  and  nurses  describe 
the  ways  in  which  the  new  $15,500,000  Health  Center  at  the  university 
is  serving  the  public.  The  TV  station  film  crew  and  that  of  the 


142  EDUCATION    ON    THE   AIR 

University's  Department  of  Photography  have  taken  the  film,  which 
comprises  less  than  half  the  time  of  each  program.  These  films  are 
processed  by  the  TV  station.  Programs  are  fairly  well  outlined  and 
ready  about  a  week  ahead  of  the  show  night.  Films  are  shot  about 
three  weeks  ahead,  to  allow  ample  processing  and  editing  time. 

"The  Wilson  Dumble"  program  illustrates  well  the  shifting  of  a 
radio  personality  to  a  television  show  with  very  little  change  of  format. 
Professor  Dumble,  a  pleasant,  well-informed  and  witty  member  of  our 
English  department,  has  been  doing  book  reviews  and  chit-chat  about 
plays  and  things  over  the  university's  radio  station  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  now  does  the  same  over  television,  in  a  delightfully  relaxed,  informal 
chat  about  books  and  plays,  three  mornings  every  week  at  9  o'clock 
on  WBNS-TV. 

"Design  for  Enjoyment"  was  worked  out  with  Prof.  Frank  Seiber- 
ling,  director  of  our  School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Art.  Members  of  the 
school  staff  show  the  place  of  design  in  modern  living,  beginning  with 
the  design  of  common  household  items  and  working  into  the  field  of 
painting.  It  is  a  15 -minute  show,  four  afternoons  a  week  at  4  o'clock 
on  WTVN.  (Mr.  Wilcox  illustrated  his  talk  at  several  points  with 
pictures) . 

We  have  a  number  of  ideas  for  other  shows.  One  of  the  best,  I  think, 
will  be  a  sort  of  news  interpretive  show,  in  which  experts  in  various 
fields  on  the  campus  will  discuss  news  developments  from  the  viewpoint 
of  their  particular  field  of  knowledge. 


SUMMARY 

It  was  noted  that  very  few  programs  of  the  schools  represented  were 
planned  specifically  for  promotion  and  publicity,  and  yet,  from  the  public 
relations  point  of  view,  whatever  goes  over  the  air  in  the  name  of  an 
educational  institution  is  of  concern  to  the  public  relations  office. 

No  satisfactory  definition  of  public  relations  has  yet  been  made.  In 
general,  a  public  relations  director  of  an  educational  institution  attempts 
to  foster  all  worthwhile  activities  that  will  reflect  credit  upon  his  institu- 
tion. 

We  should  put  our  best  words  forward  on  radio,  and  show  our  best 
pictures  to  the  public  to  help  attract  the  best  students  for  the  school. 
Alumni  like  to  see  their  school  in  the  limelight.  The  same  is  true  for 
those  on  the  campus,  the  students,  employees  and  faculty. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  143 

KEEPING  UP  WITH  SCHOOL  TELECASTING 

JOHN  C.  CRABBE,1  Presiding 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 

Program  Arranged  by  Association  for 
Education  by  Radio-Television 

Reported  By  MISS   BETTY  ROSS,2 

MR.  GEORGE  JENNINGS  :3 

The  Chicago  public  schools  continue  to  participate  actively  in 
television  programming  through  the  facilities  of  Chicago  commercial 
stations.  On  WGN-TV  they  have  done  a  thirteen-week  series  called 
"Chicago  Public  Schools  in  Action."  This  attempts  to  show  Chicago 
citizens  what  is  going  on  in  their  schools.  All  grade  levels  are  repre- 
sented, elementary  through  high  school.  It  is  a  studio  production  rather 
than  a  telecast  direct  from  the  classroom.  Children  and  teachers  are 
brought  into  the  studio,  and  the  class  is  seen  in  action. 

Plans  are  under  way  for  another  TV  program,  called  "Newsreel." 
This  will  start  in  May,  1952,  using  the  facilities  of  station  WBKB, 
Chicago.  Film  will  be  taken  in  the  schools  by  a  school-employed  film 
cameraman.  The  program  will  place  major  emphasis  on  its  news  value. 

A  couple  of  special  television  shows  also  have  been  presented  by  the 
Chicago  schools.  One  was  on  an  important  bond  issue,  and  Chicagoans 
were  told  why  they  should  vote  for  the  bond  issue  and  school  improve- 
ments. Another  was  the  superintendent  of  school's  annual  report  which 
was  put  on  television  so  the  people  of  Chicago  would  be  more  familiar 
with  the  educational  system  in  their  city. 

Mr.  Jennings  stressed  that  it  is  important  for  the  school  television 
program  to  go  beyond  being  just  a  school-produced  program.  To  be  a 
good  program  and  one  representative  of  the  school,  it  must  have  a 
purpose.  It  must  accomplish  something.  It  must  develop  positive 
attitudes.  It  should  mean  progress  for  both  the  schools  and  television. 
Miss  MARTHA  A.  GABLE  :4 

The  Philadelphia  public  schools  are  working  with  three  stations  in 
Philadelphia,  doing  thirteen  programs  per  week.  The  Board  of  Edu- 
cation has  a  staff  of  seven  on  TV.  There  are  700  TV  receivers  in  the 

1  President,  Association  for  Education  by  Radio-Television;  Director,  Station  KCVN, 
College  of  the  Pacific,  Stockton,  Calif. 

2  Assistant  Director,  Public  Affairs  and  Education,  NBC,  Chicago. 

3  Director,  Radio  and  Television,  Board  of  Education,  Chicago. 

*  Assistant  Director,  School-Community  Relations,  Philadelphia. 


144  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

schools.  Utilization  of  the  programs  is  stressed.  Evaluation  sheets  are 
picked  up  at  the  end  of  every  week  from  the  classrooms  and  these 
help  tremendously  in  planning  future  programs. 

In  all  programs,  we  try  to  demonstrate  that  television  can  be  both 
good  education  and  good  entertainment.  Our  program,  "Operation 
Blackboard/'  particularly  exemplifies  this.  We  find  that  children  like 
television.  They  are  reading  more  and  doing  more  creative  projects, 
because  they  have  seen  how  it  is  done  on  TV.  Parents  also  are  interested 
in  television.  They  plan  PTA  meetings  around  television,  and  are 
financing  the  purchase  of  TV  sets  for  use  in  the  schools.  It's  important 
that  all  members  of  a  community  know  what  is  going  on  in  their  schools. 
When  all  understand,  they  work  together  better. 
Miss  MADELINE  S.  LONG:S 

Activity  in  educational  broadcasting  in  the  Minneapolis  schools  dates 
back  to  a  radio  workshop  in  1928.  We  have  been  preparing  school 
broadcasts  ever  since,  and  cooperate  with  the  commercial  stations  to 
present  them.  With  the  advent  of  television,  school  programming  was 
extended.  It  started  in  a  time  of  crisis. 

Two  years  ago,  it  was  necessary  in  Minneapolis  to  close  the  schools 
for  a  period  of  three  weeks.  Television  came  to  the  rescue  with  a  "Video 
School,"  so  children  would  not  miss  out  on  school  work.  Station  WCTN 
provided  the  time  and  facilities.  It  was  a  studio  production,  and  television 
teachers  were  brought  in  to  give  talks. 

We  realized  that  it  would  be  better  television  if  we  could  simulate 
the  classroom  situation,  bring  a  few  children  into  the  studio,  and  create 
a  living  classroom  before  the  camera.  The  attention  would  be  focused 
on  the  teacher,  when  she  was  "teaching,"  and  upon  the  children,  when 
they  were  "learning."  It  was  a  more  fluid  and  spontaneous  program 
with  emphasis  on  naturalness.  In  that  way,  the  television  program 
evolved.  Now  the  Minneapolis  public  schools  are  doing  three  times  as 
much  programming. 
MR.  ARNOLD  L.  WiLKEs:6 

Station  WBAL  cooperates  closely  with  educators  in  preparing  school 
programs  on  television. 

"TV  Campus"  is  offered  on  Sunday  evenings,  in  cooperation  with 
ten  Baltimore  colleges  and  universities.  Each  school  has  its  own  pro- 
grams. This  series  shows  the  Baltimore  viewer  what's  going  on  in  the 
higher  level  of  education. 

6  Consultant  on  Radio  Education,  Minneapolis  Public  Schools,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 
6  Director,  Public  Service  and  Education,  Hearst  Corporation,  Baltimore,  Md. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  145 

Another  series  is  the  series  of  the  University  of  Maryland  Medical 
School,  "Live  and  Help  Live."  This  is  broadcast  Tuesday  evenings. 
It  is  the  story  of  modern  medicine  and  its  meaning  to  mankind.  It  is  a 
thought-provoking  program,  and  helps  the  layman  understand  some 
things  in  medical  science. 

Still  another  school  television  program  is  the  "Class  A"  show  beamed 
for  elementary  school  children.  The  classroom  is  in  the  television  studio 
and  children  are  the  main  participants.  We  believe  that  in  letting  the 
child  be  the  child,  you  have  some  extremely  good  television.  Children  are 
ingenuous  and  resourceful.  Station  WBAL  has  helped  with  the  purchase 
of  television  sets  for  the  schools. 
MR.  EDWARD  STASHEFF:T 

The  New  York  City  schools  are  in  the  television  forefront.  They 
have  cooperated  in  the  special  Lije  magazine  television  project,  which 
showed  New  York  citizens  what  was  happening  in  their  schools. 

We  also  have  worked  in  cooperation  with  the  National  Citizens' 
Committee  for  Better  Schools.  Twenty  programs  have  been  originated 
from  the  schools.  Another  forty  programs  were  used  as  inserts  in  such 
shows  as  Jinx  Falkenberg. 

Another  interesting  TV  series  was  the  "Living  Blackboard"  series, 
which  served  some  500  homebound  high  school  students — those  phy- 
sically handicapped  who  could  not  attend  regular  classes.  A  home-service 
teacher  usually  visits  those  homes  two  or  three  times  a  week,  but  television 
helped  in  those  areas  not  normally  covered  by  the  home-service  teacher. 
There  were  science  demonstrations,  occupational  work,  art,  "adventures 
in  understanding,"  etc.  This  program  has  been  very  successful.  Surveys 
showed  that  more  adults  watched  the  program  than  handicapped  chil- 
dren. The  program  pulls  about  two  hundred  letters  a  week.  Nine  other 
cities  now  are  using  the  WPIX  transmission  to  make  the  program 
available  in  their  locations. 

DISCUSSION 
QUESTION: 

Are    school    television    programs   active    or   passive?      Do   children 
participate  during  the  viewing  process  or  the  follow-up  period? 
ANSWER: 

Television  programs  can  be  either,  depending  on  the  teacher  who  is 
utilizing  the  program.  Some  think  it  is  better  to  participate  in  the 
follow-up  period.  A  child  is  apt  to  mimic  the  TV  performers  during  the 
program  rather  than  create  for  himself. 

'Television  Supervisor,  Board  of  Education  Station  WNYE,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


146  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

QUESTION  : 

Because  of  the  high  cost  of  television  programming,  are  school  pro- 
grams sponsored  commercially?    Will  sponsorship  be  tolerated  by  school 
systems? 
ANSWER  : 

If  it  is  a  school-produced  program,  it  would  not  have  a  commercial 
sponsor.     Institutional   sponsorship   for   non-school   produced   programs 
generally  has  been  acceptable. 
QUESTION  : 

Would   it  be   better  to   use   an   educational  television   station   or   a 
commercial  one? 
ANSWER: 

At  present,  we  are  using  what  is  available,  namely,  the  commercial 
station. 
QUESTION  : 

How   are   we   going  to  bridge   the   gap  until  the   educational  TV 
stations  are  on  the  air? 
ANSWER  : 

The  FCC  has  recently  released  educational  TV  channels.  The  wise 
thing  to  do  is  to  act  now  in  making  plans  for  an  educational  station  in 
your  area.  Educational  TV  stations  will  have  to  meet  the  challenge  of 
being  "good"  from  the  start.  The  American  public  has  seen  commercial 
television.  They  want  better  programs.  They  will  expect  the  best  in 
educational  television. 


SIMPLE  TELEVISION  TECHNIQUES 
FOR  EDUCATIONAL  PROGRAMS 

EDWARD  STASHEFF,1  Presiding 

SPECIAL  INTEREST  GROUP 
Reported  By  MRS.  DOROTHY  KLOCK2 

In  opening  the  meeting,  Mr.  Edward  StashefT,  chairman,  explained 
that  by  the  term  "simple"  was  meant  inexpensive  and  uncomplicated 
techniques  which  could  be  used  to  advantage  on  any  station  in  the 
production  of  educational  television  programs. 

It  was  agreed  that  the  minimum  requirements  for  good  production 

1  Television  Supervisor,  Station  WNYE,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

2  Program  Supervisor,  Station  WNYE,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  147 

were  two  cameras,  one  mike  boom,  and  one  film  chain  which  would 
accommodate  35-mm.  and  i6-mm.  film  strips,  2-by-2-inch  slides,  and 
i6-mm.  film. 

The  panel  was  asked  to  answer  the  questions  of  how  to  teach  well 
with  television,  and  also  how  to  do  a  good  job  with  minimum  equipment. 
The  purpose  of  the  talks  was  not  to  cite  artificial  gimmicks  and  fancy 
approaches,  but  rather  to  underline  the  practical,  effective  shortcuts  to 
good  production. 
MR.  GARNET  R.  GARRISON  :3 

Mr.  Garrison  distributed  mimeographed  material  describing  the  sets 
used  on  the  "Michigan  Hour."  He  said  that  in  each  hour  of  broadcast- 
ing, three  instructors  were  used.  This  makes  for  considerable  variety 
in  presentation.  For  each  hour  of  broadcasting,  there  were  three  and 
one-half  hours  of  dry  run  and  camera  rehearsals.  The  University 
instructors  appearing  on  the  programs  were  paid  jointly  by  Station 
WWJ  and  the  University.  Students  were  not  paid. 

Several  types  of  signs  were  used  on  the  programs.  These  included 
individual  title  cards,  a  booklet  arrangement  of  title  cards,  large  cards 
with  sections  covered,  and  cards  with  double  door  fronts.  A  variety  of 
colors  often  was  used  on  the  cards  to  get  a  variety  in  the  gray  values 
on  the  receiver  screen. 

Photographs  and  diagrams  were  used.  In  the  use  of  maps,  the 
portion  to  be  discussed  often  was  reinforced  with  line  drawings  and 
color  fills.  At  other  times,  a  dotted  line  was  used  to  trace  a  route 
over  "green"  sea  and  "white"  land.  Occasionally,  super-imposition  was 
used,  as  in  picking  up  the  key  words  in  a  passage  from  the  Federalist 
papers. 

Other  types  of  cards  useful  for  television  were  cards  with  pull-up 
sections,  sequence  cards  with  the  camera  panning  along  in  order,  enlarged 
photographs  with  lettering  put  directly  on  them,  and  photographs  with 
a  strip-pull  underneath  containing  a  name,  location  or  description.  Three 
dimensional  models  have  been  found  useful. 

The   general   aim   in    the    utilization    of   these    devices   and   others 
like  them  has  been  to  create  an  effective  program  at  a  minimum  cost. 
MRS.  ROBERT  N.  GORMAN:* 

The  Rent  Advisory  Board  of  the  Greater  Cincinnati  area  has  been 
presenting  a  series  of  interesting  television  programs.  In  each  program, 
a  landlord  and  a  tenant,  together  with  their  lawyers,  bring  a  controversial 
question  before  the  television  camera.  There  was  considerable  difficulty 

8  Director  of  Television,  University  of  Michigan,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 
4  Chairman,  Hamilton  County  Rent  Advisory  Board,  Cincinnati. 


148  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

in  getting  participants  for  the  first  program,  but  the  first  program  was 
so  successful  that  it  brought  volunteers  for  other  programs.    Mrs.  Gor- 
man said  the  series  demonstrated  again  that  interesting  people  make  an 
interesting  show. 
Miss  MARTHA  A.  GABLE:5 

In  the  Philadelphia  educational  television  programs,  three  typical 
formats  are  used.  These  are  the  master  teacher  type,  resource  people 
from  the  community,  and  a  discussion  format. 

The  first  type  features  a  variety  of  devices  that  are  used  in  the  same 
manner  in  which  they  would  be  used  in  good  classroom  presentation. 
Whenever  possible,  any  steps  in  the  lesson  which  would  be  time  consum- 
ing are  condensed  in  advance  of  the  broadcast. 

Various  community  agencies  bring  their  own  resource  people  and 
material  to  their  programs.  Children  are  seldom  used  on  these.  The 
aim  is  to  present,  by  means  of  television,  people  and  things  that  ordinarily 
would  not  be  seen  in  the  classroom. 

In    discussion   programs,    the   students   always   have    one    authority 
participating.     Occasionally,   to  make   a   major   point,   another   camera 
may  pick  up  a  dramatic  sketch.    A  run  down  is  prepared  for  each  pro- 
gram, but  no  complete  script. 
MR.  VAUGHN  D.  SEIDEL:S 

Mr.  Seidel  discussed  the  problem  of  educational  television  from  the 
viewpoint  of  the  school  administrator.  He  said  that  so  far  as  cost  is 
concerned,  television  does  not  present  any  new  basic  problem,  since  most 
new  ideas  have  cost  money  and  have  been  difficult  to  "sell."  He  said 
that  in  his  opinion  the  aim  in  using  such  a  resource  as  television  should 
be  to  increase  the  effectiveness  and  efficiency  of  teaching. 
MRS.  DOROTHY  KLOCK: 

The  Board  of  Education  in  New  York  City  has  been  producing 
three  programs  a  week  in  "The  Living  Blackboard"  series  on  Station 
WPIX,  owned  and  operated  by  the  New  York  Daily  News,  since 
October  1951.  Several  simple  TV  techniques  have  been  found  valuable. 

A  run  down  sheet,  prepared  in  a  reasonable,  but  not  lengthy,  detail, 
is  a  way  of  scripting  an  unscripted  show.  This  gives  the  staff  director 
at  a  station  like  WPIX  ample  information.  Time  in  and  time  out,  for 
each  item,  should  be  indicated.  After  the  first  full  rehearsal,  the  timing 
can  be  set  fairly  well. 

A  good  dry  run,  preferably  just  before  a  camera  rehearsal,  is  one 

8  Assistant  Director,  School  Community  Relations,  Board  of  Education,  Philadelphia. 
6  Superintendent,  Alameda  County  Schools,  Oakland,  Calif. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  149 

secret  of  a  good  show.  This  need  not  be  on  the  set,  but  it  should 
be  conducted  in  an  area  equal  to  the  set  in  space.  If  at  all  possible,  the 
director  of  the  air  show  should  be  present  at  the  dry  run. 

Pictures  are  a  great  asset  to  an  educational  TV  program,  but  they 
must  be  good.  Still  pictures  should  have  a  mat  or  a  dull  finish,  and  they 
should  be  placed  on  an  easel. 

Concerning  strip  film,  there  is  the  necessity  of  reducing  the  picture 
to  a  3-by-4-inch  ratio.    Paper  frames  of  standard  ratios  may  be  mime- 
ographed and  with  the  center  cut  out,  in  the  appropriate  ratio,  can  be 
used  to  mask  the  picture  for  filming. 
MR.  RICHARD  J.  GOGGIN:T 

Educational  TV  programs  are  most  effective  when  they  are  kept 
simple.  Mr.  Goggin  said  that  school  people  should  use  the  resources 
of  the  television  station,  but  should  depend  on  their  own  imagination  and 
ingenuity. 

He  said  there  is  a  great  potential  use  for  the  Zoomar  lens  camera 
in  educational  TV  stations,  because  with  this  one  camera  a  variety  of 
lenses  are  available.  When  thinking  of  film,  one  should  always  think 
of  film  on  television. 

In  Los  Angeles  County,  television  shows  have  been  produced  under 
various  educational  auspices.  The  University  of  California  did  a  par- 
ticularly fine  series  for  adults  on  NBC  called  "The  Halls  of  Science." 
This  featured  remote  pick-ups  from  science  halls  on  the  campus. 

Television  offers  a  great  variety  of  ways  to  visualize  material.  To 
select  and  use  them  effectively  is  an  essential  part  of  successful  production. 

THE  PRODUCTION  OF  FILMS  FOR 
EDUCATIONAL  TELEVISION 

JOHN  R.  WINNIE,1  Presiding 

SPECIAL  INTEREST  GROUP 
Reported  By  JOHN  MERCER2 

EDUCATORS  WHO  ARE  INTERESTED  in  television  also  are  interested 
in  films.  The  chief  reason  is  that  most  of  the  schools  do  not  have  TV 
cameras  or  kinescope  recorders,  and  may  not  have  them  for  some  time 

7  Chairman,  Radio  Division,  Department  of  Theater  Arts,  University  of  California, 
Los  Angeles,  Calif. 

1  Chairman,  Director  of  Film-Television,  University  of  Iowa,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

2  Production  Supervisor,  Audio-Visual   Instruction,  University  of  Nebraska,  Lincoln, 
Nebr. 


I5O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

because  of  the  prohibitive  cost.    Films  are  the  transcriptions  of  TV. 
They  can  be  copied  for  distribution  or  for  repeated  future  use  at  home. 

MR.  SEERLEY  REID:S 

What  is  television?  Is  it  a  new  method  of  making  films,  a  new  type 
of  communication  situation,  or  a  new  communications  device?  I  feel 
that  the  last  statement  applies  most  accurately  to  TV.  Actually,  TV  is 
the  long  range  projection  of  a  sound  motion  picture.  It  is  not,  in  itself,  a 
medium  of  communication,  but  a  device  for  transmitting  sound,  motion, 
and  picture. 

I  predicted  five  years  ago  that  from  75  to  90  per  cent  of  television 
eventually  will  be  on  film.  The  fact  that  the  image  can  be  put  on  film 
has  two  decided  advantages:  "dead"  spots  can  be  edited  out,  and  film 
showings  can  be  repeated  easily  at  a  later  time. 

On  the  other  hand,  TV  has  two  advantages.  The  first  is  immediacy, 
and  the  second  is  that  large  masses  of  people  can  be  reached  simulta- 
neously. If  these  advantages  are  accepted,  it  will  be  seen  that  TV  will 
be  of  greatest  effectiveness  where  the  conditions  creating  these  advan- 
tages are  fulfilled.  Good  examples  would  be  nationally  important  events, 
such  as  presidential  inaugurations  and  the  World  Series. 

Why  will  TV,  perhaps,  not  be  well  accepted  in  the  classroom? 
Chiefly  because  of  its  regimentation.  All  must  see  it  as  it  is  and  when 
it  is,  whether  it  fits  into  the  context  of  class  activities  or  not. 

Some  government  films  are  available  for  TV.  A  catalogue  can  be 
secured  from  the  U.S.  Office  of  Education.  These  films  are  mostly  ones 
which  have  been  made  up  especially  for  TV.  None  of  the  various 
government  agencies  have  special  funds  for  films.  Films  produced  must 
be  restricted  to  educational  purposes,  and  many  so  made  are  not  cleared 
for  TV. 

MR.  ROBERT  W.  WAGNER:* 

My  topic  is  "Improving  Films  for  Television." 

Two  types  of  motion  picture  films  are  used  in  television  today. 
These  are:  the  motion  picture  produced  specifically  for  transmission  by 
TV,  and  the  kinescope  recording,  or  film  record  of  a  live  TV  show, 
photographed  from  the  face  of  the  kinescope  tube. 

The  American  motion  picture  industry  has  developed  technical 
standards  and  skills  which  have  given  to  theatrical  films  image-quality, 
and,  in  some  cases,  artistic  merit,  that  have  become  the  trademark  of 
films  made  in  Hollywood.  Why  cannot  the  image  quality  of  such  films 
be  translated  to  television? 

8  Acting  Director,  Visual  Education  Division,  U.  S.  Office  of  Education,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C. 

*  Assistant  Professor,  Department  of  Photography,  Ohio  State  University,  Columbus. 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION 

In  any  system  of  creating  and  transmitting  pictures,  either  photo- 
graphically or  electronically,  many  factors  conspire  to  degrade  image 
quality  of  a  motion  picture  film.  Some  of  the  factors  involved  are:  the 
nature  of  lighting  on  the  photographed  scene,  the  performance  of  the 
camera  and  its  lenses,  the  steadiness  of  the  film  transport  mechanism, 
precision  of  focus,  exactness  of  exposure,  the  type  of  film  used,  the 
chemistry  of  film  processing,  the  performance  of  the  telecast  projector, 
the  transfer  characteristics  of  the  iconoscope  pick-up  tube,  and  the  skill  of 
the  engineer  in  shading,  filtering,  or  masking  the  transmitted  film  image. 

These  technical  considerations  are  mentioned  because  any  artistry 
a  film  might  have  is  lost  unless  the  producer  can  successfully  translate 
his  film  to  television  in  terms  of  clear,  sharply-defined  visual  images  of 
satisfactory  tonal  quality. 

The  first  requirement  for  improving  films  for  television,  then,  is 
that  professional  production  methods  and  equipment  be  used.  Good 
cameras,  lenses,  processing  methods,  and  the  like,  are  essential  in  both 
original  film  shows  shot  for  television,  and  for  kinescope  systems,  or 
methods  of  cathode-tube  photography. 

The  tremendous  demand  for  films  in  television  has  opened  the  door 
for  inexperience.  This,  of  course,  is  inevitable.  There  is  bound  to  be  a 
lot  of  motion  picture  camera  malpractice  on  the  part  of  amateurs  who 
have  had  to  pick  up  a  camera  and  shoot  film,  because  there  was  no  one 
else  to  do  it. 

We  need,  temporarily  at  least,  to  use  medium  shots  instead  of  long 
shots,  and  to  make  full  effective  use  of  the  close-up.  The  cameraman 
must  develop  the  art  of  creating  visual  imagery,  which  tells  a  cut-down 
version  of  a  feature  type  story  within  the  compressed  time  limits  of 
26  to  28  minutes. 

A  third  requirement  for  improving  films  for  television  is  the  fullest 
use  of  the  motion  picture  to  do  those  things  which  cannot  be  done  by  the 
television  camera  alone. 

Several  specialized  motion  picture  camera  techniques  suggest  them- 
selves at  once.  Animation  is  a  good  example.  While  commonly  an 
expensive  process,  there  are  many  simple  forms  of  animation  which  can 
be  done  at  low  cost.  High-speed  photography,  and  time  lapse  effects 
are  also  uniquely  motion  picture  techniques.  While  these  have  limited 
use,  to  be  sure,  the  potentialities  of  such  film  camera  possibilities  should 
not  be  overlooked  by  the  television  producer,  and  especially  by  those  who 
have  to  produce  educational  shows. 

In  the  production  of  documentary  film,  the  motion  picture  has  been, 
and  will  continue  to  be  a  most  useful  tool.  The  television  camera  is 
chained  to  a  coaxial  cable  or  to  a  remote  pick-up  van.  The  film  camera 


152  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

can  range  the  world  largely  uninhibited  by  the  expense,  the  technical 
difficulties,  and  the  transmission  problems  raised  by  a  remote  television 
pick-up.  Edward  R.  Murrow's  "See  It  Now"  is  a  good  example  of  the 
use  of  film  for  this  purpose. 

From  the  standpoint  of  program  quality,  there  seems  to  be  little 
reason  to  doubt  that  films  made  specifically  for  television  will  be  able, 
eventually,  to  approach  more  closely  the  quality  of  live  television,  and  to 
capture  the  spontaneity  and  intimacy  which  are  so  dear  to  TV  producers 
today. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  element  of  immediacy,  of  seeing 
events  as  they  happen,  is  a  technical  miracle  that  sets  television  distinctly 
apart  from  other  media  of  communication.  Even  here,  however,  inter- 
mediate film  systems  are  being  used,  such  as  theater  television,  and 
these  are  capable  of  translating  the  incoming  electronic  signals  onto 
motion  picture  film  which  is  processed  and  projected  in  a  matter  of 
seconds  after  it  is  received. 

This  leads  to  a  fourth  requirement  for  the  improvement  of  films  for 
television,  and  to  a  very  sketchy  consideration  of  cathode  tube  photogra- 
phy, or  kinescope  recording. 

The  improvement  of  films  for  television  will  eventually  depend  upon 
the  wedding  of  film  and  video  techniques.  The  two  media  have  much 
in  common  already.  The  impact  of  television  on  film  production  has 
been  a  healthy  one,  causing  film  makers  to  re-examine  their  techniques, 
stimulating  their  imagination,  and  opening  up  exciting  new  possibilities 
for  motion  picture  making. 

Insofar  as  motion  pictures  are  adapted  to  the  system  of  electronic 
transmission,  they  will  continue  to  improve.  Insofar  as  motion  picture 
makers  go  their  own  separate  way,  content  with  their  own  screen 
standards,  ignorant  of  the  detailed  requirements  of  television  transmis- 
sion, films  will  compare  unfavorably  with  live  shows.  Since  motion 
pictures  will  continue  to  play  a  key  role  in  television  programming,  more 
and  more  attention  must  be  given  to  the  ways  in  which  the  two  media 
can  be  united  with  technical  perfection  and  artistic  purpose. 

Kinescope  quality  leaves  much  to  be  desired,  in  some  cases.  Images 
are  photographed  from  the  face  of  the  cathode-tube,  the  negative  is 
developed  at  high  temperature  in  saturated  developing  solutions,  and  a 
print  is  made  ready  for  projection  within  a  matter  of  minutes.  Films 
produced  from  kinescope  encounter  serious  quality  losses.  Yet,  the 
Arthur  Ranke  organization,  for  example,  uses  the  kinescope  system, 
employing  six  or  more  television  cameras  on  a  closed  circuit,  using  a 
definition  of  675  lines  for  purposes  of  film  recording.  This  produces 


TELEVISION    IN    EDUCATION  153 

a  film  suitable  for  large  screen  theater  television,  and  quality  which 
experts  agree  compares  favorably  with  original  i6-mm.  reversal  film. 

The  combination  of  film  and  television  techniques  to  produce  kine- 
scope recordings  could  simplify  the  production  of  films  for  television. 
As  yet,  the  direct  production  of  broadcast-quality  film  material  is  our 
main  concern.  Motion  pictures  solve  the  problems  of  intercontinental 
and  international  telecasting,  overcome  time  differences  in  programming, 
reach  places  where  no  network  facilities  are  available,  permit  repeat 
performances,  and  give  television  a  memory. 

Some  day,  perhaps,  in  the  not  too  distant  future,  we  may  have  a 
satisfactory  system  for  capturing  both  picture  and  sound  signals  mag- 
netically. When  that  happens,  many  of  the  problems  mentioned  here 
will  no  longer  be  of  concern.  For  the  present,  however,  films  for  use 
in  television  may  be  improved  by  the  recognition  of  the  technical  sieve 
through  which  the  film  image  must  pass  to  reach  the  viewer,  by  film 
cameramen  with  television  know-how ;  by  making  the  fullest  use  of  those 
techniques  which  are  peculiar  to  the  motion  picture  camera,  and  by  a 
merger  of  the  twin  arts  and  sister  sciences  of  motion  pictures  and  tele- 
vision. 

MR.  EDWARD  P.  WEGENER:S 

The  Visual  Production  unit  at  Iowa  State  University  has  two 
Auricon  Cameras,  two  or  three  Cine  Kodak  specials,  and  two  Bell  and 
Howell  cameras.  The  unit  has  made  many  films — but  today  the  station 
is  doing  more  live  programming.  The  single  system  is  much  faster  than 
the  double  system,  and  when  deadlines  are  only  a  matter  of  hours  away, 
single  system  is  the  only  answer.  Also,  single  system  is  much  cheaper. 

On  the  other  hand,  editing  is  difficult  and  power  is  needed  to  run  the 
Auricon.  This  is  a  disadvantage  on  location.  The  Auricon,  furthermore, 
is  not  as  silent  as  it  might  be. 

It  takes  far  more  time  to  film  a  show  than  to  do  it  live.  Some  people 
are  unwilling  to  put  in  the  time  necessary  for  film  productions.  The 
detail  and  time  involved  in  reloading,  lighting,  placing  the  mike,  etc., 
make  the  work  seem  slow  to  the  actors.  It  is  easier  to  get  people  for  live 
TV  shows. 

Using  the  single  system,  WOI-TV  shot  as  high  as  five  hours  to  get 
four  minutes  of  film  for  a  show  on  riboflavin. 
MR.  JULIEN  BRYAN:6 

I  wish  to  speak  rather  frankly.  While  I  admire  the  work  of  the 
TV  educators,  I  have  a  couple  of  criticisms. 

6  Production  Manager,  Station  WOI-TV,  University  of  Iowa,  Ames,  Iowa. 
8  Executive  Director,  International  Film  Foundation,  Inc.,  New  York  City. 


154  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

One  danger  is  that  we  seem  to  feel  we  have  no  time  to  waste  in  our 
productions.  But  our  TV  is  dangerously  mediocre.  Educators  should  be 
offering  quality  films  now  missing  from  TV.  The  challenge  to  the 
schools  is  to  do  something  unique.  My  organization  has  just  released 
a  new  film,  "Oxford."  It  has  merit  in  that  it  is  not  a  commercial  film. 
We  had  the  opportunity  to  do  something  unique.  If  we,  as  educators, 
don't  do  the  unique,  we  will  fail. 

I  am  going  on  to  Cincinnati  to  speak  and  will  be  paid  a  large  fee. 
I  will  present  a  serious  discussion  about  Yugoslavia.  Why  do  people  want 
to  hear  me?  Why  are  they  willing  to  pay  a  large  fee?  It  is  the  im- 
mediacy of  the  thing,  the  opportunity  to  listen  to  an  observer  who  has 
been  on  the  scene. 

The  real  challenge  to  educators  is  to  go  on  the  air  infrequently,  but 
with  quality,  rather  than  junk.  Much  of  the  material  now  on  TV  is 
mediocre  or  stupid. 

I  pay  my  men  high  fees  for  their  work  because  quality  counts.  We 
need  imagination,  idealism  and  integrity  in  our  work. 


EDUCATION  ON  COMMERCIAL  STATIONS 


PUBLIC  SERVICE  PROGRAMMING 


EDUCATION  THROUGH  COMMERCIAL 
BROADCASTING  STATIONS 

GORDON   HAWKINS,1  Presiding 


SPECIAL  INTEREST  GROUP 

DEFINITION  OF  THE  SUBJECT 

DOROTHY  M.  LEWIS2 
I  CONSIDER  THIS  MEETING  VERY  IMPORTANT,  and  I  have  an 

active  interest  in  this  subject.  We  have  heard  so  much  about 
education  through  FM  and  TV  educational  channels  at  this 
Institute  that,  perhaps,  we've  neglected  the  part  that  commer- 
cial stations  have  taken  in  educational  broadcasting. 

I  remember  well  a  few  years  ago  a  group  of  educators  in 
various  cities  admitted  they  lost  their  licenses  because  they  did 
not  want  to  bother  with  the  responsibilities  connected  with 
broadcasting.  So  the  commercial  stations  took  over,  not  giving 
public  service  after  1 1  o'clock  at  night  but  through  good  hours 
of  the  day.  I  remember  two  series  which  won  Peabody  Awards : 
"Children  Analyze  the  News,"  a  sponsored  program  on  WLAC, 
Nashville ;  and  "We  March  With  Faith,"  on  KOWH,  Omaha, 
both  commercial  stations. 

I  recall  the  fine  continuing  service  the  Westinghouse  sta- 
tions have  performed,  particularly  in  Philadelphia  and  Pitts- 
burgh. One  cannot  speak  of  commercial  station  operation  with- 
out recognizing  their  determined  efforts  to  promote  and  benefit 
education.  Many  commercial  broadcasters  also  give  full  co- 
operation to  educators  through  "Schools  of  the  Air"  across  the 

1  Program   and  Educational   Director,  Westinghouse   Radio   Stations,   Inc.,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C. 

2  Coordinator,  U.  S.  Station  Relations,  United  Nations,  New  York  City. 

157 


158  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

country.  They  have  given  time  for  youth  programs  produced 
in  cooperation  with  the  schools.  It  is  amazing  to  see  the  variety 
of  services  they  have  given  to  education. 

I  have  been  a  little  worried  lest  we  fail  to  emphasize  the 
cooperation  that  should  exist  between  the  new  commercial  TV 
stations  and  the  educators.  The  suggestion  has  been  made  that 
in  areas  where  there  may  be  doubt  that  education  can  support  a 
TV  station  alone,  it  might  be  a  good  idea  for  the  educators  to 
buy  time  on  commercial  stations  and  carry  out  their  program- 
ming. In  some  cases,  it  should  be  more  efficient  than  trying  to 
set  up  elaborate  equipment  of  their  own.  I  do  not  think  the  242 
educational  channels,  as  proposed,  are  an  unrealistic  proposition, 
but  I  think  they  might  prove  to  be  a  heavy  burden.  I  am  again 
recalling  the  early  experience  of  educational  broadcasting. 

For  example,  the  U.N.  is  working  with  commercial  stations 
in  all  forty-eight  states  by  putting  out  a  handbook  for  teachers. 
This  will  tell  them  how  to  use  the  U.N.  programs  in  the  class- 
room, thereby  supplementing  the  work  of  the  commercial 
broadcasters. 

Through  the  years,  commercial  broadcasting  has  had  a  fine 
sense  of  its  responsibility.  I  am  now  preparing  a  book  for  the 
Peabody  Committee  citing  what  has  been  done  by  broadcasters 
in  the  last  ten  years  which  merits  our  attention.  This  will  cover 
hundreds  of  stations  in  hundreds  of  cities.  Our  long  experience 
has  proved  again  and  again  that  the  commercial  broadcasters 
stand  ready  to  do  their  job.  Their  place  in  the  field  of  educa- 
tion has  been  outstanding  throughout  the  years  and  throughout 
the  country. 


ON  THE  NATIONAL  LEVEL 

FRANKLIN  DUNHAM3 

THE  AMERICAN  SYSTEM  OF  BROADCASTING,  since  1945,  has 
consisted  of  two  major  elements — commercially-operated  sta- 
tions rendering  a  service  of  entertainment,  information  and 
general  education  to  the  public,  and  non-commercial  stations 
concerned  principally  with  education  to  the  classroom,  to  the 
home  and  to  the  community,  in  the  form  of  adult  education. 
It  is  true  that  we  have  had  both  types  of  stations  since  broad- 

8  Chief  of  Radio-Television,  U.  S.  Office  of  Education,  Washington,  D.  C. 


PUBLIC    SERVICE    PROGRAMMING  1 59 

casting  began,  nearly  thirty  years  ago,  but  the  action  of  the  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission,  in  1945,  definitely  setting 
aside  the  88-92  megacycle  band  for  the  exclusive  use  of  educa- 
tion's own  stations,  clinched  forever  the  pattern  of  American 
broadcasting.  This  is  our  "middle  way."  Obviously,  we  did  not 
want  government-owned  radio  in  the  United  States.  Other 
countries  either  have  that  form  exclusively  or  some,  like  Can- 
ada, Australia  and  France,  and  many  countries  in  South  Amer- 
ica, as  well,  have  both  systems,  operating  competitively — pri- 
vate operation  vs.  government. 

The  result  of  this  type  of  operation  puts  the  burden  of 
educational  broadcasting  on  the  state-operated  stations,  and 
allows  the  privately  owned  stations  to  meet  levels  of  taste  in 
their  respective  countries  which  produce  maximum  audiences, 
and  likewise,  maximum  profits. 

We  just  don't  do  it  that  way.  Our  network  and  independ- 
ently operated  commercial  stations  glory  in  their  opportunity  to 
serve  the  public  with  instantaneous  news  flashes,  excellent  com- 
mentators, top  sports  coverage,  and  programs  of  general  educa- 
tional merit  and  high  public  acceptance.  It  is  true  that  the 
admonition  "to  serve  the  public  interest,  convenience  and  neces- 
sity" is  a  part  of  their  legal  obligation  to  retain  their  licenses, 
but  it  also  has  proved  to  be  "good  radio  business" — as  any 
recognized  service-of-value  is  in  any  business. 

"Public  interest,  convenience  and  necessity,"  is  a  broad  term 
which  has  never  been  adequately  defined  except,  perhaps,  nega- 
tively. It  is  perfectly  evident  to  anyone  glancing  over  a  pro- 
gram schedule  of  a  commercial  station  as  to  whether  it  exists  or 
not.  Educational  programs  have  been  defined  by  the  FCC  as 
those  programs  that  are  either  put  on  by  an  educational  insti- 
tution, or  are  presented  in  cooperation  with  such  an  institution. 

Obviously  this  definition  rules  out  of  consideration  thou- 
sands of  valuable  educational  programs  which  are  put  on 
directly  by  either  networks  or  stations  themselves.  A  long  con- 
troversy seethed  through  the  years  in  this  Institute  on  the 
question  of  what  was  an  educational  program.  Dr.  Keith  Tyler 
and  I  reached  an  agreement  many  years  ago,  quite  satisfactory 
to  both  of  us,  when  we  declared  that  an  educational  program 
was  one  that  was  put  on  for  the  purpose  of  education,  regardless 
of  whether  it  succeeded  in  that  purpose  or  not.  We  accepted 
"purpose,"  therefore,  as  intent  of  a  program  planned  to  increase 


l6o  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

the  store  of  knowledge,  train  skills,  widen  the  horizon  of  think- 
ing in  demonstrable  science  or  art,  or  literature,  set  up  problems 
that  could  be  solved  by  the  application  of  our  thinking,  and 
otherwise  add  to  those  processes  which  bring  about  self  devel- 
opment, and  therefore  make  contributions  to  group,  to  com- 
munity, to  national  and  international  life.  To  us  such  a  pro- 
gram became  educational.  We  did  not  limit  the  sources  from 
which  such  a  program  might  spring. 

In  order  to  avoid  judging  the  claims  to  be  made  by  stations 
for  programs  which  they  carry  and  consider  to  be  educational 
the  FCC  deliberately  and  arbitrarily  has  judged  the  program 
on  the  strict  criteria  of  its  source. 

Anyone  who  approaches  this  question  with  honesty  and  fair- 
ness must  admit  that  the  greatest  educational  contribution  which 
radio  has  made,  and  now  which  television  is  making,  consists  of 
programs  in  that  wide  area  which  has  been,  heretofore,  called 
"public  service."  The  FREC  gets  out  every  so  often  a  listing 
of  valuable  educational  network  radio  programs.  Mrs.  Brod- 
erick  has  set  up  criteria  in  the  choice  of  these  programs.  They 
are: 

1.  Educational  significance. 

2.  Program  quality. 

3.  Instructional  adaptability. 

I  have  such  a  list  here.  It  consists  of  seventy-eight  pro- 
grams presented  each  week  by  our  radio  networks  which  she 
considers  valuable  for  instructional  purposes.  If  we  move  this 
thinking  into  television,  which  we  are  about  to  do  in  the  FREC, 
I  have  no  doubt  that  we  will  probably  be  able  to  present  an 
equal  number  of  television  programs  that  have  educational 
significance. 

It  would  be  impossible  for  any  of  us  to  properly  list  all  the 
educational  programs  which  are  presented  to  the  American 
public  over  commercial  stations  in  any  one  week.  You  can 
easily  see  the  problem  of  the  FCC  in  this  regard,  therefore  the 
limitation  on  criteria. 

One  of  the  greatest  problems  in  television  is  going  to  be  the 
subject  area  to  be  covered  by  an  educational  television  station, 
and  the  area  which  will  be  considered  the  obligation  of  the  com- 
mercial station.  As  I  see  it,  this  is  not  a  question  of  black  or 
white.  Obviously,  an  educational  television  station  should  be 
concerned  with  programs  of  an  instructional  nature.  It  should 


PUBLIC    SERVICE    PROGRAMMING  l6l 

supply  programs  that  illustrate  lessons  in  elementary,  sec- 
ondary and  college  and  university  level  education.  It  also 
should  supply  a  great  many  programs  such  as  fine  music, 
drama,  instantaneous  news,  coverage  of  sports  and  types  of  dis- 
cussion programs  which  fall  into  the  area  of  the  commercial 
station  that  is  honestly  trying  to  do  a  good  job  under  its  obli- 
gation of  public  service.  That  is  what  I  call  the  "gray"  area, 
in  which  both  types  of  stations  participate.  Certainly,  its  major 
job  should  not  be  entertainment,  though  it  will  be  far  more 
popular  and  far  more  interesting  if  the  by-product  of  enter- 
tainment is  frequently  attained. 

I  have  given  you  a  listing  of  educational  programs  found  on 
commercial  radio  stations.  Perhaps,  by  fall,  we  shall  be  in  a 
position  to  give  you  a  listing  of  selected  educational  programs 
carried  by  commercial  television  stations.  At  any  rate,  it  would 
only  be  fair  to  point  out  some  outstanding  programs  of  that 
nature  which  already  have  been  mentioned  here  at  this  Institute. 

I  can  give  you  only  a  few  high  spots  of  TV  programs  pre- 
sented by  commercial  stations.  We  have  had  an  excellent  pro- 
gram over  WBZ  for  the  last  two  years  in  Boston  from  the 
Museum  of  Science  titled,  "The  Living  Wonders,"  by  Norman 
Harris  and  his  wife.  This  explores  the  whole  field  of  living 
things  as  well  as  many  inanimate  objects,  and  appeals  to  the 
natural  curiosity  of  the  ordinary  viewer  and  listener  in  the 
manner  in  which  all  our  science  programs  do. 

In  New  York,  I  suppose  two  programs  of  the  greatest  sig- 
nificance are  Ed  Murrow's  show  on  Sunday  afternoon  over 
CBS,  and  the  series,  "Operation  Blackboard."  This  series  has 
been  planned  by  Ed  Stasheff,  who  is  now  television  director  for 
the  New  York  City  schools,  and  moves  on  this  year  to  be  asso- 
ciate professor  at  the  University  of  Michigan  to  develop  tele- 
vision programs  there  with  Garnet  Garrison. 

Another  program  series  in  New  York,  which  now  is  ex- 
tended to  many  other  cities,  and  is  done  in  cooperation  with 
Time  magazine,  is  the  series  called  "Inside  Our  Schools."  This 
consists  of  many  programs  directed  to  the  public  to  explain 
what  is  happening  in  our  schools  and  features  four  or  five 
pick-ups  by  mobile  transmitter  from  the  classrooms  direct.  Ed 
Murrow,  of  course,  is  CBS,  "Operation  Blackboard"  is  on 
WPIX,  the  Daily  News  station,  and  "Inside  Our  Schools"  is 
an  NBC  presentation. 


1 62  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

In  Philadelphia,  at  least  sixteen  television  programs  are 
being  presented  during  a  single  week  over  their  three  commer- 
cial TV  stations  in  cooperation  with  the  Board  of  Education. 
In  Baltimore,  all  three  stations,  WMAR,  WBAL,  and  WAAM 
are  carrying  on  educational  programs.  It  is  the  home  of  the 
famous  "Johns  Hopkins  Science  Review,"  done  by  that  univer- 
sity in  cooperation  with  the  DuMont  network  every  Monday 
evening  at  8:30  o'clock.  So  far  as  I  know,  this  is  where  the  idea 
of  going  inside  the  schools  originated.  I  understand  that  this 
type  of  program  was  considered  mainly  responsible  for  the 
passing  of  a  school  bond  issue,  because  it  told  parents  about  the 
results  achieved  in  their  schools  and,  likewise,  presented  the 
needs  of  the  schools  to  the  public. 

In  Washington,  Georgetown  University,  Catholic  Univer- 
sity, George  Washington  University,  American  University,  and 
Howard  University,  as  well  as  the  public  schools  are  utilizing 
commercial  TV  stations  for  their  programs.  The  single  tele- 
vision station  in  Pittsburgh,  although  crowded  with  the  offer- 
ings of  four  networks,  has  had  time  to  develop  educational 
programs  with  the  University  of  Pittsburgh,  Carnegie  Tech, 
and  Duquesne  University. 

Television  shows  are  being  developed  at  the  University  of 
North  Carolina,  at  Chapel  Hill,  and  released  over  commercial 
TV  stations  at  Charlotte  and  Greensboro.  Atlanta,  Georgia, 
and  New  Orleans  have  already  begun  experimental  series  on 
programs  with  their  local  universities  and  in  the  case  of  Atlanta 
with  its  school  system  as  well. 

The  University  of  Miami,  in  Florida,  has  produced  some 
series  of  fine  educational  programs.  Stations  in  Houston,  Dal- 
las, San  Antonio,  and  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  carry  many  programs 
that  originate  at  Radio  House,  on  the  campus  of  the  University 
of  Texas. 

Both  Oklahoma  City  and  Tulsa  are  cooperating  with  their 
universities  in  experimental  television  shows.  In  Los  Angeles, 
three  institutions,  the  University  of  Southern  California,  the 
University  of  California,  Los  Angeles,  and  Loyola  University 
all  produce  television  shows  over  the  seven  commercial  stations 
of  that  city.  The  Los  Angeles  public  school  system  and  the  Los 
Angeles  County  school  system  utilize  these  facilities  at  present 
for  many  programs  which  they  produce  during  the  year.  .In 
San  Francisco,  all  three  commercial  stations,  KGO,  KPIX,  and 


PUBLIC    SERVICE    PROGRAMMING  163 

KRON,  voluntarily  provide  time  for  the  educational  institu- 
tions of  that  city  including  the  public  schools  and  universities. 

Station  KING-TV,  at  Seattle,  which  has  been  an  outpost 
until  the  coaxial  cable  reached  it  this  past  month,  has  carried  on 
a  most  exciting  experiment  in  children's  programs,  directed  by 
Gloria  Chandler,  and  titled,  "Telaventures  for  Children." 
These  programs  dramatized  the  best  children's  books.  Both 
KDYL  and  KSL-TV,  at  Salt  Lake  City,  have  done  programs 
in  cooperation  with  the  University  of  Utah  and  other  institu- 
tions in  their  area.  Omaha,  Nebraska,  with  WOW-TV,  in  close 
cooperation  with  Creighton  University,  has  been  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  educational  television. 

The  Ford  Foundation  sponsored  the  series,  "The  Whole 
Town's  Talking,"  now  in  its  sixteenth  week,  and  originally 
directed  by  Robert  Louis  Shayon.  This  has  presented  actual 
town  meeting  discussions  of  problems  affecting  the  people 
themselves  in  their  local  communities,  and  has  been  done  with 
the  characteristic  highlights  only  to  be  found  in  unrehearsed 
discussion. 

In  Milwaukee  and  Chicago,  educational  programs  have 
been  successfully  developed  despite  the  fact  that  demands  on 
the  time  of  the  stations  in  these  cities  have  been  overpoweringly 
great.  The  "Chicago  School"  of  television  which,  actually,  is 
a  school  of  thought  in  the  presentation  of  programs,  has  been 
spearheaded  by  Jules  Herbevaux  of  NBC.  Notable  drama  and 
personalities,  such  as  Dave  Garroway,  have  sprung  from  this 
school  with  the  idea  of  meeting  the  public  where  they  are  with 
TV  programs  of  interesting  informational  content. 

St.  Louis  has  produced  many  programs  with  the  public 
school  system  over  KSD.  Cincinnati  has  been  experimenting 
with  educational  shows  over  WCPO,  WKRC,  and  WLW.  In 
Cleveland,  WEWS,  along  with  the  Western  Reserve  Univer- 
sity, is  producing  four  regular  college  courses  for  credit  on  the 
air  this  year.  Detroit,  particularly  at  WWJ,  but  at  WJBK  and 
WXYZ  as  well,  has  carried  on  successful  television  courses  with 
Wayne  University,  the  University  of  Detroit,  the  University 
of  Michigan,  and  the  Detroit  public  schools.  WBEN,  at  Buf- 
falo, has  experimented  with  educational  programs.  One  of 
the  oldest  stations  in  radio  and  a  pioneer  in  television  has 
been  WHAM  at  Rochester,  owned  by  the  Stromberg  Carlson 
Company. 


164  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

In  Syracuse,  WSYR  operates  both  a  downtown  and  a  com- 
pus  studio  at  Syracuse  University,  which  was  an  outright  gift  to 
the  university  in  order  to  help  to  produce  programs  for  the 
station. 

Outstanding  among  the  network  programs  during  the  past 
year  have  been  the  original  opera,  "Amahl  and  the  Night  Vis- 
itors," commissioned  by  the  NBC  and  presented  on  Christmas 
Eve,  and  repeated  on  Easter  Sunday  j  the  appearance  of  Charles 
Laughton  in  his  inimitable  readings  from  the  Bible  and  from 
such  literary  works  as  Thomas  Wolfe's,  "Of  Time  and  the 
River."  DuMont  presented  Bishop  Fulton  J.  Sheen  as  a  great 
teacher  in,  "Life  Is  Worth  Living,"  and  "Keep  Posted,"  a  new 
type  of  discussion  program  in  which  opposite  points  of  view  are 
presented  by  single  individuals.  ABC  presented  a  television 
version  of  America's  "Town  Meeting  of  the  Air"  and  the  Met- 
ropolitan Opera,  while  CBS  pioneered  in  a  new  form  of  news 
presentation  with  "See  It  Now"  with  Ed  Murrow,  the  New 
York  Philharmonic  orchestra,  and  a  remarkable  children's  pro- 
gram based  on  authentic  stories  from  American  literature,  "Mr. 
I.  Magination." 

I  could  go  on  almost  indefinitely  in  describing  the  programs 
of  wide  general  educational  value  which  have  been  put  on  by 
the  commercial  television  networks,  either  with  the  cooperation 
of  educational  institutions  or  entirely  on  their  own.  No  country 
in  the  world  possesses  such  a  wealth  of  television  fare  as  the 
United  States.  The  question  always  arose  in  radio  as  to  whether 
programs  of  high  cultural  value  and  merit  could,  by  virtue  of 
a  small  audience,  attract  sponsors.  The  conviction  is  held  by 
some  that  in  this,  television  is  not  following  the  example  of 
radio. 

The  imaginative  resources  of  the  human  mind  are  so  great 
that  the  best  can  now  be  made  palatable  through  the  ingenuity 
of  clever  presentation  and  to  ever  increasing  and  widening  audi- 
ences. It  is  no  longer  necessary  to  justify  expenditures  for 
prestige  value  alone,  nor  to  stress  the  institutional  value  of  such 
advertising.  What  we  are  seeing  before  our  eyes  is  a  revolution 
taking  place  in  the  minds  of  the  television  audience,  wherein 
the  extraordinary  appeal  and  sense  of  immediacy  which  the 
medium  possesses  is  captivating  our  people  by  the  millions. 

This  factor  alone  should  spur  educators  to  take  advantage 
of  this  remarkable  new  avenue  to  the  human  mind.  Those  who 


PUBLIC    SERVICE    PROGRAMMING  1 65 

will  venture  to  own  and  operate  their  own  stations,  I  am  con- 
vinced will  find  ready  cooperation  from  people  who  have  pio- 
neered in  commercial  television,  and  soon  types  of  programs 
which  are  better  fitted  to  university  and  school  production  will 
find  themselves  the  responsibility  of  education's  own  stations. 
This  will  have  the  effect,  not  of  diminishing  the  contributions  of 
network  and  local  commercial  television  stations  but,  rather,  it 
will  establish  a  feeling  on  the  part  of  both  education  and  com- 
mercial television  that  they  are  in  this  business  together,  going 
forward  hand  in  hand  for  the  benefit  of  the  people  of  our 
beloved  country — and  of  the  world. 

ON  THE  UNIVERSITY  LEVEL 

FREDERICK  C.  GRUBER4 

IN  MY  OPINION,  COMMERCIAL  STATIONS  and  colleges  and 
universities  should  combine  their  resources  to  broadcast  in  the 
public  interest.  Both  have  great  assets  to  place  at  the  disposal 
of  education.  These  assets  tend  to  complement  each  other.  The 
universities  are  the  great  repositories  of  the  world's  cultural 
heritage,  their  laboratories  project  the  world  of  men  and  things 
into  the  future,  their  classrooms  and  clinics  apply  what  has  been 
thought  and  discovered  to  life  situations.  The  university  is  a 
place  where  the  past  and  the  future  meet  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  great  minds.  The  radio-TV  stations  control  Amer- 
ica's newest  and  possibly  greatest  means  of  mass  communication. 
They  have  assets  in  finances  and  organization,  and  they  have 
developed  considerable  know-how  in  broadcasting. 

There  are  some  fundamental  differences  on  the  fringes  of 
things,  but  there  is  a  great  area  of  overlapping  and  inter-rela- 
tionships in  which  there  are  common  materials  and  interests. 
The  prestige  and  resources  of  the  university  are  valuable  to 
"the  industry  j"  the  wealth,  organization,  and  know-how  of  the 
radio-TV  stations  are  valuable  to  the  college.  We  have  taken 
pot-shots  at  each  other  long  enough.  The  time  has  come  for 
critical  appraisal  and  evaluation,  and  for  the  formulation  of  a 
common  basis  for  operation.  Obviously,  this  cannot  be  done  in 
the  few  minutes  alloted  to  me  here,  but  we  can  at  least  point 
the  way. 

4  Professor  of  Education,  University  of  Pennsylvania,  Philadelphia. 


1 66  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

In  regard  to  the  areas  in  which  universities  and  commercial 
stations  cannot  agree,  it  seems  to  me  that  we  must  agree  to 
disagree  like  gentlemen,  and  go  on  from  there.  For  example,  I 
cannot  see  an  immediate  reconciliation  between  the  entertain- 
ment aim  of  "the  industry,"  and  the  pure  research  activity  of 
the  university.  Because  its  medium  is  fleeting,  radio  and  TV 
are  interested  in  surface  opinion.  Because  university  tradition  is 
built  upon  thousands  of  years  of  thought,  the  scholar  is  con- 
cerned with  reflective  thinking  and  deliberate  judgment.  To 
catch  and  hold  audiences,  the  radio  and  TV  stations  are  inter- 
ested in  the  sensational  and  the  dramatic.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  university,  because  of  its  avowed  purpose,  is  interested  in 
performance,  in  logical  development,  and  in  well-tested  truths. 

Then  there  are  points  upon  which  the  university  and  the 
commercial  station  can  agree  completely.  Both  have  a  sense  of 
community  responsibility.  Both  would  agree  that  the  subject 
matter  presented  should  be  timely  and  of  considerable  concern 
or  interest  to  the  listener  or  viewer.  Both  would  want  the  pre- 
sentation to  be  as  vital  and  as  interesting  as  possible.  It  is  from 
these  points  of  agreement  that  relationships  between  the  two 
groups  can  be  built. 

Finally,  there  are  misunderstandings  which  can  be  resolved. 
Among  these  are :  choice  of  topic,  script,  actors,  method  of  pre- 
sentation, purpose,  and  type  of  audience. 

When  a  college  or  university  and  a  commercial  radio  or  TV 
station  agree  to  put  on  a  series  of  broadcasts,  they  must  first 
come  to  some  fundamental  understandings.  These  must  be 
made  on  the  highest  level.  The  first  matter  to  be  decided  is: 
"What  do  the  university  and  station  want  to  tell?"  What  is 
their  message?  What  is  the  purpose  of  the  series?  Having 
decided  this  very  important  point,  those  responsible  for  the 
series  must  further  inquire:  "To  whom  do  we  want  to  tell  it?" 
What  audience  do  we  want  to  reach? 

Radio  and  TV  audiences  can  be  divided  roughly  into  three 
groups: — the  soap  and  horse  opera  type,  the  Lowell  Thomas 
type,  and  the  "Invitation  to  Learning"  type.  For  obvious  rea- 
sons, only  the  rare  program  will  appeal  equally  to  all  'types. 
The  last  two  types,  omitting  for  the  time  being  the  soap  and 
horse  opera  type,  constitute  a  considerable  segment  of  the  pop- 
ulation, and  make  up  the  men  and  women  who  can  probably 
profit  most  from  the  kind  of  program  a  university  would  want 
to  present. 


PUBLIC    SERVICE    PROGRAMMING  l6j 

Having  decided  upon  these  two  points — and  there  should 
be  absolute  agreement  upon  them — it  should  be  comparatively 
easy  to  discover  the  characteristics  of  this  audience,  to  select  sub- 
jects, and  to  plan  methods  of  presentation  which  will  be  effect- 
ive with  them.  This  agreement  should  be  effected  before  an- 
other step  is  taken.  If  there  are  to  be  any  fireworks,  here  is 
the  place  and  time  to  set  them  off. 

In  order  to  arrive  at  such  a  decision,  and  in  order  to  have  a 
group  which  would  be  perpetually  vigilant  to  see  that  the  pur- 
poses were  carried  out  and  the  quality  of  the  broadcasts  main- 
tained, it  would  be  well  to  establish  a  small  executive  committee, 
whose  chairman  would  be  the  highest  educational  officer  of  the 
university.  Other  members  of  the  committee  would  be  the 
manager  of  the  radio-TV  station,  the  director  of  public  relations 
for  the  university,  a  representative  of  the  station  who  is  in 
charge  of  the  production  of  the  series,  and  a  representative  of 
the  university  who  serves  as  a  liaison  officer  with  the  faculty. 

Other  matters  with  which  the  executive  committee  would 
concern  itself  are: 

1.  To  choose  a  name  for  the  series  and  if  there  are  several 
spots  available,  to  choose  day  and  time  for  the  broadcasts. 

2.  To  choose  material  for  the  broadcasts.   In  my  opinion,  it 
is  a  mistake  to  call  for  volunteers.  After  a  thorough  survey  and 
appraisal  of  the  university's  resources,  the  committee  should 
decide  on  the  material  which  helps  to  carry  out  the  purpose  of 
the  series  and  then  go  and  get  it. 

3.  To  lay  out  a  tentative  schedule  for  the  entire  series, 
including  the  exact  area  in  each  field  of  discipline,  and  the  per- 
sonnel who  will  make  the  most  effective  presentation.    Only 
programs  which  have  received  100  per  cent  approval  of  the 
executive  committee  should  be  allowed  to  remain  on  the  sched- 
ule.  Long-range  planning,  as  here  suggested,  will  allow  time 
to  develop  each  program  for  maximum  effectiveness. 

After  the  tentative  program  for  the  series  has  been  agreed 
upon,  the  executive  committee  should  delegate  authority  to  the 
station  representative  in  charge  of  production,  and  to  the  uni- 
versity representative  who  works  with  the  faculty,  to  work 
through  the  various  departments  of  the  university  and  the 
station  in  the  preparation  and  production  of  each  broadcast. 
Before  a  script  is  put  into  production,  it  would  be  well  for  it  to 
be  approved  by  the  department  head  of  the  field  it  will  present. 


1 68  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

The  station  representative  must  be  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
his  medium — not  a  novice — and  must  be  sympathetic  to  the 
idea  of  the  program.  The  university  representative  must  accept 
the  purposes  of  the  program  as  his  own,  must  understand  the 
traditions  of  the  university,  must  be  able  to  appraise  objectively 
the  strengths  and  limitations  of  the  faculty  members,  and  must 
have  a  good  acquaintance  with  broadcasting  technique  and  ter- 
minology. Putting  on  the  show  will  take  much  time  and  tact. 

There  remains  one  other  function  for  the  executive  com- 
mittee, and  that  is  the  continuing  appraisal  of  the  programs.  I 
would  suggest  a  short  weekly  meeting  for  this  purpose. 

In  this  connection,  the  following  guides  might  be  helpful: 

1 .  The  program  must  be  a  true  presentation  of  the  purposes 
or  activities  of  the  college  or  university.   Here  there  can  be  no 
compromise.  Educational  material  must  not  be  exploited  or  mis- 
represented in  order  to  make  it  palatable  to  a  certain  audience. 

2.  The  script  should  be  developed  by  the   person  who 
knows  the  field.  Some  stations  worship  the  "professional"  script 
writer,  who  may  be  described  as  some  bright  undergraduate 
who  has  taken  a  course  in  journalism  or  radio-TV  script  writ- 
ing, or  who  works  for  an  advertising  agency,  and  who  there- 
fore knows  all  the  angles.    After  a  half  hour's  discussion  and 
possibly  the  reading  of  a  pamphlet  on  the  subject,  he  speaks  as 
an  oracle  delivering  profound  pronouncements.    If  this  situa- 
tion were  not  so  serious  it  would  be  farcical.    Most  professors 
would  be  among  the  first  to  agree  that  they  need  help  in  the 
techniques  of  radio  and  TV  presentation.   Such  help  should  be 
available,  and  whoever  assays  to  help  must  know  the  man,  as 
well  as  what  he  wants  to  say  or  do,  so  that  the  script  is  authentic. 

3.  The  participants  should  be  university  people,  with  few 
exceptions.    The  contrast  between  the  ham  actors  who  haunt 
local  radio  and  TV  stations,  and  the  faculty  and  student  body 
of  a  university  is  so  great  that  the  producer  has  to  be  a  pretty 
skillful  individual  to  weld  them  together  into  anything  like  a 
unified  show.    Except  for  a  possible  opening  motivating  scene, 
or  a  dramatic  episode,  there  is  no  good  reason  for  having  "pro- 
fessionals." University  personnel  often  need  to  be  coached,  but 
if  the  right  persons  are  chosen  and  they  are  interested  in  putting 
their  subject  over  to  the  radio  or  TV  audience,  there  will  be 
little  trouble.  The  selection  of  good  people  is  important.   That 
is  why  I  do  not  approve  of  asking  for  volunteers. 


PUBLIC    SERVICE    PROGRAMMING  169 

4.  And  while  we  are  on  this  topic,  a  university  professor's 
time  is  valuable.   It  is  nonsense  to  ask  an  important  scholar  or 
administrator  to  warm  his  heels  for  hours  in  a  radio  or  TV 
station  while  the  crew  adjusts  lights,  sets  scenery,  finds  the  right 
music,  film,  sound  effects,  or  makes  a  number  of  adjustments 
which  forethought,  practice,  and  skill  could  have  taken  care  of 
before  he  arrived. 

5.  The  method  of  presentation  should  approximate  the 
specialist's  own  method  of  presentation.    This  means  a  half 
hour's  reading  of  poetry,  or  playing  of  music  of  a  period,  type, 
or  composer  with  appropriate  comment,  can  make  a  thrilling 
radio  program.    In  TV  there  are  many  view- worthy  subjects 
of  an  expository  nature  that  are  attention  compelling  and  atten- 
tion holding,  particularly  in  the  realm  of  the  physical  and  bio- 
logical sciences.  In  the  field  of  the  social  sciences,  there  are  also 
subjects  which  can  be  appropriately  treated  in  a  descriptive, 
narrative,  or  argumentative  fashion.    It  is  not  necessary  for 
every  discussion  to  end  in  a  heated  argument.    One  radio  pro- 
gram director  advises  that  differences  should  be  exploited  and 
agreement  never  allowed.    What  a  college  or  university  pro- 
gram should  do  is  to  point  out  where  people  can  agree  and  how 
they  can  resolve  differences.  When  the  program  material  deals 
with  the  direct  service  of  the  university  to  the  community 
through  medical  clinics,  child  guidance  clinics,  government  in- 
stitutes, and  educational  services  (and  these  are  only  a  relatively 
few  functions  of  a  university),  the  dramatic  form  may  be  useful, 
but  not  essential.    In  the  study  of  great  books,   one  might 
dramatize  episodes,  or  one  might  discuss  their  implications. 
Most  university  professors  would  prefer  the  latter,  but  they 
would  not  rule  out  the  former. 

6.  The  format  of  the  show — its  language,  material,  activity, 
and  subject  matter — should  be  conceived  in  relation  to  the 
audience  that  the  station  and  university  plan  to  reach,  and 
should  be  checked  by  such  known  facts  and  standards  as  exist 
regarding  the  group.    In  the  final  analysis,  it  is  the  audience 
that  you  are  trying  to  attract  that  must  be  pleased.    It  doesn't 
really  matter,  how  low  or  how  high  the  tastes  of  the  university 
and  the  station  personnel  may  be.   If  the  subject  matter  is  true, 
the  method  in  keeping  with  university  tradition,  the  purposes 
achieved  and  the  selected  audience  looking  forward  to  the  next 
broadcast,  the  show  has  been  a  success.    The  station  and  the 


EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

university  should  endeavor  to  ascertain  from  time  to  time 
through  surveys  whether  these  things  are  being  accomplished. 
There  have  been  and  are  many  successful  college  and  uni- 
versity broadcasts  on  commercial  stations.  There  should  be 
more  of  them.  Those  that  have  fallen  by  the  wayside  have 
proceeded  on  the  assumption  that  things  would  go  better  event- 
ually, that  mutual  understandings  just  happen,  and  that  good 
public  relations  is  a  matter  of  grinning  from  ear  to  ear,  treating 
to  lunch,  and  saying  "yes,  yes."  Those  that  have  been  successful 
have  met  problems  head-on,  and  like  the  adults  that  they  are, 
both  university  and  station  personnel  have  tackled  and  con- 
quered them  together. 

ON  THE  COMMUNITY  LEVEL 

THOMAS  J.  QUIGLEY5 

I  CAN  THINK  OF  THREE  WAYS  in  which  radio  and  television 
correlate  with  the  work  of  education.  The  first  relates  to  the 
training  supplied  by  the  school  to  those  students  who  may  wish 
to  follow  radio  or  television  as  a  life  work.  In  our  own  schools 
in  Pittsburgh,  we  are  striving  to  provide  such  opportunities  for 
our  high  school  students,  boys  and  girls,  through  regular  Satur- 
day classes  and  various  extra-curricular  activities. 

These  classes  include  radio  acting,  script  writing,  newscast- 
ing,  sportscasting,  and  control  room  techniques  and  skills.  All 
of  these  classes  are  held  in  a  regular  studio  workshop  fully 
equipped  to  give  the  children  life-like  experiences  in  the  atmos- 
phere of  a  regular  radio  studio.  In  this  way  the  school  con- 
tributes to  the  radio  industry  by  providing,  on  an  elementary 
level,  training  and  interest  in  the  general  area  of  radio  and 
television  communication. 

The  other  two  areas  of  correlation  affect  the  contribution 
that  radio  and  television  make  to  education.  Before  discussing 
these  two  ways,  I  think  we  should  review  some  basic  principles 
in  the  psychology  of  education.  First  of  all,  we  should  recall 
that  learning  continues  from  birth  to  death.  There  is  no  time 
in  his  life  when  a  man  is  not  learning,  through  experiences  of 
one  kind  or  another.  Then  we  should  also  remember  that 
learning  is  an  imminent  activity,  that  it  is  a  process  of  growth 

8  Superintendent  of  Catholic  Schools  of  the  Pittsburgh  Diocese,  Pittsburgh. 


PUBLIC    SERVICE    PROGRAMMING  1 71 

or  development.  It  takes  place  within  the  learner.  It  is  internal 
to  the  learner.  A  child  will  learn  with  or  without  a  teacher.  He 
may  not  learn  the  right  things.  He  may  not  grow  in  the  right 
direction,  but  he  will  grow  intellectually,  just  as  surely  as  he 
will  grow  physically. 

Education,  on  the  other  hand,  is  the  action  of  an  external 
agency  upon  the  learner.  Education  is  a  process  through  which 
the  learner  is  guided  in  his  growth.  There  are  many  agencies 
in  the  community  which  guide  the  growth  of  learning.  All  of 
these  are  agencies  of  education:  the  press,  the  radio,  television, 
motion  pictures,  signboards,  the  family  environment,  conversa- 
tion at  the  dinner  table,  and  a  myriad  of  similar  agencies. 
Among  them,  the  school  is  only  one.  All  these  others,  along 
with  the  school,  are  busy  about  the  process  of  education,  but 
each  of  them  initiates  different  phases  of  this  process,  and  each 
of  them  is  effective  only  on  certain  levels  and  at  certain  times. 
The  school,  which  is  usually  termed  an  agency  of  formal  edu- 
cation, has  its  own  specific  part  to  play  in  the  total  task.  The 
school  is  devised  to  guide  the  learning  of  the  immature.  It 
initiates  the  beginning  phase  of  learning.  It  establishes  the 
basic  skills  through  which  later  learning  takes  place,  and  which 
makes  the  work  of  other  agencies  of  education  more  effective. 

To  do  this  job,  the  school,  over  many  centuries  of  experi- 
ence, has  developed  certain  methods,  techniques  and  devices 
which  are  geared  to  the  immature  mind.  These  methods  are 
effective  with  the  young,  and  by  this  I  mean  those  under  college 
and  university  age.  The  school,  dealing  with  these  young  peo- 
ple, has  its  own  methods  of  motivation.  School  people  know 
that  the  same  activity  which  motivates  an  elementary  school 
child  to  learn,  will  not  motivate  a  high  school  senior.  By  the 
same  token,  what  motivates  the  high  school  student  may  not 
motivate  an  adult  mind,  and  vice-versa.  The  school  has  learned 
that  it  does  its  best  job  through  a  technique  which  involves  a 
close  personal  teacher-pupil  relationship.  Even  in  large  class- 
rooms, the  basic  element  in  the  school  technique  is  tutorial  and 
personal. 

With  these  basic  educational  principles  in  mind,  let  us  now 
look  at  the  role  of  the  commercial  radio  and  television  programs 
in  education.  And  first,  let  us  consider  those  programs  designed 
for  in-school  assignment  and  listening.  For  the  most  part>  such 
programs,  particularly  if  teachers  have  had  a  hand  in  preparing 


172  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

them,  are  very  good.  But  I  have  a  suspicion  that  despite  their 
high  quality,  many  of  them  are  failures  as  profitable  and  eco- 
nomic educational  media.  I  say  this  because  I  feel  that  the 
nature  of  good  classroom  technique  does  not  fit  in  with  the 
nature  of  good  broadcasting  technique.  The  teacher  must  adjust 
her  methods  and  her  schedule  to  the  needs  of  individual  chil- 
dren in  any  specific  classroom.  No  good  classroom  schedule  can 
be  maintained  on  a  rigid  hour  by  hour  basis.  If  a  teacher  is  in 
the  midst  of  an  extremely  profitable  and  interesting  arithmetic 
period,  she  cannot  stop  at  the  height  of  interest,  or  in  the  middle 
of  helping  some  student  over  a  difficulty  in  order  to  listen  to  a 
history  broadcast  coming  over  the  radio.  If  she  stops  in  the 
middle  of  such  a  profitable  teaching  situation,  she  is  a  poor 
teacher.  Thus,  the  classroom  schedule,  to  be  a  good  one,  must 
be  very  flexible.  While  time  allotments  can  be  assigned  for 
certain  periods  of  the  day,  the  teacher  must  be  allowed  com- 
plete freedom  to  adjust  these  allotments  to  suit  the  needs  and 
the  interests  of  her  class.  On  the  other  hand,  the  radio  and 
television  schedule  must  be  extremely  rigid.  If  a  "School  of  the 
Air"  program  has  a  biology  unit  to  broadcast  at  10  a.  m.,  it  must 
begin  promptly  at  10  a.  m.  and  end  promptly  at  10:28.  It  may 
happen  that  more  than  50  per  cent  of  the  teachers  are  not  ready 
for  that  unit  at  exactly  10  a.  m. 

There  is  more  likelihood  that  a  high  school  program  can  be 
adjusted  to  in-school  radio  listening  than  can  an  elementary 
school  program.  It  is  my  experience  that  a  great  many  of  the 
elementary  school  programs  are  not  tuned  in  by  a  majority 
of  elementary  teachers.  We  should  remember,  also,  that  the 
teacher  can  never  maintain  the  same  schedule  from  year  to  year. 
She  may  have  a  very  slow  class  one  year,  and  a  very  rapid  one 
the  next.  Thus  she  can  never  be  certain  that  her  class  of  1953 
will  be  ready  for  a  specific  radio  broadcast  on  April  19,  just 
because  her  class  of  1952  was  ready  for  it  on  that  date.  Another 
point  to  remember  is  that  no  two  schools  in  the  same  school 
system  can  maintain  an  identical  schedule  from  day  to  day.  A 
history  teacher  in  one  city  school  may  have  her  ninth  grade 
pupils  four  or  five  units  ahead  of  the  ninth  grade  pupils  in  an- 
other school  in  the  same  city. 

Thus,  for  the  good  teacher  it  often  happens  that  the  radio 
or  television  program  devised  for  in-school  listening  cannot  be 


PUBLIC    SERVICE    PROGRAMMING  173 

used.  A  worse  feature  of  this  is  that  sometimes  the  poor  teacher 
uses  the  radio  or  television  program  on  school  time  in  order  to 
take  a  rest  or  to  correct  papers,  and  the  educational  value  of 
the  program  is  lost  completely,  leaving  only  its  entertainment 
value.  And  the  schools  are  definitely  not  in  the  business  of 
entertainment. 

Now  let  us  look  at  radio  and  television  programs  designed 
for  out-of-school  listening,  through  which  commercial  stations 
can  and  do  contribute  to  community  education.  It  is  my  belief 
that  commercial  radio  makes  its  greatest  contribution  here.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  I  think  it  can  even  make  a  greater  contribution 
to  the  school  program  through  its  out-of-school  broadcasts.  Let 
us  take,  for  example,  a  series  of  programs  on  American  history 
geared  for  fifth  grade  listening.  In  a  certain  week,  the  series 
may  be  dealing  with  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown. 
It  could  easily  happen  that  on  the  day  this  program  is  to  be 
broadcast,  50  per  cent  of  the  fifth  grade  teachers  would  be 
unable  to  tune  it  in  on  classroom  time.  Suppose,  however,  it 
were  broadcast  at  4:30  or  5  o'clock,  or  early  in  the  evening,  or 
on  Saturday.  The  teacher  could  then  use  it  as  a  home  assign- 
ment j  could  prepare  the  children  with  questions,  the  answers  to 
which  would  be  contained  in  the  broadcast.  She  could  then 
follow  this  up  on  a  later  day  by  reviewing  the  questions.  In 
this  way  she  could  use  the  broadcast  to  suit  her  own  schedule, 
just  as  she  can  now  use  tape  recordings  or  teaching  films.  She 
would  not  be  limited  to  a  certain  hour  on  a  certain  day. 

The  programs  devised  by  radio  and  television  for  adult  edu- 
cation could  be  the  greatest  contribution  to  the  general  educa- 
tion of  the  American  public.  The  educational  techniques  of 
radio  and  television  are  more  conducive  to  adult  motivation  of 
learning  than  to  child  motivation.  I  cannot  help  but  compare 
the  work  done  by  radio  and  television  in  this  area  with  the  old 
technique  of  the  correspondence  schools.  No  matter  how  we 
joke  about  them  now,  many  an  American,  deprived  of  the 
opportunities  of  even  a  high  school  education,  prepared  himself 
for  vocational  efficiency  by  home  study  under  the  direction  'of 
such  institutions  as  the  International  Correspondence  School. 
Using  the  same  techniques,  radio,  and  particularly,  television, 
could  run  regular  high  school  courses  in  physics,  chemistry,  gen- 
eral science,  history,  and  geography. 


174  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

It  would  require  engaging  a  really  top-flight  teacher  with 
good  voice,  who  is  photogenic  and  endowed  with  a  dynamic 
personality,  similar  to  that  of  Fulton  Sheen,  who,  by  the  way,  is 
doing  a  remarkable  job  of  teaching  religion  on  an  adult  level  to 
a  huge  audience.  This  technique  could  even  include  the  use  of 
assigned  textbooks  to  listeners,  questions  sent  in  by  listeners,  and 
tests  sent  to  listeners  requesting  them.  The  weakness  I  find  in 
most  of  the  adult  educational  programs  now  available  is  that 
they  lack  continuity.  I  prefer  a  type  of  program  that  follows  a 
regular  course  in  some  specific  subject,  over  a  semester  or  a 
whole  school  year.  I  see  no  reason  why  such  courses  could 
not  be  properly  accredited  by  state  departments  of  education. 
Supervised  examinations  could  be  given  at  the  end  of  the  course, 
and  equivalent  high  school  diplomas  awarded.  What  is  more, 
I  see  no  reason  why  some  such  courses  could  not  actually  be 
sponsored  by  industries  interested  in  training  certain  types  of 
techniques. 

Courses  like  these  in  literature,  music  and  art  should  be  easy 
of  production,  and  would  do  much  for  the  adult  education  of 
the  American  people.  There  is  no  doubt  that  there  are  cultural 
deficiencies  in  American  life.  Not  enough  Americans  under- 
stand and  appreciate  the  fine  arts.  I  can  think  of  no  better 
media  for  correcting  these  deficiencies  than  the  educational 
power  in  radio  and  television.  The  actual  skills  of  singing, 
piano  playing,  instrument  playing,  and  drawing  could  be  taught 
through  organized  courses  over  the  radio,  and  particularly  on 
television.  I  can  visualize  a  nationally-known  voice  teacher, 
with  two  or  three  pupils  in  a  studio,  giving  voice  instruction 
over  television.  I  can  visualize  hundreds  of  thousands  of  Amer- 
icans following  these  lessons  in  their  own  homes.  The  aim  here 
would  not  be  to  develop  concert  singers  or  virtuosos,  but  to  give 
the  general  American  public  an  appreciation  of  what  constitutes 
fine  singing  and  fine  music,  and  thus  make  it  better  able  to 
judge  the  regular  professional  offerings  to  which  it  is  now 
exposed. 

I  have  one  other  thought  about  adult  education  via  radio 
and  television.  One  of  the  problems  of  the  schools  is  to  educate 
parents  to  what  the  schools  are  trying  to  do.  Parents  should 
know  the  objectives  of  the  school  and  its  methods.  They  should 
understand  how  to  interpret  grades  and  reports.  They  should 


PUBLIC    SERVICE    PROGRAMMING  175 

understand  how  their  training  of  the  child  at  home  affects  his 
work  in  school.  Schools  have  attempted  to  so  educate  parents 
through  Parent-Teacher  associations.  For  the  most  part  these 
associations  have  been  failures,  simply  because  they  do  not  reach 
enough  of  the  parents.  In  the  average  school  of  600  pupils,  you 
are  fortunate  if  you  draw  one  hundred  parents  to  a  PTA  meet- 
ing. Perhaps  a  monthly  parent-teacher  meeting  of  the  air 
would  help  to  solve  this  problem.  Parents  are  usually  inter- 
ested in  hearing  about  their  children  and  in  learning  better 
methods  of  training  them.  Lectures  and  panel  discussions  once 
each  month,  directed  toward  these  problems  of  parents  and 
teachers  would,  I  think,  be  effective  programs  for  the  air  and 
television. 

In  conclusion,  may  I  repeat  that  radio  and  television  and 
the  schools  are  all  agencies  of  education.  They  are  all  engaged 
in  some  phase  of  education  but  they  do  not  all  initiate  the  same 
phase,  nor  do  they  all  do  their  best  work  on  the  same  levels  and 
by  the  same  methods.  Therefore,  radio  and  television  should 
not  attempt  to  replace  the  school,  nor  to  consume  so  much  of 
classroom  time  as  to  interfere  with  the  proper  technique  of  the 
school,  which  is  the  pupil-teacher  personal  relationship.  Radio 
should  cooperate  with  the  school,  but  not  become  identified 
with  it.  All  the  agencies  should  cooperate  in  their  ultimate 
aims:  to  inform  the  public,  to  elevate  public  taste,  to  supply 
cultural  deficiencies,  to  make  better  men  and  women.  No 
agency  should  attempt  to  do  all  the  work,  nor  to  interfere  with 
the  work  of  another. 

SPECIAL  EDUCATIONAL  PROJECTS 

EDWARD  J.  HEFFRON6 

THE  QUESTION  I  AM  EXPECTED  to  discuss  is  this:  "How  do 
people  with  special  educational  projects  like  civil  defense  ap- 
proach the  commercial  radio  stations,  and  how  are  they  doing?" 

Mr.  Jesse  Butcher,  director  of  the  Audio-Visual  Division  of 
the  Federal  Civil  Defense  Administration,  says  we're  doing 
fine.  He  says  that  in  the  year  and  a  quarter  that  he's  been 
dealing  with  station  and  network  managements,  he  has  not  had 

6  Director  of  Public  Liaison,  Federal  Civil  Defense  Administration,  Washington,  D.  C. 


176  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

one  refusal  to  cooperate.  Pm  sure  he  doesn't  mean  that  he  gets 
all  that  he  asks,  or  that  he's  always  given  the  choice  spots.  But 
then  he  doesn't  expect  that  and  neither  do  you  or  I. 

The  Federal  Civil  Defense  Administration,  or  FCDA,  came 
into  being  only  fifteen  months  ago.  Naturally  it  took  some  time 
to  get  organized.  Even  now  Mr.  Butcher  and  his  deputy,  Mr. 
Steve  McCormick,  have  only  two  men  in  their  radio  branch. 
There  are  also  budgets  to  consider,  and  they  hinge  on  Congres- 
sional appropriations. 

The  point  I  want  to  make  is  that  with  an  extremely  small 
staff,  and  one  that  hasn't  been  on  the  job  very  long,  the  radio 
branch  has  produced  some  right  smart  results. 

They  just  concluded  a  live  network  show  on  ABC,  running 
for  thirteen  weeks.  And  the  time  was  6:15  EST  on  Saturday 
evening.  Not  bad,  you'll  admit. 

In  December,  they  did  a  6:15  show  over  CBS  for  five  nights 
running. 

They've  had  programs  on  all  the  national  networks  and  on 
most  of  the  regionals. 

They  sent  a  kit  of  radio  scripts,  and  three  15 -minute  dra- 
matic platters,  to  all  of  the  2900  stations  in  the  country  and  had 
mighty  good  acceptance. 

They  got  radio  allocations  from  the  Ad  Council,  and  in  one 
campaign,  alone,  planted  twenty-eight  announcements  on  top 
NBC  shows,  twenty-seven  on  CBS,  twenty-three  on  ABC,  and 
twenty-two  on  MBS.  And  that's  in  addition  to  regional  spot 
allocations. 

In  Washington,  you  know,  we  have  the  Congress  j  and  Con- 
gressmen have  constituents.  The  constituents,  unfortunately — 
or  fortunately,  as  the  case  may  be — are  not  in  Washington.  So 
lots  of  Congressmen  arrange  with  the  stations  in  their  districts 
— or,  if  they're  Senators,  in  their  states — to  broadcast  tran- 
scribed talks  to  the  folks  back  home.  They  have  their  own 
studio,  where  they  record  these  programs.  And  the  point  of  my 
story  is  that  they  by  no  means  limit  themselves  to  telling  the 
dear  voters  how  they  voted  on  the  Rivers  and  Harbors  bill,  but 
present  a  lot  of  things  of  general  concern  such  as  civil  defense. 
Our  radio  branch  has  arranged  for  many  members  of  Congress 
to  interview  FCDA  officials  on  this  subject,  and  has  usually 
prepared  a  good  part  of  the  show. 


PUBLIC    SERVICE    PROGRAMMING  177 

Our  radio  people  have  frequently  been  called  on  to  write 
and  tape  tailor-made  segments  for  national  and  regional  net- 
work shows.  They'd  like  to  offer  the  same  service  to  local  out- 
lets, but  with  only  two  men  in  the  branch  they  have  to  be 
careful  not  to  bite  off  more  than  they  can  chew. 

Through  the  regional  FCDA  offices  throughout  the  coun- 
try, we  also  are  able  to  assist  state  and  local  civil  defense  direc- 
tors in  using  their  local  radio  opportunities.  We  have  no  way  of 
telling  how  many  local  civil  defense  shows  are  on  the  air  in  the 
forty-eight  states — but  we  do  happen  to  have  learned,  only 
recently,  that  there  are  150  regular  weekly  programs  in  Cali- 
fornia alone. 

Of  course,  we  have  a  TV  branch,  too,  but  the  story  of  what 
they  are  doing  doesn't  belong  here.  Suffice  it  to  say,  we  believe 
in  giving  both  media  the  best  we've  got.  Freeze  or  thaw,  radio 
will  be  with  us  for  a  long,  long  time  and  we're  not  selling  it 
short. 

I  have  two  questions  to  advance,  which  I  have  not  heard 
explored  at  this  Institute.  The  Radio  Act  imposes  on  all  sta- 
tions the  responsibility  of  broadcasting  in  the  public  interest, 
convenience  and  necessity.  I  wonder  if  there's  enough  room  in 
the  broadcast  spectrum  to  have  a  diversified  system  of  special 
interest  stations,  some  dedicated,  wholly,  to  religion,  or  to  good 
music,  or  agriculture,  or  education,  etc. 

As  I  see  the  situation,  it  is  not  a  question  as  to  the  wisdom 
of  setting  up  special  kinds  of  TV  and  AM  stations.  There 
simply  is  not  room  enough  in  the  spectrum  for  this  system  of 
diversification.  So  each  licensee  is  obliged  to  serve  the  whole  of 
the  public  in  each  field.  How  can  we  reconcile  with  this  the 
creation  of  exclusively  educational  stations,  either  AM  or  TV? 
Does  the  educational  institution  which  gets  the  license  assume 
the  same  obligation  of  the  whole  interest,  convenience  and 
necessity?  I  wonder  if  anyone  thinking  of  filing  an  application 
has  faced  up  to  this  obligation? 

Also  in  those  communities  where  new  educational  stations 
are  set  up  to  compete  with  local  commercial  stations  for  an 
audience,  won't  there  be  a  great  and  increasing  temptation  to 
commercial  stations  to  get  out  of  education?  I  should  think  the 
commercial  stations  might  sell  the  time  they  gave  previously 
to  education. 


178  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

EDUCATIONAL  PROGRAMMING  ON 
COMMERCIAL  TV  STATIONS 

ARNOLD  L.  WILKES,1  Presiding 

SPECIAL  INTEREST  GROUP 
Reported  By  GLORIA  CHANDLER2 

The  objective  of  this  special  interest  group  was  explained  by  Mr. 
Arnold  L.  Wilkes,  chairman,  as  the  endeavor  to  study  some  specific 
educational  programs  that  have  been  presented  by  commercial  television 
stations,  and  to  examine  the  cooperation  of  commercial  stations  and 
educational  institutions. 
Miss  MARTHA  A.  GABLE  :3 

In  1947,  the  commercial  television  stations  and  the  schools  in 
Philadelphia  cooperated  in  some  new  broadcasts  that  sought  to  develop 
better  understanding  of  the  schools  programs  among  the  general  public. 
As  the  telecasting  hours  of  the  stations  were  increased,  the  schools  and  the 
stations  began  to  plan  for  the  use  of  TV  as  a  classroom  tool. 

In  1948,  television  sets  were  placed  in  twenty-five  schools  by  the 
manufacturers.  The  school  administrators  were  quick  to  appreciate  the 
value  of  the  new  medium  and  began  to  work  for  additional  equipment. 
The  PTA  groups  were  urged  to  buy  television  sets  for  their  schools. 
As  a  result,  the  schools  now  have  more  than  seven  hundred  sets,  some 
having  two  or  three  receivers.  These  sets  are  in  the  public,  parochial, 
private  and  suburban  schools.  This  means  a  sizable  audience. 

The  public  schools  have  a  staff  of  seven  full  time  people  who  work 
to  develop,  publicize  and  promote  the  television  programs.  The  schools 
are  working  to  interpret  the  significance  of  television  in  the  classroom 
to  the  parents  and  teachers.  Commercial  television  representatives  par- 
ticipate in  various  school  meetings  and  discussion  groups. 

One  of  the  programs  is  called,  "Operation  Blackboard,"  and  this  is 
presented  from  10  to  10:30  o'clock  each  weekday  morning.  The  results 
of  this  program  have  been  studied  carefully  through  the  use  of  evaluation 
sheets. 

In  Philadelphia,  the  curriculum  department  assists  in  the  general 
planning  of  the  program.  The  production  is  blocked  out,  prepared  and 
rehearsed;  props  and  sets  are  prepared  in  the  classroom.  A  run  down 
sheet  of  transition  shots  is  prepared  for  the  station  director.  The  same 
director  has  handled  all  of  the  school  programs  on  one  station  and  this 
has  improved  the  broadcasts. 

1  Director,  Public  Service  and  Education,  Hearst  Corp.,  Baltimore,  Md. 

2  President,  Chandler  Recordings,  Inc.,  New  York  City. 

3  Assistant   Director,    School    Community   Relations,    Board    of   Education,    Philadel- 
phia, Pa. 


PUBLIC    SERVICE    PROGRAMMING  179 

Teamwork  has  been  essential  in  achieving  the  good  results  obtained. 
Miss  Gable  said  the  administrators,  teachers  and  the  parents  appreciate 
the  $175,000  worth  of  time  that  has  been  given  by  commercial  TV 
to  educational  programming,  and  they  also  are  proud  that  the  schools 
have  used  the  time  effectively. 

MR.  ARTHUR  F.  WELD:* 

Syracuse  University  has  a  contract  with  the  local  commercial  TV 
station  under  which  TV  studios  on  the  campus  are  used  to  produce  both 
commercial  and  educational  programs,  and  the  University  broadcasts  four 
hours  of  educational  programs  each  week.  He  said  that  Syracuse  was 
offering  the  finest  TV  training  in  the  country,  since  its  graduates  had 
the  advantage  of  training  by  and  with  experienced  TV  personnel. 

In  1951,  a  total  of  1,500  commercial  shows  and  160  educational 
programs  were  put  on  for  the  local  station  by  graduate  students.  Some 
of  the  educational  program  series  were  called:  "How  Did  It  Happen?" 
a  geology  series;  "2,000  A.D.";  "Headline  Forum";  "Open  Shelf"  a 
series  about  non-fiction  books;  "Your  Public  Schools";  and  "It's  Fun 
To  Paint,"  a  series  for  children. 

The  talent  for  these  programs  was  drawn  largely  from  the  faculty 
at  the  University.  Development  of  the  Syracuse  TV  Production  Center 
has  brought  a  true  partnership  between  educational  and  commercial 
television.  The  educational  programs  were  never  in  the  position  of  being 
accepted  on  sufferance. 

MR.  JAMES  C.  HANRAHAN  :5 

Mr.  Hanrahan,  general  manager  of  WEWS-TV,  Cleveland, 
brought  an  interesting  report  on  the  use  of  commercial  television  by 
Western  Reserve  University.  He  told  about  his  discussion  with  Com- 
missioner Paul  Walker  concerning  the  WEWS-TV  program,  "Youth 
Forum." 

Mr.  Hanrahan  said  that  commercial  TV  stations  are  providing  a 
considerable  amount  of  useful  educational  material,  but  the  definition 
of  the  FCC,  as  to  what  constitutes  an  "educational  program,"  is  very 
narrow.  Under  the  FCC  definition,  "Youth  Forum"  would  not  be 
classified  as  "educational."  Mr.  Hanrahan  concluded  that  the  FCC 
statement,  that  "only  I  per  cent  of  commercial  time  is  being  devoted 
to  educational  programs",  reflected  the  commission's  narrow  definition 
of  an  educational  program. 

He  also  touched  upon  the  possibility  of  commercial  sponsorship  for 
educational  programs.  Mr.  Hanrahan  said  that  while  some  educator? 

*  Producer  and  Director,  Radio  and  Television  Center,  Syracuse  University,  Syra- 
cuse, N.  Y. 

6  General  Manager,  Station  WEWS-TV,  Cleveland,  O. 


l8O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

have  changed  their  opinion  about  sponsorship  of  programs,  many  hold 
to  the  idea  that  sponsorship  and  education  cannot  go  hand  in  hand. 
MR.  RALPH  SrEETLE:6 

Mr.  Steetle  declared  that  every  possible  avenue  must  be  used  by 
education  in  utilizing  television.  He  said  he  was  in  general  agreement 
with  the  approaches  outlined  by  both  Miss  Gable  and  Mr.  Weld,  and 
also  agreed  that  the  FCC  definition  of  an  educational  program  might 
be  reconsidered. 

He  said  the  educator  was  called  upon  to  make  an  "informed  choice" 
in  his  community  of  the  best  way  to  approach  his  commercial  TV  outlets. 
Maybe  the  informed  choice  will  be  not  to  apply  for  an  educational  TV 
channel,  he  added. 
MR.  WILKES: 

There  has  been  a  great  development  of  educational  programs  in 
Baltimore,  especially  through  Station  WBAL.  A  prominent  industrialist 
has  given  $18,000  to  buy  receiver  sets  to  be  placed  in  the  schools  for 
in-school  telecasts. 

Mr.  Wilkes  stressed  the  need  for  continued  training  of  school  per- 
sonnel in  the  use  of  TV.  He  described  a  series  of  programs  called,  "TV 
Campus,"  presented  each  Sunday  evening  in  Baltimore  through  the 
cooperation  of  the  twelve  universities  in  the  area.  In  summarizing,  he 
said  that  WBAL- AM  and  TV  presented  a  total  of  fifty-one  programs  a 
week  in  the  public  interest. 


THE  STANDARD  HOUR— ON  TV 

ADRIAN  F.  MICHAEL1S1 

THE  CREATION  OF  A  TELEVISION  VERSION  of  radio's  oldest 
hour  of  fine  music — the  Standard  Hour — offered  a  real  chal- 
lenge to  the  sponsor,  the  Standard  Oil  Company  of  California. 
This  is  the  account  of  how  a  group  of  San  Franciscans,  far  from 
the  leading  television  production  centers,  answered  that  chal- 
lenge and  produced  a  series  of  television  concerts  that  won 
praise  of  critics  in  New  York  and  Hollywood. 

Since  its  first  radio  concert  went  on  the  air,  on  October  24, 
1926,  Standard  always  has  had  a  two-fold  purpose  in  present- 
ing the  Standard  Hour.  It  has  sought  to  provide  entertainment 

6  Executive  Director,  Joint  Committee  on  Educational  TV,  Washington,  D.  C. 
1  Executive  Producer,  Standard   Hour,  Standard  School  Broadcast,  and  the  Standard 
Hour-TV,  San  Francisco,  Calif. 


THE    STANDARD    HOUR ON    TV  l8l 

for  the  music  lover,  and  to  assist  educators,  parents,  musical 
associations,  private  music  teachers  and  others  in  developing  an 
appreciation  of  fine  music  in  America.  The  Standard  School 
Broadcast — its  twenty-five-year-old  companion  program — also 
was  created  to  assist  in  this  endeavor  in  the  interests  of  fine 
music.  The  Ohio  State  University,  through  its  Institute  for 
Education  by  Radio  and  Television,  and  Dr.  I.  Keith  Tyler, 
were  the  first  to  bestow  national  awards  of  merit  upon  the 
Standard  broadcasts. 

These  cultural  and  educational  values  were  a  prime  consid- 
eration in  the  formulation  of  plans  for  Standard's  experimental 
venture  into  television  last  year,  in  1951,  following  my  recom- 
mendation that  the  Standard  Hour  be  televised. 

The  first  question  that  seemed  to  occur  to  some  who  heard 
my  recommendation  was,  "Why?"  Many  radio  listeners  did 
not  believe  at  first  thought  that  visualizing  the  program  on 
television  would  add  anything  to  the  broadcast.  But  music  has 
its  visual  side.  Ballet,  grand  opera,  light  opera  and  folk  danc- 
ing are  a  few  of  the  types  of  musical  entertainment  that  depend 
largely  on  visual  elements.  And  most  of  us  enjoy  seeing  what 
soloists  look  like  as  well  as  hearing  them.  So,  part  of  the  answer 
as  to  why  the  Standard  Hour  went  into  television  experiment- 
ally was  because  we  believed  we  had  something  interesting  to 
offer  the  eye,  as  well  as  the  ear. 

However,  the  chief  reason  why  Standard  suddenly  decided, 
midway  in  1951,  to  get  into  television  by  1952  was  that  tele- 
vision was  making  serious  inroads  on  the  radio  audience  of  the 
Standard  Hour. 

The  initial  reaction  of  our  advertising  experts  to  the  ques- 
tion of  television  was  to  express  an  opinion  that  perhaps  the 
Standard  Hour  had  served  its  purpose,  during  its  quarter  of  a 
century  on  radio,  and  maybe  it  would  be  best  to  discontinue 
the  program  in  favor  of  a  Standard  Hour  dramatic  show  on 
television. 

With  this  recommendation  I  took  issue.  As  a  member  of 
the  Public  Relations  Department,  I  had  observed  the  fine 
public  response  to  our  musical  program  over  the  many  years 
that  it  had  been  on  the  air.  I  firmly  believed  that  we  should 
continue  to  present  the  Standard  Hour  as  a  musical  show,  and 
that  it  possessed  elements  that  could  be  visualized  effectively 
on  television. 


1 82  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

A  film-strip  presentation  helped  to  convince  our  directors. 
I  put  together  still  photographs  of  our  Standard  Hour  radio 
show  and  excerpts  from  our  reference  recordings.  Next,  I 
wrote  my  arguments  into  a  script,  engaged  our  regular  an- 
nouncer to  narrate  the  script,  and  combined  the  elements  into 
a  film-strip  synchronized  with  music,  narration  and  applause. 
This  was  projected  onto  a  translucent  screen  mounted  in  a 
dummy  television  cabinet. 

Mr.  T.  S.  Petersen,  president  of  the  Standard  Oil  of  Cal- 
ifornia, and  our  Board  of  Directors  gave  approval  to  Mr.  G. 
Stewart  Brown,  manager  of  our  Public  Relations  Department, 
for  the  production  of  a  pilot  film  to  be  done  in  San  Francisco 
within  a  period  of  thirty  days.  Our  production  staff  got  busy 
and  the  pilot  film  was  turned  out  on  time.  This  was  shown  to 
our  company  directors  and  they  approved  an  experimental 
series  of  thirteen  complete  shows,  tentatively  scheduled  to  be 
broadcast  during  the  last  three  months  of  1952. 

Since  the  Standard  Hour  always  had  been  a  concert  pro- 
gram basically,  the  first  concern  was  with  the  orchestral  quality 
of  our  TV  program.  We  again  used  the  top-notch  San  Fran- 
cisco symphony  orchestra  of  fifty-seven  musicians,  with  Carmen 
Dragon,  one  of  America's  leading  young  musical  directors,  as 
conductor.  Ralph  O'Connor  was  chosen  for  the  important  new 
position  of  music  co-ordinator.  He  had  the  task  of  obtaining 
and  arranging  music,  organizing  the  orchestra,  and  building 
and  maintaining  a  comprehensive  library. 

John  Grover,  who  had  been  the  announcer  on  the  radio 
program  for  the  past  ten  years,  became  our  choice  as  the  voice 
for  the  TV  program.  One  of  the  important  new  elements  to  be 
added  to  the  broadcast  was  the  ballet,  and  for  this  assignment 
Lew  Christensen  and  James  Graham-Lujan,  both  internation- 
ally known,  were  selected  as  co-directors.  Russell  Hartley  was 
engaged  to  do  the  costumes  and  makeup. 

The  selection  of  featured  soloists  was  my  responsibility,  and 
I  turned  over  the  details  of  engaging  them  to  Larry  Allen,  a 
talent  coordinator  of  long  and  successful  experience.  Station 
KGO-TV,  in  San  Francisco,  proved  to  be  the  best  equipped  to 
handle  our  type  of  a  show  and  this  station  brought  the  services 
of  the  city's  leading  television  director,  William  Hollenbeck. 
Working  with  Hollenbeck  were  Willard  Davis,  assistant  direc- 
tor, Edward  Smith,  art  director,  and  William  Martin,  produc- 
tion designer. 


THE    STANDARD    HOUR ON    TV  183 

The  all-important  task  of  actually  televising  our  program 
was  entrusted  to  other  capable  KGO-TV  personnel,  A.  E. 
Evans,  chief  engineer,  Warren  Andresen,  technical  director, 
and  their  technicians.  Since  there  were  no  television  networks 
on  the  Pacific  Coast,  over  which  we  could  reach  the  Western 
audience  simultaneously  in  many  cities,  and  since  it  was  our 
opinion  that  existing  kinescope  filming  methods  were  inferior, 
we  decided  to  have  our  show  filmed  by  William  Palmer,  the 
San  Francisco  inventor  of  the  Palmerscope,  a  new  kinescope 
filming  method  for  reproducing  sound  and  sight  with  high 
fidelity. 

Hale  Sparks,  who  is  the  University  of  California's  "Uni- 
versity Explorer"  on  radio,  was  selected  to  fill  the  two-minute 
intermissions  in  each  Standard  Hour  telecast  with  brief  chats 
about  the  oil  industry.  These  institutional  messages  were  to  be 
filmed  by  the  Moulin  Studios  of  San  Francisco,  under  the 
supervision  of  Charles  Sayers. 

Don  Jones  was  assistant  producer,  handling  all  production 
details,  Lillian  Chatham  was  program  assistant,  and  Glenn 
Jackson,  of  KGO-TV,  was  stage  manager  and  props  supervisor. 
There  were  some  forty  other  people  on  the  production  staff, 
including  a  script  girl,  hair  stylist,  still  photographers,  electric- 
ians, carpenters,  painters,  operators  of  public  address  and  rear 
projection  screen  equipment,  stage  hands,  janitors,  a  publicity 
writer,  studio  guards,  and  even  a  caterer,  for  we  discovered 
that  the  establishment  of  a  commissary  saved  much  valuable 
time  at  meal  hours. 

This  production  staff,  many  of  whom  had  never  seen  each 
other  before  our  project  started,  worked  together  day  and  night 
for  eight  months,  producing  our  thirteen  programs.  We  had 
the  splendid,  wholehearted  cooperation  of  staff  members,  or- 
chestral musicians,  the  ballet  corps,  featured  soloists,  technic- 
ians, stage  craftsmen  and  others. 

Before  a  foot  of  film  was  exposed  for  one  of  the  expensive, 
three-dimensional  stage  settings,  all  musical  selections  were 
recorded  by  the  orchestra  and  soloists  on  high  fidelity  Ampex 
tape  recorders  at  San  Francisco's  Radio  City.  Our  musical 
director  recorded  the  music  in  sections  and  pieced  it  together 
by  editing  the  tapes.  This  technique  saved  much  rehearsal  time 
and  the  repetition  of  numbers. 

The  musical  tape  was  edited  as  a  non-synchronous  record- 
ing, with  no  sprocket  holes  in  the  tape,  so  that  the  conductor 


1 84  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

could  exercise  full  freedom  in  cutting  and  editing  as  exactly  as 
possible.  The  next  step  in  the  audio  recording  process  was  to 
re-record  this  tape  on  i6-mm.  synchronous,  single-perforated 
tape.  This  then  became  the  master  sound  recording,  running 
at  double  speed,  or  72  feet  per  minute,  to  get  full  frequency 
response  of  the  music. 

Filming  of  each  unit  consumed  about  four  days,  with  two 
additional  days  required  for  setting  up  and  knocking  down 
lighting,  filming  and  electronic  equipment  and  stage  settings. 
Filming  was  done  at  the  new  memorial  auditorium  in  Rich- 
mond, Calif.,  just  across  the  bay  from  San  Francisco.  This 
auditorium  turned  out  to  be  almost  ideal.  It  had  a  completely 
equipped  and  well  lighted  stage.  Its  orchestra  pit  and  entire 
slanting  audience  floor  were  on  hydraulic  jacks,  which  permitted 
the  raising  of  pit  and  floor  to  stage  level.  This  gave  adequate 
floor  space  for  larger  installations. 

The  art  director's  contribution  to  the  lighting  was  the  re- 
production of  the  effects  planned  in  advance  by  his  department. 
Through  the  filming  of  sequences  from  the  monitor  screen  by 
a  video  recording  camera,  rather  than  direct  from  the  settings 
by  regular  motion  picture  cameras,  the  cost  of  lighting  was 
reduced  tremendously.  The  very  sensitive  orthicon  tubes  in 
today's  cameras  are  about  ten  times  as  light  sensitive  as  movie 
cameras. 

From  the  standpoint  of  the  production  designer,  the  main 
consideration  in  working  with  film  for  television  was  surface 
texture  of  backgrounds.  To  aid  picture  definition,  close  objects 
received  full,  even  exaggerated,  surface  treatment,  lessening 
with  increasing  distances  from  the  camera.  This  led  to  a  com- 
bination of  techniques,  from  actual  or  fully  simulated  objects 
and  surfaces  in  the  foregrounds,  stepping  down  in  scale  to 
painted  drops  in  the  distance. 

Four  television  cameras  were  used  in  the  production  of  the 
Standard  Hour's  shows.  One  was  on  a  standard  tripod,  another 
on  a  Fearless  dolly,  the  third  on  a  pedestal  mounting,  and  the 
fourth  and  most  important  on  a  $12,000  electrically  driven 
mobile  Houston  crane.  This  crane  allowed  the  camera  mounted 
upon  it  to  move  rapidly  and  smoothly  from  close-ups  to 
medium  and  long  range  shots,  and  vice-versa  j  from  one  camera 
angle  to  another  j  and  from  floor  level  to  a  height  of  ten  feet. 


THE    STANDARD    HOUR ON    TV  185 

It  made  it  possible  to  follow  the  stage  action  in  an  intimate 
manner.  Each  camera  was  fitted  with  four  interchangeable 
lenses,  giving  the  potential  effectiveness  of  sixteen  single  lens 
cameras.  To  heighten  the  effect  of  the  viewer's  being  present 
on  the  stage,  the  first  indoor  Walker  "Zoomar"  lens  was  used 
on  this  program  under  supervision  of  its  inventor.  This  gives 
the  viewers  the  same  sort  of  closeups  that  the  outdoor  Zoomar 
lens  has  given  to  viewers  of  televised  sports. 

After  the  entire  unit  had  been  blueprinted  from  the  open- 
ing to  the  closing  shot,  and  a  complete  shooting  script  had  been 
prepared,  after  sets,  lighting,  costumes,  makeup,  choreography, 
soloists'  actions,  camera  angles  and  all  other  such  details  had 
been  worked  out,  when  the  sound  track  was  completed,  and  all 
stage,  filming  and  electronic  equipment  had  been  installed  at 
the  auditorium,  the  director  took  over  control  of  final  rehearsals 
and  performances. 

Briefly,  this  is  how  the  director  worked:  He  trained  from 
one  to  four  television  cameras  on  the  singers,  dancers  and 
instrumentalists  during  musical  numbers.  The  picture  seen  in 
the  finder  of  each  of  these  cameras  was  fed  into  its  own  monitor 
screen,  or  picture  tube  in  the  nearby  control  booth.  Each  of 
these  monitor  screens  was,  in  effect,  a  tiny  television  set,  oper- 
ating only  within  the  auditorium  on  a  closed  circuit  from  its 
own  TV  camera.  The  director  selected  any  one  or  more  of  the 
pictures  seen  on  the  small  monitor  screens,  and  the  technical 
director  switched  the  image  or  images  to  the  master  monitor 
where  it  was  photographed  by  the  i6-mm.  video  recording 
Palmerscope  camera. 

Action  during  performances  was  repeated  until  the  director 
got  exactly  what  he  wanted.  He  could  watch  the  action  on  a 
television  screen,  just  as  it  would  appear  months  later  on  a 
home  receiving  set,  and  if  he  was  not  satisfied  a  retake  could  be 
ordered  immediately  without  waiting  for  film  to  be  developed. 

During  the  filming  of  a  sequence,  all  cuts  from  one  camera 
to  another,  most  superimpositions,  lap-dissolves  and  other  spe- 
cial camera  effects  were  done  by  electronic  switching  at  the 
order  of  the  director.  The  positioning  of  two  superimposed 
images,  for  example,  was  greatly  simplified  over  the  method 
used  by  motion  picture  studios  because  the  two  images — one 
from  each  of  two  cameras — were  clearly  seen  together  on  the 


1 86  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

screen  in  black  and  white,  and  it  was  a  simple  matter  to  adjust 
them  as  desired  before  filming.  Any  one  take,  even  when  all 
four  television  cameras  were  involved,  used  only  the  one  strip 
of  film  in  the  video-recording  camera. 

Instructions  from  the  director  to  the  people  on  the  set  were 
carried  via  small  intercom  telephone  head  sets,  which  were 
worn  by  almost  everyone  but  those  in  the  cast.  The  director 
stood  at  the  monitors  and  phoned  messages  to  the  cast  to  the 
assistant  director,  who  relayed  them  to  the  talent. 

Just  before  each  take  was  begun,  the  stage  manager  held  a 
large  movie  style  slate,  bearing  the  number  of  the  take,  before 
one  of  the  TV  cameras  to  identify  the  take  in  later  editing  of 
the  film.  Then,  at  the  director's  instruction,  the  video-record- 
ing director  switched  on  the  video-recording  camera  and  a 
sound  track  reproducer  which  played  the  musical  score  over 
loud  speakers.  The  slate  was  withdrawn  and  the  artists  before 
the  cameras  began  their  roles  as  they  heard  the  music. 

During  this  filming,  the  music  heard  in  the  auditorium  was 
picked  up  also  by  a  single  system  recording  galvanometer  in 
the  video-recording  camera.  This  sound  track  was  not  recorded 
for  reproduction  later  from  home  receiving  sets,  but  was  used 
merely  as  a  "cue  track"  to  aid  in  the  final  editing  of  the  film 
and  to  match  the  synchronized  cue  track  with  the  original 
master  sound  track. 

As  before  mentioned,  the  action  was  not  photographed  by 
ordinary  motion  picture  cameras,  as  a  movie  would  be  filmed, 
nor  telecast  "live."  The  merits  of  filmed  television  programs 
versus  live  ones  have  been  argued  as  long  as  television  broad- 
casting has  been  in  operation.  There  are  advantages  to  both 
systems,  but  either  would  have  been  too  costly  for  a  full  scale 
musical  program  like  the  Standard  Hour.  In  the  televised 
Standard  Hour,  the  advantages  of  live  and  filmed  shows  were 
combined  in  a  modified  kinescope  technique,  which  proved  to 
be  an  ideal  solution  to  Standard's  problem. 

The  actual  filming  of  the  Standard  Hour  was  done  on  the 
Palmerscope,  a  high-quality,  1 6-mm.  kinescope  recording  cam- 
era and  a  high-fidelity  i6-mm.  sound  track  that  produced 
pictorial  and  musical  quality  usually  found  only  on  35-mm. 
film.  This  modified  kinescope  system  of  making  films  for  tele- 
vision was  developed  by  William  Palmer  prior  to  and  during 


THE    STANDARD    HOUR ON    TV  187 

the  Standard  Hour  TV  show  in  August  of  1951.  Similar  sys- 
tems also  were  developed  independently  by  High  Definition 
Films,  Ltd.,  of  England,  and  the  NBC-TV  in  the  United 
States.  These  developments  have  been  given  a  great  deal  of 
publicity  as  the  most  practical  and  economical  method  of  pro- 
ducing films  for  television.  We  believe,  however,  that  the  first 
practical  use  of  this  system  for  the  making  of  films  that  actually 
were  telecast  was  in  the  making  and  telecasting  of  the  Standard 
Hour  TV  show. 

One  Standard  Hour  production  unit  was  completed  on  the 
average  of  every  three  weeks.  The  production  cost  for  the 
experimental  series  of  thirteen  jo-minute  films  ranged  between 
$20,000  and  $25,000  each.  This  included  everything  except 
station  time.  Telecasting  of  the  series  was  completed  on  sta- 
tions in  San  Francisco,  Los  Angeles,  San  Diego,  Phoenix,  Salt 
Lake  City  and  Seattle  during  October,  November  and  Decem- 
ber, 1952. 

Whether  the  Standard  Hour  on  TV  will  be  resumed  at 
some  future  time  will  depend  upon  a  thorough  appraisal  of 
public  reaction  and  other  factors.  A  total  of  more  than  5,000 
cards  and  letters  showed  a  strong  sentiment  in  favor  of  con- 
tinuance of  the  program.  Coincidental  telephone  surveys  dur- 
ing the  experimental  series  indicated  a  growing  audience  during 
the  thirteen  weeks  the  program  was  on  the  air. 

In  summary,  one  might  state  that  during  the  working  out 
of  this  TV  experiment,  a  quarter-century  era  in  the  cause  of  fine 
music  for  home  and  school  listening  was  completed  under  the 
sponsorship  of  the  Standard  Oil  Company  of  California.  It 
also  is  possible  that  a  pattern  was  set  for  another  era  in  which 
the  realm  of  the  visual  will  be  added  to  the  audible  presentation 
of  fine  music  of  all  kinds. 


BROADCASTING  IN  ORGANIZED  EDUCATION 


BROADCASTING  IN  EDUCATION 


BROADCASTING  IN  THE  SCHOOL 
PUBLIC  RELATIONS  PROGRAM 

ALLEN  H.  WETTER,1  Presiding 
WORK-STUDY  GROUP 

MR.  JOHN  F.  LOCKE  :2 

I  BELIEVE  THE  BEST  CONTRIBUTION  I  can  make  to  our  group 
thinking  on  the  assigned  topic  is  to  make  a  few  observations  about  the 
over-all  job  of  school  public  relations,  and  then  in  each  instance,  tie  those 
views  into  the  subject,  "The  Relation  of  Radio  and  Television  to  Other 
School  Public  Relations  Media." 

Basically,  we  are  considering  a  broad  topic.  We  could  all  learn  a 
great  deal  from  each  other  and  still  probably  lack  the  fundamental 
knowledge  and  insight  required  for  the  attainment  of  our  common 
objective,  which  is  an  understanding  among  all  people  of  the  role  and 
responsibility  of  public  education  for  maintaining,  preserving  and  im- 
proving our  American  way  of  life. 

Large  numbers  of  persons,  both  inside  and  outside  the  schools,  grossly 
misunderstand  the  purpose,  aims  and  tasks  of  public  relations  work. 
Public  relations  is  a  broad  concept.  Most  certainly  it  is  neither  a 
"publicity"  venture  nor  an  "entertainment"  program.  Quite  the  con- 
trary, in  my  opinion,  with  no  motive  except  progress  for  and  improve- 
ment of  our  American  way  of  life,  school  public  relations  is  the  co- 
operative development  and  maintenance  of  effective  two-way  channels 
of  information  and  understanding  between  a  school  system,  its  personnel 
and  the  community  it  serves.  Suffice  it  to  say,  the  use  of  radio  and 
television  are  but  two  dimensions  of  the  overall  job  of  school  public 
relations. 

1  Associate  Superintendent,  Philadelphia  Public  Schools,  Philadelphia. 

2  Director  of  Community  Relations,  Cincinnati  Public  Schools,  Cincinnati. 

191 


192  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Public  relations  in  public  education  has  come  of  age.  The  leaders 
of  our  local,  state,  departmental  and  national  associations,  and  large 
numbers  of  us,  both  teaching  and  non-teaching  employees,  have  finally 
discovered  something  as  old  as  time  itself.  Public  relations  is  everything 
we  say  and  do.  It  is  how  we  say  what  we  say,  and  how  we  do  what  we 
do,  in  all  our  relationships,  both  in  and  out  of  school.  It  is  our  human 
relationships  with  each  other  and  with  all  other  people,  both  children 
and  adults.  Call  it  by  any  name  you  please,  put  on  it  any  tag  you  want, 
the  "P"  stands  for  performance,  and  the  "R"  stands  for  recognition 
of  that  performance.  Radio  and  TV  are  media  through  which  this  can 
be  dramatized. 

To  me,  reduced  to  its  simplest  form,  school  public  relations  is  a 
"two-way  street"  program  of  school  and  community,  planning  and 
working  together  as  partners  for  one  thing — the  best  long  range  welfare 
of  young  people. 

By  media,  I  assume  we  mean  the  use  of  any  proper  medium  through 
which  it  is  possible  to  transmit  truthful  information  and  factual  knowledge 
to  the  end  that  all  persons — adults  and  children — better  understand 
that  schools  are  at  one  and  the  same  time  the  laboratories,  the  arsenals, 
and  the  citadels  of  democracy. 

Radio  and  TV  should  be  used  as  media  for  this  purpose.  A  message 
such  as  I  have  described,  however,  cannot  be  "put  across"  by  an  enter- 
tainment program.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  we  cannot  justify  the  production 
of  a  purely  entertainment  program.  We  can  justify,  however,  a  pro- 
gram that  helps  to  improve  understanding.  And  in  doing  that,  it  be- 
hooves us  to  use  techniques  that  will  entertain  as  well  as  inform.  To  do 
that  we  must  look  deeply  and  consider  the  receptivity  of  the  people 
at  the  receiving  end. 

It  is  ironic,  but  true,  that  for  too  long  a  time  you  and  I  conceived 
our  task  to  be  that  of  simply  teaching  children.  That  is  our  function. 
That  is  what  our  schools  are  for.  But  the  best  job  in  the  world,  if  done 
behind  closed  doors,  without  the  public  knowing  about  it,  cannot  long 
continue  to  be  done.  A  flow  of  knowledge,  like  the  flow  of  traffic, 
cannot  be  one  way  in  the  same  direction  all  the  time.  There  must  of 
necessity  be  "return  traffic." 

More  adequate  support  and  continued  improvement  of  good  schools 
will  result  if  pupils,  teachers,  parents  and  citizens  travel  the  same  street. 

Radio  and  TV  programs  are  a  proper  and  necessary  part  of  a  school 
public  relations  program.  They  are  a  way  for  the  school  system  to 
inform  the  people  what  is  going  on  in  their  institution. 

In  radio  and  TV  we  must  produce  not  "just  a  show"  but  a  "show 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  193 

with  showmanship."  The  program  should  be  a  life  situation,  so  that 
young  people  learn  the  lessons  of  team  work,  cooperation,  self-discipline, 
patience,  consideration,  tolerance  and  self-control. 

Schools  have  always  been  in  a  crossfire  of  conflicting  demands.  On 
the  one  hand,  they  are  supposed  to  perform  broad  social  functions.  On 
the  other  hand,  some  would  impose  narrow  educational  functions. 

In  spite  of  all  that  is  wrong  in  the  world  today,  the  education  of 
people  in  schools  has  made  possible  the  growth  of  this  great  nation.  They 
are  one  of  the  secrets  of  its  progress.  You  and  I  have  the  responsibility 
of  making  better  schools  to  train  better  citizens. 

Radio  and  TV  are  links  with  our  communities.  They  are  public 
relations  vehicles.  Our  use  of  radio  and  television  should  not  be  to 
entertain  the  public.  Instead,  it  is  to  help  them  understand  their  schools. 

I  am  of  the  opinion  that  variety  shows,  combining  good  speech, 
drama  and  music  with  the  kind  of  human  touches  that  young  people, 
retired  teachers  and  lay  readers  can  contribute  to  radio  and  television 
programs,  can  outweigh  in  appeal  the  entertainment  produced  by  many 
present  day  radio  and  television  programs. 
MR.  JOHN  L.  HUNT:S 

I  wish  to  speak  about  some  specific  programs  with  which  I  have  had 
personal  experience.  I  do  not  presume  that  this  material  will  be  new  to 
many  of  you,  but  at  least  it  will  be  specific. 

In  educational  programs  designed  to  interpret  to  the  public  the  basic 
goals  and  virtues  of  our  schools,  a  number  of  techniques  have  been  used. 
The  most  widely  used  approach  is  the  short  talk  and  the  interview.  An- 
other approach  is  that  in  which  we  show  off  the  best  product  of  our 
schools.  We  broadcast  an  especially  fine  musical  performance,  either 
instrumental  or  vocal.  We  demonstrate  how  our  students  are  dealing 
with  social  and  political  problems,  through  the  medium  of  the  town 
meeting  or  panel  discussion. 

I  would  imagine,  however,  that  the  skeptic  who  is  not  convinced  of 
the  school's  fine  quality  could  hardly  be  won  over  by  such  programs.  If 
we  are  going  to  reach  the  general  public  through  the  radio,  and  give  an 
interpretation  of  the  schools  that  will  have  a  good  public  relations  effect, 
I  feel  that  we  must  develop  the  type  of  programs  which  take  the  form  of 
honest  day-to-day  and  week-to-week  reporting.  We  need  to  use  the 
radio  to  keep  before  the  public  a  continuous  story  of  what  is  going  on  in 
the  schools.  In  Wilmington  we  use  two  types  of  programs  to  do  this  and 
have  found  them  quite  successful. 

On  Station  WDEL,  which  is  our  local  NBC  affiliate  station  with  the 

8  Coordinator  of  Public  Relations,  Wilmington  Public  Schools,  Wilmington,  Del. 


194  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

largest  listening  audience  in  the  Delaware  area,  there  is  a  "Musical 
Clock"  program  from  7  to  9  a.  m.  Four  mornings  each  week,  Tuesday 
through  Friday,  we  have  a  ten-minute  spot  on  this  program  called 
"School  Time."  First,  we  give  a  classical  or  semi-classical  musical  selec- 
tion. Next,  news  of  activities  in  the  schools.  Occasionally,  this  script  will 
include  a  humorous  or  human  interest  story.  The  announcing  is  done 
by  high  school  students.  Each  fall  and  early  spring,  we  hold  auditions, 
open  to  all  students.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  this  project. 
The  student  reporters  who  are  chosen  are  at  the  studio  between  7  to  7:15 
every  morning,  and  in  three  years  of  this  type  of  broadcasting  no  student 
has  ever  been  late. 

The  second  type  of  reporting  that  we  do  is  more  specifically  designed 
to  interpret,  or,  perhaps,  to  sell  education.  This  consists  of  a  weekly 
15-minute  broadcast  each  Saturday  morning  at  9  o'clock  over  WDEL 
entitled,  "Learning  to  Live."  These  programs  have  been  running  since 
the  fall  of  1949.  At  the  present  time  they  are  chiefly  on-the-spot  tape 
recorded  pickups. 

During  the  first  year,  we  tried  various  ideas  to  attract  attention.  On 
one  of  our  early  programs,  I  picked  up  a  number  of  sound  effects  in  a 
local  vocational  school.  The  announcer  tried  to  identify  them. 

Some  of  the  programs  built  up  a  great  deal  of  interest  and  we  had  a 
good  listening  audience.  As  time  went  on,  we  learned  that  we  did  not 
necessarily  need  to  be  clever  or  compete  with  professional  techniques.  At 
the  present  time,  all  of  our  "Learning  to  Live"  programs  take  the  form 
of  an  announcer  telling  about  various  things  that  are  going  on  in  the 
school.  This  spontaneous  and  unrehearsed  interview  is  the  heart  of  the 
series.  We  use  a  tape  recorder  and  go  into  many  different  places.  One 
interview  with  a  group  of  football  players  took  place  in  the  locker  room 
with  running  showers,  falling  shoes  and  general  locker  room  noises  as 
background.  Several  times  we  have  gone  into  music  rooms  and  recorded 
groups  in  rehearsal. 

The  documentary  nature  of  these  programs  gives  them  the  flavor  of 
honest  reporting.  If  mistakes  are  made  we  do  not  try  to  cover  them  up. 
We  are  demonstrating  a  process  of  learning,  rather  than  a  finished 
product.  Participants  in  the  program  may  make  minor  grammatical 
errors,  or  stumble  over  words,  but  we  feel  this  makes  for  authenticity 
and  we  just  go  ahead. 

There  are  two  things,  from  the  point  of  view  of  technique,  that  we 
feel  are  especially  important.  In  the  first  place,  such  a  series  should 
be  broadcast  at  a  regular  time.  In  our  series,  we  have  programs  during 
holidays,  just  so  the  unity  of  the  series  will  not  be  broken.  There  also 
is  some  advantage  in  having  a  regular  announcer  and  moderator  each 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  195 

time.  One  of  the  important  things  we  were  a  long  time  in  discovering 
is  that  this  type  of  program  should  be  done  with  the  very  finest  of 
equipment.  For  over  a  year,  most  of  our  programs  were  recorded  on  a 
small  home-type  machine.  The  quality  was  not  too  bad,  but  when  com- 
pared with  studio  quality  it  was  very  inferior.  Recently  we  obtained 
professional  tape  recording  equipment  and  technically  the  quality  of  the 
broadcasts  is  on  par  with  other  programs  on  the  air. 

OTHER  SPEAKERS 
Reported  By  MARTHA  A.  GABLE4 

MR.  VAUGHN  D.  SEIDEL:S 

School  programming  in  television  has  brought  together  stations  and 
educators,  community  agencies  and  industrial  organizations.  Some  of 
our  programs  are  planned  for  in-school  instruction.  Others  are  designed 
to  interpret  the  school  to  the  public.  In  any  event,  this  cooperative 
effort  has  resulted  in  fine  public  relations  for  the  schools. 

In  Alameda  County,  California,  time  was  given  on  one  station 
for  a  series  of  public  relations  programs.  Later,  another  station  began 
a  series,  "Partners  in  Progress"  in  which  industry  and  schools  portrayed 
the  relationship  of  training  in  school  to  preparation  for  a  career  in 
industry.  This  program  has  been  so  successful  that  it  has  been  moved 
to  prime  evening  time. 

Television  is  expensive,  but  the  possibilities  of  its  use  to  instruct  and 
inform  in  the  schools  stamp  it  as  a  medium  that  cannot  be  ignored. 
MR.  Louis  S.  WALKER:S 

We  have  had  some  interesting  and  valuable  experiences  in  the  brief 
time  that  we  have  used  television  in  the  Baltimore  public  schools  program. 

We  found  it  worthwhile  in  our  programming  to  feature  many  sub- 
jects in  the  curriculum  on  a  natural  classroom  setting.  We  also  broadcast 
meetings  of  the  Board  of  Education  with  school  administrators. 

As  a  result,  the  citizens  gained  a  new  sympathy  and  respect  for  school 
problems  and  functions.  Children  were  given  a  new  feeling  of  importance 
about  school  work.  Teachers  re-examined  teaching  methods  and  content. 

I  consider  this  as  real  public  relations,  made  possible  by  the  combined 
efforts  of  station,  schools  and  parents. 

SUMMARY  OF  CONCLUSIONS 

School  public  relations  must  be  planned  and  presented  through  every 
available  media.  It  is  a  part  of  everyone's  daily  job.  Radio  and  television 

4  Assistant  Director,  School-Community  Relations,  Philadelphia  Public  Schools,  Phil- 
adelphia, Pa. 

5  Superintendent,  Alameda  County  Schools,  Oakland,  Calif. 
9  Supervisor,  Audio-Visual  Education,  Baltimore,  Md. 


196  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

are  excellent  outlets  for  a  wide  variety  of  presentations  to  interpret  school 
activities,  policies  and  procedures.  In  order  that  programs  may  improve 
and  become  increasingly  effective,  schools  must  make  staffs  available  to 
plan  and  produce  programs.  Continuity  and  good  quality  are  imperative. 

BROADCASTING  ADULT  EDUCATION 

JOHN  P.   BARDEN,1  Presiding 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
Reported  By  MARY  JANE  LAGLER,2 

The  topic  for  discussion  was:  "Problems  Connected  with  the 
Telecasting  of  Educational  Programs  Planned  Especially  for  Adults." 
Dr.  John  P.  Barden,  Dean  of  the  School  of  Studies,  Western  Reserve 
University,  Cleveland,  opened  the  meeting  with  a  few  remarks  about 
adult  education  on  the  college  level,  and  the  part  that  universities  and 
colleges  are  taking  in  the  development  of  this  area  of  education. 

Dr.  Karl  F.  Lagler,  chairman  of  the  department  of  fisheries,  School 
of  Natural  Resources,  University  of  Michigan,  was  the  first  speaker. 
He  taught  the  first  "telecourse"  to  be  offered  by  the  University  of 
Michigan,  and  he  gave  some  of  his  conclusions  from  the  experience. 

He  said  that  he  was  quite  conscious  of  the  lack  of  a  live  audience 
and  found  he  must  put  forth  more  effort  in  his  teaching  on  TV.  The 
teacher  should  be  something  of  an  actor,  in  addition  to  a  good  public 
speaker,  and  must  learn  to  employ  many  devices  and  props  to  make  his 
course  material  interesting  and  informative. 

Some  of  the  things  learned  on  television  can  help  to  make  the 
teacher  more  effective  in  the  classroom.  He  discovered  that  the  limita- 
tions of  the  TV  stage  and  props  made  the  teacher  acutely  conscious  of 
the  necessity  for  giving  of  himself  to  the  fullest  possible  extent. 

He  said  that  a  well-planned  program  and  serious  rehearsals  arc 
essential  if  the  air  time  and  expense  are  to  be  fully  justified. 

Dr.  Lagler  expressed  the  opinion  that  the  average  professor  who 
is  participating  in  television  is  performing  a  valuable  service  to  his  institu- 
tion "in  the  present  stage  of  TV  educational  development."  However, 
in  most  instances,  the  remuneration  is  not  commensurate  with  the  time 
and  energy  it  takes  to  teach  a  good  course  on  television. 

Mr.  John  McSharry,  director  of  the  adult  education  department  in 

1  Dean,  School  of  Studies,  Western  Reserve  University,  Cleveland. 

3  Institute  of  Human  Biology,  University  of  Michigan,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  197 

the  public  schools  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  spoke  next  about  the  competition 
between  local  and  national  programs.  He  based  his  remarks  chiefly  upon 
the  experiences  at  Station  WATU,  Newark,  where  a  comprehensive 
program  of  adult  education  is  conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the  public 
schools.  Station  WATU  often  finds  itself  in  competition  with  programs 
of  the  large  network  stations  in  metropolitan  New  York  City. 

He  said  it  was  his  conviction  that  local  stations  have  an  opportunity 
to  meet  the  need  for  good  local  programs  that  will  provide  entertainment 
and  information  for  those  who  do  not  care  for  certain  network  offer- 
ings. 

Local  stations,  such  as  WATU,  have  a  greater  flexibility  in  their 
programming,  he  said,  and  provide  an  excellent  outlet  for  all  types 
of  community  needs  and  interests.  The  local  station  provides  an  outlet 
for  community  resources  that  would  not  find  expression  otherwise. 

It  was  his  opinion  that  local  stations  permit  greater  freedom  of  speech 
and  thought,  and  a  wider  latitude  in  news  presentation  than  is  possible 
on  a  network  station. 

Many  local  stations  have  serious  budgetary  problems  and  often 
suffer  from  a  dearth  of  talent.  Most  programs  at  present  are  not  at 
a  college  level,  although  adult  education  is  considered  to  be  the  best 
possible  form  of  public  relations. 

Mr.  McSharry  said  that  the  majority  of  the  present  adult  education 
programs  do  not  reach  the  voting  public  and  the  taxpayer  and  he 
thought  a  more  popular  level  should  be  sought. 

Dr.  Barden  expressed  the  opinion  that  there  need  be  no  competition 
between  programs  aimed  at  both  the  college  level  and  more  popular 
levels  since  "there  is  room  for  both."  He  discussed  briefly  the  program 
of  education  by  television  as  conducted  by  Western  Reserve  University. 
Although  new  and  reflecting  certain  weaknesses,  this  program  is  believed 
to  be  academically  sound  and  to  present  worthwhile  adult  education. 

Western  Reserve,  through  Station  WEWS,  Cleveland,  presents  a 
daily  morning  half-hour  program  starting  at  9  o'clock.  During  the  past 
year,  six  courses  were  offered  with  a  total  paid  enrollment  of  1,259 
persons.  The  estimated  audience  ranges  from  25,000  to  75,000  per- 
sons, the  majority  of  them  women.  College  credit  is  offered  upon 
satisfying  academic  requirements  and  registration  fees  are  the  same  as 
those  paid  on  the  campus  for  identical  courses. 

Station  WEWS  has  assumed  most  of  the  cost  of  the  program,  which 
is  approximately  $13,000  for  a  13-weeks  course.  The  university  pro- 
vides a  syllabus  prepared  by  the  teacher  of  the  course  on  television. 

At  Western  Reserve,  the  TV  professor  is  paid  twice  the  hourly  rate 


198  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

for  classroom  instruction.  He  is  responsible  for  all  the  props  and  other 
teaching  aids  that  he  may  care  to  use.  There  are  no  planned  programs 
and  no  formal  rehearsals  other  than  a  one-hour  rehearsal  for  the 
professor. 

A  general  discussion,  with  the  audience  participating,  followed 
Chairman  Barden's  presentation.  The  following  observations  were 
made: 

1.  Thirty  minutes  a  day  seems  to  be  the  optimum  unit  of  time  for 
a  television  course  although  a  few  one-hour  radio  courses  have  been 
successful. 

2.  The  most  important  factor  for  a  good  TV  course  is  the  professor. 
The  best  teacher  should  be  selected  for  any  given  course  and  hired  to 
teach  by  TV,  even  though  it  might  be  necessary  to  relieve  him  of  other 
university  duties  during  that  time. 

3.  Because  of  the  limited  amount  of  TV  talent  among  the  teachers, 
the  TV  instructor  should  receive  optimum  pay. 

4.  One  of  the  urgent  needs  under  present  teaching  plans  is  for 
capable  and  adequate  help  to  assemble  information  and  write  first  drafts 
of  all  material  to  be  mailed  out,  as  well  as  the  program  itself. 

5.  Commercial  support  of  educational  programs  should  be  encour- 
aged.   Such  organizations  as  the  Ford  Foundation  might  be  possible 
sources  of  aid. 

6.  The  principal  weakness  of  educational  programs  now  put  on  by 
colleges  and  universities  lies  in  the  area  of  production.    The  help  of 
professional  studios  is  needed. 

7.  Anything  that  can  be  taught  in  the  classroom  can  be  taught  on 
TV  with  the  proper  preparation  and  selection  of  visual  aids. 

SCHOOL  BROADCASTING 

ALVIN  M.  GA1NES,1  Presiding 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
Reported  by  MRS.  DOROTHY  KLOCK2 

Each  participant  in  this  discussion  was  asked  to  summarize  the 
operation  of  the  educational  radio  station  which  he  represented.  Each 
speaker  contributed  information  to  help  answer  the  question,  "How  can 
school  broadcasters  justify  their  operations?" 

1  Program  Director,  Station  WABE-FM,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

2  Program  Supervisor,  Station  WNYE,  New  York  City. 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  199 

Miss  RUTH  FOLTZ  :3 

We  consider  Station  WBOE,  in  Cleveland,  as  a  service  agency, 
broadcasting  what  the  various  divisions  of  the  school  system  want  to 
hear.  The  programs  are  "sponsored"  by  these  divisions.  We  pro- 
gramme on  the  assumption  that  the  division  administrators  know  best 
what  the  teachers  want. 

For  each  WBOE  school  series,  the  supervisor  selects  a  planning 
committee  of  teachers.  They  discuss  the  project  and  make  recommen- 
dations to  the  WBOE  supervisor.  While  the  final  decision  is  made  by 
the  station  staff,  it  is  a  cooperative  effort.  The  promotion  of  the  series 
involves  everyone  in  the  division  and  this  arrangement  brings  greater 
utilization  of  the  program. 

Sometimes  we  think  of  the  programming  on  WBOE  as  being  of 
three  major  types:  I.  that  designed  to  supplement  classroom  teaching; 
2.  that  used  in  connection  with  large-scale  testing  in  the  schools,  fol- 
lowing standard  intelligence  and  aptitude  tests;  and,  3.  broadcasting  of 
special  events,  such  as  teachers'  meetings. 

Station  WBOE  produces  most  of  its  programs  for  specific  grade 
levels.  This  means  smaller  audiences,  but  the  station  believes  it  is  the 
most  effective  programming  since  it  is  aimed  at  a  particular  area. 

On  our  staff  in  Cleveland  we  have  six  technicians,  three  clerks  and 
twelve  full-time  program  writers  and  directors.  We  also  have  one  per- 
son who  devotes  half-time  to  programming. 

Miss  MARGUERITE  FLEMING:* 

Station  KSLH,  in  St.  Louis,  is  patterned  a  good  deal  after  Station 
WNYE,  in  New  York  City.  We  aim  to  serve  organized  classroom 
needs.  We  are  continually  striving  to  meet  the  high  standards  that  were 
inaugurated  when  the  station  was  established.  The  station  is  growing  in 
its  influence  due  to  the  increasing  support  of  the  teachers. 

In  setting  up  the  station,  major  emphasis  was  placed  on  securing  the 
best  teachers  possible.  The  staff  actually  is  a  part  of  the  audio- visual 
development  in  the  St.  Louis  schools  and  as  such  has  maintained  the 
good  will  earned  by  the  Audio- Visual  Department  over  a  period  of 
forty  years. 

We  consider  it  very  valuable  for  our  staff  members  to  visit  in  the 
classroom.  The  station  frequently  conducts  demonstrations  of  program 
utilization  at  all  four  school  levels.  There  is  a  planning  committee  at 
work  on  each  level. 

Our  station  follows  a  plan  of  broadcasting  experimental  programs 

8  Program  Coordinator,  Station  WBOE,  Cleveland. 
*  Director,  Station  KSLH,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


2OO  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

each  spring.  If  these  prove  to  be  worthwhile,  the  programs  become  a 
part  of  the  regular  fall  schedule.  Courses  of  study  in  several  subject 
areas  are  incorporated  each  year  into  the  KSLH  manual. 

MR.  HARRY  D.  LAMB:S 

Station  WTDS,  of  Toledo,  Ohio,  has  been  able  to  broadcast  an 
extensive  program  on  a  budget  of  only  $32,000  annually  because  it  uses 
students  in  virtually  all  phases  of  its  programming  and  operation. 

Our  student  script  classes  do  most  of  the  writing  of  dramatic  pro- 
grams and  all  of  the  station  continuity.  The  station  has  three  full  time 
program  staff  members  and  one  engineer,  but  in  the  course  of  the  aver- 
age year  we  use  the  services  of  some  450  students.  The  station  has 
offered  courses  in  script  writing  since  1944,  and  in  production  since 
the  fall  of  1948. 

During  the  1951-52  school  year,  we  had  twenty-two  basic  pro- 
grams per  week.  Many  of  these  programs  came  from  outside  sources. 
As  a  standard  practice,  we  offered  programs  on  safety  and  story  telling. 
We  emphasize  the  dramatic  serial  on  our  station.  For  example,  one 
story  by  Lois  Lensky  had  twenty-two  episodes. 

MRS.  KATHLEEN  LARDIE  :6 

While  Station  WDTR  began  operations  only  four  years  ago,  the 
Detroit  Board  of  Education  had  had  fifteen  years  of  broadcasting  ex- 
perience on  commercial  stations.  It  is  interesting  to  know  that  we  still 
broadcast  six  programs  each  week  on  commercial  stations,  and  we  also 
have  one  hour  a  week  on  television. 

We  feel  that  the  key  to  the  successful  operation  of  WDTR  is  partic- 
ipation, both  within  and  without  the  school  system.  The  station  is  a  part 
of  the  Department  of  Instruction.  Station  personnel  often  propose  pro- 
grams to  the  department.  There  are  ten  people  on  the  program  staff 
plus  six  volunteer  assistants. 

One  of  our  most  successful  programs  has  been  the  "Music  Box" 
broadcast  during  the  school  lunch  hour.  Teachers  from  the  various 
schools  have  done  the  planning  of  this  program,  and  their  participation 
has  helped  to  promote  interest  in  the  broadcast. 

We  make  good  use  of  classroom  check  lists  in  evaluating  our  pro- 
grams. The  station  maintains  a  script  exchange,  and  last  year  nearly 
2,OOO  different  scripts  were  available.  The  WDTR  student  workshop 
holds  an  audition  every  Wednesday  and  a  regular  rehearsal  each  Satur- 
day. We  are  fortunate  in  the  matter  of  facilities.  We  have  several 

6  Director,  Station  WTDS,  Toledo,  O. 
8  Manager,  Station  WDTR,  Detroit. 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  2OI 

studios,  one  of  which  includes  accommodations  for  an  audience  of  two 
hundred  persons  and  we  have  a  good  turnout  for  some  of  the  programs. 

MRS.  MARGARET  C.  TYLER :7 

The  Ohio  School  of  the  Air,  broadcast  over  Station  WOSU,  is  a 
teaching  arm  of  the  Ohio  State  University  College  of  Education.  Fac- 
ulty members  from  the  college  make  up  the  staff  of  our  School  of  the 
Air.  They  are  credited  for  the  time  they  spend  at  WOSU,  and  some 
times  the  work  is  considered  a  part  of  their  instruction  program. 

Educational  broadcasters  should  bear  in  mind  that  their  young  lis- 
teners are  accustomed  to  excellent  productions.  As  far  as  possible,  high 
production  standards  should  be  observed. 

We  follow  a  policy  of  encouraging  classroom  visiting  by  student 
teachers  and  by  staff  members,  and  also  considerable  program  evaluation. 

We  have  the  advantage  of  planning  our  programs  with  the  aid  of 
people  who  know  their  field  of  specialization  and  who  also  know  chil- 
dren. Our  station  also  is  a  laboratory  for  students  in  radio  acting, 
writing  and  production. 

The  Ohio  School  of  the  Air  does  not  define  its  work  in  terms  of  a 
prescribed  curriculum.  It  tries  to  do  what  the  teacher  cannot  do  within 
the  limitations  of  the  classroom,  and  it  tries  to  serve  the  entire  state. 

MR.  MURRAY  R.  YAEGER:S 

Station  KVOF  has  been  on  the  air  only  two  years  in  El  Paso,  Texas. 
I  believe  that  so  far  I  am  the  only  radio  supervisor  in  Texas.  El  Paso  is 
the  only  city  in  the  state  with  radio  and  visual  education  in  separate 
departments. 

The  Junior  League  of  El  Paso  made  a  real  contribution  to  the  station 
by  conducting  a  survey  among  the  schools,  asking  pupils  and  teachers  for 
frank  opinions  on  the  value  of  different  programs.    As  a  result  of  this 
survey,  the  station  programming  has  been  strengthened  considerably. 
MRS.  KLOCK: 

In  New  York  City  we  have  the  unusual  situation  of  a  city  owning 
and  operating  two  stations  in  the  public  service,  Stations  WNYE  and 
WNYC,  the  latter  the  municipal  AM  station.  Each  station  must  justify 
the  expenditure  of  money  that  keeps  it  on  the  air. 

Station  WNYE  broadcasts  programs  for  in-school  use,  five  hours 
per  day,  and  these  reach  all  age  levels  in  the  school  system. 

Our  station  cooperates  with  many  agencies,  both  within  and  outside 
of  the  Board  of  Education,  in  presenting  programs  of  public  interest  and 

7  Supervisor,  Ohio  School  of  the  Air,  Station  WOSU,  Columbus. 

8  Supervisor,  Station  KVOF,  El  Paso,  Texas. 


2O2  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

service.  One  of  the  more  unusual  programs  broadcast  during  the  last 
year  was  called,  "Let's  Speak  American."  This  was  designed  to  supple- 
ment instruction  in  citizenship  and  the  English  language  as  offered  in 
elementary  education  classes  for  adults  in  evening  school. 

Most  of  our  program  series  originate  with  the  station  staff.  How- 
ever, none  is  broadcast  without  the  approval  of  the  educational  leaders 
in  that  specific  division. 

SUMMARY 

In  the  general  discussion  that  followed  the  short  talks,  several  school 
administrators  spoke.  They  said  that  teachers  should  encourage  admin- 
istrators to  attend  the  Institute  in  order  to  hear  about  the  fine  job  that 
some  schools  are  doing  in  radio  and  television.  Broadcasting  can  help  the 
schools  do  a  better  job  of  educating  their  pupils,  but  the  administrators, 
who  "control  the  purse  strings,"  have  to  be  convinced  of  that  fact  first. 


THE  HIGH  SCHOOL  WORKSHOPS 
IN  RADIO  AND  TELEVISION 

WILLIAM  D.   BOUTWELL,1  Presiding 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
Reported  By  MISS  OLIVE  McHUGH2 

IT  is  AN  ASTOUNDING  FACT  that  more  than  1,500  high  schools  are 
now  engaged  in  producing  radio  programs  that  are  broadcast  over  nearly 
all  of  the  3,000  radio  stations  in  the  United  States.  In  a  few  high 
schools,  the  students  are  working  with  television. 

As  these  activities  have  increased,  Scholastic  magazines  sought  some 
central  organization  to  act  as  a  clearing  house  for  the  exchange  of  new 
ideas.  It  has,  therefore,  reactivated  and  reorganized  the  National  Scho- 
lastic Radio  Guild.  For  high  school  students  active  in  radio  and  tele- 
vision, NSRG  provides  national  organizational  advantages  similar  to 
those  of  Quill  and  Scroll,  in  journalism,  and  of  the  National  Thespian 
Dramatic  Society. 

At  the  present  time,  NSRG  is  providing  members  with  four  to  eight 
scripts  per  year,  especially  selected  for  student  production.  It  supplies 
materials  to  help  in  the  organization  of  workshop  groups.  Group  cer- 
tificates, pins  and  individual  membership  cards  for  students  are  available. 

1  Editor,  Scholastic  Teacher  Magazine,  New  York  City. 
3  Radio  Consultant,  Public  Schools,  Toledo,  O. 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  2O3 

All  members  receive  the  NSRG  quarterly,  the  High  School  Workshop, 
dealing  with  up-to-the-minute  school  activities  in  radio  and  TV,  as  well 
as  a  free  subscription  to  Scholastic  Teacher,  with  its  suggestions  each 
month  on  programs  and  equipment.  Other  packets  of  useful  materials 
are  sent  out  four  times  each  year. 

Membership  in  the  National  Scholastic  Radio  Guild  is  open  to  any 
school,  guild,  workshop,  or  class  actively  interested  in  radio  or  television. 
Already  there  are  137  member  workshops  enrolled.   The  goal  is  500. 
MR.  WARD  W.  KONKLE:S 

The  National  Scholastic  Radio  Guild  was  originally  founded  in  1940 
by  Scholastic  magazine.  It  became  inactive  for  a  few  years  but  was 
reactivated  in  1950,  and  since  that  time  has  been  active  and  useful. 

The  Wooster  high  school  radio  workshop  has  been  affiliated  with  the 
National  Scholastic  Radio  Guild  since  its  beginning  two  years  ago.  The 
school  is  a  Class  A  high  school  with  an  enrollment  of  more  than  1,000 
students. 

Our  particular  unit  functions  as  an  extra  curricular  activity.  It  is 
organized  along  the  lines  of  a  commercial  radio  station,  with  students 
assuming  the  roles  of  head  of  continuity,  music,  chief  announcer,  etc. 
The  group  is  responsible  for  three  radio  programs  produced  weekly  over 
local  stations.  Monday  there  is  an  adult  education  program;  Wednes- 
day, music  appreciation;  Friday,  a  variety  show,  combining  education 
and  fun.  Members  of  the  workshop  do  all  announcing  over  the  school 
public  address  system,  as  well  as  all  sports  announcing  at  football  games. 

There  is  a  real  place  for  the  radio  workshop  in  education.  It  can  be 
of  utmost  service  to  the  school.  The  field  of  education  is  not  complete 
for  a  boy  or  girl  unless  he  participates  in  extra  curricular  activities.  The 
radio  workshop  offers  opportunity  for  a  variety  of  skills  and  talents.  To 
the  student,  the  interest  in  the  vocational  aspect  of  the  radio  workshop  is 
important.  Each  year  we  are  able  to  place  students  who  have  had  the 
training  and  experience  that  the  workshop  affords. 

The  place  of  the  high  school  radio  program  in  community  and  public 
relations  should  not  be  disregarded.  On  occasion,  it  has  served  to  open 
up  the  purse  strings  for  educational  improvements.  Next  to  the  class- 
room, the  high  school  radio  workshop  offers  the  best  means  of  selling  to 
the  public,  the  job  we  are  doing  in  the  schools.  Our  schools  will  face  a 
serious  crisis  in  the  next  five  years  because  of  increased  enrollments.  At 
that  time,  we'll  need  more  support  than  we've  ever  had  before,  and  any 
educator  ought  to  know  that  to  get  that  support,  he  needs  to  establish 

8  Teacher,  Wooster  High  School,  Wooster,  O. 


2O4  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

good  community  relations.  As  I  see  it,  the  high  school  radio  workshop 
with  an  air  outlet  is  one  of  the  finest  ways  to  build  up  the  good  will 
necessary  to  get  the  community  to  thinking  about  its  schools. 

MR.  GEORGE  C.  JOHNSON:* 

When  writing  for  your  educational  broadcasting  program  remember 
that  no  one  knows  your  community  as  well  as  you  do.  You  are  in  the 
best  position  to  write  the  things  that  will  have  the  greatest  worth  within 
the  community.  The  ability  to  sustain  emotion  comes  with  maturity. 
High  school  students  can  sustain  emotions  for  only  a  short  period  of  time. 
Unless  you  have  young  actors  trained  in  the  use  of  dialect  don't  write  in 
dialect.  Write  for  the  technical  facilities  which  you  have. 

A  radio  program  is  good  because  the  writing  is  good. '  If  you  need  a 
line  that  can  be  yelled,  or  one  that  can  be  whispered,  write  words  with 
sounds  that  can  be  yelled  or  whispered.  Plan  to  use  variety  shows  at  least 
as  often  as  you  do  dramatic  shows.  These  let  more  students  have  an 
opportunity  before  the  mike,  and,  of  necessity,  they  add  greater  variety 
to  your  program. 

I  have  a  feeling  that  the  most  important  element  in  any  school  pro- 
gram is  the  teacher.  Do  not  forget  this  in  planning  and  writing.  Intro- 
duce the  teacher.  Write  him  or  her  into  the  script. 

SISTER  M.  ROSA  LIE  :r> 

Twelve  years  ago,  forty-seven  high  schools  of  the  Pittsburgh  diocese 
formed  a  Federation  of  Catholic  high  schools.  They  organized  within 
this  federation  several  honor  societies.  The  present  radio  school  grew 
from  the  English  honor  society  and  this  year  when  the  Federation  Bul- 
letin was  published  the  radio  school  was,  in  its  own  right,  one  of  the 
honor  groups. 

Facilities  of  the  radio  school  include  six  rooms  and  an  office.  There 
is  a  student  lounge,  assembly  room  for  audience  participation  programs, 
continuity  room,  library,  and  studios. 

The  entire  idea  is  a  student  project.  When  it  was  once  decided  to 
organize  the  Federation  radio  school,  we  bought  the  equipment  of  a 
recording  company  that  was  going  out  of  business.  The  boys,  them- 
selves, tore  down  the  equipment  and  hauled  it  to  our  radio  quarters. 
We  now  boast  two  Presto  recorders,  two  sound  trucks — double  pan- 
eled— three  microphones,  and  two  pianos. 

The  school  operates  all  day  Saturday.  A  student  staff  operates  the 
station.  The  chief  engineer  is  a  high  school  sophomore.  So  is  the  pro- 

4  Director,  Educational  Radio  Programs,  Indiana  University,  Bloomington,  Ind. 

5  Director,  Federation  Radio  School,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  2OJ 

duction  manager.  Students  themselves  do  the  teaching.  Some  have  had 
experience,  through  attending  the  high  school  drama  workshop  at  North- 
western University.  The  production  class  of  twenty  students  uses  Bar- 
nouw's  "Handbook  of  Radio  Writing"  as  a  text.  The  announcing  class 
is  taught  by  a  junior  boy  who  does  a  news  show  once  a  week. 

We  try  to  emphasize  two  things  in  the  Federation  radio  school:  It 
exists  for  the  students;  it  can  be  and  is  adjusted  to  suit  the  needs  of  the 
students  themselves.  Our  policy  is  to  attract  and  to  distract.  We  always 
try  to  stress  the  idea  behind  our  programs. 

On  Tuesday  we  have  a  dramatic  show.  Wednesday,  during  the 
first  semester,  we  had  a  disc  jockey  show.  Students  polled  the  high 
schools  for  the  three  top  tunes  of  the  week.  Our  Thursday  show  has 
brought  the  greatest  response.  We  call  it  "Teens  Talk."  It  deals  with 
problems  of  greatest  interest  to  the  students.  The  host  or  hostess  is  a 
student,  a  different  one  each  week,  for  we  make  it  a  policy  to  change 
regularly.  Sometimes  they  interview  a  teacher,  a  sports  announcer  from 
a  local  radio  station,  or  a  home  economist  from  a  college.  Friday  we 
have  a  news  show.  This  is  a  good  type  of  show  for  it  brings  together 
fifty  high  schools. 

On  Saturday,  120  students  from  all  parts  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh 
come  to  the  school.  They  bring  their  lunches  and  stay  all  day.  Through 
their  work,  the  students  are  learning  evaluation  as  well  as  the  techniques 
of  writing  and  producing  radio  programs. 

MlSS  LORAYNE  G.  PALARINE:6 

The  challenge  of  the  radio  workshop  lies  in  its  constant  change.  If 
we  are  to  put  on  good  shows,  we  must  have  the  best  possible  equipment 
within  our  reach,  and  we  must  continuously  have  the  support  of  trained 
teachers. 

In  St.  Paul,  we  have  constant  in-service  training  of  teachers.  There 
are  ten  high  schools  in  the  school  system.  Each  has  from  three  to  five 
speech  classes.  Students  in  these  classes  are  not  only  permitted  to  use  the 
radio  equipment  but  are  encouraged  to  do  so.  Each  of  the  high  schools 
is  equipped  with  a  radio  studio.  Experience  has  shown  us  the  things  we 
lack.  We  now  realize  the  need  of  smaller  testing  rooms,  where  small 
groups  could  listen  to  recordings  and  report  back  to  the  class.  Ideally, 
we  feel  that  every  student  should  have  his  own  tape. 

Over  local  stations,  we  are  currently  doing  two  dramatic  shows,  one 
of  them  for  little  folks.  Over  Station  KUOM,  we  have  five  radio  shows, 
and  also  are  doing  two  television  shows  weekly.  Listening  in  the  ele- 

*  Supervisor,  Radio-TV  Education,  St.  Paul  public  schools,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 


2O6  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

mentary  schools  is  pretty  well  assured,  for  at  the  elementary  level,  every 
classroom  has  been  provided  with  a  radio.  Most  of  these  have  been 
presented  to  the  schools  by  the  Parent-Teacher  Associations. 

Tapes  for  teaching,  a  service  from  the  Minnesota  Education  Asso- 
ciation, is  gaining  widespread  use  in  the  St.  Paul  public  schools.  The 
recordings  are  made  at  the  University  from  a  list  of  selected  programs. 
Teachers  are  able  to  request  programs  they  wish  recorded.  Students  are 
gaming  much  through  the  use  of  the  tapes.  They  are  learning  to  listen, 
to  analyze  and  to  compare. 

MRS.  GERTRUDE  G.  BRODERICK  :7 

The  U.  S.  Office  of  Education  operates  a  script  and  transcription 
library  service.  More  than  1,000  radio  scripts  are  available  for  distribu- 
tion on  loan.  Recordings  may  be  had  on  the  same  basis  without  cost 
except  for  the  return  mail  charges.  A  few  recordings  may  be  purchased 
outright  by  schools.  A  radio  script  catalog,  and  one  for  the  transcription 
service,  are  available.  Television  scripts  as  yet  are  available  for  reference 
purposes  only. 

There  are  several  excellent  sources  of  educational  radio  scripts. 
These  include  the  Association  of  Junior  Leagues,  the  Girl  Scouts,  the 
National  Safety  Council,  which  has  three  series  on  safety,  the  National 
Mental  Health  Foundation,  which  has  ten  excellent  radio  plays  avail- 
able, the  Community  Chest,  and  the  National  Scholastic  Radio  Guild. 

The  Federal  Security  Agency  is  issuing  a  new  radio  and  television 
bibliography  presently.   This  will  be  available  to  you  upon  request.    We 
want  you  to  make  use  of  our  services. 
MR.  ROBERT  C.  SCHIMMEL:S 

Our  problem  in  Boston  is  that,  without  a  school-owned  station,  we 
must  do  all  of  our  broadcasting  over  local  commercial  stations.  These 
stations  objected  to  the  rotating  system  of  shows,  in  which  individual 
schools  were  responsible  for  a  given  week's  production.  The  only  solu- 
tion was  a  central  radio  workshop,  which  we  now  have.  It  is  composed 
of  thirty-five  students  selected  from  the  various  schools.  These  students 
are  trained  in  basic  principles  of  broadcasting  at  the  high  school  level. 
Their  goal  is  always  to  be  chosen  to  serve  on  the  central  radio  workshop 
staff. 

Our  chief  problems  are  research  and  time,  as  well  as  the  fact  that 
there  is  just  one  person  in  charge  of  all  of  the  broadcast  activities.  I  am 
that  person.  In  spite  of  these  problems,  we  are  on  the  air  with  five 

7  Radio-Television  Education  Specialist.  U.  S.  Office  of  Education,  Washington,  D.  C. 

8  Radio  Coordinator,  Boston  public  schools,  Boston,  Mass. 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION 

programs  weekly.    Our  audience  is  not  a  captive  audience  since  our 
broadcast  time  is  between  6  and  9  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

We  aim  for  professional  quality  in  presenting  even  our  dramatic 
shows.    We  are  not  doing  any  television  shows,  but  when  the  time 
comes,  we  will  be  ready  for  them. 
Miss  FLORENCE  C.  MCCARTHY  :9 

Like  Mr.  Schimmel,  I  am  the  radio  staff  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  Our 
Proctor  high  school  radio  workshop,  in  addition  to  handling  all  public 
address  announcements  and  programs,  provides  the  cast  for  our  five 
15-minute  weekly  programs  for  the  elementary  school.  These  programs 
include  a  primary  series,  an  art  series,  and  a  safety  series. 

There  are  two  aspects  in  which  we,  perhaps,  differ  from  the  other 
high  school  workshops  described  here.  Other  classes  come  to  our  work- 
shop for  assistance.  For  example,  a  journalism  class,  asked  to  do  some 
newscasting,  came  to  us  for  help.  We  taught  the  students  how  to  edit 
and  how  to  produce  the  program.  Their  class  in  journalism  instructed 
them  on  how  to  write.  One  of  the  coaches  asked  us  to  help  by  training 
students  to  announce  scores  at  games  and  sports  events. 

A  second  way  in  which  our  set-up  seems  to  differ  is  in  the  coopera- 
tion we  enjoy  from  the  educational  producer  at  the  local  commercial 
station.  Station  WIBX  operates  a  radio  workshop.  Members  are 
secured  by  careful  screening  in  the  high  school  radio  workshop. 

As  to  television,  we  have  done  very  little.  We  have  only  one  TV 
station  with  a  single  camera.  We  have  done  a  few  panels  and  quiz 
shows,  but  that  is  all. 


CLINIC  FOR  EDUCATIONAL  STATIONS 

GRAYDON  AUSMUS,1  Presiding 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
Reported  By  MISS  LUCILLE  RUBY2 

THE  OPENING  TALK  OF  THE  SESSION  was  given  by  Mr.  Allan 
Miller,  manager  of  Station  KWSC,  Washington  State  College,  Pull- 
man, Wash.,  on  the  subject,  "Philosophy  for  Educational  Station  Oper- 
ation." He  expressed  the  opinion  that  no  single  clear-cut  philosophy  is 

9  Director,  Audio  Education,  Utica  public  schools,  Utica,  N.  Y. 

1  Vice-President,  NAEB;  Director  of  Radio,  University  of  Alabama. 

8  Acting  Director,  Station  WLSU,  Louisiana  State  University,  Baton  Rouge,  La. 


2O8  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

possible  or  desirable,  for  the  range  of  institutions  is  too  wide  for  a  com- 
mon philosophy.  He  said  the  philosophy  of  each  organization  comes  out 
of  the  philosophy  of  the  institution  itself.  It  must  stem  from  the  people 
it  tries  to  serve.  There  are  geographical  and  regional  differences  and 
differences  in  people.  In  metropolitan  areas,  the  listening  audience  may 
be  more  specialized,  while  in  Western  areas  the  audience  is  more 
diversified. 

But  all  educational  stations  have  certain  patterns  in  common.  Each 
has  to  justify  its  operation  in  more  specific  terms  than  "in  the  public 
interest."  All  have  in  common  clear-cut  objectives  to  inform,  educate, 
provide  cultural  advantages  and  experiment  in  programming  possibilities. 
Each  must  have  imagination  and  dedication  to  this  purpose.  Each  must 
recognize  the  unusual  necessity  to  understand  the  needs  and  assess  the 
program  potential  of  the  community  and  put  the  two  together. 

The  second  speaker  was  Mr.  John  Dunn,  manager  of  Station 
WNAD,  University  of  Oklahoma,  Norman,  Okla.  His  topic  was, 
"Promotion  and  Publicity."  He  declared  that  what  we  have  to  fear 
most  is  ourselves.  We  are  the  worst  enemies  of  educational  broadcasting. 
We  are  hiding  educational  broadcasting  under  a  tub.  We  are  too  modest 
when  we  have  much  to  offer.  We  can't  do  too  much  in  promotion  and 
public  relations.  We  must  sell  educational  radio  to  our  own  station 
staff,  so  there  will  be  no  enemies  within  our  ranks. 

We  must  sell  the  administrative  staff  and  the  rank  and  file  of  our 
own  institutions  on  educational  radio.  It  is  a  long  process,  but  their 
solid  support  is  necessary.  Every  man  going  out  from  the  institution 
can  be  a  public  relations  person.  We  must  be  of  service  in  airing  impor- 
tant events  in  which  they  are  interested. 

A  personal  contact  with  the  faculty  can  be  maintained  through  hold- 
ing open  house  at  least  once  a  year.  Identify  yourselves  by  call  letters 
and  frequency  at  every  opportunity.  Every  letter  going  out  from  the 
University  of  Oklahoma  has  a  WNAD  stamp  put  on  by  the  postage 
meter. 

Mr.  James  F.  Macandrew,  director  of  Station  WNYE,  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  discussed  some  operation  problems.  He  said  that  one  of  the  main 
problems  is  to  provide  the  best  program  service  possible  to  the  largest 
audience  "with  what  we  have  to  work  with."  He  added,  "We  can 
succeed  on  a  minimum  budget  if  we  have  an  enthusiastic  and  competent 
staff." 

The  major  function  of  Station  WNYE  is  to  provide  service  to  school 
children.  Service  to  the  homebound  and  community  relations  also  have 
become  important  functions.  WNYE  has  a  staff  of  twenty-nine  people, 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  2O9 

and  has  always  been  able  to  get  equipment,  but  is  considerably  handi- 
capped by  inadequate  studio  facilities  and  a  lack  of  office  space. 

"We  find  that  planning  pays  dividends.  The  homebound  of  high 
school  age  have  five  programs  a  day.  Planning  is  started  in  March  and 
April.  Script  deadlines  are  in  June,  printing  is  done  during  the  summer, 
and  delivery  is  made  the  last  of  August. 

"Responsibility  should  be  shared  and  delegated  all  down  the  line. 
The  steering  committee  meets  every  week  and  passes  the  information  to 
the  staff.  Everyone  has  an  important  job  to  do." 

Next  speaker  was  Mr.  Jay  J.  Stillinger,  director  of  Station  WBOE, 
Cleveland,  whose  topic  was,  "Programming  the  Station."  He  declared 
that  it  is  important  to  do  as  much  programming  as  possible,  but  it  is  bet- 
ter to  have  fifteen  or  twenty  good  programs  than  forty-five  not  so  good. 

There  are  1 1 6  elementary  schools  in  Cleveland  and  I  have  yet  to  be 
in  one  where  there  is  no  sense  of  friendliness  toward  radio  he  said.  Radio 
operates  in  the  curriculum  and  helps  the  teacher  to  teach  the  curriculum. 

There  is  not  such  a  sense  of  friendliness  and  enthusiasm  in  the  sec- 
ondary schools.  It  is  largely  an  operational  problem.  The  reception  is 
not  as  good;  for  they  operate  largely  through  P. A.  systems,  and  some 
are  not  kept  up  well.  Some  schools  use  tape  recordings,  but  they  aren't 
always  well  done. 

Mr.  Lawrence  Creshkoff,  assistant  manager  in  charge  of  programs, 
Station  WGBH,  Boston,  Mass.,  spoke  next  on  "Operational  Problems 
and  Programming."  He  said  that  the  Lowell  Institute  Cooperative 
Broadcasting  Council  is  one  of  the  few  cooperative  enterprises  of  its  kind 
in  the  country.  Ten  members  form  the  working  group.  Only  three 
issues  on  which  there  was  disagreement  have  arisen  in  five  years. 

The  programming  is  based  on  contrast  with  other  stations  in  the 
community,  he  said.  "If  community  stations  do  it,  we  don't;  if  they 
don't  we  do.  If  a  program  ends  early,  WBGH  remains  silent  until  time 
for  the  next  program.  Intermissions  at  Boston  Symphony  broadcasts  are 
filled  with  hubbub  of  the  crowd  in  the  gallery  visiting  exhibits." 

Mr.  Dallas  W.  Smythe,  director  of  studies  for  the  NAEB,  Univer- 
sity of  Illinois,  Urbana,  111.,  spoke  on  "Research  on  Program  Cover- 
age." He  said  it  was  paradoxical  to  take  time  to  talk  about  research  with 
managers  of  stations  connected  with  educational  institutions.  "Our  in- 
stitutions represent  research,  and  it  is  a  complicated  mission  to  translate 
research  into  terms  of  usefulness  to  the  community.  It  is  a  more  exacting 
job  of  management  than  in  commercial  radio."  He  continued,  in  part, 
as  follows: 

"We  should  think  of  research  as  a  tool  of  management,  not  as  a  kit 


2IO  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

of  skills.  We  should  look  at  the  operation  of  the  station  from  a  flexible, 
oriented  point-of-view  that  is  subject  to  change  after  research. 

"The  quality  of  management  determines  how  fast  a  station  pro- 
gresses. Good  advice  is  to  know  yourself  and  the  people  you  are  talking 
to.  Get  around  the  institution  and  learn  the  language  of  the  researchers. 
Know  the  policy  of  the  institution,  and  get  the  assistance  of  those  who 
can  help  you. 

"Listener  studies  should  be  a  part  of  management's  kit  of  tools. 
Although  it  is  necessary  to  know  who  is  listening  this  should  not  con- 
stitute the  greatest  part  of  management  research.  Use  the  research 
knowledge  of  the  staff  of  the  institution." 

Mr.  James  Miles,  executive  director  of  NAEB,  University  of  Illi- 
nois, Urbana,  111.,  forecast  that  the  future  of  the  educational  stations  was 
unlimited.  He  said  that,  as  he  saw  it,  the  educational  station  was  limited 
only  by  the  individual  in  charge  and  if  the  director  had  ability  and 
initiative,  there  could  be  no  stopping  the  station. 

"The  sky  is  the  limit,"  he  said.  "We  have  support,  both  financial 
and  otherwise,  that  we  never  had  before." 


CLINIC  FOR  10- WATT  STATIONS 

M.  McCABE  DAY,1  Presiding 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
Reported  By  ELIZABETH  J.  TURNELL2 

SOME  EXTREMELY  PERTINENT  QUESTIONS  were  discussed  in  this 
meeting  by  an  able  panel  comprising  eight  specialists.  The  general  topic 
was  stated  as  follows:  "Information  and  Practices  in  the  Operation  of 
College  and  Public  School  I  o-Watt  Radio  Stations  to  Encourage  More 
Institutions  to  Make  Installations." 

The  principal  participants  were:  Edwin  Carmony  audio-visual  direc- 
tor, Gary,  Ind.;  Walton  D.  Clarke,  director  of  radio,  Station  WKSU, 
Kent  State  University,  Kent,  O.;  R.  F.  Grady,  Station  WVSV,  Uni- 
versity of  Scranton,  Scranton,  Pa. ;  R.  R.  Lowdermilk,  radio  education 
specialist,  U.  S.  Office  of  Education,  Washington,  D.  C.;  Vernon 
McKown,  director  of  audio-visual-radio,  New  Albany,  Ind.;  Richard 
L.  Rider,  manager  of  the  NAEB  Tape  Network,  University  of  Illinois, 

1  Director,  Station  WVSH,  Huntington,  Ind. 

2  Station  WGRE,  DePauw  University,  Greencastle,  Ind. 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  211 

Urbana,  111. ;  Sidney  Stone,  Station  WBGU,  Bowling  Green  State  Uni- 
versity, Bowling  Green,  O.;  and  Thomas  Williams,  Station  WSPE, 
Griffith  Institute  Central  School,  Springville,  N.  Y. 

Specific  questions  that  were  considered  appear  in  italics  with  a  dis- 
cussion summary  following  each. 

What  responsibility  is  there  for  schools  to  make  use  of  radio  and, 
'particularly,  to  install  low-power  FM  stations? 

The  Federal  Communications  Commission,  at  the  request  of  educa- 
tional leaders,  set  aside  FM  channels  for  the  exclusive  use  of  educational 
radio  stations.  More  recently  the  FCC  approved  the  licensing  of  the 
low-power,  or  lo-watt,  FM  station.  Since  these  opportunities  were 
opened  for  schools  to  make  use  of  radio,  there  has  been  a  considerable 
increase  in  the  number  of  educational  radio  stations,  with  the  total  now 
more  than  one  hundred.  Of  this  number,  about  forty  are  low-power 
stations,  located  both  in  public  schools  and  in  universities  and  colleges. 

It  was  difficult  to  prove  to  the  FCC  that  these  radio  channels  were 
needed  for  education,  and  schools  cannot  assume  that  these  channels 
have  been  reserved  for  all  time,  if  schools  do  not  make  use  of  them.  In 
fact,  a  suggestion  was  made  recently  by  industry  spokesmen  that  the 
FM  band  be  used  for  VHF  television  channels. 

With  the  advent  of  the  low-power  station,  it  has  become  possible  for 
practically  any  college  or  university,  or  any  public  school  system,  to  have 
its  own  radio,  because  of  the  low  cost  involved.  Therefore,  schools  have 
a  responsibility  to  make  use  of  these  reserved  channels,  if  radio  is  to  have 
its  rightful  place  in  education  as  a  teaching  tool,  and  if  an  educational 
radio  service  for  the  community  is  to  be  assured. 

What  is  the  comparative  value  of  the  wired  wireless  y 
or  closed- circuit  station? 

These  stations  require  no  license  from  the  FCC,  but  they  must  not 
cause  any  interference  with  other  stations.  No  licensed  operators  are 
required  for  them.  The  programs  can  be  designed  definitely  for  the 
group  that  is  served  in  the  limited  area.  This  type  of  station  provides 
interesting  training  opportunities  without  requiring  the  same  program 
responsibility  that  may  be  associated  with  FM  broadcasting.  However, 
it  cannot  offer  general  community  broadcasting  service,  it  cannot  provide 
in-school  listening  for  school  systems,  and  it  cannot  provide  the  same 
stimulus  that  is  a  part  of  radio  activities. 

It  is  only  a  short  step  from  a  successfully  operated  wired  wireless 
station  to  a  broadcasting  station  requiring,  in  the  main,  simply  the  instal- 


212  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

lation  of  a  transmitter.  However,  it  should  be  realized  that  FM  broad- 
casting requires  higher  standards  for  sound  equipment  than  may  be 
associated  with  other  speech  activities. 

Wired  wireless  stations  may  carry  advertising,  to  help  defray  the 
costs,  which  educational  FM  stations  cannot  do.  In  the  event  of  a  war 
emergency,  wired  wireless  stations  also  might  have  to  cease  operations 
because  of  the  need  of  carrier  currents  for  other  uses. 

How  can  a  school  administration  be  "sold"  on 

the  advantages  of  low-power  FM? 

The  low-power  station  may  be  shown  to  offer  several  types  of 
services: 

1.  For  the  university  and  college,  a  campus  station  serving  as  a 
training  laboratory. 

2.  For  the  public  school,  a  means  of  providing  in-school  listen- 
ing, in-service  training,  and  pupil  participation  activities. 

3.  For  the  community,  educational  services  that  few  commercial 
stations  continue  to  give. 

The  low-power  station  is  low  in  cost,  and  except  for  the  metro- 
politan areas,  it  usually  offers  adequate  coverage.  When  used  as  a  school 
participation  station,  it  requires  a  degree  of  responsibility  that  few  other 
activities  can  match. 

Who  is  responsible  for  the  license  of  an 

educational  radio  station? 

The  governing  body  of  the  institution  is  responsible  for  making  the 
application  and  for  holding  the  license.  Program  activities  may  be  dele- 
gated, but  the  licensee  is  responsible.  For  this  reason,  universities,  col- 
leges, and  schools  must  have  final  control  over  what  is  put  on  the  air, 
even  though  student  groups  may  carry  on  the  actual  activities. 

What  is  the  cost  of  an  FM  transmitter? 

A  10-watt  transmitter  costs  approximately  $1,500.  Some  companies 
have  stopped  manufacturing  lo-watt  transmitters,  because  of  defense 
production,  but  it  is  possible  to  obtain  the  equipment. 

What  is  an  average  budget  for  a  low-power  station? 
The  budget  will  depend  upon  what  the  station  attempts  to  do.  The 
total  also  will  depend  upon  whether  staff  salaries  are  included.  In  some 
of  the  smaller  stations,  the  budget  for  station  operation,  not  including 
staff,  which  is  a  part  of  the  teaching  load,  was  reported  at  approximately 
$500  annually,  or  even  less.  A  university  station  reported  a  budget  of 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  213 

$1,500  to  $2,000.  A  suggestion  was  made  that  $200  to  $300  be 
allowed  for  replacement  of  equipment,  such  as  magnetic  heads  and  other 
items. 

Budget  costs  are  kept  down  by  some  stations  by  means  of  the  bor- 
rowing of  records  from  dealers.  In  such  cases  the  label  of  the  record 
may  be  given  as  identification,  and  the  dealer  may  be  recognized  per- 
sonally, by  name,  but  not  the  name  of  his  firm  or  business. 

If  a  station  intends  to  do  promotional  work,  this  also  will  require  a 
larger  budget  to  include  expenses  of  mimeographing,  postage,  and  other 
items.  Technical  costs  are  largely  for  service  and  maintenance,  since  the 
low-power  station  requires  only  a  third-class  operator's  permit,  which 
students  may  obtain  quite  readily  through  study  of  material  supplied  by 
the  FCC  and  the  passing  of  FCC  tests. 

What  are  some  of  the  chief  program  sources 
for  a  low-power  station? 

The  National  Association  of  Educational  Broadcasters,  through  its 
"tape  network,"  is  becoming  the  most  important  source  for  programs  of 
high  quality  to  be  broadcast  over  educational  stations.  At  present,  no 
tapes  are  supplied  to  wired-wireless  stations,  or  to  educational  radio 
departments  for  use  over  commercial  stations.  Currently,  about  500 
hours  per  year,  plus  eight  series  of  in-school  programs,  are  being  sent  out. 
Programs  consist  of  serious,  oriented,  well-produced  material,  pointed  to 
the  school  and  adult  community. 

All  educational  stations  are  urged  to  take  on  the  responsibility  of 
serving  their  community  by  broadcasting  outside  of  school  sessions.  The 
NAEB  tape  network  has  exciting  plans  for  the  future,  with  especially 
produced  programs  to  be  distributed  in  the  coming  year.  The  cost  of 
this  service  is  geared  to  the  power  of  the  station.  For  1952-53,  the  cost 
for  the  low-power  station  is  $75  per  year,  plus  postage.  There  are  now 
sixty-five  stations  using  this  service,  which  has  been  developed  through 
the  grant  of  funds  from  the  Kellogg  Foundation. 

The  educational  stations  also  will  have  opportunities  to  use  the  series 
of  educational  radio  programs  produced  under  the  grant  from  the  Adult 
Education  Fund  of  the  Ford  Foundation.  These  will  be  outstanding 
programs. 

Other  excellent  programs  are  available  from  the  French  Broad- 
casting System,  several  other  foreign  governments,  several  U.  S.  gov- 
ernmental agencies,  the  United  Nations,  several  commercially-produced 
programs  for  industries  that  carry  no  commercial  message,  and  many 
others.  These  are  largely  adapted  to  community  listening,  rather  than 


214  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

in-school.  Some  stations  also  exchange  their  programs,  such  as  the 
Empire  State  Broadcasting  System  and  the  Ivy  League,  both  in  the  East. 
These  suggestions  concern  only  the  programs  available  from  outside 
sources.  The  school,  itself,  provides  tremendous  sources  for  programs, 
as  does  the  community.  In  most  cases  it  will  become  a  matter  of  select- 
ing the  best  programs  to  be  aired,  rather  than  seeking  material  to  fill-in. 

What  are  the  means  by  which  'programming  is  handled? 
This  depends  upon  the  local  station  organization.  Examples  of  ways 
that  programming  is  handled  include  through  English  classes,  in  junior 
and  senior  high  school,  or  through  speech  classes;  by  radio  workshop 
groups  of  various  grade  levels;  through  student  activity  groups;  by  a 
semi-professional  staff  supplemented  by  student  help.  It  is  advisable  to 
have  direct  faculty  responsibility  and  supervision,  because  of  the  public 
relations  aspects.  Even  as  student  organizations  do  not  make  up  the 
athletic  schedule,  so  cannot  the  final  responsibility  for  the  radio  program 
be  in  the  hands  of  students. 

//  a  school  wishes  to  use  a  good  deal  of  time  on  a 

commercial  station,  what  problems  are  involved? 

Even  if  a  commercial  radio  station  is  most  generous,  the  time  made 

available  to  the  school  will  always  be  at  the  discretion  of  the  station.    In 

only  a  few  cases  are  in-school  programs  used  by  commercial  stations. 

Usually,  the  school  time  on  the  commercial  station  will  be  directed 

largely  toward  the  adult  listener.   The  commercial  station  also  will  have 

certain  standards  that  it  will  expect  the  school  program   to  achieve. 

While  these  standards  usually  will  be  good,  they  may  not  always  be  the 

best  educational  standards. 

How  many  stations  provide  in-school  listening?   Are  colleges 

usually  interested  in  such  programs? 

Among  the  stations  represented  at  the  discussion,  it  was  found  that 
the  public  school  stations  used  in-school  programs.  Large  university  sta- 
tions often  carry  "School  of  the  Air"  programs,  but  usually  the  smaller 
college  does  not.  This  may  be  due  to  a  lack  of  cooperation  between 
college  and  city  schools,  or  lack  of  staff  to  produce  the  in-school  pro- 
gram. This  type  of  program  is  believed  to  be  of  definite  value  in  educa- 
tional radio  by  many  audio-visual  directors. 

How  can  FM  broadcasting  be  sold  in  a  community 

where  there  are  not  many  FM  receivers? 

Before  people  will  buy  FM  receivers,  there  must  be  FM  programs 
on  the  air.  By  putting  on  programs  of  interest  to  the  community,  the 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  215 

sale  of  FM  receivers  has  been  stimulated  in  many  places.    The  broad- 
casting of  school  sports  events  is  one  specialty  that  builds  an  audience. 

What  have  stations  done  to  study  coverage? 

The  telephone,  mail,  and  personal  interview  types  of  survey  are 
frequently  too  expensive  for  the  small  station  to  attempt.  One  way  to 
check  coverage  is  through  the  students.  Interest  also  may  be  reflected 
in  the  sale  of  FM  sets.  Promotion  is  necessary  to  build  an  audience  for 
educational  programs,  as  well  as  for  commercial  programs.  Some  of  this 
promotion  may  be  done  through  the  student  body  and  faculty  without 
great  expense. 

How  can  FM  broadcasting  be  promoted  when  the 
attention  of  the  'public  is  on  TV? 

There  is  still  a  question  of  how  soon  TV  will  be  an  effective  tool 
within  the  classroom.  FM  radio  is  an  effective  tool  at  present.  The  cost 
of  low-power  FM  radio  is  so  small,  compared  with  TV,  that  it  places 
little  financial  burden  upon  the  school.  TV  will  require  highly  special- 
ized and  expensive  technical  help,  so  that  operating  budgets  must  neces- 
sarily be  high.  FM  radio  also  presents  an  economical  means  for  the 
training  of  personnel  in  techniques,  many  of  which  could  be  applied 
later  to  TV. 

There  are  some  types  of  programs  where  FM  radio  will  be  superior 
to  TV.  As  far  as  present  technical  knowledge  extends,  a  small  TV 
station,  like  the  low-power  FM  station,  will  never  be  possible.  Every 
school  in  the  country  could  have  a  low-power  FM  station  without  fre- 
quency interference,  while  at  present,  the  number  of  TV  channels  is 
strictly  limited.  It  has  been  estimated  that  the  FM  educational  band 
could  accommodate  10,000  school  stations. 

PROBLEMS  OF  CAMPUS  STATIONS 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
HOWARD  C.  HANSEN,1  Presiding 

THE  INTERCOLLEGIATE  BROADCASTING  SYSTEM,  during  the  last 
three  years,  has  gathered  a  great  deal  of  information  about  our  pro- 
gramming practices.  These  statistics  have  been  intended  for  the  guidance 
of  our  stations  and  the  findings  are  rather  startling. 

1  Program   Manager,  Intercollegiate  Broadcasting  System;    Director  of  Radio,   Mac- 
Murray  College,  Jacksonville,  111. 


21 6  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Our  figures  show  that  campus  stations  are  programming  a  dispro- 
portionate amount  of  popular  music.  Popular  music  is  being  program- 
med at  the  expense  of  other  types  of  programs.  All  of  us  know  that 
popular  music  stands  high  on  the  list  of  the  undergraduate,  but  I  think 
our  stations  ought  to  be  something  better  than  imitation  juke  boxes. 

One  of  the  strong  arguments  for  a  campus-limited  station,  is  that 
it  might  serve  as  a  laboratory  and  a  place  where  students  might  learn 
some  of  the  actual  fundamentals  of  radio  broadcasting.  The  best  train- 
ing for  a  sound  understanding  of  radio  broadcasting  can  scarcely  be 
limited  to  jockeying  discs  around  the  clock.  The  amount  of  preparation 
that  goes  into  this  kind  of  program  is  nil,  since  it  is  usually  an  ad  lib 
program. 

It  is  our  confirmed  belief  that  the  best  shows,  from  the  viewpoint  of 
training  and  service,  are  those  using  local  live  resources.  These  are  the 
hardest  to  prepare,  and  yet  we  urge  you  to  do  this  type  of  work  if  you 
want  to  make  the  most  of  your  possibilities.  You  are  the  only  station 
serving  your  campus  community  and  you  are  in  a  unique  position  to 
develop  its  resources  for  broadcasting. 

When  the  IBS  petitioned  the  FCC,  in  1948,  to  allow  campus- 
limited  stations  to  continue  in  existence,  the  strongest  statement  dealt 
with  our  potential  as  a  training  and  experimental  laboratory.  We  believe 
that  the  FCC  would  find  little  or  no  reason  for  our  existence  as  record 
spinning  agents  only.  As  you  know,  the  case  made  by  IBS  at  that  time 
led  to  an  extension  of  time  for  campus-limited  broadcasting.  Any  trend 
away  from  our  established  position  would  tend  to  weaken  our  pending 
case. 

In  our  annual  programming  report,  we  have  attempted  to  document 
the  character  of  our  broadcasting  practices  during  the  past  three  years. 
The  nature  of  these  documents  can  be  important  to  our  future.  With 
this  in  mind,  you  know  how  we  feel  about  the  68  per  cent  of  popular 
music  in  the  1951  report,  and  why  we  are  continually  urging  more 
local-live  programming. 

I  have  asked  our  panel  members  to  make  suggestions  for  the  exploi- 
tation and  development  of  local-live  resources.    As  I  see  it,  that  is  the 
heart  of  the  problem. 
MR.  EDWARD  L.  McCLARTY:2 

I  agree  with  Mr.  Hansen.  I  do  not  see  how  we  can  justify  the  exist- 
ence of  community  radio  stations  with  this  disproportionate  amount  of 
popular  music  on  programs,  even  though  a  large  percentage  of  students 
will  vote  for  popular  music. 

8  Director  of  Radio,  Modesto  Junior  College,  Modesto,  Calif. 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  217 

My  feeling  is  that  a  campus  station  should  at  all  times  provide  ser- 
vices to  the  campus  that  it  will  not  get  any  other  way.  Let  me  give  an 
illustration  of  this.  Many  small  colleges  do  not  have  their  football, 
basketball  or  baseball  games  broadcast,  especially  when  they  are  played 
away  from  home.  What  better  service  can  a  campus  radio  station  give 
to  its  home  audience,  than  remote  broadcasts  of  sports  events? 

I  had  an  experience  of  this  sort  in  which  local  sponsors  paid  $450 
for  the  broadcast  of  a  baseketball  series,  and  it  proved  to  be  worth  while. 

Our  station  setup  is  probably  different  from  many  of  those  repre- 
sented here.  Our  station  is  part  of  the  radio  curriculum,  which  is  not 
the  case  in  about  50  per  cent  of  the  IBS  stations.  We  use  our  station  as 
a  laboratory,  for  radio  production,  for  in-class  listening,  and  for  widest 
possible  experimentation  in  radio  development. 

Our  station  is  not  just  a  group  of  students  operating  a  juke  box, 
turning  it  on  at  3  or  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  turning  it  off  at  9 
in  the  evening.  I  will  grant  that  a  juke  box  will  get  a  large  audience, 
but  I  believe  that  the  popularity  of  the  radio  station,  in  the  final  analysis, 
will  be  measured  by  the  total  percentage  of  people  reached.  In  other 
words,  some  time  in  your  program  structure  you  should  program  so  you 
can  get  minorities  as  well  as  the  larger  single  segment.  I  think  in  the 
final  analysis  that  is  sound  reasoning. 

A  college  station  has  several  obligations:  First,  to  the  students  who 
operate  the  station.  Next,  to  the  other  students  on  campus.  If  the  station 
is  financed  by  the  institution,  it  has  an  obligation  to  the  college  curric- 
ulum. Finally,  the  college  radio  station  has  an  obligation  to  serve  the 
entire  college  community. 
MR.  JOHN  B.  ROBERTS  :3 

I  see  two  things  that  we  can  accomplish  with  the  campus  limited 
station,  and  in  the  final  analysis  I  am  not  sure  but  that  they  are  one  and 
the  same  thing.  The  first  is  to  serve  our  school,  and  the  second  is  to 
serve  the  people  who  participate  in  the  broadcast.  Since  those  people  are 
a  part  of  the  school,  these  two  aims  become  one. 

If  we  use  our  campus  limited  station  wisely,  we  can  bring  consider- 
able benefits  to  those  people  who  do  the  broadcasting,  in  terms  of  per- 
sonal development.  Station  experience  helps  to  develop  the  ability  to 
cooperate.  Radio  is  teamwork.  One  has  to  learn  to  get  along  with 
people.  It  also  develops  a  sense  of  responsibility,  assurance,  self-confi- 
dence and  poise.  Lastly,  from  that  basis  you  often  work  to  a  position  of 
leadership.  Still  another  quality  which  is  developed  is  communication 
both  oral  and  written. 

8  Director  of  Radio  and  TV,  Temple  University,  Philadelphia.  < 


21 8  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

You  have  an  opportunity  to  correlate  knowledge  from  other  fields. 
One  of  the  problems  in  modern  education  is  the  tendency  to  teach 
political  science  as  one  entity,  economics  as  another  and  sociology  as  a 
third,  and  they  are  never  brought  together.  If  you  program  wisely, 
there  is  an  opportunity  to  draw  together  all  this  knowledge  to  bear  on 
a  specific  problem. 

I  am  going  to  cite  a  few  programs  which  help  along  these  lines  I 
have  mentioned. 

One  program  type,  which  I  think  has  been  under-emphasized  in  our 
colleges,  is  a  radio  commentary  program,  as  the  college  man  sees  it.  This 
calls  for  the  development  of  an  ability  to  think  and  to  write.  If  he 
learns  to  do  this,  he  will  improve  his  whole  educational  process  and  will 
have  benefited  whether  he  never  broadcasts  again. 

Another  type  of  program  I  have  not  seen  tried  too  often,  but  which 
has  great  merit,  is  drama  in  sound  and  music.  I  would  like  to  suggest 
that  more  people  try  this.  Another  type  of  program  I  would  like  to 
suggest  is  for  someone  to  read  from  one  of  the  technical  journals,  such 
as  the  Journal  of  Social  Psychology  or  the  American  Economics  Review. 
This  can  be  used  to  stimulate  worthwhile  discussions.  I  also  think  that 
we  should  get  better  acquainted  with  the  members  of  our  family.  One 
program  which  has  possibilities  is  a  "meet  the  professor"  show.  You 
might  call  the  program,  "Favorites  on  the  Faculty." 

All  of  these  suggestions  on  programs  are  aimed  primarily  at  improv- 
ing the  educational  processes  of  the  person  who  does  the  broadcasting, 
but  I  think  these  programs  also  would  be  of  assistance  to  those  who  heard 
the  broadcasts. 
MR.  ROY  J.  FLYNN  :* 

Those  of  us  who  took  part  in  the  Hazen  Foundation  talk,  last 
November,  found  ourselves  in  an  interesting  position.  The  foundation 
is  investigating  college  radio  stations  and  campus  stations,  to  see  how 
they  communicate  and  stimulate  ideas  on  the  campus. 

Leaders  of  the  foundation,  in  talking  about  programming,  men- 
tioned two  types  of  programs  they  would  like  to  see  promoted.  These 
were  programs  involving  international  issues  or  international  relation- 
ships, and  religious  programs. 

Ever  since  our  station  WFFU  started,  in  1949,  we  have  been  trying 
to  work  our  foreign  students  into  the  programming.  We  began  with 
interviews,  and  these  were  good.  Next  we  tried  a  round  table  discussion 
on  questions  of  international  import.  We  discovered  that  some  foreign 
students  were  not  too  well  informed  on  international  issues,  and  that 
some  questions  did  not  hold  much  interest  for  our  campus. 
*  Director  of  Radio,  Florida  State  University,  Tallahassee,  Fla. 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  219 

Finally,  one  day  we  tried  to  decide  what  we  wanted  from  these 
foreign  students.  We  began  to  realize  that  they  were  viewing  the 
United  States  from  a  different  point  of  view,  from  older  cultures,  and 
many  things  that  we  take  for  granted  are  new,  strange,  attractive,  or 
unattractive  to  them.  So  our  program,  "Looking  at  Us  U.S.,"  was  born. 

With  regard  to  religious  programming,  we  tried  many  things  but 
usually  wound  up  in  a  kind  of  a  little  castle  on  the  hill,  with  organ 
music,  poetry,  and  a  thought  for  the  day,  about  the  level  of  a  soap  opera. 

We  decided  we  could  develop  something  more  stimulating,  and 
finally  turned  to  an  idea  that  has  had  many  different  variations.  We 
called  our  program,  "This  Is  My  Belief."  It  is  the  last  program  on  our 
schedule,  at  1 1 145  o'clock  at  night,  and  is  handled  by  the  student  relig- 
ious groups  on  the  campus.  Each  group  selects  a  Bible  passage.  The 
passage  is  read  by  one  of  our  staff  announcers  and  then  a  member  of  the 
student  religious  organization  comments  on  it.  We  find  great  interest 
in  this  program  and  think  we  are  on  the  right  track. 
MR.  F.  J.  HEYDEN:S 

A  radio  station  was  started  at  Georgetown  University  the  year  after 
I  joined  the  faculty  to  teach  astronomy.  I  had  long  been  interested  in 
radio.  When  the  ban  on  amateur  radio  was  lifted  after  World  War  I, 
I  was  a  "spark  man,"  as  they  were  called  then.  At  Georgetown,  I  had 
a  hand  in  building  the  station,  so  I  know  the  story  of  our  radio  work 
from  the  beginning. 

Five  years  ago,  Georgetown  was  given  a  splendid  opportunity  for 
cooperation  with  an  outside  commercial  broadcasting  station.  We  were 
given  free  time  for  three  30-minute  programs  every  week.  All  of  these 
programs  originated  in  the  studios  of  the  campus  station.  One  was  a 
religious  program,  which  was  taken  care  of  by  a  faculty  member.  The 
second  program  was  a  forum  or  discussion  of  some  topic  of  national 
interest.  Students  participated  in  this,  and  for  four  years  it  grew  with 
student  moderators  and  speakers,  along  with  prominent  guests.  The 
program  went  on  the  Liberty  network  and  the  DuMont  television  net- 
work. It  became  too  big  a  show  for  a  student  moderator,  and  the 
university  and  the  networks  secured  a  regular  professional  moderator, 
although  students  still  appear  on  the  program  as  guests. 

The  third  program  was  a  variety  show  and  strictly  entertainment. 
The  college  band,  glee  club,  dramatic  society,  barbershop  quartets  and 
others  contributed  on  this  program. 

Our  campus  station  is  on  the  air  about  six  hours  every  day.  These 
programs  are  strictly  for  students,  and  their  general  tone  is  net  much 
different  from  the  ordinary  disc  jockey  shows. 

6  Station  WGTB,  Georgetown  University,  Washington,  D.  C. 


220  EDUCATION    ON    THE   AIR 

But  the  campus  station  also  produces  special  features.  Some  of  the 
small  dramatic  shows  are  excellent.  We  produce  about  six  of  these 
every  school  year. 

The  commercial  station  that  still  carries  our  other  programs  is  inter- 
ested in  these  special  features  which  we  give  them  at  odd  times.  They 
appreciate  that  we  cannot  command  a  professional  performance  for  a 
half  hour  every  week. 

In  reviewing  this  listing,  I  have  a  suggestion  to  offer  and  a  claim  to 
make.  I  suggest  that  the  talent  resources  of  several  colleges  be  combined 
into  a  series  of  programs.  If  the  dramatics  group  at  Georgetown  can 
produce  six  good  plays  a  year,  the  dramatic  clubs  of  other  colleges  could 
produce  the  same  type  of  shows  and  all  could  be  combined  into  a  series 
by  a  central  programming  committee  of  the  Intercollegiate  Broadcasting 
System.  The  same  could  be  done  with  glee  clubs,  college  bands,  and 
other  organized  talent  on  campus.  My  claim  is  that  such  a  series  would 
be  welcomed,  not  only  by  a  local  radio  station  but  by  some  network. 

DISCUSSION 
MR.  MCCARTY: 

I  want  to  describe  a  new  type  of  program  that  we  have  been  trying 
to  do.  When  the  journalism  department  sends  out  a  reporter  to  do  an 
interview,  the  radio  department  sends  along  an  engineer  with  a  tape 
recorder.  The  printed  interview  and  the  recording  are  compared  and 
studied.  This  is  a  useful  service  to  help  teach  journalism. 

We  have  made  a  practice  to  have  the  advance  classes  in  Spanish 
meet  in  the  radio  studio  and  record  plays  in  Spanish.  These  are  not  done 
on  the  professional  level,  but  they  have  a  lot  of  fun  doing  them.  Later, 
these  plays  are  released  as  lessons  in  the  elementary  Spanish  classes. 

These  are  two  examples  of  serving  the  curriculum  of  the  college, 

We  also  have  had  a  rather  successful  experience  with  a  program 
called,  "Campus  Mirror,"  in  which  the  body  of  the  program  was 
written  at  Modesto.  Part  of  it  was  recorded  there  and  part  of  it  at 
Chico  State  College.  Each  week  a  topic  for  discussion  was  selected  at 
Modesto  and  sent  to  other  schools,  which  sent  back  3 -minute  reports  on 
tape.  These  were  edited  into  a  15-minute  show. 
MR.  FLYNN  : 

If  we  exclude  recorded  material  from  this  discussion,  we  are  over- 
looking some  good  bets.   We  record  faculty  concerts  of  which  we  have 
at  least  one  a  week. 
MR.  WILLIAM  CANE:' 

A  program  we  have  found  to  be  of  service  and  value  is  a  program 

*  Wheaton  College,  Wheaton,  111. 


BROADCASTING    IN    EDUCATION  221 

we  call,  "Campus  Bargains."  We  have  a  bulletin  board  in  our  main 
administration  building,  where  students  can  put  up  cards  if  they  want  to 
buy  or  sell  something,  or  if  they  have  lost  an  article.  We  hit  upon  the 
idea  of  asking  the  students  to  send  their  cards  to  us  and  we  read  them 
over  the  air. 
MR.  FORREST  W.  MOORE  :7 

We  have  a  program  broadcast  from  the  Union  building  called, 
"State  of  the  Union."  We  interview  students  on  some  problem  or 
question  raised  in  the  campus  newspaper. 

Our  most  talked  about  program   was  the   one  immediately  after 
General  MacArthur  made  his  speech  to  Congress.    We  put  student 
opinions  on  tape  and  then  on  the  air.   Believe  me,  it  made  us  famous. 
MR.  CHARLES  P.  PATERSON:® 

I  suggest  that  IBS  headquarters  send  out  a  questionnaire,  to  find  out 
what  program  sources  each  campus  has. 

Secondly,  we  might  establish  a  format  for  a  show  of  this  type  so  that 
we  would  know  the  length  of  the  program,  how  it  would  open,  how  it 
would  close,  and  then  fill  in  the  name  of  our  school  and  the  participating 
group. 

We  also  have  a  new  program  on  our  campus  called,  "Job  Oppor- 
tunity." We  ran  this  in  cooperation  with  the  placement  bureau  on  our 
campus  and  secured  company  representatives  to  speak.  The  idea  was  to 
have  these  people  tell  something  about  their  company  and  give  students 
vocational  ideas. 
CHAIRMAN  HANSEN: 

I  would  like  to  add  this  reminder,  that  IBS  has  a  library  of  dramatic 
scripts.  These  are  not  difficult  to  get.  The  library  has  about  sixty  pro- 
grams in  it  now.  We  have,  in  addition  to  that,  maybe  two  hundred 
scripts  in  our  files  that  are  uncatalogued. 

We  have  wondered  whether  this  service  is  valuable  enough  to  con- 
tinue? We  have  had  some  call  for  scripts,  but  nothing  of  a  general 
nature.  I  wanted  to  tell  you  the  material  is  available.  Catalogues  also 
are  available  and  we  will  be  glad  to  send  you  one. 

7  Baylor  University,  Waco,  Texas. 

8  Director  of  Radio,  St.  Louis  University,  St.  Louis,Mo. 


TRAINING  FOR  BROADCASTING 


TRAINING  FOR  BROADCASTING 


BROADCAST  TRAINING  IN  COLLEGES 
AND  UNIVERSITIES 

THOMAS  D.  RISHWORTH,1  Presiding 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
Reported  By  RENFRO  C.  NORRIS2 

IN  OPENING  THIS  WORK-STUDY  MEETING,  on  "Broadcast  Training 
in  Colleges  and  Universities,"  Chairman  Thomas  D.  Rishworth  gave  a 
synopsis  of  the  University  Association  for  Professional  Radio  Education. 
The  UAPRE  was  founded  five  years  ago  to  study  a  core  curriculum 
for  university  training.  It  is  not  an  accrediting  agency,  hut  it  makes 
recommendations  after  study. 

Mr.  Harrison  B.  Summers,  professor  of  speech,  gave  a  summary  of 
radio  at  Ohio  State  University.  The  curriculum  there  is  divided  among 
several  departments:  journalism,  education,  music,  commerce,  and 
speech.  Upon  graduation,  the  student  is  awarded  a  bachelor  of  arts 
degree  with  a  major  in  radio.  Emphasis  is  placed  on  research  in  grad- 
uate study,  as  facilities  for  such  work  are  available  at  Ohio  State.  Both 
a  master's  degree  and  the  doctoral  degree  are  offered  for  research  work 
in  radio  and  television  programming. 

Mr.  Clarence  M.  Morgan,  director  of  radio  at  Indiana  State  Teach- 
ers College,  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  outlined  his  school's  program.  The 
aims  of  radio  study  there  can  be  divided  into  two  broad  categories.  The 
first  is  to  train  teachers  to  use  radio,  and  the  second  is  to  produce  radio 
programs  for  classroom  use.  As  an  integral  part  of  the  work,  meetings 
are  held  with  the  student  teachers  to  evaluate  radio  programs  in  the 
light  of  classroom  needs.  The  degree  granted  is  in  speech,  with  a  major 
in  radio.  The  degree  can  be  either  a  bachelor  of  arts  or  of  science, 
depending  on  the  foreign  language  requirements. 

1  Director,  Radio  House,  University  of  Texas,  Austin,  Texas. 

2  Production  Manager,  Radio  House,  University  of  Texas,  Austin,  Texas. 

225 


226  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Mr.  Gale  R.  Adkins,  of  the  University  of  Texas,  added  to  what 
Mr.  Morgan  had  said  by  outlining  courses  in  education  at  Texas  that 
aim  at  giving  teachers  a  better  understanding  of  how  to  use  radio  in  the 
classroom.  He  said  that  the  best  in-school  listening  program  was  largely 
valueless,  unless  the  teachers  knew  how  to  use  it  as  a  teaching  device. 
Mr.  Adkins  cited  the  need  for  educational  "traveling  salesmen"  to 
promote  utilization  and  instruct  teachers  in  the  use  of  such  programs  as 
the  various  state  schools  of  the  air  provide. 

Miss  Judith  C.  Waller,  manager  of  public  affairs  and  education, 
central  division,  National  Broadcasting  Company,  Chicago,  told  some  of 
the  background  and  aims  of  the  NBC  Radio-Television  Institute. 

It  was  started  in  1942,  to  offer  training  for  people  who  replaced 
regular  NBC  staff  personnel  called  to  war  service.  The  idea  back  of 
the  institute  was  that  high  quality  training,  in  the  field  of  broadcasting, 
required  a  combination  of  resources  that  was  readily  available  only  at  a 
university  and  at  a  professional  broadcasting  station.  Northwestern  Uni- 
versity and  the  NBC  joined  forces  in  this  enterprise. 

While  no  longer  on  a  war  time  basis,  the  institute  continues  to  be 
conducted  by  the  NBC  for  its  educational  and  professional  value.  The 
program  is  given  each  summer  and  is  open  to  both  university  and  com- 
mercial station  people. 

Mr.  Richard  Goggin,  of  the  theater  arts  department,  University  of 
California  at  Los  Angeles,  spoke  about  radio  at  UCLA.  The  Depart- 
ment of  Theater  Arts  is  an  off-shoot  of  the  English  department  and 
started  in  1947.  It  encompasses  theater,  motion  picture,  and  radio  in 
one  curriculum.  The  philosophy  at  UCLA  is  against  a  compartmental- 
ized training  in  specialized  theater  arts  fields.  It  is  held  that  it  is  better 
to  train  students  to  be  versatile. 

The  university  offers  four  years  of  undergraduate  training,  plus  two 
years  of  graduate  work.  A  student  does  not  specialize  until  his  junior 
year.  Freshmen  and  sophomore  studies  are  in  theater  arts,  generally. 
Mr.  Goggin  said  that  the  program  is  aimed  to  train  students  to  earn 
a  living. 

It  also  was  pointed  out  that  UCLA  does  not  believe  in  its  theater 
arts  department  functioning  as  a  public  relations  outlet  for  the  univer- 
sity. The  university  has  a  separate  office  to  perform  this  function.  How- 
ever, the  department  does  produce  public  service  programs  for  the  Red 
Cross  and  similar  groups.  Mr.  Goggin  pointed  out  the  difference  be- 
tween public  relations  and  public  service.  The  department  is  anxious  to 
do  these  productions  as  they  afford  good  training  for  students. 

So  far,  only  one  television  course,  a  general  survey  course,  is  taught 


TRAINING    FOR    BROADCASTING  22J 

at  UCLA.  The  department  does  not  have  any  television  equipment 
yet,  but  it  has  excellent  movie  equipment,  and  television  training  is 
offered  in  the  production  of  motion  picture  training  films. 

Mr.  Allis  Rice,  director  of  the  South  Dakota  School  of  the  Air,  told 
about  the  University  of  South  Dakota  which  offers  work  in  radio  acting, 
announcing,  programming  and  continuity  writing.  A  bachelor  of  arts 
degree  is  offered,  and  students  usually  minor  in  journalism.  The  univer- 
sity radio  station  is  run  almost  entirely  by  the  radio  students. 

Mr.  R.  Edwin  Browne,  director  of  radio  and  television  at  the 
University  of  Kansas,  Lawrence,  Kans.,  explained  that  the  curriculum 
there  was  set  up  to  utilize  courses  in  the  existing  departments.  There- 
fore, the  degree  is  on  an  interdepartmental  basis.  It  is  granted  as  a 
bachelor  of  science  degree  in  journalism  with  a  major  in  radio.  There 
is  no  department  of  radio. 

Mr.  John  Bachman,  director  of  radio  at  Baylor  University,  Waco, 
Texas,  said  that  the  idea  at  Baylor  is  to  train  students  for  work  on  the 
small  market  station  which  they  are  most  apt  to  find  in  the  central  Texas 
area.  Baylor  has  a  radio  department.  The  curriculum  does  not  stress 
radio  as  just  a  performing  medium,  but  lays  equal  emphasis  on  manage- 
ment, sales,  writing,  and  news. 

Camille  Henderson,  program  director  of  station  WBKY,  University 
of  Kentucky,  Lexington,  Ky.,  spoke  about  the  radio  department  at  the 
university  there.  The  curriculum  includes  courses  in  script  writing, 
production  and  management.  The  freshman  year  is  devoted  to  survey 
courses.  Television  is  considered  in  some  of  the  advertising  courses. 
Each  summer,  four  junior  students  are  given  work  on  television  stations. 

Mr.  Elmer  G.  Sulzer,  director  of  radio  at  the  University  of  Ken- 
tucky, reported  on  a  three-day  clinic  held  at  the  university  for  commer- 
cial station  personnel,  with  emphasis  on  sports  broadcasting.  It  was 
thought  that  a  similar  clinic  for  staff  musicians  also  was  desirable. 

Mr.  Adkins  of  the  University  of  Texas,  Austin,  then  spoke  at  some 
length,  describing  the  course  of  study  there.  Two  major  plans  are 
offered  at  the  University  of  Texas.  Both  are  in  Fine  Arts,  one  being  a 
major  in  radio  and  the  other  in  radio-television.  The  curriculum  is  set 
up  on  an  interdepartmental  basis  with  speech,  drama,  education,  jour- 
nalism, and  music  being  the  prime  contributing  departments.  Acting 
and  production,  plus  all  television,  are  under  the  drama  department; 
newswriting  and  continuity,  in  journalism ;  and  radio  music  in  the  music 
department. 

The  over-all  supervisor  of  the  program  of  study  is  called  the  co- 
ordinator of  the  radio  degree,  and  he  also  is  the  director  of  Radio  House. 


228  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

No  advance  degree  in  radio  is  offered  at  the  University  of  Texas, 
although  students  have  taken  master's  degrees  in  education,  sociology, 
English,  and  have  written  their  thesis  about  a  radio  problem. 

Most  of  the  male  radio  graduates  from  the  University  of  Texas 
start  work  as  announcers,  salesmen,  continuity  writers,  or,  occasionally, 
as  program  directors.  These  phases  of  radio  work  are  stressed  in  the 
curriculum.  Women  students  are  urged  to  take  some  secretarial  work 
to  fit  them  for  jobs  they  will  be  offered  in  radio,  such  as  secretarial 
work,  traffic  department  and  continuity  writing. 

Mr.  B.  Kendall  Crane,  director  of  station  WDUQ,  Duquesne  Uni- 
versity, Pittsburgh,  said  that  they  tell  their  graduates  to  go  to  work  first 
for  small  radio  stations. 

A  description  was  given  of  the  work  at  Ohio  University,  Athens, 
Ohio,  where  two  degrees  are  offered  to  students  majoring  in  radio, 
either  bachelor  of  fine  arts,  or  bachelor  of  science  in  journalism.  Those 
receiving  the  first  degree  are  registered  in  the  School  of  Dramatic  Art 
and  Speech.  They  take  such  courses  as  announcing,  broadcasting  me- 
chanics, writing  for  radio,  management  and  workshop.  Students  major- 
ing in  radio  journalism  enroll  in  the  School  of  Journalism.  They  take 
the  basic  radio  courses,  such  as  announcing,  writing  for  radio,  broad- 
casting mechanics,  management,  workshop,  etc.,  but  they  also  take  the 
basic  journalism  courses,  such  as  reporting,  radio  news,  advertising, 
editing. 

Ohio  University  has  a  laboratory  radio  station,  WO U I- AM,  which 
operates  on  the  wired  wireless  principle,  and  also  WOUI-FM,  which 
serves  the  campus,  the  city  of  Athens,  and  the  immediate  surrounding 
territory.  The  station  is  student-operated  under  faculty  supervision.  In 
addition  to  the  regular  schedule,  special  events  such  as  football  games, 
lectures  and  musical  programs  are  broadcast  by  remote  control. 

The  emphasis  is  on  giving  the  student  as  much  practical  experience 
as  possible.  Six  newscasts  a  day  are  featured.  The  station  has  a  UP 
radio  wire,  and  the  students  cover  campus  and  city  beats  twice  a  day. 

Mr.  Tracy  F.  Tyler,  professor  of  education  at  the  University  of 
Minnesota,  stated  that  the  degree  offered  at  Minnesota  is  in  speech  and 
theater  arts,  with  a  major  in  radio.  Courses  are  given  by  various 
departments. 

The  question  was  asked  "Who  should  teach  radio  courses? " 

Mr.  Tyler  suggested  that  the  schools  employ  teachers  with  a  back- 
ground in  both  education  and  commercial  station  experience.  Chairman 
Rishworth  stated  that  some  are  alarmed  by  the  encroachment  of  educa- 


TRAINING    FOR    BROADCASTING  229 

tion  on  the  teaching  picture  in  colleges  today.  Mr.  Tyler  replied  that 
education's  aim  was  to  maintain  a  balance  between  subject  matter  and 
methodology. 

Mr.  John  B.  Roberts,  director  of  radio-television  at  Temple  Uni- 
versity, Philadelphia,  told  how  Temple  maintains  one  radio  staff  which 
"farms  out"  staff  members  to  various  departments  as  they  are  needed. 
These  staff  members  have  both  commercial  and  educational  experience. 

Mr.  Garnet  R.  Garrison,  director  of  television  at  the  University  of 
Michigan,  objected  to  the  term  "commercial  experience."  He  preferred 
the  term  "practical  experience,"  and  said  that  in  hiring  teachers,  they 
sought  people  with  practical,  not  necessarily  commercial,  backgrounds. 

Mr.  Harold  B.  McCarty,  executive  director  of  the  Wisconsin  State 
Radio  Council,  Madison,  expressed  the  opinion  that  the  university  or 
college  fails  if  it  trains  students  only  for  a  career  in  radio.  He  said  that 
students  should  be  trained  to  work  gainfully  in  liberal  arts  fields.  At 
station  WHA,  in  Madison,  the  best  writer  is  a  political  science  major 
and  the  best  newscaster  is  a  history  major. 


BROADCAST  PROBLEMS  OF  TEACHER 
TRAINING  INSTITUTIONS 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
CLARENCE  M.  MORGAN,1  Presiding 

THERE  ARE  SEVERAL  PROBLEMS  PECULIAR  to  the  teacher  training 
institution  which  might  be  brought  to  the  consideration  of  this  panel. 
However,  we  have  decided  to  focus  our  thinking  on  what  we  consider  a 
careful  division  of  the  several  aspects  of  educational  radio.  The  publi- 
cizing, production,  followup  of  the  broadcast,  training  of  teachers  to  use 
programs,  and  the  role  of  public  relations  in  educational  broadcasting 
are  important  parts  of  this  whole  picture. 

To  speak  about  these  various  problems,  we  have  experts  from  several 
institutions.   I  have  asked  each  one  to  limit  his  opening  remarks. 
MR.  WALDO  ABBorr:2 

The  University  of  Michigan  has  a  somewhat  different  situation  in 

1  Director  of  Radio,  Station  WBOW,  Indiana  State  Teachers  College,  Terre  Haute, 
Ind. 

2  Director  of  Radio,  Station  WUOM,  University  of  Michigan,  Ann  Arbor,  Mid,. 


EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

regards  to  educational  broadcasting  than  other  colleges  represented  on 
this  panel.  From  a  beginning  of  broadcasts  only  to  local  schools,  the 
University's  WUOM  offerings  have  spread  throughout  the  state, 
through  direct  broadcasts  by  the  combined  facilities  of  local  stations  and 
via  tape  recordings  sent  to  these  stations.  The  recordings  are  of  regu- 
larly scheduled  series,  whose  broadcast  times  may  be  integrated  into  the 
local  classroom  schedule. 

The  University  has  extended  a  special  service  in  presenting  programs 
in  smaller  scattered  schools  in  the  northern  section  of  Michigan.  The 
program  series,  "A  Festival  of  Song,"  is  an  excellent  example  of  an 
earlier  series  started  to  supplement  classroom  tutoring  in  smaller  rural 
schools,  that  are  without  the  services  of  special  teachers.  The  series  has 
grown  in  popularity  until  county  and  district  "Festivals  of  Song"  are 
being  held. 

In  our  experience,  the  preparation  for  a  broadcast  and  follow-up 
may  best  be  handled  through  printed  announcements,  mimeographed 
teacher  and  pupil  manuals,  and  other  duplicated  materials.  Cost,  of 
course,  is  an  important  item.  The  success  of  a  continued  educational 
radio  series,  however,  depends  on  the  availability  and  accessibility  of  such 
materials.  If  it  is  necessary  to  charge  for  such  materials,  the  cost  should 
be  held  to  a  minimum. 

Tape  recordings  of  all  programs  should  be  made  available  to  the 
listener  for  a  repeat  hearing. 
MR.  JAMES  R.  BOYLE  :3 

A  consideration  of  problems  in  the  training  of  teachers  to  use  radio 
programs  hinges  on  four  points: 

1.  Understanding  the  objectives  of  the  broadcaster; 

2.  Understanding  the  objectives  of  the  program; 

3.  Understanding  of  the  tools  and  techniques  of  the  broadcaster; 

4.  Appreciation  of  the  medium,  its  scope  and  limitations. 

The  objectives  of  the  broadcaster  can  be  impressed  upon  the  in- 
service  teacher  by  public  relations  programs,  personal  correspondence, 
manuals  and  other  printed  materials,  and  through  special  classes  or 
workshops. 

Teachers  must  understand  radio  as  a  tool  for  educational  purposes. 
However,  a  detached  knowledge  is  not  enough.  The  teacher  should 
know  the  problems  of  script  writing,  the  techniques  of  production,  and 
the  satisfaction  of  putting  a  show  "on  the  air." 

Our  courses,  "Introduction  to  Radio  Broadcasting"  and  "The  Use 

8  Assistant  Director  of  Radio,  Indiana  State  Teachers  College,  Terre  Haute,  Ind. 


TRAINING    FOR    BROADCASTING  23 1 

of  Radio  in  the  Classroom"  are  examples  of  those  offered  at  Indiana 
State  Teachers  college  to  provide  a  classroom  knowledge  of  some  of 
the  social  and  institutional  aspects  of  radio. 

The   Radio  Workshop  at  Indiana  State  is  a  course  in   which  the 
teacher  is  given  a  chance  to  use  the  techniques  of  the  medium.    She  may 
never  be  an  excellent  broadcaster,  but  she  will  gain  some  enthusiasm  for 
the  medium  to  pass  on  to  her  pupils. 
MRS.  GERTIE  B.  HANSON  :4 

Many  teachers  do  not  know  what  to  do  with  the  program.  The 
teacher's  job  in  using  radio  begins  when  the  program  concludes. 

Radio  puts  life  into  the  learning  process.  Hearing  a  program  does 
not  guarantee  learning.  Teaching  with  radio  is  harder  than  teaching 
out  of  a  textbook.  With  radio,  one  is  never  sure  how  the  subject  will  be 
covered.  The  teacher  has  to  adapt  herself  constantly  to  new  situations. 

The  broadcast  should  be  part  of  an  on-going  educational  experience. 
The  broadcast  follow-up  should  take  place  at  once.  The  teacher  should 
know  why  she  is  using  the  program,  what  she  hopes  to  accomplish  with 
it,  and  what  she  hopes  will  happen  to  the  children  as  a  result  of  listen- 
ing. The  success  of  the  program  actually  rests  in  the  classroom. 

Scheduling  plays  a  vital  part  in  this.  The  teacher  needs  to  know 
about  the  programs  in  advance,  in  order  to  plan  how  to  use  it  and  create 
an  interest  among  the  pupils,  so  they  will  listen  with  a  purpose. 

Correct  utilization  of  a  broadcast  will  stimulate  creative  ideas  in  the 
form  of  projects,  discussions,  essays,  etc.  What  a  teacher  can  do  with 
a  program  depends  upon  the  objectives  she  has  in  mind.  Very  few  per- 
sons listen  to  a  program  solely  for  its  educational  value.  The  program 
may  be  informative,  instructive,  entertaining,  and  reflect  showmanship. 
Still,  it  must  be  built  on  the  basic  psychological  principle  of  learning. 

I  think  it  is  well  to  remember  that  radio  is  only  an  aid.  If  we  use  it 
wisely,  radio  can  speed  up  the  introduction  of  a  new  idea.  It  can  broaden 
a  pupil's  knowledge  of  our  American  symbol  of  life,  and  provide  a  deeper 
emotional  feeling  for  the  less  privileged.  It  also  stimulates  reading, 
teaches  appreciation,  and  helps  to  develop  imagination.  I  believe  that 
a  good  teacher  will  have  good  radio. 
MR.  WALTON  D.  CLARKE  :5 

In  essence,  all  group  human  relations  are  concerned  with  public 
relations.  All  previous  speakers  have  touched  on  the  problem  of  public 
relations  in  some  way. 

It  should  be  the  purpose  and  responsibility  of  the  educational  broad- 

*  Director  of  Radio  Workshop,  Wisconsin  State  College,  Stevens  Point,  Wise. 
8  Director  of  Radio,  Station  WKSU-FM,  Kent  State  University,  Kent,  O. 


232  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

caster  to  stimulate  the  interest  of  the  in-service  teacher,  challenge  her 
academic  zeal,  sell  her  the  programs,  and  create  a  desire  for  continued 
program  service. 

In  the  accomplishment  of  this  purpose,  the  cooperation  of  admin- 
istration and  faculty  are  a  prime  requisite.  A  successful  public  relations 
program  starts  with  the  individual  as  the  chief  component. 

The  objectives  of  the  public  service  program  should  be  to: 

1.  Inform  the  listener  of  program  schedules  and  objectives; 

2.  Promote  good  will  for  the  program,  staff,  and  station; 

3.  Teach  appreciation  for  the  medium  of  radio. 

If  the  educational  broadcaster  uses  good  common  sense  in  his  ap- 
proach to  the  classroom  and  keeps  service  to  the  pupils  as  his  primary 
goal,  the  public  relations  aspect  will  take  care  of  itself. 

TRAINING  FOR  BROADCASTING 
BY  PROFESSIONAL  SCHOOLS 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
WALTER  H.  MARSHALL,1  Presiding 

I  FIND  MYSELF  NEARLY  IN  A  POSITION  of  championing  a  lost  cause. 
For  nearly  ten  years,  Mrs.  Alice  Keith,  of  the  National  Academy  of 
Broadcasting,  Washington,  D.C.,  has  fought  to  get  the  Professional 
Radio  Schools  accredited,  so  that  many  of  their  graduates  could  get 
college  credit  for  their  work.  My  battle  is  in  the  same  cause. 

It  is  difficult  for  me  to  understand  why  we  people  in  the  professional 
radio  education  field  have  been  forced  to  stay  in  the  background,  while 
the  people  in  the  music  field  have  had  accreditation  for  the  past  ten 
years.  The  personnel  teaching  in  the  professional  radio  schools  is  the 
finest  you  can  get.  For  example,  at  the  School  of  Radio  Technique,  in 
New  York  City,  Mr.  John  Gilbert  and  his  staff  have  spared  no  expense 
to  secure  the  best  available  network  directors,  producers  and  announcers 
to  train  their  students.  Graduates  of  this  school  are  working  all  over  the 
world  and  I  know  they  have  made  a  good  record  in  the  radio  industry. 

The  same  thing  is  true  of  other  schools,  like  the  Northwest  Broad- 
casting School,  Portland,  Ore.;  the  Don  Martin  School  of  Radio,  Los 
Angeles;  and  the  Beck  School  of  Radio,  Minneapolis.  These  schools 
know  what  the  radio  industry  wants  and  they  are  able  to  give  it  to  them. 

1  Director,  Northwest  School  of  Radio  and  Television,  Helena,  Mont. 


TRAINING    FOR    BROADCASTING  233 

The  industry  today  needs  trained  men  and  it  can't  wait  too  long  for 
them.  These  schools  are  in  a  position  to  teach  men  and  women  essentials 
in  a  short  period  of  time,  and  to  condense  the  other  elective  material. 
I  am  not  saying  that  formal  education  is  not  of  value  in  the  radio  field, 
but  if  a  person  has  the  talent  that  is  needed  in  broadcasting,  he  or  she 
should  go  to  a  professional  radio  school  and  get  his  education. 

There  are  very  few  colleges  in  the  United  States  today  that  offer  a 
full  college  course  in  radio.  By  that  I  mean  all  phases  of  radio,  so  that 
the  graduate  could  go  into  a  small  station  and  know  what  it  was  all 
about.  The  teachers  in  the  professional  schools  have  been  through  the 
mill  and  know  what's  essential. 

In  the  past  ten  years  since  the  professional  radio  schools  began 
operating,  more  than  75  per  cent  of  the  new  top  announcers  have  been 
graduates  of  one  of  the  schools  that  I  mentioned. 

If  this  is  so,  then  why  won't  those  in  charge  of  accrediting  schools 
admit  that  we  are  just  as  qualified  in  the  radio  field  as  a  college  or  a 
high  school?  I  know  many  of  the  industry  men  who  are  at  this  Institute 
have  come  up  the  hard  way,  from  office  boy  to  general  manager,  and  if 
they  can  do  it,  so  can  others. 

In  closing,  I  repeat  that  if  75  per  cent  of  the  new  top  announcers, 
since  1940,  are  graduates  of  our  schools,  I  think  that  we,  of  the  radio 
school  profession,  have  proven  our  point.  It  may  seem  like  a  lost  cause 
right  now,  but  I  believe  the  time  will  come,  in  the  not  too  distant  future, 
when  all  professional  radio  and  television  schools  will  be  on  the  same 
level  as  an  accredited  college. 

SUMMARY 

It  was  the  consensus  of  opinion  of  those  present  that  accreditation 
was  a  very  controversial  issue,  and  it  probably  would  be  a  long  time 
before  the  professional  schools  could  receive  it. 


ORGANIZATIONS  UTILIZING  RADIO 


ORGANIZED  RADIO  LISTENERS 


ARE  WE  DOING  AN  EFFECTIVE  JOB? 

MRS.   HAROLD  W.   BARGER,1   Presiding 

DISCUSSION  GROUP 
WILLIAM   B.   LEVENSON,2  Moderator 

THEORETICALLY,  THE  SERVICES  OF  THE  RADIO  AND  TV  sta- 
tions depend  on  the  issues  and  the  tastes  and  the  interests  of  the 
listeners  and  viewers.  Theoretically,  that  is  so,  and  practically, 
perhaps,  in  the  long  run.  Those  tastes  are  not  steady.  They  can 
be  elevated  or  depressed.  To  some  extent,  the  tastes  are  deter- 
mined by  the  length  of  exposure.  That  is,  you  tend  to  like 
what  you  have.  If  what  you  have  is  not  very  good,  after  awhile 
you  tend  to  like  that  which  is  not  very  good.  That  is  true  not 
only  of  radio  programs,  but  television.  These  tastes  can  be 
altered.  They  can  be  improved. 

It  is  sometimes  difficult,  however,  to  indicate  where  this 
motivation  should  originate.  If  the  program  depends  on  the 
size  of  the  audience,  then  the  appeal  is  likely  to  be  mediocrity. 
If  we  say  a  program  which  is  popular  is,  therefore,  good,  we  are 
putting  ourselves  in  a  difficult  position.  Are  the  programs 
which  have  only  a  few  listeners  necessarily  bad?  You  see  what 
a  difficult  proposition  we  have. 

How  can  we  make  truly  worthwhile  programs  popular? 
That  is  the  challenge  to  this  kind  of  listeners'  organization. 

The  question  before  us  is:  "Are  organized  listener  groups 
doing  an  effective  job?"  There  are  various  other  questions  that 
you  will  want  to  ask  along  this  line.    First,  I  am  going  to  call 
for  some  statements  by  members  of  our  panel. 
MRS.  HAROLD  W.  BARGER:1 

In  a  recent  speech  in  Cleveland,  Commissioner  Paul  A.  Walker, 

1  President,  Radio-TV  Council  of  Greater  Cleveland. 

2  Assistant  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Cleveland. 

237 


238  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

chairman  of  the  FCC,  paid  tribute  to  Organized  Listener  Groups,  such 
as  ours,  and  credited  cooperative  efforts  between  broadcasting  stations 
and  community  organizations  for  some  of  the  better  programs  on  the 
air.  He  said,  "If  radio  and  television,  as  well  as  other  public  opinion 
media,  are  going  to  become  more  effective  in  promoting  good  human 
relations,  there  must  be  cooperative  effort  among  all  parts  of  our  society." 

We  have  been  told  by  the  FCC  that  the  air  waves  belong  to  the 
people.  The  licensees  use  them  as  a  public  trust,  and  are  responsible  to 
the  people  to  use  them  in  the  public  interest. 

It  has  been  conceded  that  the  listener  council  movement  can  become 
one  of  the  most  powerful  agencies  for  public  good  in  our  time.  However, 
there  are  a  few  precautions  to  be  observed  if  the  council  is  to  become 
an  effective  instrument  in  its  community. 

We  must  study  the  laws  and  regulations,  so  that  we  will  know  the 
responsibilities  of  the  licensee  as  well  as  the  rights  of  the  public.  We  also 
should  acquire  an  understanding  of  the  practical  business  of  broadcasting. 

We  cannot  render  a  real  service  if  we  judge  the  worth  of  programs 
merely  on  the  basis  of  our  own  personal  likes  and  dislikes.  The  test  is, 
"How  does  a  program  serve  the  community  as  a  whole?" 

It  also  is  vitally  important  that,  while  the  listener  council  should 
cooperate  on  a  friendly  basis  with  the  local  broadcasters  in  the  interest 
of  community  betterment,  it  must  hold  complete  independence.  It  must 
stay  away  from  entangling  alliances.  The  council's  reputation  as  the 
true,  uninfluenced  representative  of  the  listener  must  be  above  reproach. 
The  Radio-TV  Council  of  Greater  Cleveland  has  grown  steadily  in 
numbers,  scope,  and  influence  since  it  was  organized  on  October  31, 
1940.  The  original  membership  of  sixteen  organizations  has  increased 
to  130. 

The  aims  of  our  Council  may  be  summed  up  in  a  quotation  from 
the  "Radio  Council  Primer,"  prepared  in  1948:  "Its  purpose  is  to  raise 
the  standards  of  radio  programs  through  intelligent  study  and  discussion, 
by  conscientious  evaluation,  and  constructive  criticism."  This  purpose 
remains  the  same  today,  and  applies  to  TV  as  well  as  radio. 

The  Radio-TV  Council  of  Greater  Cleveland  has  worked  closely 
with  educators  in  our  local  school  system  over  the  years. 

Realizing  that  listening  and  viewing  habits,  like  all  others,  are  formed 
early  in  life,  the  Council  turned  its  attention  to  the  young  people.  A 
Junior  Council  was  formed,  composed  of  students  from  Greater  Cleve- 
land schools,  grades  nine  through  twelve.  This  group  was  organized 
in  December,  1949.  Its  aims  and  purposes,  as  stated  in  the  by-laws,  are 
as  follows:  "To  learn  as  much  as  possible  about  the  various  phases  of 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  239 

radio  and  television  and  to  promote  interest  in  these  media  among  stu- 
dents in  junior  and  senior  high  schools.  To  listen  critically  to  all  pro- 
grams. To  offer  to  the  proper  sources  constructive  criticism  or  sugges- 
tions for  the  improvement  of  radio  and  TV." 

The  evaluation  committee  is  the  heart  of  our  Council. 
MRS.  GERTRUDE  G.  BRODERicK:3 

"Are  organized  listening  groups  really  doing  a  good  job?"  I  find 
this  a  very  difficult  question  to  answer.  My  answer  is,  "yes"  and  "no." 

Mrs.  Barger  gave  us  some  of  the  history  in  Cleveland.  If  my 
memory  serves  me  correctly,  the  Council  movement  goes  back  to  1935, 
when  a  few  were  organized  by  the  AAUW.  I  believe  it  received  its 
greatest  impetus  when  Mrs.  Dorothy  Lewis  started  out  some  twelve 
years  ago  with  a  dogged  determination  to  establish  the  radio  listener 
as  an  important  element  in  the  radio  picture.  She  was  selected  by  the 
National  Association  of  Broadcasters  to  fill  the  newly  created  post  of 
coordinator  of  listener  activities. 

She  began  making  cross-country  trips,  calling  on  radio  managers. 
The  idea  of  forming  organizations  of  listeners  was  tried  and  they  began 
to  spring  up  like  mushrooms.  She  encouraged  the  Council  leaders  to 
attend  the  NAB  conventions,  to  come  to  this  Institute,  to  go  to  other 
broadcasting  conventions,  and,  eventually,  group  listening  became  im- 
portant enough  to  rate  a  place  on  the  program  of  this  leading  Institute. 

About  three  years  ago,  some  of  the  Councils  were  pooling  their 
efforts  and  the  monthly  news  bulletin  contained  interesting  accounts 
of  their  activities.  However,  for  various  reasons,  enthusiasm  has 
dwindled.  The  mortality  rate  among  the  leaders  has  been  quite  high 
during  the  past  two  years.  However,  many  of  the  stalwarts,  who  have 
survived,  have  established  fine  records  of  accomplishment. 

I  will  restrain  myself  from  talking  about  them,  because  some  of 
them  are  represented  on  this  panel,  and  will  speak  for  themselves.  I  do, 
however,  want  to  make  one  or  two  observations. 

First,  the  purposes  and  the  objectives  of  the  Council  movement  have 
never  been  formulated  and  publicized  in  such  a  way  as  to  mean  more 
or  less  the  same  thing  to  all  groups,  regardless  of  differences  in  methods 
of  ope  radon.  As  a  result,  there  has  been  no  concentrated  effort  by  the 
movement,  and  the  movement  has  not  been  interpreted  to  the  general 
public. 

In  my  office,  we  frequently  receive  letters  asking  what  we  know 
about  radio  councils.  Some  of  these  letters  reflect  the  earlier  attitudes 
of  the  commercial  broadcasters  who  regarded  listening  groups  as  "do- 

*  Radio-Television  Education  Specialist,  U.  S.  Office  of  Education,  Washington,  D.  C. 


24O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

gooders,"  or  cranks,  and  mostly  as  public  nuisances.  Any  attempt  to 
fully  answer  such  inquiries  nearly  involves  the  writing  of  case  histories, 
and  we  are  not  equipped  to  do  such  a  job. 

It  seems  that  the  council  movement  could  gain  a  great  deal  in 
prestige  and  accomplishment  if  it  reflected  a  pattern  of  basic  objectives, 
and  if  those  who  subscribed  to  those  objectives  could  be  identified  readily 
as  a  part  of  that  movement.  We  should  know  where  the  councils  are  and 
what  they  are  doing.  A  list  of  active  Councils  would  be  impressive  to 
the  industry  and  the  press.  It  would  help  to  stimulate  the  extension  of 
the  movement  to  other  groups  throughout  the  country. 

A  second  observation  has  to  do  with  the  problem  of  finance.  Listener 
Councils,  like  all  voluntary  organizations,  often  are  handicapped  because 
of  a  lack  of  funds  to  publicize  their  activities,  to  undertake  studies,  etc. 
In  our  discussion  here,  I  hope  we  can  suggest  some  means  for  meeting 
this  need  and  for  furthering  the  Council  movement  at  a  time  when  we 
should  all  work  toward  improved  programming  in  radio  and  television. 
MRS.  ROBERT  W.  CONWAY:* 

As  has  been  said,  the  evaluation  committee  is  considered  the  heart 
of  the  Radio-TV  Council  of  Greater  Cleveland.  It  is  composed  of 
twenty-five  conscientious  women,  who  make  up  two  sections,  one  to 
listen  to  radio  and  one  to  view  television. 

These  sections  meet  twice  a  month  to  discuss  programs  and  to  decide 
whether  they  come  up  to  certain  standards.  These  standards  of  eval- 
uation are  the  result  of  long  and  careful  study  by  the  Radio  Council, 
with  the  advice  of  good  friends  in  the  industry  and  in  educational  broad- 
casting. 

To  supplement  the  work  of  this  evaluation  committee,  listening 
groups  are  spotted  throughout  the  Greater  Cleveland  area.  We  publish 
a  list  of  programs,  which  we  call  "Selective  Dialing,"  once  each  month, 
from  October  to  May.  We  do  not  say  these  are  the  programs  one  must 
listen  to,  but  we  merely  name  programs  as  examples  of  good  entertain- 
ment or  education  which  are  suitable  for  family  listening.  In  this  way, 
we  are  of  service  both  to  the  public  and  to  the  station  broadcasting  the 
program. 

The  evaluation  committees  are  eager  for  suggestions  and  constructive 
criticism.  In  addition,  we  encourage  listeners  and  viewers  to  send 
criticisms  and  suggestions  directly  to  the  broadcasters. 

Cooperation  with  the  stations,  wherever  possible,  is  stressed  but  we 
retain  our  individual  independence.  If  the  stations  can  comply  with  our 

*  Vicc-President,  Radio-TV  Council  of  Greater  Cleveland. 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  24! 

request  for  changes  in  programs,  they  often  do  so.  If  not,  they  tell  us. 
This  practice  helps  the  broadcasters,  because  we  feel  many  of  our  sug- 
gestions will  improve  or  make  a  program  more  interesting. 

Throughout  the  year,  our  monthly  meetings  feature  speakers  who 
are  prominent  in  the  educational,  advertising,  entertainment  and  infor- 
mational fields,  and  in  various  phases  of  broadcasting. 

In  planning  programs,  the  chairman  has  solicited  help  from  most  of 
the  commercial  stations  and  the  Cleveland  Board  of  Education  Station 
WBOE.    Working  together  in  the  interest  of  better  programming  has 
developed  cooperation  and  a  feeling  of  mutual  respect. 
MR.  WALTER  B.  EMERY  :5 

I  hesitate  to  speak  at  these  meetings  about  matters  of  policy  at  the 
Commission.  Obviously,  there  are  differences  of  opinion  among  the 
members  of  the  Federal  Communications  Commission,  but  with  respect 
to  Listeners'  Councils,  there  is  no  difference  of  opinion.  All  members  of 
the  Commission  and  staff  agree  that  the  Council  movement  is  a  good 
thing.  The  Commission  has  sought  to  encourage  it  in  every  way  possible. 

Mrs.  Barger  made  reference  to  a  speech  that  Chairman  Walker 
made  in  Cleveland  recently.  I  want  to  quote  from  a  different  part  of 
that  speech,  which  touches  more  directly  on  the  work  your  organization 
is  doing  in  Cleveland.  He  said: 

"Some  of  the  finest  radio  and  television  programs  which  are  being 
broadcast  now  are  the  outgrowth  of  cooperative  efforts  between  broad- 
casting stations  and  community  organizations.  Reports  show  that  the 
selected  lists  of  worthwhile  programs  compiled  by  the  Cleveland  Council 
have  become  increasingly  popular.  The  lists  are  helpful  both  to  the 
stations  and  the  listeners." 

The  chairman  went  on  to  state  that  there  are  similar  listener  councils 
in  other  communities.  He  said: 

"For  more  than  ten  years,  the  Wisconsin  Association  for  Better 
Radio  Listening  has  been  active  in  that  area.  Through  its  publication, 
'Good  Listening,'  this  association  keeps  the  public  informed  regarding 
worthwhile  radio  and  television  programs.  Listener  Councils  in  Cali- 
fornia have  been  doing  exceptionally  fine  work.  One  of  these  California 
groups  last  year  expanded  itself  into  an  organization  known  as  the 
National  Association  for  Better  Radio  and  Television.  It  is  attempting 
to  arouse  national  interest  in  and  support  for  higher  standards  of 
broadcasting. 

"In  a  recent  letter  I  received  from  the  president  of  that  organization, 

"  Legal  Assistant  to  the  Chairman,  FCC,  Washington,  D.  C. 


242  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

my  attention  was  called  to  a  one-half  hour  television  program  presented 
every  Sunday  night  over  a  Los  Angeles  station,  called  'The  World  In 
Your  Hands.'  This  program  was  sponsored  by  the  Los  Angeles  Con- 
ference on  Community  Relations.  Its  basic  purpose  is  to  help  people 
overcome  prejudices,  and  to  promote  understanding  and  good  will 
among  all  peoples,  regardless  of  race,  creed,  or  color.  Some  of  the 
topics  discussed  on  this  program  by  human  relations  experts  were  dis- 
crimination in  employment,  discrimination  in  housing,  attacks  which  are 
made  on  public  education,  international  declaration  on  human  rights,  etc. 
These  programs  use  the  constructive  educational  approach  and  are 
among  those  recommended  for  listening  and  viewing  by  this  national 
association  in  its  publication,  'Look  and  Listen.'  ' 

I  hope  I  didn't  take  Mrs.  Logan's  speech  away  from  her.  She  is 
with  the  California  group,  but  I  wanted  to  point  out  the  attitude  of  the 
chairman  of  the  FCC,  the  former  chairman,  and  other  members  of  the 
Commission,  who  have  given  a  great  deal  of  thought  and  support  to  the 
Listener  Council  movement. 

Several  years  ago,  the  Commission  got  out  a  document  called, 
"Public  Service  Responsibilities  of  Broadcast  Licensees."  In  that  docu- 
ment these  words  appear:  "Radio  Listener  Councils  also  can  do  much 
to  improve  the  quality  of  program  service."  The  report  cites  the  various 
councils  which  have  been  organized,  and  their  objectives.  I  wish  to  read 
the  objectives: 

"First,  such  a  Council  can  provide  a  much  needed  channel  through 
which  listeners  can  convey  to  broadcasters  the  wishes  of  the  vast,  but, 
generally,  not  articulate,  radio  audience. 

"Second,  Councils  can  engage  in  much  needed  research  in  public 
tastes  and  attitudes. 

"Third,  Council  members  can  check  on  the  failure  of  network  affil- 
iates to  carry  out  standard  network  sustaining  programs,  and  on  the 
local  programs  substituted  for  outstanding  network  sustaining  programs. 

"Fourth,  they  can  serve  to  publicize  and  promote  outstanding  pro- 
grams, especially  sustaining  programs,  which  at  present  suffer  a  serious 
handicap  for  lack  of  the  vast  promotional  enterprise  which  goes  to  pub- 
licize many  commercial  programs." 

In  closing,  I  wish  to  say  that  the  organized,  systematic,  informed, 
and  objective  action  by  the  public  through  Listener  Councils,  can  do 
much  to  improve  the  standards  of  radio  and  television.  It  is,  of  course, 
essential  that  such  organizations  be  completely  independent  of  both 
industry  and  the  government,  and  that  they  owe  their  loyalty  only  to 
the  listeners  and  the  viewers. 

Now  that  the  Commission  has  lifted  the  freeze,  and  many  new 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  243 

television  stations  will  be  on  the  air  in  the  next  few  years,  it  is  important 
that  the  citizenry  of  the  country  be  stirred  up  on  the  problem  of  good 
programming. 

We  get  comments  and  complaints  from  all  sections  of  the  country 
regarding  programs.  Actually,  multitudes  of  people  are  concerned  about 
the  programs.  The  big  task  is  to  get  the  people  organized,  so  that  they 
can  make  their  influence  felt.  If  you  have  enough  members  you  can 
make  your  wishes  felt,  and  I  think  that  is  the  really  effective,  democratic 
way  to  improve  program  service  in  this  country. 
MRS.  RUDOLPH  E.  LANGER:S 

Radio  and  television  have  greatly  increased  our  facilities  for  com- 
munication, but  it  is  a  matter  of  utter  indifference  to  these  electronic 
devices  what  they  communicate.  The  discrimination  between  good  and 
bad  will  always  be  a  human  function.  The  Wisconsin  Association  for 
Better  Radio  and  Television  is  an  organization  which  is  trying  to  throw 
its  weight  on  the  side  of  good. 

What  the  broadcasters  offer  is  what  they  think  the  public  wants. 
We  have  made  it  our  purpose  to  try  to  influence  the  public  to  want 
better  things.  There  are  a  number  of  ways  in  which  we  are  trying  to 
do  this. 

Each  year,  we  conduct  a  "Look  and  Listen  Project."  We  ask  for 
opinions  on  various  programs,  and  for  information  concerning  the  type 
of  program  desired.  We  also  conduct  a  monthly  poll  on  questions 
relating  to  radio  and  television. 

We  try  to  assist  the  schools  in  teaching  intelligent  evaluation  of 
radio  and  television  programs.  For  use  in  this  connection,  we  have  a 
publication,  "Can  Radio  Listening  Be  Taught?"  This  is  a  compilation 
of  reports  by  teachers.  A  leaflet  of  recommended  programs,  entitled 
"Good  Listening,"  is  published  monthly.  This  list  was  first  published 
in  the  newspapers  in  1935.  We  also  conduct  our  own  broadcast,  "A 
Broadcast  on  Broadcasts,"  over  the  eight  stations  of  the  Wisconsin 
State  Radio  Council. 

State-wide  conventions  are  sponsored  featuring  forums  on  various 
matters  pertaining  to  radio  and  television.  We  also  maintain  a  speakers' 
bureau  for  the  help  of  interested  groups. 

Our  opinion-gathering  poll,  the  "Look-Listen  Project,"  was  started 
five  years  ago  with  1,000  listeners.  They  lived  in  Wisconsin.  It  has 
grown  in  importance  until  now  it  is  no  longer  confined  to  our  own  state. 
More  than  5,000  people  in  eleven  states  submitted  20,000  reports  in 
our  sixth  project. 

The  organization  that  took  the  lead  last  year  in   conducting  this 

6  President,  Wisconsin  Association  for  Better  Radio  and  Television,  Madison,  Wise. 


244  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

survey  in  states  outside  of  Wisconsin  was  the  American  Association  of 
University  Women,  but  it  was  ably  assisted  by  the  PTA,  Business  and 
Professional  Women,  and  other  organizations. 

This  official  "Look-Listen"  report  is  sent  to  the  sponsors,  the  net- 
works, and  the  Federal  Communications  Commission.  In  almost  every 
case,  it  also  is  sent  to  the  stations  monitored. 

Influence  is  always  hard  to  measure,  and  we  try  to  avoid  being  too 
sanguine  as  to  how  much  of  it  we  may  possess.  There  have  been  some 
instances,  however,  in  which  our  influence  was  clearly  demonstrated. 
One  was  in  the  restoration  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera  Company  broad- 
casts to  southern  Wisconsin  as  a  result  of  our  protests.  In  another 
instance,  a  considerable  revision  of  programming  at  a  local  station  was 
achieved. 

Within  the  last  two  months,  one  of  Wisconsin's  io,ooo-watt  sta- 
tions, sensing  an  unfavorable  attitude  toward  crime  programs  on  Sunday 
afternoons,  replaced  such  a  program.  We  believe  the  "Look-Listen 
Project,"  contributed  to  this.  After  our  official  report  came  out,  the 
same  station  cancelled  another  such  crime  series. 

Our  booklets  have  been  sold  to  schools,  clubs,  church  groups,  and 
individuals  in  forty-six  states,  as  well  as  in  Canada,  Hawaii  and  the 
Philippines.  During  the  past  year  alone,  we  have  been  consulted  by  high 
schools  in  thirty  of  the  states.  Much  interest  also  has  been  shown  by 
colleges  and  universities. 

Miss  Leslie  Spence  is  our  education  chairman,  and  it  is  her  practice 
to  interview  a  variety  of  persons,  ranging  from  high  school  students  to 
college  professors,  foreign  visitors,  and  the  average  listener  on  our 
weekly  broadcast.  This  program  is  generally  designed  to  throw  light  on 
some  feature  of  broadcasting  that  is  instructive,  and  perhaps  not  properly 
understood  or  appreciated. 

Our  organization  endeavors  to  be  constructive  at  all  times,  and  to 
make  the  voice  of  thoughtful  opinion  heard,  whatever  it  may  have  to  say. 
Our  members  are  urged  to  write  to  the  stations  and  networks  concerning 
the  programs  which  they  like,  as  well  as  those  which  they  find  wanting. 
An  extraordinarily  friendly  relationship  exists  between  our  organization 
and  the  stations.  This  proves  that  our  work  is  appreciated. 

Mr.  H.  V.  Kaltenborn  recently  told  us,  "I  am  confident  that  your 
contribution  in  support  of  good  programs  and  your  condemnation  of  the 
bad  is  far  more  effective  than  you  may  suppose." 

That  is  what  we  like  to  think. 
MRS.  CLARA  S.  LOGAN  :7 

Gilbert  Seldes  has  written:  "Not  what  one  person  can  avoid  hearing, 

7  President,  National  Association  for  Better  Radio  and  Television,  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  245 

but  what  everyone  else  does  hear,  is  the  heart  of  radio's  power,  and  the 
core  of  its  responsibility."  Those  of  us  who  are  active  in  the  work  of 
listener-viewer  groups  agree  with  Mr.  Seldes  that  "entertainment  arts 
have  a  public  as  well  as  private  character;  that  pleasures  taken  indi- 
vidually have  profound  social  effects." 

We  also  believe  that  listener-viewer  organizations  are  becoming  a 
definite  influence  in  developing  the  position  of  the  public  in  its  three-way 
partnership  with  the  broadcasters  and  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission. 

As  for  the  question  before  us,  the  answer,  of  course,  is  a  matter  of 
degree.  I  can  cite  many  definite  accomplishments  already  by  the  Na- 
tional Association  for  Better  Radio  and  Television,  and  by  other  groups. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  scope  of  our  work  is  so  tremendous  that,  com- 
paratively, we  have  done  little  more  than  scratch  the  surface. 

Listener-viewer  associations  have  an  important  role  to  fill  in  the 
social  and  cultural  development  of  our  country.  In  order  to  carry  out 
this  role  with  a  high  degree  of  effectiveness,  we  need  three  things:  An 
understanding  of  our  aims  and  purposes,  the  active  support  of  many 
members  and,  financial  support.  We  need  to  coordinate  our  activity  on 
a  national  level,  so  that  listener  groups  everywhere,  and  other  workers 
in  this  field,  will  have  an  interchange  of  knowledge.  This  would  im- 
prove the  work  tremendously. 

There  is  a  great  need  for  our  activity  in  promoting  higher  standards 
for  radio  and  television  programming.  One  phase  of  our  work  is  con- 
cerned with  the  emphasis  on  crime,  particularly  in  programs  for  chil- 
dren. There  are  indications  that  television  is  picking  up  the  less  desirable 
aspects  of  radio.  These  include  the  growing  similarity  of  daytime 
television  to  daytime  radio,  and  the  failure  of  some  of  our  better  pro- 
grams to  stay  on  the  air  because  they  have  not  been  able  to  secure 
sponsors. 

These  deplorable  trends  need  not  continue,  if  enough  people  will 
take  an  active  interest  and  accept  their  responsibilities  in  this  vast  enter- 
prise. We  need  not  allow  ratings  to  be  the  sole  determining  factor  in 
the  broadcaster's  choice  of  programs.  The  commercial  aspects  of  tele- 
vision must  be  kept  within  the  bounds  of  service  to  the  public.  Program 
quality  should  be  the  basis  for  selection. 

A  major  role  of  listener- viewer  groups  can  be  accomplished  through 
education  of  the  public  regarding  the  American  system  of  broadcasting, 
with  emphasis  on  the  part  the  public  should  assume  in  this  system.  The 
apparent  indifference  of  the  public  to  many  phases  of  radio  and  television 
is  not  really  indifference  at  all.  Actually,  it  is  an  unawareness,  on  the 
part  of  the  public,  of  its  rights.  There  is  no  widespread  general  knowl- 


246  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

edge  that  every  citizen  of  the  United  States  owns  an  interest  in  the 
broadcast  channels,  and  that  the  broadcasters  are  licensed  to  use  these 
channels  through  laws  which  give  the  people  the  right  and  the  power 
to  demand  higher  standards  of  radio  and  television  programs.  As  mem- 
bers of  listener-viewer  groups,  we  must  see  that  this  fact  becomes 
common  knowledge. 

We  have  another  important  role  in  our  program,  and  that  is  to  give 
information  and  specialized  training  to  those  who  are  actively  working 
to  establish  higher  standards  of  programs.  We  can  aid  radio-TV  chair- 
men of  clubs,  church  groups,  and  parent-teacher  organizations.  We 
can  and  are  doing  this  through  meetings,  bulletins,  program  guides,  and 
other  materials. 

Many  people  want  to  do  something  to  help  in  this  situation,  but  they 
don't  know  where  to  start.  People  are  asking  for  literature  regarding 
our  program.  Several  universities,  advertising  agencies  and  radio-TV 
stations  have  taken  an  active  interest  in  our  program.  We  are  all  part 
of  this  broadcasting  picture,  and  should  all  be  working  together  for  our 
common  good. 

Occasionally,  an  outstanding  network  program  is  not  heard  locally 
and  we  request  that  it  be  put  on.  Sometimes,  programs  are  scheduled 
at  inappropriate  times.  Again,  outstanding  programs  are  dropped  from 
the  schedule.  Working  together  with  other  groups  throughout  the 
country,  we  requested  the  return  of  "Mr.  I.  Magination."  It  was 
returned.  Now  it  is  up  to  us  to  support  this  program. 

In  the  code  recently  drafted,  the  broadcasters  have  recognized  their 
responsibility  towards  children  in  the  early  evening  hours.  Our  group 
has  made  two  surveys  of  crime  on  television  before  9  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  and  it  will  start  another  one  soon. 

There  is  plenty  of  interesting,  challenging  work  for  the  listener- 
viewer  groups.  And  you  will  find  this  is  a  project  which  will  have  the 
enthusiastic  support  of  the  people  in  your  community. 

Today,  there  are  108  television  stations  in  the  U.  S.  The  FCC  is 
preparing  to  grant  hundreds  of  new  licenses.  Eventually,  we  will  have 
2,OOO  or  more  TV  stations  which  will  bring  television  into  more  than 
three-fourths  of  the  homes  of  America.  Television  will  be  the  most 
powerful  influence  in  the  world  in  molding  the  minds  of  our  children 
and  determining  our  future. 

Whichever  path  television  elects  to  follow  today,  will  affect  the 
cultural  development  of  our  nation  for  decades.  It  may  even  determine 
whether  our  future  holds  peace  or  war.  So  what  are  we  going  to  do 
about  it?  Will  we  stand  aside,  under  the  pressure  of  commercial  in- 
terests, and  let  television  follow  the  pattern  of  radio?  Or  will  we  take 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  247 

definite,  organized  action  by  which  television,  beyond  any  doubt,  will 
come  to  an  entirely  new  interpretation  of  "public  interest,  convenience 
and  necessity." 
MR.  THOMAS  D.  RISHWORTH:S 

I  have  been  asked  to  state  my  views  on  the  question :  "Are  Organ- 
ized Listener  groups  doing  an  effective  job?"  Most  certainly  in  Cleve- 
land, and  in  the  states  of  Wisconsin  and  part  of  California  organized 
listening  is  effective  in  influencing  program  standards. 

When  the  council  functions  as  an  outlet  for  program  information, 
when  it  recommends  broadcasts  of  exceptional  educational  merit,  when 
it  serves  as  a  medium  for  the  establishment  of  program  standards,  it  is 
an  important  factor  in  developing  radio  and  television  as  servants  of  the 
public  rather  than  as  salesmen  for  soap,  cigarettes  and  soup. 

However,  when  a  listening  council  sets  itself  up  as  a  board  of  cen- 
sorship, or  functions  only  as  a  body  to  condemn,  then  the  council 
becomes  only  a  nuisance  factor. 

I  am  not  saying  that  radio  and  television  are  above  criticism.  With 
the  apparent  trend  toward  over-commercialization  on  both  radio  and 
TV,  and  recent  drastic  efforts  to  cut  production  budgets  in  radio  and 
to  hold  production  costs  on  TV  to  a  minimum  because  of  the  tremendous 
overhead  in  that  medium,  it  is  obvious  that  broadcasting  has  seen  fit  to 
ignore  its  own  program  standards.  The  public  does  have  the  right  to 
select  and  reject,  and  to  do  so  through  organized  listening. 

Let  us  examine  other  media.  How  are  standards  achieved  in  journal- 
ism, in  book  publishing,  in  the  magazine  field?  The  daily  press  has  its 
own  organization  to  develop  standards  for  the  printed  word.  The 
publishers  have  established  their  own  groups  to  promote  the  circulation 
of  the  best  in  modern  literature.  The  periodicals  are  self-policing 
in  determining  what  they  will  offer  their  readers. 

In  radio,  the  National  Association  of  Radio  and  Television  Broad- 
casters has  for  many  years  sponsored  its  own  code  of  ethics  for  the 
profession.  True,  it  is  a  code  that  is  not  at  all  uniformly  observed,  but 
it  does  represent  the  best  thinking  of  leaders  in  the  broadcasting  field, 
who  are  willing  to  state  publicly:  "This  is  what  we  shall  do  as  responsible 
servants  of  our  listeners.  This  is  what  we  shall  not  do."  A  new  television 
code  also  has  been  adopted  by  the  industry. 

I  wish  to  suggest  that  listening  councils  invite  station  managers 
and  program  directors  to  participate  in  this  movement.  The  ideal 
functioning  listeners'  council  is  one  which  includes  in  its  membership 
not  only  consumers,  but  producers  as  well.  A  council,  in  my  opinion, 

8  Radio-Television   Chairman,   National   Congress   of   PTA;    Director,   Radio    House, 
University  of  Texas,  Austin,  Texas. 


248  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

should  function  as  a  stockholders  meeting,  sitting  down  regularly  with 
management  to  make  an  inventory  of  profits  and  losses,  and  to  declare 
dividends  in  programs  of  the  highest  merit  for  home  and  school  con- 
sumption. 

The  National  Congress  of  Parents  and  Teachers  is  a  listeners' 
council  in  the  broadest  sense.  Our  membership  of  6,500,000  parents 
and  teachers  represents  the  largest  organization  of  its  kind  in  the  world. 
Through  constant  study  of  new  trends  in  radio  and  television,  and 
constant  examination  of  new  problems  as  they  arise,  our  membership 
is  kept  informed  through  our  national  publications,  and  through  forty- 
eight  functioning  state  chairmen,  of  the  listener's  rights  and  responsibil- 
ities and  the  viewer's  status  in  determining  what  he  sees. 

As  an  example  of  what  can  be  done,  the  National  Broadcasting 
Company,  within  the  last  year,  offered  a  regular  series  of  network 
programs  concerned  with  children's  reading.  Our  entire  membership 
was  alerted  throughout  every  one  of  the  state  congresses  to  support 
this  program  and  promote  an  audience  for  it.  In  hearings  before  the 
FCC,  the  national  congress  of  PTA  strongly  urged  the  reservation  of 
television  channels  for  education.  Many  of  our  PTA  state  chairmen 
for  radio  and  television  are  themselves  professional  broadcasters.  Na- 
tionally, and  at  state  and  local  levels,  the  PTA  has  worked  consistently 
with  listeners'  councils  wherever  they  exist. 

A  listeners'  council  is  an  advisory  board,  not  a  jury.  It  is  a  group 
through  which  broadcasters  of  high  integrity,  and  listeners  who  are  well 
informed,  can  work  together  for  the  attainment  of  common  goals.  A 
council  is  a  monitoring  agency,  to  stay  constantly  on  the  alert.  It  is  the 
voice  through  which  the  individual  listener  can  be  heard.  It  is  a  con- 
structive factor  in  good  programming. 

Within  these  limitations,  and  supported  by  adequate  research  and 
funds,  these  councils  can  do  what  in  the  democratic  process,  the  FCC 
should  not  or  must  not  do,  that  is,  to  determine  the  future  of  radio 
and  television  as  true  servants  of  the  public. 
MR.  DALLAS  W.  SMYTHE:® 

The  preceding  speakers  have  justifiably  patted  you  on  the  back, 
comforted  you,  and  encouraged  you.  I  am  not  going  to  continue  the 
comforting  process. 

With  due  respect  to  the  fine  work  that  has  been  done,  I  do  not 
believe  the  councils  are  doing  an  effective  job.  I  will  elaborate  on  this 
a  little. 

One  of  the  points  I  wish  to  raise  has  to  do  with  the  matter  of 

8  Research  Professor,  Institute  of  Communications  Research,  University  of  Illinois, 
Urbana,  111. 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  249 

understanding  the  nature  of  our  radio  system.  As  long  as  the  illusion 
persists  that  radio  is  "free,"  in  an  economic  sense,  you  haven't  really 
grappled  with  the  national  problem. 

Look  at  this  simple  arithmetic.  There  are  now  about  16,000,000 
television  receivers  in  the  U.  S.  If  you  figure  an  average  cost  of  $300 
per  set,  that  totals  $4,800,000,000.  This  is  the  viewers'  investment 
in  the  television  industry. 

For  the  station  investment,  an  estimate  of  $i,OOO,OOO  apiece  might 
not  be  excessive.  There  are  108  stations,  or  $100,000,000  for  the 
industry's  investment.  The  ratio  is  approximately  48  to  I  in  favor  of 
the  viewers. 

A  rough  estimate  of  the  cost  to  program  and  operate  the  stations  and 
networks  might  be  $500,000,000 — maybe  a  little  more,  or  a  little 
less.  It  probably  costs  $1,800,000,000  to  service  i6-million  receiving 
sets.  This  is  a  ratio  of  three  to  one  in  favor  of  the  viewers. 

On  the  basis  of  investment  and  operating  expense,  the  notion  that 
television  is  free  to  the  viewers  is  obviously  an  absurdity.  You  are 
putting  up  most  of  the  capital  and  most  of  the  operating  expense.  If  you 
take  account  of  the  fact  that  ultimately  the  people  who  buy  the  products 
and  the  services  pay  for  the  advertising  and  this  pays  for  the  programs, 
you  see  that  the  people  foot  the  bill  there,  too. 

My  second  point  is  really  geographical.  We  have  heard  mention  of 
organizations  in  six  or  seven  states.  There  are  forty-eight  states,  plus 
the  District  of  Columbia.  If  we  had  a  map  with  electric  lights  at  each 
location  where  there  is  an  effective  radio  or  television  council,  it  wouldn't 
be  much  of  a  showing. 

There  are  approximately  2,000  communities  in  the  U.  S.  that 
are  large  enough  to  support  a  radio-television  council  of  the  kind  you 
have  described.  There  is  obviously  an  enormous  unfilled  gap  here. 

This  brings  up  the  organizational  policy  of  the  listener  groups.  How 
can  you  go  about  promoting  this  activity?  The  problem  I  suspect,  is  a 
tough  one. 

This  undoubtedly  has  been  mentioned  many  times  in  the  past  eighteen 
or  twenty  years  at  meetings  like  this,  but  there  is  a  special  reason  for 
raising  the  question  now.  Television  is  here.  There  is  tremendous  public 
interest  and  public  concern  in  the  programming.  There  is  also  evidence 
of  the  interest  of  foundations  in  helping  this  kind  of  a  program. 

Let  me  tell  you,  briefly,  the  story  of  the  NAEB,  of  how  it  got  where 
it  is  now.  •  •  .  . 

Four  years  ago>  the  NAEB  was  operating  on  a  budget  of  approxi- 
mately $2,000  annually.  It  had  some  thirty  stations  scattered  over  the 
map.  It  was  a  luncheon  club. 


EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

In  1 949,  the  Allerton  meeting  was  held.  A  representative,  but  small, 
group  met  for  three  weeks  with  some  consultants  who  emphasized 
particular  phases  of  the  problem.  Committees  were  set  up,  and  these 
concentrated  on  functional  aspects  of  the  problem. 

At  the  end  of  the  three  weeks,  the  group  came  out  with  what  has 
been  called  the  Allerton  Report.  It  was  thoroughly  publicized  in  the 
Hollywood  Quarterly  by  Bob  Hudson. 

Out  of  this  thinking  came  the  NAEB  policy  which  attracted  founda- 
tion support.  These  funds  have  been  very  effectively  used.  The  National 
Association  of  Educational  Broadcasters  this  year  is  operating  on  a  much 
more  ambitious  scale,  with  a  tape  network  service  for  the  educational 
stations,  and  plans  for  many  more  improvements.  We  have  begun  to 
fill  in  the  blank  spaces  on  the  map.  While  we  are  yet  a  long  way  from 
having  national  coverage,  we  are  pointed  in  that  direction. 

This  is  an  example  which  might  aid  you  when  you  think  of  the 
problem  of  organized  listener  groups  on  a  national  scale. 

DISCUSSION 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

I  will  now  ask  some  questions  of  our  panel  members  and  then  invite 
the  audience  to  take  part. 

Mrs.  Logan,  does  your  organization  really  represent  the  people  out 
in  California? 
MRS.  LOGAN  : 

We  hope  to  represent  all  the  people  and  coordinate  their  efforts  to 
improve  radio  and  television. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

I  am  going  to  ask  Mrs.  Barger  also  to  answer  that  question. 
MRS.  BARGER: 

We  try  to  be  a  representative  group.    We  try  to  bring  all  groups 
that  we  possibly  can  into  membership.    It  is  not  restricted  to  those  with 
a  certain  amount  of  education.    Nor  do  we  recognize  any  barriers  of 
race,  color  or  creed. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

I  have  a  question  for  you,  Mrs.  Conway.  Why  are  you  so  concerned 
about  radio  and   television?     Why  not  organize  groups  to  study  the 
newspapers? 
MRS.  CONWAY: 

Everyone  has  the  right  of  buying  or  not  buying  a  newspaper,  but 
radio  and  television  are  in  our  homes  to  stay.  We  should  do  something 
about  trying  to  improve  them. 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  251 

MRS.  LOGAN  : 

I  wish  to  point  out  that  radio  and  television  are  in  a  different  classi- 
fication  than   the   newspapers.    The   broadcasting  industry  is  a  public 
trust,  while  the  newspapers  and  motion  pictures  are  private  business. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

I  will  ask  you  a  question,  Mrs.  Langer.   Suppose  I  am  a  commercial 
broadcaster,  and  I  say,  "We  give  the  people  what  they  want."    What 
would  be  your  answer  to  that?    And  why  are  you  so  concerned  about 
this? 
MRS.  LANGER: 

My  answer  would  be  that  we  are  only  trying  to  raise  the  standards 
of  the  people.    We  are  boosting  your  good  programs.    We  are  telling 
the  people  to  listen  to  them  and  to  ask  for  more. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

I  will  ask  Dr.  Smythe  a  question. 

You  advocate  a  spread  of  this  activity.  One  keynote  stressed  by 
these  councils  was  that  they  maintain  their  independence  and  remain 
close  to  the  scene  in  order  to  be  objective  in  their  analysis.  If  this  be- 
comes a  national  organization,  will  the  groups  submerge  their  identity 
and  tend  to  become  less  effective? 
MR.  SMYTHE: 

I  don't  think  that  is  a  real  problem. 

I  don't  see  any  reason  why  local  autonomy  and  national  strength 
through  organization  and  unity  are  at  all  incompatible. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

I  will  invite  the  audience  to  volunteer  some  questions  now. 
QUESTION  : 

How  does  the  broadcaster  know  what  his  listeners  want? 

I  heard  yesterday  that  when  they  take  these  surveys,  they  don't 
consider  the  people  who  have  their  sets  turned  off. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

Well,  it  is  true  that  at  no  one  time  are  most  of  the  people  viewing 
or  listening;  am  I  right? 
MR.  SMYTHE: 

Yes. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

Most  of  the  people  are  neither  viewing  or  listening.    How  do  we 
know  what  most  of  the  people  want?    I  think  that  is  a  fair  question. 
MRS.  ALICE  KEITH  :10 

I  have  been  interested  in  this  question  since  1925.    Last  year,  when 

10  President,  National  Academy  of  Broadcasting,  Washington,  D.  C. 


252  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

I  was  in  New  York,  I  asked  one  of  the  large  advertising  agencies  about 
it.    Several  opinions  were  offered  but  there  was  no  satisfactory  reply. 

I  think  our  little  children  are  beginning  to  believe  that  murder  is  a 
nice  social  activity. 

MR.  LEVENSON: 

Mrs.  Keith,  let  me  ask  you  a  question.  When  you  analyze  children's 
literature.  Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  etc.,  you  always  have  intensified 
adventure.  Why  do  you  want  radio  and  television  to  be  different? 

MRS.  KEITH: 

Robert  Louis  Stevenson's  stories  are  excellent.  They  have  a  con- 
structive conclusion.  Too  many  of  our  radio  programs  are  the  Police 
Gazette  type  of  thing.  They  appeal  to  the  sadistic  desire  of  the  listeners 
to  follow  a  murder.  There  is  no  character  development. 

"Hamlet,"  and  other  plays  of  Shakespeare,  present  people  that  ap- 
peal to  our  sympathies.  A  great  many  of  the  people  in  radio  plays  aren't 
worth  worrying  about  if  they  are  killed. 

Miss  LESLIE  M.  SPENCE:11 

I  would  like  to  make  a  comment. 

In  a  small  city,  a  mother  came  up  to  me  after  a  talk  and  said,  "Oh, 
really,  I  hate  to  have  my  eleven-year-old  daughter  listening  to  crime 
programs,  especially  because  she  seems  so  drawn  to  them." 

The  station  manager  at  my  side  spoke  up:  "You  know,  the  spon- 
sors are  feeling  more  and  more  the  way  you  do." 

There  is  something  we  ought  to  keep  in  mind.  Many  sponsors  are 
fathers  and  mothers,  and  we  can  approach  them  on  that  basis.  Perhaps, 
that  is  an  angle  we  ought  to  be  working  on. 

While  I  am  on  my  feet,  I  will  say  one  more  thing  about  children's 
programs.  I  believe  we  must  educate  ourselves  to  become  more  dis- 
criminating about  children's  programs,  and  not  just  lump  them  all  to- 
gether. Some  of  them  are  excellent;  some  are  mediocre;  some  are 
poor.  We  ought  to  know  which  are  which. 

MR.  LEVENSON: 

That  is  right.  We  have  to  make  sure  that  before  we  criticize  some- 
thing, we  have  seen  and  heard  it  ourselves. 

MR.  SMYTHE: 

It  used  to  be  said  that  in  this  nation,  one-third  was  ill-fed,  ill- 
clothed,  and  ill-housed.  Today  it  appears  that  nine-tenths  of  the  nation 
is  ill-informed  about  radio  and  television. 

II  Chairman,  Education  Committee,  Wisconsin  Association  for  Better  Radio  and  Tele- 
vision, Madison,  Wise. 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO 

QUESTION  : 

As  I  see  it,  there  is  no  objective  way  of  knowing  what  people  want. 
I  think  this  is  in  the  realm  of  the  unpredictable  future.  My  belief  is  that 
people  do  not  get  what  they  want,  but  they  want  what  they  get.  How 
do  people  know  until  they  have  had  it?  The  people  didn't  want  Shakes- 
peare until  they  knew  Shakespeare. 
MR.  LEVENSON  : 

Is  it  true,  that  at  first,  only  a  small  group  want  the  better  things? 
COMMENT: 

I  think  there  always  will  be  an  intellectual  group  that  can  determine 
the  needs  and  decide  what  the  people  want.    I  don't  think  that  any- 
body knows  what  he  wants. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

I  press  the  question:    Isn't  that  the  obligation  of  the  operator  with 
the  sustaining  programs,  to  accept  the  fact  that  there  will  be  minority 
audiences,  and  that  he  owes  something  to  them  in  terms  of  numbers? 
COMMENT: 

All  audiences  are  minority  audiences,  as  it  was  pointed  out.  Even 
if  we  get  all  the  listeners,  the  people  not  listening  make  up  the  majority. 
MRS.  LONG: 

I  wish  to  say  a  word  for  the  very  fine  program,  Mr.  I.  Magination. 
Have  any  of  you  done  anything  to  get  it  back? 
MRS.  LOGAN  : 

It  is  back  on  our  stations.  It  is  the  first  case  I  know  about  where 
the  listeners  won  a  return  of  an  outstanding  network  program.  It  still 
has  no  sponsor.  Now  it  is  up  to  the  people  to  write  in  and  thank  the 
people  who  produce  this  program,  so  it  can  get  a  sponsor  and  stay  on 
the  air. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

When  we  are  able  to  get  something  good  back,  it  seems  to  me  we 
have  an  obligation  to  go  all  out  to  support  it. 
MR.  WILLIAM  H.  EwiNc:12 

I  am  connected  with  station  WOSU,  and  I  am  interested  in  the 
listener  council  program.  In  Columbus,  Ohio,  there  have  been  efforts 
to  get  such  an  organization  started.  A  lot  of  people  are  interested,  but 
there  is  no  cohesive  group.  The  question  I  ask  is  what  is  the  next  step 
in  a  situation  like  ours? 
MRS.  LOGAN  : 

In  southern  California,  our  group  was  formed  three  years  ago  by 
five  women  who  decided  that  we  should  have  an  organization  like 

u  Program  Supervisor,  Station  WOSU,  Ohio  State  University,  Columbus. 


254  EDUCATION    ON    THE   AIR 

that.  We  got  busy  and  wrote  to  the  outstanding  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity, called  a  meeting  at  the  public  library,  and  that  was  the  start  of  it. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

The  national  organizations  would  not  amount  to  much  if  they  didn't 
have  a  grass  roots  development. 
MR.  SMYTHE: 

You  are  quite  right.    You  can't  impose  this  plan  from  above  and 
have  it  work.    Back  of  the  organization  effort,  there  must  be  thinking 
by  a  small  group. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

I  would  like  to  ask  Jim  Hanrahan,  a  commercial  broadcaster,  this 
question:  Would  it  be  a  good  thing  for  the  industry  if  practically  every- 
body was  a  member  of  some  listener-viewing  council? 
MR.  JAMES  C.  HANRAHAN  :13 

The  important  thing  is  that  the  listener  or  viewer  make  known  his 
views  and  his  desires  to  the  broadcaster.  If  he  expresses  his  opinion 
through  an  organized  listener  group,  I  think  it  will  have  more  in- 
fluence on  the  broadcaster. 

When    a   station    manager   receives    fifty    postcards   with    identical 
messages,  the  result  is  not  so  great  as  if  each  one  were  individually 
expressed. 
Miss  SPENCE: 

On  this  grass  roots  business  and  how  you  can  get  started  in  Co- 
lumbus,   one   of   your   industry   groups   has   joined   our    "Look-Listen 
Project."    We  have  found  this  a  good  way  to  get  started.    It  provides 
a  fairly  good  basis  on  which  to  carry  on  further  suggestions. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

I  would  like  to  ask  this  question  and  I  don't  know  the  answer.  I 
wish  I  did. 

Is  it  inherent,  in  the  sociological  process,  so  to  speak,  that  after  a 
number  of  years,  the  community  develops  its  own  standards,  or  does  it 
deteriorate?  Have  radio  programs,  generally,  improved  in  quality  after 
a  generation? 

Would  you  say  that  radio,  today,  is  a  more  mature  vehicle  of  com- 
munication than  it  was  in  1930  or  1935? 
MR.  HANRAHAN: 

Infinitely  so,  of  course  it  is. 

I  am  sorry  I  didn't  hear  all  of  this  program.  But  in  respect  to  the 
Cleveland  Radio  and  Television  Council,  I  wish  to  suggest  that  it 
invite  membership  from  men  of  various  clubs.  It  is  my  opinion  that 

13  Vice-President  and  General  Manager,  Station  WEWS,  Cleveland. 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  255 

such  an  action  is  long  past  due.  There  isn't  any  reason  I  know,  why 
the  Council  should  not  have  representatives  from  hundreds  of  organi- 
zations of  men  in  the  area. 

Another  suggestion  to  the  FCC,  Mr.  Smythe  and  the  Councils  is 
that  they  begin  to  evaluate  on  a  horizontal  basis. 

I  think  you  ought  to  make  an  analysis  in  each  community  as  to 
what  is  available  horizontally  across  the  board.  It  seems  to  me  that  ip 
television,  we  should  try  to  produce  the  best  service  available  to  the 
community.  It  is  obvious  that  if  each  station  is  required  to  devote  ten 
per  cent  of  its  time  to  education,  each  one  might  do  it  at  the  same  time, 
and  this  would  mean  very  little  additional  public  service. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

A  point  very  well  taken. 
MR.  EMERY: 

I  am  very  much  interested  in  Mr.  Hanrahan's  excellent  comments. 

It  is  true  that  as  a  member  of  an  organization,  you  have  a  lot  more 
influence  with  the  radio  stations  than  if  you  operate  individually.  Mr. 
Hanrahan's  other  suggestion  is  significant,  that  is  comparing  the  pro- 
grams of  the  different  station  across  the  board  and  making  an  evalua- 
tion in  terms  of  the  whole  community.  I  think  the  Commission  might 
play  some  part  in  evaluating  the  program  service  of  stations  in  terms  of 
the  overall  situation. 
COMMENT: 

I  am  interested  in  the  suggestion  made  by  several  speakers  that  their 
members  and  the  public  do  a  little  writing  in  support  of  good  programs. 

I  operate  the  sustaining  programs  of  NBC,  and  I  am  frank  to  state 
that  I  don't  get  the  mail  I  would  like  to  have.    It  is  very  encouraging 
to  me  to  get  the  letters. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

This  man  is  in  a  position  where  all  the  money  goes  out  and  very 
little  comes  in.    He  represents  the  conscience  of  the  industry.    His  de- 
partment needs  help,  and  we  can  provide  that  help  by  approving  those 
programs  of  his  which  we  like. 
MRS.  BARGER: 

I  want  to  call  attention  to  the  fine  television  courses  by  Western 
Reserve  University  that  are  being  sent  over  Station  WEWS,  Mr.  Han- 
rahan's station  in  Cleveland.    They  are  bringing  the  university  to  the 
public  over  the  air. 
MR.  LEVENSON: 

This  meeting  has  been  conducted  entirely  in  the  democratic  man- 
ner.  I  want  to  thank  you  all  for  coming. 


256  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

BROADCASTING  BY  NATIONAL  ORGANIZATIONS 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
ROBERT  K.  RICHARDS,1  Presiding 

NATIONAL  ORGANIZATIONS  IN  WORKING  with  radio  and  tele- 
vision stations  on  their  various  projects  must  remember,  first, 
that  they  should  be  informed  on  the  problems  of  operating 
broadcasting  stations.  Too  frequently,  as  radio  broadcasters 
well  know,  the  local  representative  of  a  national  organization 
will  call  upon  the  station  manager  or  the  program  director  and 
ask  for  time  when,  in  truth,  the  request  should  be  for  an  audi- 
ence. All  of  us  know  that  an  audience  is  won  and  held  only 
through  good  programming.  In  my  experience  I  don't  know 
of  a  station  manager  or  program  executive  any  place  in  the 
country,  who  isn't  completely  willing  to  sit  down  and  talk  to 
the  representative  of  a  worthy  organization  seeking  to  reach  an 
American  audience  with  a  special  message,  and  to  discuss  the 
best  ways  and  means  of  employing  the  facility. 

This  is  only  good  sense  on  the  part  of  the  broadcaster.  The 
more  he  is  able  to  tell  such  representatives  about  the  nature  of 
his  work,  the  higher  will  be  the  regard  in  which  that  medium 
is  held,  and  the  wider  will  be  the  knowledge  of  its  internal 
operations. 

It  is  my  suggestion  that  the  best  approach  is  one  reflecting  a 
proper  humility.  You  may  know  a  great  deal  about  your  own 
business,  but  you  do  not  profess  to  be  an  expert  about  broad- 
casting. Consequently,  you  want  to  learn.  If  approached  in 
such  an  attitude,  most  broadcasters  will  be  extremely  patient 
and  understanding  in  working  with  you  toward  the  accomplish- 
ment of  your  objectives. 

I  can  give  you  a  good  example  of  this.  The  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Radio  and  Television  Broadcasters  is  an  organization 
which  has  sought  time  on  American  radio  and  television  sta- 
tions. This  has  been  done  in  our  annual  "Voice  of  Democracy" 
contest  in  cooperation  with  the  U.  S.  Junior  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce and  the  Radio-Television  Manufacturers  Association. 

This  contest  is  sponsored  by  one  association  and  the  other 

1  Director  of  Public  Relations,  National  Association  of  Radio  and  Television  Broad- 
casters, Washington,  D.  C. 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  2J7 

two  organizations  mentioned.  We  are  now  starting  the  sixth 
competition.  It  bears  the  endorsement  of  the  U.  S.  Office  of 
Education,  and  the  Federal  Security  Agency.  It  is  open  to  all 
tenth,  eleventh  and  twelfth  grade  pupils  in  the  nation's  public, 
private  and  parochial  schools.  Each  contestant  writes  and 
records  a  5 -minute  script  on  the  subject,  "I  Speak  for  Democ- 
racy." Judging  beyond  the  community  level  is  done  by  the 
participating  stations.  Entries  are  auditioned  "blind,"  that  is, 
each  disc  is  identified  only  by  a  number. 

A  screening  committee,  set  up  by  the  national  committee, 
further  limits  the  field.  This  committee  also  issues  invitations 
to  twelve  nationally  prominent  persons  to  serve  as  final  judges. 
Associate  Justice  Tom  C.  Clark,  of  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court,  is 
serving  currently  as  honorary  national  chairman  and  has  acted 
in  this  capacity  for  the  past  several  years. 

Miss  Jan  Geister,  winner  of  the  first  year's  contest,  is  pres- 
ent and  when  she  gives  us  a  brief  talk  you  will  know  why  we 
are  able  to  get  radio  and  television  time.  The  answer,  simply,  is 
that  we  have  a  good  program  to  offer  the  stations. 
Miss  ELOISE  WALTON :2 

In  speaking  about  the  private  relations  of  public  services,  as 
far  as  radio  and  television  are  concerned,  there  are  not  only  two 
sides  to  every  problem  but  three.  These  are  the  viewpoints  of 
the  agency,  the  network  and  the  public. 

From  the  agency  viewpoint,  planning  coverage  by  radio  and 
television  means  getting  network  time,  both  sponsored  and 
unsponsored,  through  specially  built  long  programs,  station 
breaks  and  longer  spots,  and  allocations  on  sponsored  pro- 
grams j  also  getting  out  syndicated  transcriptions,  films  and 
tapes  for  local  station  use;  and  servicing  other  agencies'  syndi- 
cated materials  and  network  programs  as  they  relate  to  your 
agency. 

The  agency  frequently  must  decide  between  prestige  shows 
and  practical  coverage,  due  to  the  lack  of  sufficient  personnel 
and  money  to  service  both.  The  public  relations  value  of  a  one- 
shot  program,  which  no  one  listens  to  but  the  board  of  directors, 
is  nil  compared  to  practical,  hard-hitting  coverage  through  a 
barrage  of  spot  announcements,  short  programs,  etc. 

Due  to  network  and  local  station  attitudes,  the  public  serv- 

3  Director  of  Radio  and  Television,  Community  Chest,  Inc.,  New  York  City. 


258  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

ice  agency  now  finds  itself  in  competition  with  commercial 
shows  and  in  the  program  packaging  business.  If  the  agency  is 
rich  and  careless  with  the  public's  money,  this  gets  time  on  the 
air.  If  it  is  careful  and  thrifty,  it  is  often  penalized. 

It  seems  to  me  that  since  there  are  too  many  requests  for 
reaching  the  radio  and  television  networks,  the  golden-egged 
goose  is  about  on  his  last  legs,  unless  the  agencies  stop  the  com- 
petition among  themselves  and  pull  together  for  a  series  of 
public  service  programs  of  high  commercial  quality.  The  pri- 
vate relations  of  public  services  would  indicate  that  the  agencies 
are  their  own  worst  enemies  in  the  field  of  interpretation  by 
radio  and  TV,  because  of  competition,  instead  of  service,  in  the 
public  interest. 

The  networks  are  about  as  hamstrung  for  adequate  budget 
and  personnel  for  public  service  as  the  agencies.  Hence,  it  is 
no  wonder  they  welcome  the  public  service  agencies  that  have 
radio-TV  know-how,  and  bring  them  top  quality  programs 
already  on  tape  or  film,  ready  for  the  air,  and  hedge  with  the 
agencies  which  put  the  burden  of  script,  production,  direction 
and  cast  on  their  already  overworked  shoulders.  Their  theory 
is  that  they  have  only  time  to  give  to  "public  service"  and  not 
the  service,  itself,  nor  the  money  involved  in  producing  shows. 

And  speaking  of  "public  service,"  they  expect  some  "private 
service"  from  the  agency  in  sending  personalities  that  are  pleas- 
ing, not  demanding,  that  have  public  relations  sense,  who 
know  how  to  research  a  project  thoroughly,  and  give  a  high 
caliber  interpretation  of  the  agency's  aims  and  the  kind  of  work 
it  does.  The  networks  complain  bitterly  that  there  are  too 
many  demands  for  their  slim  margin  of  free  time,  too  little 
time  allowed  from  the  date  of  request  to  airtime;  too  few 
agencies  with  specialized  personnel  j  too  little  money  to  throw 
into  good  production,  and  too  little  experience  in  radio-TV 
among  public  service  people  who  ask  for  help. 

Networks  don't  like  to  be  "used,"  either.  When  they  are 
asked  for  public  service  time,  they  want  to  give  service  to  the 
largest  possible  number  of  people,  not  raise  funds  from  the 
nation  for  a  limited  job  for  the  few  in  a  specialized  locality. 

As  listeners  to  a  volume  of  "gimmes"  heard  over  the  air, 
the  public  is  beginning  to  assert  some  rights,  too.  They're  tired 
of  hearing  Hollywood's  lovelies  declaim  nightly  on  first  one 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  259 

"charity"  and  then  another,  knowing  full  well  that  these 
spokesmen  really  don't  know  what  they're  talking  about  for  the 
most  part.  The  competition  among  agencies  creates  confusion, 
and  weakens  the  fabric  of  social  work  as  a  whole  in  the  public's 
tolerance  of  it. 

The  services  that  started  out  to  free  mankind  from  misery 
and  want  have  become  so  specialized  that  they  are  literally 
tearing  him  limb  from  limb.  The  public  seems  to  feel  that  it 
is  time  for  both  agencies  and  the  radio-TV  industry  to  see  Man 
as  a  whole  being  again,  and  to  give  them  programs  of  service, 
based  on  findings  of  the  social  agencies  which  were  established 
to  help  bring  relief  from  problems,  not  create  others.  It  seems 
to  me  that  they  are  ready  for  some  effort  at  retooling  for  human 
betterment  and  they  can,  and  will,  force  both  agencies  and  the 
radio-TV  industry  to  give  them  family  centered  help  through 
the  simple  expedient  of  refusing  funds  to  the  agencies  and  tun- 
ing out  the  network  programs. 
MR.  JOHN  W.  GiBBONs3 

Year  by  year,  radio  has  been  doing  a  bigger  and  better  job 
in  highway  safety  education,  much  of  it  in  cooperation  with 
national  organizations  through  their  state  and  local  leaders. 
Many  of  these  organizations  are  affiliated  with  the  National 
Committee  for  Traffic  Safety,  which  is  one  of  the  nationwide 
coordinating  agencies  of  the  President's  Highway  Safety  Con- 
ference. The  Committee  comprises  more  than  eighty-five 
leading  groups. 

Highway  safety  is  not  the  major  activity  of  many  of  these 
organizations.  Most  of  them  have  primary  interests  in  other 
fields,  but  all  of  them  are  concerned  about  the  heavy  toll  of 
death  and  injuries,  and  the  huge  economic  losses,  caused  by 
traffic  accidents.  All  are  contributing  in  some  measure  to  the 
promotion  of  the  "Action  Program,"  launched  in  1946  by  the 
President's  Highway  Safety  Conference. 

Where  highway  safety  is  making  conspicuous  progress,  we 
generally  find  that  public  support  is  well  organized,  vigorous 
and  continuous,  and  that  it  is  powerfully  reinforced  by  radio, 
the  newspapers,  magazines  and  the  other  important  media  of 
public  information. 

Radio  and  the  other  information  channels  have  a  two-fold 

3  Director  of  Public  Relations,  Automotive  Safety  Foundation,  Washington,  D.  C. 


26O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

function  in  highway  safety.  First,  they  help  to  keep  motorists 
and  pedestrians  alerted  to  traffic  hazards,  and  inculcate  a  sense 
of  personal  responsibility  behind  the  wheel  and  on  foot.  Sec- 
ond, they  promote  wider  understanding  of,  and  support  for, 
official  programs  designed  to  improve  enforcement  and  driver 
licensing,  provide  safer  roads  and  streets,  secure  more  uniform- 
ity in  traffic  laws  and  signs,  etc. 

The  safety  programs  and  features  developed  by  the  stations 
and  networks,  in  cooperation  with  public  and  private  agencies, 
take  a  great  variety  of  forms  including  dramatizations,  panels, 
interviews,  quiz  programs,  musicals,  radio  safety  clubs,  news 
and  educational  features. 

The  National  Safety  Council  offers  a  variety  of  high  grade 
scripts,  transcriptions  and  recordings  to  responsible  organiza- 
tions. 

Radio  coverage  of  the  highway  safety  problem  has  bene- 
fited tremendously  also  from  the  efforts  of  the  Advertising 
Council,  which  is  a  national  group  representing  all  elements  in 
the  advertising  field.  Through  its  radio  allocation  plan,  count- 
less advertisers  have  been  encouraged  to  devote  broadcast  time 
to  safety. 

Recognition  of  outstanding  contributions  by  radio  stations, 
networks  and  advertisers  is  now  given  annually  through  the 
National  Safety  Council's  public  interest  awards  and  the  Alfred 
P.  Sloan  radio-TV  awards.  These  awards  have  done  much  to 
stimulate  the  interest  of  the  broadcasting  industry  in  a  positive 
program  of  safety  and,  by  the  same  token,  have  widened  the 
opportunities  of  cooperating  organizations  to  obtain  time  on  the 
air  for  worthwhile  programs. 

To  conclude,  I  believe  that  the  key  to  traffic  safety  is  con- 
tinuity of  effort.  Unlike  other  humanitarian  causes,  safety  can- 
not be  achieved  by  sporadic  or  short-term  drives.  The  effective 
program  is  one  that  continues  throughout  the  year,  and  year 
after  year,  to  build  up  public  understanding  of  the  problem  and 
to  develop  safer  habits  of  driving  and  walking  in  young  and  old. 

The  traffic  accident  problem  was  never  more  serious  than  it 
is  today.  Traffic  volumes  have  virtually  doubled  since  the  end 
of  World  War  II.  The  challenge  must  be  met.  The  growing 
support  of  radio  and  the  other  great  public  information  media 
is  one  of  the  most  hopeful  signs  that  the  job  will  be  done.  We 
ask  all  cooperating  groups  to  redouble  their  efforts. 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  26 1 

BROADCASTING  BY  GOVERNMENT  AGENCIES 

JOHN  P.  MEAGHER,1  Presiding 
WORK-STUDY  GROUP 

MR.  HERMAN  A.  SpiNor:2 

MY  ASSIGNMENT  is  TO  TELL  something  about  the  Armed  Forces 
Radio  Service,  which  is  a  function  of  the  Office  of  Armed  Forces  Infor- 
mation and  Education,  in  the  Department  of  Defense.  This  office  is 
under  the  direction  of  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  Defense  for  Manpower 
and  Personnel. 

The  office  includes  two  branches,  Information  and  Education.  The 
Radio  section  comes  under  the  Information  branch.  The  Washington 
office  is  a  policy  making  headquarters.  All  production  and  program- 
ming are  done  in  the  New  York  and  Los  Angeles  branch  offices. 

The  outlets  for  Armed  Forces  Information  and  Education  include 
short  wave  stations  on  the  East  and  West  coasts  operated  by  the  "Voice 
of  America."  From  the  East  coast,  we  program  about  five  hours  a 
day,  and  from  the  West  coast  about  thirteen  hours  a  day.  In  addition 
to  this,  there  are  sixty-one  medium  wave  stations  located  overseas  in 
areas  where  there  are  concentrations  of  troops.  These  stations  are 
supplied  with  sixty-five  hours  of  programming  per  week  by  transcrip- 
tions, which  are  shipped  by  air. 

The  information  put  on  transcriptions  is  of  several  types.  The  Los 
Angeles  office  produces  original  shows  pointing  up  anti-Communism, 
such  as  "The  American  Heritage,"  and  "Pride  of  Service."  Another 
type  is  the  forum  program  that  is  recorded  from  network  shows.  Then 
there  is  the  religious  program,  which  also  is  taken  from  the  commercial 
stations.  The  Board  of  Chaplains  in  Washington  makes  the  decisions 
as  to  which  programs  should  be  used. 

In  addition  to  the  information  programs,  entertainment  programs 
are  taken  from  the  networks  and  re-recorded.  Most  of  the  top  flight 
home-front  shows  are  decommercialized  and  sent  out.  They  are  played 
about  four  weeks  after  they  have  been  heard  on  the  networks  in  the 
United  States. 

It  is  worthwhile  mentioning  that  the  AFRS  does  not  broadcast 
in  the  United  States  proper.  It  never  engages  in  competition  with  a 
commercial  activity.  Because  of  this,  we  have  agreements  with  musicians 
and  actors  unions  that  allow  AFRS  to  produce  shows  much  more  cheap- 
Acting  Chief,  Radio-Television  and  Visual  Media  Branch,  Division  of  Public 
Liaison,  Department  of  State,  Washington,  D.  C. 

3  Chief,  Armed  Forces  Radio  information  Section,  Office  of  Armed  Forces  informa- 
tion and  Education,  Washington,  D.  C. 


262  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

ly  than  would  otherwise  be  possible.    Shows  taken  from  the  networks 
involve  no  expense  to  the   APRS   except   for  recording  and  pressing. 

Stations  overseas  are  operated  by  the  theater  commanders.  When  a 
commander  feels  that  a  station  is  desirable  in  a  certain  area,  he  requests 
the  equipment  from  Armed  Forces  Information  and  Education,  through 
the  interested  Service  in  Washington.  Armed  Forces  I.  and  E.  then 
ships  the  equipment,  and  undertakes  to  supply  that  new  station  with  a 
complete  musical  library,  and  a  regular  supply  of  programs. 

The  AFRS  believes  its  broadcasts  are  heard  by  about  90,000,000 
persons  per  day,  all  overseas.    Only  a  very  small  percentage  of  these 
are  American  servicemen.    While  we  direct  all  of  our  programming  at 
the  servicemen,  foreign  listeners  obviously  like  AFRS. 
MR.  DANIEL  E.  POWER :3 

Georgetown  University  is  situated  in  the  nation's  capital  and  thus 
enjoys  certain  advantages.  Our  program  called  "The  Forum,"  a  tele- 
cast over  the  DuMont  network,  as  well  as  a  broadcast  over  the  Liberty 
network,  can  enlist  the  personnel  of  twenty  government  agencies  for 
panel  discussions  on  questions  of  national  interest.  This  also  has  been 
advantageous  to  the  government,  because  it  has  made  it  possible  for 
the  agencies  to  tell  their  stories  to  a  large  segment  of  the  population. 

We  follow  a  procedure  of  alloting  three  out  of  every  ten  of  our 
programs  to  government  agencies.  There  are  several  reasons  behind  this 
decision. 

We  find  that  young  people,  who  are  close  to  the  capital,  are  apt  to 
be  cynical  and  to  minimize  the  constructive  achievements  of  the  majority 
of  government  personnel.  Others,  not  residing  in  Washington,  are 
tempted  to  be  impressed  by  sensational  journalists  and  the  peep-hole 
variety  of  columnists.  Exclusive  reading  of  such  accounts  is  apt  to  leave 
an  impression  that  "Washington  is  the  only  institution  in  the  world  run 
by  the  inmates." 

Secondly,  the  appearance  on  TV  and  radio  of  top-level  agency 
personnel  builds  a  more  accurate  impression  than  slanted  journalistic 
reports.  A  panel  discussion,  such  as  our  "Georgetown  University 
Forum,"  wherein  clarification  and  not  controversy  is  the  objective, 
affords  the  listener  or  viewer  the  opportunity  to  evaluate  the  exact 
thought  of  the  participants  as  they  speak  freely. 

Americans  are  fair-minded  when  given  an  opportunity  to  make  up 
their  own  minds.  Honest  discussions  by  top-level  leaders  are  impressive, 
especially  when  programs  clearly  sketch  the  complexities  of  national 
problems,  such  as  foreign  policy.  These  programs,  we  believe,  help  to 
increase  confidence  in  government. 

8  Georgetown  University,  Washington,  D.  C. 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  263 

We  believe  future  plans  should  include  wider  participation  by  gov- 
ernment officials  in  presenting  their  problems  to  the  people.  Some  officials 
mistakenly  underestimate  the  intelligence  of  the  ordinary  American,  and 
are  not  sufficiently  aware  of  his  desire  to  know  more  about  the  policy 
and  the  policy-makers  who  make  America  tick. 

Taxpayers  are  pretty  much  like  students.  They  will  accept  the 
burdens  in  proportion  to  their  perception  of  the  reasonableness  of  the 
imposed  order.  DuMont  television  network,  Liberty  Broadcasting  sys- 
tem and  Georgetown  University  combine  to  offer  government  a 
remarkable  opportunity  to  state  its  case  positively  with  no  strings  attached. 

DISCUSSION 

Two  other  interesting  talks  were  given  and  then  a  general  discussion 
was  held.  Those  who  spoke  were  Mr.  Kenneth  M.  Gapen,  assistant 
director  of  information,  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.C., 
and  Dr.  C.  P.  Seitz,  head  of  the  research  branch,  Human  Engineering 
Division,  Office  of  Naval  Research,  Washington,  D.C. 


BROADCASTING  HEALTH  EDUCATION 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
CLAUDE-STARR  WRIGHT,1  Presiding 

A  PANEL  OF  SPECIALISTS  OPENED  the  meeting  on  health  education 
with  each  person  giving  an  interpretation  of  the  subject  as  it  related  to 
his  particular  field  and  position.  The  majority  of  the  members  of  the 
panel  were  associated  with  specialized  agencies,  and  the  need  for  getting 
a  broad  view  of  the  problem  of  health  education  was  stressed  by  many. 
Dr.  Jonathan  Forman,  of  Columbus,  editor  of  the  Ohio  State  Medical 
Journal,  was  among  those  who  spoke  and  he  outlined  three  major 
aspects  of  medicine. 

Mr.  Irving  Fink,  production  director  of  Station  KWOM,  Minne- 
apolis, Minn.,  pointed  out  the  need  to  "sensitize"  entire  areas  of  the 
nation  to  the  necessity  for  health  education.  Mr.  John  B.  Fullen,  exec- 
utive secretary  of  the  Ohio  State  University  alumni  organization, 
Columbus,  summarized  the  discussion  by  stating  that  health  education 
is  the  total  of  all  the  information  about  health  that  reaches  the  public. 

The  panel  next  discussed  the  need  of  patterning  each  program  for  a 
specific  audience.  The  housewife  may  be  reached  most  readily  in  the 

1  Assistant  Professor  of  Medicine;   Public  Information  Officer,  College  of  Medicine, 
Ohio  State  University,  Columbus,  O. 


264  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

morning,  the  children  in  the  late  afternoon  and  early  evening,  the  entire 
family  at  mid-evening,  and  the  parents,  especially,  in  the  late  evening. 

A  discussion  was  held  concerning  the  use  of  controversial  material 
and  it  was  agreed  that  tact  and  common  sense  should  govern  such 
broadcasts.  Mr.  William  S.  Guthrie,  junior  dean  of  the  College  of 
Arts  and  Sciences,  Ohio  State  University,  told  of  a  recent  program 
sponsored  by  the  Faculty  club  of  the  University  on  the  subject,  "Life 
After  Forty."  Four  specialists  in  different  phases  of  medicine  appeared 
on  this  program  which  was  well  received. 

Dr.  Richard  L.  Meiling,  associate  dean  of  the  College  of  Medicine, 
Ohio  State  University,  discussed  a  1 4-week  television  series  currently 
being  sponsored  by  the  University.  He  said  the  program  was  in  com- 
petition at  various  times  with  such  top-flight  entertainers  as  Milton  Berle, 
but  had  established  an  audience  rating  of  between  15  and  17  which 
was  considered  fairly  good. 

Dr.  Meiling  explained  that  the  primary  purpose  of  the  program 
was  to  describe  the  medical  services  the  new  Health  Center  offered  to 
the  people  of  Columbus  and  central  Ohio  with  its  integrated  teaching, 
research  and  clinical  consultation  activities.  He  said  some  criticism  of 
the  television  program  had  been  made  on  the  grounds  that  certain 
phases  were  "too  technical." 

The  panel  members  next  discussed  various  ways  in  which  health 
information  and  special  material  in  connection  with  money  raising  might 
be  presented  most  effectively.  Spot  announcements  are  valuable  in  many 
campaigns,  but  it  was  the  general  feeling  that  longer  "canned"  material, 
prepared  by  national  organizations  for  local  use,  was  not  very  desirable. 

Mr.  Milo  Anderson,  superintendent  and  administrator  of  the  Ohio 
State  University  Health  Center,  elaborated  on  the  television  activities  at 
the  center.  He  pointed  out  that  the  dramatic  element  in  the  work  of  the 
health  center  had  not  been  lacking.  He  said,  "You  do  not  have  to 
dramatize  modern  medicine  because  it  is  dramatic  in  itself."  Panel 
members  and  audience  agreed. 

The  final  problem  taken  up  was  that  of  financing  television  program- 
ming. The  cooperation  of  local  health  agencies  with  radio  and  television 
stations  was  stressed.  It  was  pointed  out  that  in  some  of  the  major  cities 
various  civic  and  educational  groups  were  uniting  their  experience, 
equipment,  funds  and  talent. 

A  report  on  health  education  in  Saskatchewan,  Canada,  was  given 
by  Rowena  B.  O.  Hawkings,  of  Regina,  publicist  for  health  education  in 
the  department  of  public  health  there. 


ORGANIZATIONS    UTILIZING    RADIO  265 

YOUTH  DISCUSSION  BROADCASTS 

WORK-STUDY   GROUP 
I.   KEITH  TYLER,1  Presiding 

This  meeting  was  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  Junior  Town 
Meeting  League  and  Mr.  Charles  E.  Martz,  secretary-treasurer  of  the 
league,  Columbus,  was  secretary. 

The  discussion  chairman  was  Prof.  Alan  Griffin,  professor  of 
education  at  Ohio  State  University,  Columbus. 

The  panel  of  resource  persons  comprised  the  following:  John  W. 
Bachman,  director  of  radio,  Baylor  University,  Waco,  Texas;  Mrs. 
Dorothy  Gordon,  moderator  of  Youth  Forums,  New  York  Times, 
New  York  City;  Edward  Lamb,  owner  of  Stations  WTVN,  Columbus, 
WICU,  Erie,  and  WTOD,  Toledo;  Watt  A.  Long,  associate  super- 
intendent of  public  schools,  San  Francisco,  Calif.;  Robert  E.  Mac- 
Dougal,  educational  director,  Station  WAAT,  WATV,  Newark,  N.J. ; 
Rev.  Paul  J.  O'Dea,  Dean,  St.  Charles  Academy,  Columbus;  Helen 
Seel,  supervisor,  Cincinnati  public  schools,  Cincinnati,  O. ;  and  D.  Arden 
White,  director,  radio  and  visual  aids,  Oglebay  Institute,  Wheeling, 
W.Va. 

The  general  topic  for  consideration  was:  "Conducting  Broadcasts 
of  Youth  Discussion,"  and  it  brought  forth  a  spirited  and  informal 
exchange  of  views  among  members  of  the  panel  as  well  as  from  members 
of  the  audience. 

It  was  suggested  that  current,  live  topics  of  the  day  be  used  for 
youth  discussion  broadcasts.  Leaders  of  student  groups  can  often  foresee 
the  development  of  a  topic  that  would  be  worthy  of  a  broadcast.  Other 
plans  were  proposed  for  selecting  discussion  topics.  These  included: 
the  appointment  of  a  committee  to  make  recommendations,  inviting 
nominations  of  discussion  topics  by  the  student  body,  and  voting  on  a  list 
of  topics  by  the  students.  It  was  the  opinion  of  the  leaders  that  no  one 
system  can  be  considered  best;  that  method  must  follow  the  personnel 
available. 

The  audience  was  reminded  that  some  topics,  which  are  highly 
controversial,  need  expert  treatment  at  certain  times  and  in  certain 
communities.  Also,  when  schools  are  involved  by  the  discussion,  it  is 
well  to  see  that  the  discussions  are  integrated  with  the  instructional 
program  of  the  school. 

1  Director,    Institute    for    Education    by    Radio-Television,    Ohio     State    University, 
Columbus. 


266  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

It  was  the  opinion  of  the  panel  that  long,  set  speeches  should  be 
avoided.  On  the  contrary,  the  courtroom  technique  was  advocated, 
with  one  side  cross-examining  the  other. 

The  better  programs  in  the  field  of  youth  discussions  are  prepared 
weeks  in  advance  of  the  broadcast,  and  the  entire  class  participates 
rather  than  only  three  or  four  selected  students. 

There  was  some  disagreement  among  the  panel  members  as  to  the 
desirability  of  a  camera  rehearsal,  even  when  requested  by  a  television 
station.  Some  resource  persons  were  of  the  opinion  this  might  work 
against  the  spontaneity  of  the  broadcast. 

There  also  was  considerable  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  part 
an  adult  should  play  in  the  youth  discussion  broadcast.  Some  said  that 
the  program  should  be  given  over  entirely  to  the  young  people,  and 
that  the  moderator  should  appear  only  in  an  emergency.  It  was  urged 
that  the  cameras  be  concentrated  on  the  young  people. 

Other  leaders  were  of  the  opinion  that  an  active  moderator  or  an 
adult  resource  person  is  essential  for  the  success  of  the  broadcast.  How- 
ever, it  was  agreed  that  such  an  adult  should  take  care  not  to  intrude  on 
the  program.  It  should  always  be  remembered  that  a  youth  discussion 
broadcast  is  by  and  for  young  people. 


PRODUCTION  AND  PROGRAM  AREAS 


BROADCASTING  THE  NEWS 


COVERAGE  VIA  TELEVISION 
OF  NEWS  AND  SPECIAL  EVENTS 

Program  arranged  by  the 
National  Association  of  Radio  News  Directors 

JAMES  BORMANN,1  Presiding 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
JAMES  A.  BYRON2 

I   HAVE  BEEN  ASKED  TO  SPEAK  OH  the  Subject,  "NeW  Tedl- 

niques  in  Television  News."  If  I  were  to  confine  myself  to  that 
subject  I  would  not  speak  very  long.  Such  a  statement  may 
sound  pessimistic,  but  I  believe  I  am  optimistic.  If  there  is  any- 
thing approaching  pessimism  in  my  feeling  toward  television 
news,  it  is  only  because  television,  as  an  industry,  still  is  strug- 
gling against  some  who  refuse  to  grow  with  it.  My  optimism 
comes  from  the  knowledge  that,  given  the  freedom  it  deserves, 
television  can  become  the  most  prized  medium  of  all  for  news 
coverage. 

Most  of  you  have  had  a  taste  of  television,  at  least.  If  you 
are  familiar  with  the  medium,  you  probably  have  sensed  that 
the  news  coverage  is  on  the  inadequate  side.  There  are  several 
reasons  for  this. 

The  networks  must  attempt  to  present  news  programs 
which  will  be  of  interest  to  all  the  stations.  There  has  been 
considerable  improvement  in  the  past  two  or  three  years.  The 
networks  are  aware  of  the  problem.  As  to  what  they  have  left 
undone,  we  will  speak  of  that  later.  First,  I  should  like  to  cite 
what  they  have  accomplished. 

1  President,  National  Association  of  Radio  News  Directors;  Director  of  News  and 
Public  Affairs,  Station  WCCO,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

a  News  Director,  Station  WBAP-TV,  Fort  Worth,  Texas. 

269 


27O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

First  of  all,  the  networks  received  their  original  impetus 
when  the  coaxial  cable  was  made  available  to  them.  Later,  the 
micro  wave  provided  additional  relief.  Within  a  few  months, 
the  great  majority  of  the  existing  television  markets  will  have 
live  network  programs  available  to  them.  These  programs,  it 
is  to  be  assumed,  will  include  news. 

The  existing  network  news  programs  combine  film  and  still 
pictures.  Most  of  the  important  news  of  the  day  is  covered  in 
one  of  these  forms.  Obviously,  it  is  impossible  to  have  pictures 
— even  still  pictures — of  all  news  events  of  importance.  Such 
gaps  are  filled  in  by  the  narrator,  or  commentator,  and  fre- 
quently in  amazing  good  fashion.  Just  as  in  radio,  the  networks 
attempt  pick-ups  from  various  spots.  In  numerous  cases,  ex- 
cellent results  have  been  obtained. 

But,  just  as  in  radio,  no  local  television  station  can  rely  on 
the  networks  for  local  news  coverage.  One  of  the  national  net- 
works, and  the  three  maj  or  news  wire  services,  now  are  provid- 
ing newsreels  which  seek  to  cover  on  film  many  stories  of 
national  or  international  significance.  It  is  the  general  rule  that 
most  important  stories  are  available  on  film  to  those  stations 
which  have  no  network  affiliations.  But  there  again,  no  local 
coverage. 

There  is  an  additional  drawback  in  having  to  rely  on  film 
coverage  by  a  news  service  and  that  is  the  time  element.  A 
significant  story  filmed,  say,  in  Salt  Lake  City,  would  follow 
this  routine:  The  film  would  be  shot  and  airmailed  to  New 
York,  or  wherever  the  newsreel  is  put  together.  The  film  must 
be  developed,  edited  and  scripted.  That  uses  up  an  entire  day. 
By  nightfall,  the  film  goes  into  the  newsreel,  which  then  is 
airmailed  back  to  Salt  Lake  City.  If  all  goes  well,  the  pictures 
may  be  shown  the  next  evening,  or  a  full  48  hours  after  the 
event  occurred.  By  that  time,  much  of  the  news  value  has 
been  lost. 

It  is  because  of  the  prevailing  situation  that  many  television 
stations  have  set  up  their  own  national  news  programs,  which 
in  some  instances  correspond  to  the  general  format  devised  by 
the  networks.  The  bulk  of  the  news  coverage  falls  to  the  lot  of 
the  on-camera  narrator,  who  is  entrusted  with  the  job  of  filling 
in  the  gaps  in  the  news  picture. 

I  should  like  to  say  a  good  word  for  these  news  narrators. 


BROADCASTING    THE    NEWS 

Some  of  them  have  devised  ingenious  methods  of  presenting 
news,  and  these  efforts  are  reflected  in  the  ratings.  These  men 
do  not  read  the  news  to  their  viewers.  Some  of  them  do  not 
even  use  notes. 

In  Fort  Worth,  our  news  department  is  a  combined  affair 
in  which  we  handle  both  radio  and  television  news.  There  are 
some  who  work  only  on  the  television  news  side,  and  some  who 
devote  full  time  to  radio  news.  But  our  main  staff  is  used  on 
both.  For  several  years,  we  have  been  fortunate  in  having  a 
good  newsman  who  writes  and  delivers  our  10  p.  m.  news. 

When  we  started  television,  we  decided  to  compete  with 
ourselves  and  have  some  late  night  TV  news.  We  set  the  time 
at  10:20,  in  order  to  use  the  man  who  was  doing  the  late  radio 
news.  He  became  popular  immediately  on  television. 

This  man  has  all  the  qualifications  we  consider  necessary 
for  good  TV  news  presentation.  He  is  thoroughly  familiar  with 
news,  and  able  to  deliver  his  telecast  with  an  ease  that  can  come 
only  from  knowing  what  he  is  talking  about.  The  audience 
senses  this,  and  it  becomes  quite  obvious  because  only  occasion- 
ally does  he  refer  to  notes.  He  is  sincere,  thorough  and  per- 
sonable. He  was  an  immediate  success,  and  we  have  a  waiting 
list  of  sponsors  for  his  services. 

The  big  surprise  came  when  we  started  looking  into  our 
radio  Hooper-ratings.  Our  10  o'clock  news  began  to  climb. 
The  better  radio  ratings  were  attributed  to  the  fact  that  our  man 
had  become  of  particular  interest  to  news  fans  through  the 
medium  of  television.  They  liked  what  they  saw  and  heard  on 
TV,  and  they  switched  to  the  same  man  on  radio. 

But  regardless  of  how  well  a  telecast  may  be  done,  it  must 
yet  be  proved  that  there  is  any  substitute  for  actual  motion 
pictures,  live  or  on  film,  in  television.  The  very  character  of 
television  demands  movement  and,  properly  handled,  there  is 
no  medium  which  can  compete  with  television  when  it  comes  to 
the  news. 

I  have  yet  to  hear  of  a  local  newsreel  of  even  moderate 
stature  which  failed  to  find  viewer  interest.  Of  course,  it  is 
expensive.  But  it  is  not  too  expensive  if  it  does  the  job  for  a 
sponsor. 

You  may  have  guessed  that  we  have  a  local  newsreel  on 
WBAP  in  Fort  Worth.  I  shall  not  describe  the  details  of  its 


272  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

operation,  but  I  should  like  to  tell  you  about  our  handling  of 
one  story  which  started  on  February  7  this  year,  and  ended  only 
last  Sunday. 

We  picked  up  a  call  over  our  police  radio  in  the  WBAP 
newsroom,  asking  that  officers  be  sent  quickly  to  an  address 
within  a  mile  or  so  of  our  station.  There  was  a  note  of  urgency 
in  the  voice  of  the  police  dispatcher,  and  we  sent  out  a  camera- 
man and  a  reporter  immediately.  The  time  was  about  12:30, 
noon. 

Our  crew  arrived  to  find  a  wounded  city  detective  lying  on 
the  ground,  holding  his  revolver  on  another  wounded  man, 
whom  we  learned  was  wanted  for  armed  robbery.  Inside  the 
house  was  another  detective — dead.  A  third  wounded  detective 
was  in  the  police  squad  car,  still  calling  for  help.  The  wife  of 
the  wounded  robber,  and  their  small  child,  were  at  the  scene. 
It  was  quite  a  dramatic  picture,  and  all  of  it  was  transferred  to 
film  by  our  cameraman.  Within  a  few  minutes,  we  had  two 
more  men  at  the  scene.  They  wrapped  up  the  story  there,  then 
moved  on  to  the  hospital  where  they  obtained  a  sound-on-film 
statement  from  one  of  the  wounded  officers,  describing  what 
took  place.  It  was  no  trick  at  all  to  have  the  whole  story  on  our 
6:45  p.  m.  newsreel  that  same  day. 

A  couple  of  weeks  later,  the  wounded  robber  made  a  break 
from  the  hospital  where  he  had  been  held  under  guard,  but 
was  re-captured.  Last  week,  the  robber  was  tried  and  sentenced 
to  fifty  years  in  prison.  We  closed  the  story  with  sound-on-film 
of  the  judge  reading  the  jury's  verdict,  and  then  polling  the 
jury  at  the  request  of  defense  counsel.  We  had  pictures  of  the 
distressed  wife,  who  is  quite  pretty,  bidding  her  husband  good- 
by.  The  verdict  was  returned  at  3 145  p.  m.  Easter  Sunday,  and 
coverage  was  complete  on  our  newsreel  three  hours  later. 

All  in  all,  it  was  quite  a  story  and  created  a  lot  of  interest 
in  Fort  Worth.  It  also  was  quite  a  story  on  film — a  far  better 
story  than  those  told  by  any  other  medium,  radio  or  newspaper. 
In  other  words,  if  you  will  permit  a  certain  lack  of  modesty, 
that  was  real  news  coverage,  possible  only  by  television. 

But  that  is  only  one  story,  and  there  are  news  stories  of 
interest  happening  every  day.  Nobody  can  get  them  all  on  film. 
But  stories  that  are  caught  on  film  give  you  something  you  can- 
not approach  otherwise.  It  takes  ingenuity,  much  hard  work, 
good  public  relations,  and  a  lot  of  good  breaks. 


BROADCASTING    THE    NEWS  273 

Undoubtedly,  you  know  that  much  work  is  being  done  in 
the  field  of  tape  as  it  may  apply  to  television.  Some  success 
already  has  been  reported,  and  I  believe  it  will  not  be  too  long 
before  we  will  be  able  to  record  both  picture  and  sound  on  tape 
for  transmission  all  over  the  country.  This  tape  is  the  same  as 
that  now  being  used  in  radio.  It  will  be  possible  to  substitute 
tape  for  the  present  kinescope  recordings,  and  much  better  qual- 
ity will  be  obtained  when  the  experiments  are  perfected. 

However,  it  would  seem  that  television  cannot  wait  much 
longer  to  establish  itself  as  a  news  medium  in  fact.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  that  television  can,  and  does,  do  a  job  in  the  news 
field.  But  in  too  many  cases,  television  cameras  are  around  only 
on  sufferance.  Down  in  Texas,  we  have  run  into  all  sorts  of 
difficulties  in  arranging  for  news  coverage  by  TV.  I  am  sure 
the  same  thing  applies  in  other  areas.  It  would  seem  the  in- 
dustry should  do  something  about  this  situation,  and  not  leave 
the  battle  to  a  few  stations. 

Programs  which  come  under  the  general  category  of  enter- 
tainment must  be  separated  from  news  programs,  if  television 
is  to  achieve  its  full  potential.  An  example  of  what  can  happen 
occurred  only  a  couple  of  weeks  ago,  when  President  Truman 
surprised  practically  everybody  by  announcing  that  he  would 
not  be  a  candidate  for  renomination. 

A  New  York  Times  writer,  Jack  Gould,  took  the  television 
industry  to  task  in  no  uncertain  fashion  for  its  unrealistic  atti- 
tude. He  said  in  part:  "Their  apparent  assumption  that  TV 
can  live  by  the  laws  of  the  entertainment  world,  or  the  pre- 
cision methods  of  the  advertising  business,  is  making  video  look 
childish  as  well  as  foolish.  More  and  more,  television  is  becom- 
ing a  basic  and  primary  news  medium,  and  sooner  or  later  the 
industry  must  readjust  its  thinking  accordingly." 

The  facts  of  the  case  are  these.  President  Truman  was  to 
be  the  main  speaker  at  the  Jackson- Jefferson  Day  dinner  in 
Washington.  Only  one  network,  CBS,  arranged  to  televise  the 
event,  and  only  eighteen  of  a  possible  fifty-four  cities  were 
included  in  the  hook-up.  Other  networks  were  carrying  "enter- 
tainment" programs.  They  did  not  know,  of  course,  that  the 
President  was  going  to  drop  the  bombshell.  And  so  they  missed 
the  biggest  political  news  story  in  many  a  day. 

The  problems  of  programming  for  television,  and  espe- 
cially those  which  involve  donating  time  at  the  expense  of 


274  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

commercial  programs,  are  admittedly  many.  But  within  the 
industry,  there  appears  to  be  a  lack  of  recognition  of  the  fact 
that  the  event  as  it  happens  is  television's  greatest  attraction. 
There  simply  is  no  substitute  for  watching  history  in  the  mak- 
ing. If  television  will  only  permit  itself  to  grow  up,  the  results 
which  may  be  obtained  stagger  the  imagination. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  television  audiences  would 
increase  enormously  if  they  had  the  assurance  that  spot  news 
would  be  presented.  If  that  were  the  case,  most  viewers  would 
hesitate  ever  to  turn  off  their  sets. 

There  is  plenty  of  time  for  "entertainment."  History- 
making  events  do  not  take  place  every  day.  But,  when  they  do, 
television  should  be  there  to  justify  its  existence.  News,  in  my 
opinion,  should  be  primary,  never  secondary. 

RADIO  NEWS  CONSIDERED  AS  AN 
ADJUNCT  TO  PUBLIC  RELATIONS 

CHARLES  R.  DAY2 

A  RADIO  STATION  WITH  A  GOOD  NEWS  operation  virtually 
solves  its  public  relations  problem  automatically.  Notice,  I  said 
a  "good"  news  operation.  One  that's  poorly  carried  out  only 
compounds  the  station's  difficulties  in  trying  to  gain  a  respectful 
standing  in  its  community. 

This  is  so,  because  a  radio  station  doing  a  good  coverage  job, 
that  taps  the  local  news  sources,  is  constantly  out  meeting  its 
listeners  and  getting  better  acquainted.  Better  friendships  mean 
a  deeper  understanding  of  what  the  community  problems  are, 
and  enable  a  station  to  put  its  shoulder  to  the  wheel  in  common 
with  people  and  organizations  whether  they  are  civic,  fraternal, 
religious,  or  educational. 

Consider,  for  a  moment,  the  tremendous  growth  in  the 
number  of  radio  stations  in  this  country  since  the  end  of  World 
War  II.  Stations  have  sprung  up  in  almost  every  city  in  the 
forty-eight  states — some  in  cities  previously  believed  too  small 
to  support  a  radio  station.  In  almost  every  case — and  certainly 
in  the  smaller  cities — these  stations  become  successful  because 
they  geared  their  operation  to  a  good  news  job,  a  coverage  that 
felt  the  very  pulse  of  the  area  in  which  their  listeners  lived, 

2  News  Director,  Station  WGAR,  Cleveland. 


BROADCASTING    THE    NEWS  275 

worked,  and  played.  Indeed,  I  think  it  a  fair  statement  to  say 
that  the  stations  in  the  smaller  cities  have  done  the  most  with 
their  news  operation,  by  getting  down  to  the  hometown  doings 
on  a  very  friendly  scale.  The  station  has  become  an  accepted 
part  of  the  family  circle.  If  it  happened  in  town,  you  heard 
about  it  on  the  radio.  The  station's  call  letters  became  a  byword 
in  the  home. 

The  same  formula  is  repeated  in  the  big  cities.  The  stations 
that  put  forth  an  effort  to  get  the  local  news,  pick  up  the  actual 
sounds  and  voices  of  the  people  in  the  news  and  the  news  events, 
become  well  known  to  the  prominent  people  who  usually  influ- 
ence many  other  people. 

Success  breeds  success.  If  you  do  a  good  job  with  news,  the 
people  soon  realize  it.  Word-of-mouth  advertising  is  the  best 
kind  there  is,  and  it  builds  an  audience. 

We  pick  news  for  this  key  to  public  relations,  because  it's 
the  one  common  denominator  of  listener  interest.  But  it  has  to 
be  done  well.  If  an  audience  is  killed  off  by  a  poor  job,  for 
example,  by  neglecting  the  events  in  your  own  front  yard,  it  is 
hard  to  win  back  the  people  and  a  station  must  begin  the  selling 
job  all  over  again. 

Stations  that  identify  themselves  with  community  interests 
are  invited  to  participate  in  community  activity  and  to  become 
"one  of  the  family."  The  station  executives  and  personnel  are 
looked  upon  as  fellow  citizens  who  will  join  in  worthwhile 
projects. 

Those  of  you  who  have  been  broadcasting  local  news  for 
several  years  can  remember  the  old  days,  when  people  were 
surprised  that  your  radio  station  was  interested  in  reporting 
their  doings  on  the  air.  In  the  early  days  of  newscasting,  only 
the  more  important  stories  of  the  day  warranted  mention  on 
the  air.  But  the  establishment  of  new  stations  stimulated  com- 
petition. Somebody  awoke  to  the  fact  that  local  names  and 
local  happenings  caught  a  lot  of  attention. 

The  station  today  that  is  out  doing  its  own  coverage,  that  is 
on  the  spot  when  a  big  story  breaks,  that  is  on  hand  regularly  at 
meetings  and  special  occasions,  becomes  known  and  accepted. 
The  public  believes  in  that  station  and  invites  it  into  their  homes. 

It  is  good  business  to  have  your  station  personnel  and  exec- 
utives asked  to  serve  on  campaigns  and  committees.  But  be- 
sides serving,  make  sure  the  station  reports  these  activities. 


276  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Many  stations  consider  every  staff  member  a  reporter.  This 
is  a  good  idea,  because  it  keeps  everyone  alert  for  news  tips,  and 
news  coverage  thrives  on  tips.  Staff  members,  who  attend  a 
meeting  or  luncheon,  are  asked  to  take  a  few  notes.  It  may  be 
news  or  it  may  not,  but  at  least  the  news  editor  will  have  a 
chance  to  decide  if  it's  worth  using. 

A  good  news  operation  carefully  cultivates  news  sources, 
and  these  sources  are  equally  valuable  as  listeners.  They  like 
to  find  out  if  their  bit  of  information  is  used.  Above  all,  they 
like  to  hear  their  own  name  over  the  radio. 

Again,  I  advise  you  to  get  out  and  cover  your  own  com- 
munity. Make  yourself  known  as  a  radio  reporter  and  broad- 
caster. Show  your  interest  in  the  people  you  are  serving,  in 
their  activities,  their  families  and  friends.  Do  a  good  job. 
Honest,  fair,  and  thorough.  Ask  that  extra  question — that  dis- 
cerning question — which  so  often  makes  the  difference  between 
a  good  story  or  an  extra  good  story.  If  the  wire  service  made  a 
mistake,  your  own  checking  and  coverage  will  correct  it  before 
you  put  that  item  over  the  air.  The  station's  standing  will  be 
enhanced  by  having  the  correct  information. 

Radio  reporters  have  their  own  public  relations  job  to  do  in 
the  current  campaign  to  win  recording  privileges  in  courtrooms 
and  legislative  hearings,  where  they  now  are  frequently  barred. 
Most  attorneys  at  present  do  not  understand  how  recorders 
operate,  nor  how  the  recordings  are  used  within  newscasts  or  in 
special  programs.  Our  own  experience  in  Cleveland  indicates 
that  if  this  public  relations  job  is  done  properly,  it  helps  the 
campaign. 

Good  news  coverage  is  good  public  relations.  Be  seen,  be 
heard,  and  be  known  by  the  excellence  of  the  job  you  do  serving 
the  people. 

TRENDS  IN  NEWS  HANDLING 

JOHN  SHELLEY3 

THERE  ARE  A  GOOD  MANY  SIGNS  of  trends  that  are  develop- 
ing, many  of  them  as  the  result  of  competition  between  radio 
and  television  for  the  broadcast  audience.  Generally  speaking, 
news  holds  up  the  best  of  any  program  type  against  TV  com- 

8  News  Manager,  Station  WHO,  Des  Moincs,  Iowa. 


BROADCASTING    THE    NEWS  277 

petition.  At  the  same  time,  the  overall  competition  of  TV  for 
audience  has  caused  radio  to  re-examine  its  strong  points  and  its 
weaknesses.  Many  of  these  trends  in  news-type  shows  seem  to 
be  the  result  of  this  re-examination. 

I'm  going  to  cite  several  examples  of  what  I  call  news-based 
radio  shows,  none  of  them  straight  newscasts  of  the  orthodox 
type.  I'm  not  going  to  try  to  prove  that  all  of  these  are  brand 
new  shows,  or  that  they  should  be  considered  radio's  answer  to 
television.  Some  of  them,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  have  been  on  the 
air  for  a  long  time.  But  I  think,  that  viewed  collectively,  they 
show  some  of  the  directions  in  which  radio  newsmen  are  mov- 
ing, as  they  explore  the  areas  which  AM  can  cover  better,  faster, 
or  more  thoroughly  than  TV. 

First,  I  wish  to  cite  two  examples  of  somewhat  unusual 
news-type  programs  which  are  aimed  at  special  audiences  that 
radio  news,  generally,  hasn't  attempted  to  serve.  These  are 
children  and  a  weekly  newspaper.  Bob  Gadberry,  NARND 
member  and  news  director  of  KFBI,  Wichita,  Kansas,  launched 
a  program,  called  "Juvenile  Journal"  last  October.  It's  a  5- 
minute  newscast,  aimed  directly  at  children,  timed  at  4:55,  just 
before  other  "after-school"  entertainment  programs.  It  was 
originally  planned  for  the  8-to-i2  age  group,  but  has  had  a 
wide  response  from  youngsters  under  8.  It's  proving  as  popular 
with  adults  as  regular  news  features,  because  Mr.  Gadberry  has 
found  that  a  great  number  of  listeners  do  not  understand  the 
news  as  usually  presented.  The  news  on  "Juvenile  Journal"  is 
a  digest  of  the  day's  news,  written  especially  for  children. 

Most  of  us  have  never  tried  a  kid's  news  program.  By  the 
same  token,  very  few  radio  stations  have  done  much  with  local 
news  coverage  on  the  level  of  a  weekly  newspaper  in  the  typical 
small  town.  A  good  example  of  the  kind  of  program  I  mean  is 
at  Crookston,  Minn.,  where  Station  KROX  features  a  show 
called  "The  Northwest  Local  News,"  a  3O-minute  production 
each  noon,  which  pipes  in  live  the  editors  of  four  weekly  news- 
papers from  three  Minnesota  counties. 

Permanent  microphone  facilities  are  installed  in  the  four 
newspaper  offices,  and  the  editors  simply  flip  a  switch  and  begin 
their  reports  on  cue.  These  reports  are  as  local  as  they  can  be. 
Even  a  man  who  comes  to  town  to  do  some  shopping,  or  renew 
his  subscription  to  the  weekly  newspaper,  gets  his  name  on  the 
broadcast.  Incidentally,  that  seems  to  be  a  major  part  of  the 


278  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

incentive  for  the  editor-reporters  to  participate.  They  are  in- 
vited to  plug  their  publications,  and  suggest  that  listeners  sub- 
scribe to  them. 

While  these  reports  are  extremely  local,  they  can  even  be  of 
interest  to  many  of  us  who  never  heard  of  the  people  men- 
tioned. The  wry,  almost  cracker-barrel  comments  of  some  of 
the  editors  are  good  radio  copy  anywhere.  This  show  not  only 
has  very  high  listener  interest  in  the  KROX  area,  it  also  has 
won  two  awards  for  "excellence  in  community  service"  from  the 
Northwest  Radio  News  Association.  One  suspects  that  no  com- 
petition is  going  to  hurt  this  noon-hour  show  very  much,  be- 
cause it  gives  the  listener  something  he  can't  get  from  any  other 
source. 

Another  trend  has  been  the  development  of  special  news- 
based  shows,  broadcast  at  a  time  other  than  the  regular  newscast 
periods.  These  special  shows,  usually  written,  voiced  and  tape- 
recorded  by  members  of  the  news  staff,  usually  have  two  pur- 
poses: they  present  details  of  some  complicated,  fast-breaking 
or  controversial  story  in  a  manner  different  from  a  regular 
newscast,  or  they  may  develop  certain  areas  of  the  news  pre- 
viously ignored  by  radio  newsmen. 

This  trend  is  noted  from  the  largest  network  to  the  indi- 
vidual station.  NBC  radio  news,  for  example,  has  developed 
what  they  call  a  "radio  special."  Henry  Cassidy,  NBC's  direc- 
tor of  radio  news  and  special  events,  says :  "Basically,  the  idea  is 
to  prepare  in  advance,  or  to  grasp  as  they  break,  the  stories  that 
radio  can  do  best.  In  cooperation  with  the  program  department, 
we  put  these  specials  on  at  prime  listening  time  .  .  .  The  two 
essential  elements  are  to  recognize  and  jump  on  the  story  fast, 
and  to  clear  good  time  quickly."  NBC  is  building  an  advance 
file  of  what  would  correspond  to  a  newspaper  obituary  notice, 
but  the  radio  file  will  tell  the  story  of  the  man's  life,  in  his  own 
words  and  voice.  They  are  doing  Truman,  Churchill,  and 
others,  holding  them  for  release. 

On  the  individual  station  level,  the  development  of  special 
shows  to  present  both  sides  of  local  controversies  is  not  a  new 
idea,  but  it's  being  used  today  more  than  ever  before. 

In  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  the  question  of  bus  fares  has  been  a 
live  topic  for  years.  Station  KRNT,  under  its  news  director, 
Russ  Van  Dyck,  recently  broadcast  a  program  of  nearly  one 


BROADCASTING    THE    NEWS  279 

hour,  in  prime  night  time,  presenting  Des  Moines  city  council, 
transit  company  officials,  and  other  interested  parties.  It  was  a 
splendid  show  with  a  big  audience. 

In  this  election  year,  many  radio  stations  have  developed 
special  programs  to  give  their  listeners  better  understanding  of 
the  American  political  system,  and  the  issues  raised  by  various 
candidates.  Our  station,  WHO,  in  Des  Moines,  has  had  con- 
siderable success  with  a  program  called:  "Wanted:  Man  Over 
35."  The  man  "wanted,"  of  course,  is  the  next  President  of 
the  United  States.  For  months,  the  series  of  programs  has 
described  how  the  average  voter  can  play  a  part  in  the  nomi- 
nating of  presidential  candidates.  We  have  tape-recorded  vari- 
ous political  meetings,  and  presented  them  with  a  careful  expla- 
nation of  why  things  are  done  that  way.  The  series  will  climax 
with  coverage  of  the  national  conventions. 

As  for  developing  certain  areas  of  the  news  that  previously 
were  neglected,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  jobs  I  know  about 
is  that  done  by  Mike  Griffin,  news  director  of  WBAY,  Green 
Bay,  Wise.  Mike  believes  that  one  reason  so  many  Americans 
do  not  understand  the  workings  of  national  government  is  be- 
cause they  do  not  understand  their  local  government.  So  Mike 
has  built  a  daily  news  show,  at  Green  Bay,  in  which  he  tells 
about  the  workings  of  his  local  government.  His  program  has 
included  stories  on  state  aid  to  schools,  teacher  salaries,  school 
bond  issues,  etc.  He  said,  "The  trick  is  to  tell  these  stories  in 
terms  of  individual  personalities."  Anyone  who  uses  this  ap- 
proach, he  says,  will  be  surprised  at  the  response.  His  program 
is  a  great  prestige-builder  for  the  station. 

Another  station  which  is  emphasizing  local  news,  is  WAVZ, 
New  Haven,  Conn.,  which  calls  itself,  the  "Newspaper  of  the 
Air."  This  station  is  owned  by  two  former  newspapermen  and 
has  a  staff  of  six  reporters.  They  use  tape  recorders  a  great  deal, 
and  now  are  editorializing  on  questions  they  believe  merit  such 
treatment.  The  WAVZ  editorials  are  3  to  4  minutes  in  length, 
preceded  by  the  statement:  "We  take  you  now  to  the  editorial 
room  of  WAVZ,  your  Newspaper  of  the  Air,  for  a  statement  of 
editorial  opinion  by  this  station." 

Another  trend  we  might  call  "novelty  shows."  Station 
KFEL,  Denver,  has  a  10:15  p.  m.  program,  Monday  through 
Friday,  called,  "Open  Switchboard."  Listeners  are  invited  to 


28O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

call  the  station  and  air  their  opinions  on  "any  topic  of  general 
interest."  Duncan  Ross,  who  moderates  the  show,  says  that  70 
per  cent  of  the  calls  are  complaints  and  suggestions  about  civic 
affairs. 

Ross  says  his  main  problem,  as  moderator,  is  to  keep  his  own 
opinion  under  check  and  repeat,  with  discreet  substitution,  the 
listener's  opinion.  The  callers  are  not  identified  by  name,  and 
charges  against  individuals  are  not  allowed. 

As  another  example  of  a  news-type  show,  last  March  29, 
WISC,  Madison,  Wise.,  broadcast  a  full-length,  on-the-spot 
recording  of  the  birth  of  a  baby.  The  program  was  prepared 
with  the  cooperation  of  the  medical  society.  It  ran  30  minutes, 
from  the  time  the  mother  was  wheeled  into  the  delivery  room 
until  the  moment  the  crying  baby  was  wrapped  up  and  placed 
in  an  incubator.  Audience  reaction  was  reported  as  very  favor- 
able. 

As  I  said  at  the  start,  these  have  been  some  examples  taken 
at  random.  However,  I  think  I  have  cited  enough  to  prove  that 
radio  newsmen  are  working  harder  than  ever.  Early  this  month, 
Chairman  Paul  Walker,  of  the  FCC,  told  the  NARTB  conven- 
tion in  Chicago,  that  radio's  answer  to  TV  competition  should 
be:  "More  versatile  programming,  greater  attention  to  local 
needs,  and  more  development  of  the  things  that  radio  can  do 
better  than  television — or  which  TV  cannot  do."  I  think  radio 
newsmen  are  searching  diligently  for  those  things,  and  finding 
quite  a  few. 

RADIO  WRITING  AND  PRODUCTION 

SPECIAL  INTEREST  GROUP 
W.  JOHN   DUNLOP,1  Presiding 

A  GREAT  DEAL  HAS  BEEN  SAID  during  the  twenty-one  pre- 
ceding Institutes  about  the  need  for  better  radio  writing  and 
radio  production.  Those  who  have  been  regular  attendants 
have  heard  the  story  over  and  over  again.  Those  who  are  here 
for  the  first  time  are  expecting  some  concrete  suggestions  for  the 
improvement  of  radio  writing  and  production. 

In  a  struggle  for  survival,  television  is  forcing  radio  to 
scrutinize  its  past  performance.  Radio  is  the  mature  medium 

1  Supervisor,  International  Exchange,  CBC,  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada. 


RADIO    WRITING    AND    PRODUCTION  28 1 

and  must  improve,  not  deteriorate.  Poor  radio  writing,  partic- 
ularly in  commercial  announcements,  has  tended  to  make  lis- 
teners psychologically  deaf.  Now  is  the  time  to  give  radio  the 
"freshness"  our  deodorant  advertisers  talk  about.  Now  is  the 
time  to  throw  out  the  old,  worn,  stereotyped  techniques. 

There  are  many  areas  that  have  not  been  touched.  For 
example,  tape  recording  has  opened  an  unlimited  field.  Relig- 
ious radio,  too  often  designed  for  the  aged  and  uneducated, 
needs  a  second  chance.  Most  of  the  present  programs  for  chil- 
dren should  be  packed  on  one  of  the  space  ships  and  lost  forever. 

On  the  positive  side,  there  are  thousands  of  stories  from 
American  history  that  have  never  been  used.  The  chemistry 
laboratory  and  the  botanical  garden  can  provide  as  much  excite- 
ment as  "Gang-busters." 

We  are  here  for  one  purpose:  to  discuss  the  betterment  of 
radio  writing  and  radio  production,  so  that  radio  can  maintain  a 
rightful  place  along  with  television  as  a  powerful  medium  of 
education  and  entertainment.  While  sponsors  are  fighting  over 
research  statistics,  let  us  consider  some  decent  programming. 

Let  us  think  of  radio  as  something  new,  along  the  line  of 
our  announced  subject:  "The  New  Medium — Radio!"  Let  us 
push  aside  the  mistakes  of  the  past.  We  will  strive  to  make 
some  constructive  suggestions.  And  then  it  will  be  up  to  you  to 
go  home  from  this  Institute  and  put  the  suggestions  to  work. 
MR.  JOSEPH  ScHULL:2 

I  came  out  of  the  warm  Florida  waters  a  few  days  ago  to 
answer  a  'phone  call  from  the  CBC.  It  was  about  this  visit  to 
Columbus,  and  when  I  was  told  the  title  for  today's  discussion, 
I  thought  I  still  had  the  water  in  my  ears.  "The  New  Medium 
—Radio"  seemed  in  such  bald  contradiction  to  all  present  day 
facts  that  it  sent  me  away  from  the  'phone  blinking. 

I  should  think  a  radio  writer  in  this  country  would  feel  at 
times  like  a  pre-historic  remnant,  all  but  lost  in  a  jungle  of  TV 
aerials.  We  are  getting  warnings  of  coming  events  up  in  Can- 
ada. The  monster,  television,  is  clumping  toward  us  through 
the  bush,  and  since  we  couldn't  do  anything  to  stop  him  if  we 
wanted  to,  we  intend  to  embrace  him,  and  hail  him  as  a  new 
challenge  and  a  spur  to  creative  effort,  which  he  undoubtedly  is. 
But  we  wonder,  too,  if  his  coming  means  that  radio  writing  is 

"Radio  writer  and  author;  Official  Historian  of  the  Royal  Canadian  Navy;  Quebec, 
Canada. 


282  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

on  the  way  out?  Should  we  forget  all  we've  learned,  and  hoped 
to  learn,  about  the  use  of  the  airborne  word,  and  devote  our- 
selves entirely  to  the  airborne  picture?  The  first,  rather  panicky 
inclination  would  be  to  say  "yes;"  and  I  suppose  it's  that  incli- 
nation which  the  title  of  this  discussion  is  meant  to  challenge. 

I  assume  that  you  want  to  deal  here  with  the  prospects  and 
life  expectancy  of  radio  as  an  art  and  a  medium  of  communica- 
tion. I  doubt  if  you  take  too  seriously  the  facts  and  figures  on 
the  present  surprising  resilience  of  the  radio  industry  under  the 
first  impact  of  television.  It  doesn't  seem  to  prove  a  great  deal 
to  say  that  as  many,  or  more,  radio  sets  are  being  sold  today  as 
ever  before,  or  that  advertisers'  radio  budgets  are  as  big  as  ever, 
if  they  are.  All  this  could  be  true,  but  it  could  be  nothing  more 
than  the  last  liveliness  of  a  dying  patient.  It  could  all  be  tem- 
porary, secondary,  stop-gap  activity  pending  the  day  when  the 
whole  country  is  blanketed  with  TV  stations,  and  TV  coverage 
is  available  everywhere  and  nearly  as  cheap  as  radio. 

In  this  country  that  day  must  be  near  at  hand;  in  Canada 
it's  some  distance  off,  but  still  well  up  on  the  horizon.  And  in 
both  countries,  I  imagine,  a  reasonable  assumption  is  that  when 
the  television  set  comes  into  the  home,  the  radio  set  will  go  to 
the  attic,  at  least  for  a  time.  So  it  remains  to  be  considered  what, 
if  anything,  will  bring  it  down  again. 

My  guess  would  be  that  in  the  United  States  you  haven't 
had  time  to  find  an  answer  to  that  question.  In  Canada,  we've 
had  no  opportunity  at  all.  So  I  am  now  speaking  from  a  height 
of  blissful  ignorance,  offering  you  some  rambling  meditations 
quite  unencumbered  by  facts. 

In  the  first  place,  I  can't  find  much  solace  as  a  radio  writer 
in  complaints  about  the  mechanical  defects  of  television.  Those, 
it  seems  to  me,  are  bound  to  be  corrected,  just  as  radio  cured  its 
mechanical  ills.  And  the  quality  of  television  programs  can  rise 
just  as  rapidly  as  its  growing  commercial  responsibilities  will 
allow.  The  question  is  where  will  quality  level  off,  and  what 
basic  limitations  will  television  finally  come  up  against? 

In  many  fields,  it  seems  to  me,  television  is  certain  to  give, 
or  is  already  giving,  far  more  than  radio  could  ever  hope  to 
give.  I  can  see  no  reason  why  a  man  wouldn't  prefer  TV  actu- 
alities to  radio  actualities,  why  he  wouldn't  prefer  his  sports  on 
TV,  why  he  wouldn't  enjoy  discussion  forums  and  panels  more 
when  he  can  actually  see  the  people  participating.  I  can  see  how 


RADIO    WRITING    AND    PRODUCTION  283 

very  cozy  and  winning  the  household  chats  can  be  made  by  a 
clever  woman,  seen,  apparently,  at  home,  in  a  home  much  like 
those  of  the  thousands  of  women  to  whom  she's  talking.  The 
visual  image  added  to  the  spoken  word  certainly  enjoys  an 
unalloyed  advantage,  over  unassisted  radio. 

The  only  exception  I've  noted  is  in  the  televising  of  the 
straight  news  report.  Here,  the  man  in  the  frame,  reading  from 
his  script,  giving  me  a  flash  of  his  eyes  at  the  proper  intervals, 
seems  to  be  a  distraction.  I  find  I  am  bothered  by  the  handker- 
chief in  his  jacket  pocket,  or  the  way  he  fiddles  with  his  cuffs, 
or  the  way  his  moustache  twitches  when  he  reads.  I  wish  he'd 
go  away,  that  the  screen  would  go  blank  and  leave  me  alone  to 
concentrate  on  the  words.  This  may  be  only  a  first  and  tempo- 
rary impression  which  will  pass  when  the  reporter  becomes  a 
familiar,  day-to-day  personality.  If  it's  not,  if  it's  a  valid  objec- 
tion to  this  form  of  TV,  then  it  has  relation  to  something  I'd 
like  to  suggest  a  little  later  on. 

Generally,  it  seems  to  me  that  radio  must  come  off  a  bad 
second  to  TV  in  the  field  of  day-to-day  communication.  There 
remain  the  fields  of  education  and  entertainment,  and  if  you 
object  to  distinguishing  these  from  communication,  if  you  want 
to  claim  that  education  and  entertainment  are  merely  other  and 
deeper-moving  methods  of  holding  man  among  his  kind,  you're 
probably  quite  right.  But  it  is  convenient  to  separate  our  edu- 
cational broadcasts,  our  music,  our  comedy,  and  our  drama  from 
the  various  forms  of  reporting  and  commenting  on  the  concerns 
of  the  day.  And  it's  here,  in  this  perhaps  artificially  separated 
field,  that  I  think  radio  in  the  future,  "Radio,  the  New  Me- 
dium," may  find  ground  that  is  wholly  its  own,  and  may  sink  its 
roots  deeper  and  wield  a  more  powerful  influence  than  it  did  in 
the  days  of  its  solitary  affluence. 

I  find  myself  thinking,  automatically,  in  terms  of  radio 
drama,  the  field  about  which  I'm  least  ignorant.  What  little  I 
have  to  say  will  be  said  about  drama  with  the  hope  that  some 
of  the  ideas,  if  they  are  valid,  will  have  a  measure  of  application 
to  other  fields. 

I  think  we  have  to  start  with  the  premise  that  radio  has  lost, 
or  is  shortly  about  to  lose,  its  grip  on  the  mass  audience.  By  the 
same  token,  the  mass  audience  has  lost  its  grip  on  radio.  Since 
we  can  no  longer  hope  that  our  programs  will  be  listened  to  by 
everybody,  we  don't  have  to  be  so  desperately  careful  not  to 


284  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

displease  anybody.  I  think  that's  fine.  It's  wonderful.  It  gives 
any  creative  writer  a  new  feeling  of  respect  for  himself,  when 
he  finds  that  he  doesn't  have  to  shave  the  corners  off  his  rough 
facts,  or  dilute  his  strong  medicine  to  a  weak  tea  suitable  for 
consumption  by  the  old  lady  from  Dubuque  and  her  maiden 
daughters.  We're  free.  We're  outside  of  some  very  confining 
walls.  And  we're  quite  as  lost  as  any  other  twenty-year  man 
emerging  on  his  first  day. 

Who  is  going  to  listen  to  radio?  What  will  he  want?  And 
how  will  we  go  about  finding  him?  The  answer,  I  think,  has  to 
be  that  we  don't  go  looking  for  him.  We  look  into  ourselves 
and  into  our  medium,  and  we  try  to  find  what  things,  if  any, 
can  be  best  brought  to  people  by  the  living  word  and  the  living 
sound  alone. 

It's  probably  about  this  stage  that  one  begins  to  look  at 
historic  parallels.  The  newspapers  were  afraid  that  radio  would 
supplant  them.  It  didn't ;  it  complemented  them  and  both  grew 
together.  The  record  makers  were  afraid  that  no  one  would 
buy  any  more  records.  Then  they  coined  the  slogan,  "The 
music  you  want  when  you  want  it,"  and  today  they  are  selling 
more  records  than  ever  before.  Is  radio,  in  the  same  unpredict- 
able manner,  going  to  find  itself  pushed  on  by  television  to  new 
and  even  greater  activity?  Perhaps,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  if 
it  is,  it  will  be  for  reasons  almost  opposite  to  those  that  assisted 
the  newspapers  and  recorded  music. 

In  both  those  cases,  radio  stimulated,  but  didn't  satiate,  in- 
terest. The  man  hearing  the  news  briefs  on  the  air  wanted  the 
wider  background  and  a  chance  for  leisurely  consideration  of 
the  facts  that  his  newspaper  gave  him.  The  music  lover  was 
often  a  direct  result  of  radio.  He  wanted  his  chosen  music  at  a 
certain  time,  and  only  records  could  supply  the  answer.  There 
was,  in  each  of  these  cases,  an  important  element,  a  desire  which 
was  stimulated  but  not  satisfied  by  radio.  Radio,  actually  and 
quite  unintentionally,  spearheaded  the  promotional  efforts  of 
the  very  newspaper  men  and  record  makers  who  feared  it. 

Can  any  similar  case  be  made  out  for  television,  the  latest 
newcomer,  in  relation  to  radio,  the  half-grown  urchin  who  has 
suddenly  become  an  old-timer?  What  on  earth  can  radio  give 
that  television  doesn't  give  more  of?  Everything  that's  going 
on  you  see — right  there  before  you — and  "one  picture  is  worth 
a  thousand  words." 


RADIO    WRITING    AND    PRODUCTION  285 

The  answer  is  that  one  picture  is  not  always,  or  very  often, 
worth  a  thousand  words.  This  statement  is  one  of  those  pieces 
of  windy  hyperbole  which  are  tossed  about  from  lip  to  lip  with- 
out ever  seeming  to  pass  through  anyone's  brain.  And,  secondly, 
there  are  times  when  you  don't  want  all  the  full  flowering  of 
this  electronic  age  in  joint  assault  on  your  senses.  Radio  may 
give  something  TV  doesn't,  simply  by  not  giving  so  much! 

As  I  hinted  when  speaking  about  newscasters,  my  point  is 
that  there  are  times  when  pictures  are  in  the  way,  when  you 
want  to  concentrate  on  the  bald  and  unassisted  word.  There  are 
times — many  of  them — when  a  few  right  words  can  start  such 
a  flood  of  mental  images  and  imaginings  that  any  mechanical 
attempt  at  visualization  would  seem  an  impertinence.  It  is  in 
finding  and  creating  those  times,  and  the  words  to  go  with 
them,  that  the  great  future  work  of  radio  lies. 

The  devoted  advocate  of  radio  may  well  go  too  far  in 
stressing  the  flexibility  of  his  medium  as  compared  to  television. 
It's  true  that  you  can  carry  an  audience  anywhere  in  time  and 
space,  while  television  is  confined  to  half  a  dozen  scenes,  plus  a 
few  not-too-satisfactory  interpolations  on  film.  It's  true  that, 
at  present,  the  visual  element  imposes  new  restrictions,  and 
narrows  the  writer's  field  rather  than  widening  it.  But  the  me- 
chanical boundaries  of  TV  may  be  greatly  expanded,  just  as 
they  have  been  in  films;  and  the  ingenuity  of  TV  writers  may 
very  often  make  an  advantage  of  apparent  disadvantages.  Tele- 
vision certainly  has  very  real  and  very  obdurate  shortcomings 
in  the  matter  of  scene ;  but  I  don't  think  that  radio's  greater 
flexibility  in  this  respect  is  its  real  hope. 

The  basic  question,  I  think,  is  whether  the  new  radio, 
working  deeper  in  a  narrower  field,  can  reverse  a  trend  which 
has  been  gathering  momentum  ever  since  the  days  when  Mat- 
thew Arnold  complained  about  magazines  illustrating  their 
stories  and  so  limiting  the  reader's  imagination.  I  don't  remem- 
ber how  he  said  it,  and  the  complaint  had  probably  been  made 
long  before  him,  but  his  point  was  that  the  flow  of  images 
created  by  a  story  was  something  passing  directly  from  the 
writer  to  the  reader,  a  product  of  their  joint  efforts,  and  that  a 
third  party's  interpretation  of  the  scenes  was  an  intrusion  and  a 
distortion.  The  reader's  mind  was  lighted  and  set  to  work  by 
words  and  words  alone,  and  anything  more  was  too  much. 

The  objection  sounds  far-fetched  and  professorial  today, 


286  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

not  because  it  isn't  true,  but  because  we've  gone  so  far  beyond 
Matthew  Arnold.  Our  imaginations  have  abdicated  in  so  many 
ways  to  the  super-simplified  and  the  visual.  The  movies  inter- 
pret our  novels  to  us,  photographs  tell  the  story  in  our  adver- 
tising, we  educate  by  pictures,  and  the  latest,  if  not  the  end 
result,  is  the  growing  respectability  of  the  comic  book  technique. 

There's  much  about  the  trend  that's  good,  much  that's  been 
brilliantly  successful.  But  it  can  go  too  far.  The  acceptance  of 
the  idea  that  everything  can  be  whittled  down  to  a  visual  core 
may  lead  to  dangerous  stereotypes  and  deadly  complacencies. 
You  don't  get  the  Bible  from  a  comic  strip  "Story  of  the  Bible," 
and  you  don't  get  Shakespeare  from  the  most  pompous  and 
well-intentioned  portrayal  of  his  stories  in  pictures.  But  the 
implication  today  is  that  you  do. 

What  you  get,  as  a  rule,  when  you  whittle  great  texts  down 
to  small  pictures  is  a  series  of  bald,  impoverished  stereotypes. 
Goodness  knows  we've  had  enough  of  them  in  radio,  where 
we  only  had  to  whittle  them  down  according  to  the  demands  of 
time  and  the  supposed  capacity  of  our  audiences.  Television 
will  be  worse  handicapped  $  television  will  be  tied  down  to  what 
can  be  pictured. 

Now  consider  the  man  on  the  receiving  end  of  television — 
and  again  I'm  thinking  almost  entirely  of  the  man  who's  inter- 
ested in  drama.  He  has  to  make  an  effort  to  get  what's  coming. 
He  has  to  give  it  his  undivided  attention.  He  has  to  concentrate 
his  eyes,  as  well  as  his  ears,  on  it.  It's  one  of  the  curses  of  radio 
that  you  could  be  doing  fifty  other  things  while  you  imagined 
you  were  listening  to  a  program.  It's  one  of  the  great  advan- 
tages of  television — and  one  I  think  which  may  reflect  to  the 
advantage  of  radio — that  the  man  receiving  programs  in  the 
future  will  be  making  a  conscious  effort  to  do  so. 

When  he  expends  effort,  he's  going  to  ask  what  he's  getting 
for  the  expenditure.  He's  sitting  there  with  his  mind  a  guest 
and  a  prisoner  of  his  two  senses.  And  if  his  mind  becomes 
bored,  it's  going  to  get  up  and  walk  out.  I'm  speaking  of  the 
active  mind,  the  mind  that  wants  to  be  working  on  something, 
the  mind  that  rejects  easy  stereotypes  and  platitudes,  and  finds 
exhilaration  in  the  struggle  through  complexities  toward  truth. 
Now  such  minds  found  little  enough  meat  to  chew  on  in  radio. 
I  suspect  they'll  find  even  less,  when  stories  and  ideas  have  to 
be  cut  down  and  fitted  into  the  limitations  of  what  can  be  pic- 


RADIO    WRITING    AND    PRODUCTION  287 

tured.  I  think  such  a  man  is  apt  to  be  afflicted  with  a  gaseous 
mental  emptiness,  after  a  sustained  spell  of  the  television  drama 
we're  likely  to  get.  And  what  will  he  do  about  it? 

He  may  rise  from  his  chair  and  turn  away  from  his  tele- 
vision screen.  If  he  does,  what  will  he  turn  to?  Back  to  books, 
for  one  thing.  Certainly  the  pictures  he  creates  for  himself  out 
of  bare  black  words  on  white  paper — when  he  is  really  stimu- 
lated to  do  so — are  more  satisfying  to  him  than  the  ones  created 
by  the  most  gifted  visual  artists.  You  can  prove  this  simply  by 
listening  to  people  coming  out  of  a  theater  and  complaining  that 
the  movie  wasn't  like  the  book.  Certainly,  the  greatest  satis- 
faction lies  in  what  you  create  for  yourself  by  linking  your 
imagination  with  that  of  the  writer. 

Or  of  the  speaker.  In  the  beginning  was  the  word,  and  the 
first  words  were  spoken.  The  word  heard  should  always  be  a 
more  powerful  thing  than  the  word  read.  And  it  is  in  the 
evocative  power  of  words,  I  think,  in  their  power  to  stir  and  set 
the  imagination  alight,  that  the  future  of  radio  rests. 

This  is  why  I  think  that  in  the  future  radio  may  well  pick 
up  a  growing  stream  of  refugees  from  television.  They  will  be 
the  most  alert,  the  most  intelligent,  the  most  demanding  sec- 
tion of  the  audience.  They  will  insist  that  the  ideas  presented  to 
them  have  body  and  sinew,  that  their  stories  be  stories  with  real 
characters,  not  mill-run  stereotypes.  They  will  always  be  a 
minority,  and  you  will  not  always  have  them  with  you.  The 
stage,  the  screen  and  television  will  all  have  great  and  legiti- 
mate demands  on  their  attention.  But  they  will  turn  to  radio,  as 
they  turn  to  fine  books,  when  radio  is  worthy  of  it;  and  if  you 
can  move  them  and  hold  them,  give  them  matter  which  their 
demanding  minds  find  worth  going  to  work  on,  then  radio  will 
have  a  more  devoted,  a  more  satisfied  and  satisfying  audience 
than  it  has  ever  had  before  and  it  will  wield  greater  influence. 

Quite  naturally,  from  all  this  follows  one  of  the  great  mys- 
teries and  the  great  reproaches  attaching  to  radio  from  its 
earliest  days.  Why  has  poetry  never  taken,  or  taken  back,  the 
place  that  belongs  to  it  as  the  highest  and  most  intimate  com- 
munication of  man  with  man?  If  ever  there  was  a  medium 
which  should  have  brought  poetry  back  to  the  place  it  occupied, 
say,  in  Elizabethan  days,  it  would  seem  to  be  radio  j  yet  radio 
has  accomplished  practically  nothing  in  that  direction.  You  can 
blame  it  on  the  mass  audience,  if  you  like,  but  that's  not  much 


288  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

of  an  excuse.  Shakespeare  had  mass  audiences  too.  It  seems 
that  if  radio  had  been  braver,  more  intelligent  and  more  deter- 
minedly experimental  in  the  past,  it  might  have  created  verse 
idioms  which  would  really  have  caught  the  ear  and  the  mind 
of  the  age,  and  stimulated  millions  as  Christopher  Fry  today  is 
stimulating  thousands  with  the  power,  the  piquancy,  the  hori- 
zon-opening quality  of  the  thought-winged  word. 

It  hasn't  yet,  and  it's  only  one  of  many  reproaches  levelled 
at  it.  Radio  grew  too  fat,  too  complacent,  too  comfortable 
within  the  boundaries  it  set  too  early  for  itself.  It's  got  to  be 
shaken  out  of  all  that  now.  It  means  doing  a  lot  better  than 
we've  done  to  date.  It  means  a  re-examination  of  all  our  tech- 
niques, of  every  instrument  of  audial  communication.  Our 
actors,  are  they  good  enough?  Is  our  music,  when  we  use  it, 
sensitively  enough  attuned  to  the  script,  and  is  there  enough  or 
too  much  or  too  little  of  it?  How  about  the  sound  effects  for 
that  particular  moment  in  that  particular  play?  Above  all — and 
this  will  be  the  crucial  point — are  our  scripts  compelling  enough 
and  are  they  really  written  for  radio?  Are  they  built  to  take 
full  advantage  of  the  medium's  enormous  flexibility,  not  merely 
by  a  lot  of  mechanical  scene  changes,  but  by  a  sweep  and  flow 
of  thought,  an  over-all  shaping  which  makes  wide-ranging, 
swiftly  changing  movement  an  essential  character  of  the  play? 

Or  can  we,  on  the  other  hand,  go  back  to  the  novel  in  radio 
writing  and  bring  into  radio  the  novel's  power  and  liberality  of 
description?  Can  we  paint  landscape  and  physical  beauty,  the 
complications  and  contradictions  that  make  for  living  character, 
and  weave  them  all  into  the  texture  of  the  story  like  a  novelist? 

Can  we  get  out  from  under  the  clock,  first  of  all  by  remov- 
ing arbitrary  limits  on  the  length  of  programs,  and,  secondly, 
by  taking  the  time  that  is  necessary  for  rehearsals?  Maybe  we 
are  going  to  have  to  do  all  of  these  things,  and  a  great  many 
more  that  haven't  even  occurred  to  us  as  yet. 

What  radio  must  do,  by  whatever  method,  is  get  through 
the  ear  to  the  mind  and  satisfy  the  mind  with  honest,  substantial 
brilliant  and  compelling  thought.  And  that  must  be  its  daily 
bill  of  fare,  not  just  an  occasional  treat. 

It's  a  very  large  order,  and  perhaps  one  that  can  never  be 
completely  filled.  But,  if  we're  not  going  to  become  forlorn 
stragglers,  retreating  from  hinterland  to  hinterland,  I  think  it 
points  the  way  we've  got  to  go. 


RADIO    WRITING    AND    PRODUCTION  289 

MR.  J.  FRANK  WILLIS  :3 

For  the  past  ten  years,  we,  of  the  Canadian  Broadcasting 
Corporation,  have  participated  in  your  discussions,  and  have 
enjoyed  the  opportunity  of  having  our  broadcast  efforts  crit- 
ically appraised  in  competition  with  the  best  American  pro- 
grams in  many  of  the  most  significant  areas  of  broadcasting. 
To  us,  Columbus  has  become  a  sort  of  Mecca.  It  would  be  dif- 
ficult to  estimate  the  value  to  Canadian  broadcasting  of  these 
annual  conferences.  We  are  deeply  grateful  for  them,  and 
while  large  scale  attendance  has  not  been  possible,  please  accept 
my  assurance  that  the  working  broadcasters  in  Canada  keep  a 
very  alert  eye  on  what  you  do  here. 

The  awards  which  your  judges  are  pleased  to  bestow,  on 
programs  which  they  consider  to  be  the  best  of  the  year  in  a 
wide  range  of  activity,  are  a  continuing  stimulus  to  our  pro- 
ducers. You  have  been  a  great,  if  indirect,  help  to  us  in  the 
past  and  we  are  here  today  in  an  effort  to  be  of  some  direct  help 
to  you  now  and  in  the  future. 

I'm  not  going  to  talk  about  writing  for  radio,  except  to  say 
that  the  most  important  gauge  that  can  be  applied  to  the  work 
of  a  producer  or  performer  is  the  one  which  determines  how 
well  he  gets  it  "off  the  paper"  and  conveys  the  exact  meaning 
of  the  author.  Now,  unless  something  worthwhile  is  on  the 
paper  in  the  first  place,  something  of  charm  or  impact,  it  is 
pointless  to  go  to  great  pains  to  get  it  off.  If  the  author  has 
nothing  to  say,  you're  not  going  to  have  a  significant  program 
no  matter  how  hard  your  producer  and  actors  work.  Radio 
writing  is  the  life  blood  of  this  whole  business,  and  it's  a  pity 
radio  has  had  to  suffer  so  long  from  pernicious  anemia. 

As  for  radio  production,  there  is  a  great  deal  I  could  say, 
but  I  imagine  most  of  it  has  been  said  here  in  past  years,  in  one 
way  or  another.  There  are  as  many  production  methods  as 
there  are  working  producers,  and  the  methods  that  I  would 
recommend  are  the  ones  that  I  have  worked  out  for  myself  over 
the  years,  and  they  probably  wouldn't  be  of  much  help  to  any- 
one else. 

Rather  than  discussing  production  techniques,  I  would  pre- 
fer to  leave  with  you  some  thoughts  about  what  we  are  writing 
and  what  we  are  producing. 

I  should  be  intemperate  and  unrealistic  if  I  were  to  throw 

3  Supervisor  of  Feature  Broadcasts,  CBC,  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada. 


29O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

out  a  blanket  condemnation  of  American  radio.  There  has  been 
much  in  the  past  that  has  been  praiseworthy,  even  though  the 
industry  can  take  little  credit  for  it.  Your  great  symphony 
orchestras  and  your  Metropolitan  opera  are  delights  which  we, 
in  Canada,  are  privileged  to  share.  But  those  are  public  perform- 
ances by  established  institutions  at  which  radio  is  merely  eaves- 
dropping. 

In  its  own  right,  despite  some  early  flashes  of  brilliance 
from  men  like  Archibald  MacLeish,  Norman  Corwin  and  a  few 
others,  radio  in  America  has  developed  an  excellence  in  only 
certain  and  very  limited  fields  of  programming.  You  will 
understand  that  I  am  speaking  not  of  local  and  isolated  broad- 
casts, but  in  terms  of  the  great  mass  of  national  radio  fare. 
Radio,  in  this  country,  has  developed  the  variety  show  to  the 
point  of  perfection.  Using  the  Bennys,  Bergens,  Skeltons,  the 
Martins  and  Lewises,  and  abetted  by  singing  stars,  movie  star- 
lets and  large  and  colorful  orchestral  groups,  the  gag  shows  and 
the  situation  comedies  have  long  since  become  the  best  in  the 
world,  although  I  do  not  know  if  the  British  and  French  would 
agree. 

Another  radio  accomplishment  has  come  about  by  lavishing 
absolutely  top  production  on  the  dramatic  reconstruction  of 
your  long  and  colorful  history  of  crime  and  the  "Who-dunits." 
In  this  field  the  work  of  other  countries  is  amateurish  in 
comparison. 

The  strip  show,  or  soap  opera,  is  the  other  achievement,  and 
on  that  score  I  won't  flog  a  dead  horse.  In  reading  accounts  of 
some  of  the  past  sessions  of  this  Institute,  I  find  that  these  little 
daytime  confections  have  been  well  and  truly  roasted  annually. 

These  items,  along  with  the  public  spectacles,  such  as  the 
sporting  events  of  national  interest,  at  which  radio  is,  again, 
just  a  spectator  and  in  no  way  a  creator,  just  about  completes 
the  list. 

So,  after  twenty-five  years,  you  and  we  have  some  good 
variety  shows,  first-rate  "Who-dunits,"  and  soap  operas,  plus 
the  odd  program  that  has  a  real  and  lasting  value. 

Do  you  wonder  that,  as  a  producer,  in  my  imagination  I 
sometimes  envisage  radio  executives  as  a  group  of  semi-adoles- 
cents who  cater  in  the  main  to  those  they  believe  to  be  even  less 
intelligent  than  they  themselves? 

To  me,  at  least,  this  is  not  an  altogether  surprising  vision. 


RADIO    WRITING    AND    PRODUCTION  29! 

It  has  been  a  long  time  since  trained  and/or  qualified  and  cre- 
ative radio  people  have  had  anything  to  do  with  the  great  mass 
of  American  broadcasting.  Far  from  having  an  opportunity  of 
developing  along  lines  drawn  by  the  tastes  or  artistic  aspirations 
of  listeners  or  broadcasters,  with  some  sense  of  self-dedication 
to  the  betterment  of  the  industry,  radio  has  been  geared  to  serve 
the  self-interest  of  the  merchandiser  and  his  advertising  agent. 

In  Canada,  we  radio  people  are  not  so  naive  as  to  believe 
with  Candide  that  "everything  is  for  the  best  in  this  best  of  all 
possible  worlds,"  nor  so  complacent  as  not  to  be  aware  that 
many  vexatious  and  continuous  problems  beset  us.  But  we  are 
sanguine  enough  to  believe  that  we  are  getting  some  place  in 
Canadian  broadcasting.  Each  year  finds  a  few  more  problems 
resolved,  and  points  of  irritation  removed,  and  each  year  we 
take  fresh  heart  from  the  knowledge  that  we  are  going  forward. 

In  1929,  at  the  time  commercialism  was  making  a  bond- 
slave of  radio  in  this  country,  we  were  choosing,  as  Robert  Frost 
says,  "The  road  less  travelled  by,  and  that  has  made  all  the 
difference."  At  just  that  time  in  Canada,  the  Aird  Commission 
was  presenting  its  findings  in  our  House  of  Commons,  and  set- 
ting forth  a  list  of  recommendations  for  the  future  administra- 
tion, management,  control  and  financing  of  radio.  Sir  John 
Aird,  I  might  say,  was  not  a  Socialist,  or  even  akin  to  one.  He 
was  the  head  of  a  great  banking  chain,  the  Royal  Bank  of 
Canada. 

The  essence  of  the  Aird  report  was  in  the  premise  that  pri- 
vate enterprise  had  no  more  right  to  control  the  air  for  broad- 
casting, than  private  enterprise  had  the  right  to  control  the  air 
for  breathing.  Thus,  the  broadcasting  channels  in  Canada  were 
turned  over  to  a  publicly-owned  corporation  under  a  system  of 
guardianship.  That  system  was  and  is  the  Canadian  Broadcast- 
ing Corporation.  Each  year  that  corporation  reports  on  its 
stewardship  to  the  people  of  Canada,  their  sponsors,  through 
their  Parliament.  Recommendations  regarding  the  allocation 
of  wave  lengths  to  private  stations,  the  enforcing  of  the  many 
clauses  of  the  Broadcasting  Act,  the  booking  and  control  of  all 
network  programs,  and  the  devising  and  producing  of  a  two 
network  program  service,  are  among  the  responsibilities  of  this 
corporation.  That  it  has  not  been  derelict  in  its  stewardship  is 
borne  out  by  the  findings  of  the  recently  dissolved  Massey 
Commission, 


292  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

We,  of  the  CBC,  ask  to  be  pardoned  if  we  take  it  as  a  com- 
mendation of  our  efforts  that  this  commission  recommended  as 
follows: 

"That  the  Board  of  Governors,  of  the  Canadian  Broadcasting 
Corporation,  refuse  all  commercial  programs  not  acceptable  in  content, 
and  that  they  consider  the  possibility  of  eliminating  some  of  the  less 
desirable  commercial  programs  now  carried,  and  of  replacing  them  by 
programs  more  appropriate  to  Canadian  listeners." 

I  am  happy  to  report  that  Parliament  has  voted  a  sum  of 
money  that  may  not  only  compensate  for  our  loss  of  commercial 
revenue,  but  we  hope  will  provide  adequately  for  the  produc- 
tion costs  of  program  replacements.  The  report  says  elsewhere: 

"In  order  to  discover  what  Canadians  think  about  these  programs, 
we  carefully  examined  and  analyzed  the  views  expressed  in  the  many 
briefs  and  public  hearings  on  the  subject  of  broadcasting.  We  heard 
little  of  administrative  or  technical  problems.  Most  Canadians,  it 
seems,  neither  know  nor  care  much  about  the  operation  of  their  own 
national  system.  This  is  not  surprising.  Their  concern  is  naturally 
with  what  radio  does  and  should  do  for  them,  and  on  this  matter  they 
express  themselves  with  clarity  and  conviction. 

"Although  there  was  little  reference  to  the  Aird  Report,  we 
were  given  the  impression  that  the  present  national  system  has  suc- 
ceeded to  a  remarkable  degree  in  doing  exactly  what  the  writers  of 
the  Aird  Report  wanted  it  to  do.  Three  statements  were  made  re- 
peatedly. First,  national  programs  have  been  received  with  appreci- 
ation throughout  the  country,  especially  in  the  numerous  small 
communities  and  isolated  homes  where  other  means  of  entertainment 
and  improvement  are  largely  wanting.  Some  of  our  witnesses  said, 
frankly,  that  many  Canadians  wanted  advantages  for  their  children 
that  they  themselves  had  not  enjoyed,  and  that  they  looked  to  radio 
as  one  means  of  providing  them. 

"Second,  the  existence  of  the  nationally-controlled  system  of 
broadcasting  was  acknowledged  as  the  only  means  whereby  Canadian 
radio  could  have  maintained  a  Canadian  character.  Without  public 
radio  in  Canada,  we  would  have  'a  carbon  copy  of  the  American 
system,  and  a  carbon  copy  made  in  the  United  States,  at  that,'  said 
the  Canadian  Congress  of  Labour;  and  this  view  was  supported  by 
manv  other  groups  and  individuals,  including  national  organizations 
sue)]  as  the  United  Church  of  Canada  and  the  Canadian  Federation 
of  Agriculture. 

"Third,  the  national  system  with  extensive  coverage,  cooperation 
of  national  and  local  stations,  and  programs  in  both  languages  emanat- 
ing from  every  part  of  the  country,  has  contributed  powerfully,  we 
were  told,  to  a  sense  of  Canadian  unity.  It  does  much  to  promote  a 
knowledge  and  understanding  of  Canada,  as  a  whole,  and  of  every 
Canadian  region,  and  therefore  aids  in  the  development  of  a  truly 
Canadian  cultural  life." 

The  shuffle  that  is  taking  place  right  now  in  our  program 


RADIO    WRITING    AND    PRODUCTION  293 

schedules,  especially  in  our  daytime  operation,  is  going  to  be  a 
lot  more  far-reaching  than  merely  cancelling  one  soap  opera 
and  replacing  it  with  another  soap  opera.  The  Massey  Com- 
mission made  its  recommendation  in  the  confidence  that  these 
replacements  would  have  character  and  artistic  merit  as  well  as 
audience  appeal.  And  I  can  assure  you  that  these  elements  are 
not  incompatible,  in  Canada,  at  least. 

Why  is  that? 

Are  Canadians  different  from  listeners  here  and  elsewhere? 

They  are  not,  and  I  will  tell  you  why,  in  1952,  we  have  a 
ready-made  audience  for  the  better  things  in  music  and  drama 
and  good  plain  talk,  and  how  we  know  who  they  are  and  where 
they  are. 

First,  a  bit  of  background: 

In  1933,  an  important  decision  was  made.  National  net- 
work broadcasting  had  just  gone  into  operation  and  it  was  found 
that,  by  long  odds,  the  most  popular  program  we  had  in  Eng- 
lish speaking  Canada  was  an  "old  time"  group  called,  "George 
Wade  and  His  Corn  Huskers."  The  weekly  mail  response  to 
this  program  was  phenomenal.  It  was  just  a  spirited  approach 
to  all  the  old  familiar  hoe-down  tunes,  and  it  appeared  quite 
obvious  that  this  was  what  Canadian  listeners  wanted.  The 
leader  of  this  "Corn  Husker"  group  was  among  the  first  to 
realize  this  fact,  and  began  doubling  his  asking  price.  Event- 
ually, the  cost  had  to  be  weighed  against  the  popularity  of  the 
show.  Mind  you,  at  this  time  we  needed  all  the  happy  audience, 
all  the  good  friends,  we  could  get.  In  spite  of  that  fact,  the 
"Corn  Huskers"  went  out  the  window,  and  they  haven't  been 
back  since. 

We  squarely  faced  up  to  the  issue  at  that  time,  that  it  was 
not  necessarily  our  obligation  to  give  the  people  precisely  and 
only  what  they  thought  they  wanted.  That  would  have  been 
the  line  of  least  resistance,  and  we  would  have  escaped  a  flood 
of  abuse  both  in  the  mails  and  in  the  press.  But  a  firm  decision 
was  made  then,  and  the  first  notes  for  a  program  policy  were 
written.  It  was  decided  that  our  first  duty  was  to  give  the  Cana- 
dian public,  within  the  limits  of  our  finances,  the  opportunity  to 
enjoy  more  works  of  genuine  merit.  We  came  to  believe — and 
this  belief  is  reiterated  by  the  Massey  Commission — that  the 
appetite  develops  through  eating.  We  believe  that  the  best 
should  be  made  available  to  those  who  wish  it. 


294  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

The  BBC  has  phrased  it  another  way  and  regards  it  almost 
as  a  motto:  "The  purpose  of  the  BBC  is  to  give  the  listener  a 
great  deal  of  what  he  wants,  and  to  give  him  a  chance  to  want 
other  things  as  well." 

That  this  policy  has  been  a  sound  one,  in  the  long  run,  is 
backed  up  by  listening  panels  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  by 
professional  critics,  and  by  a  volume  of  mail  week  to  week  from 
the  back  country. 

We,  of  the  CBC,  are  neither  entirely  missionaries  or  torch 
bearers.  But  we  feel  sure  we  know  there  is  a  tremendous  and 
hungry  audience  for  better  and  better  things  by  radio. 

And  I  am  j  ust  as  sure  that  a  vast  and  eager  audience  is  wait- 
ing, also,  in  the  United  States  for  a  more  lively,  adult,  well 
balanced  and  integrated  program  service,  with  a  quality  and 
character  which  will  in  greater  measure  reflect  your  great  cul- 
tural heritage  and  artistic  accomplishments. 

That  potential  audience  must  still  be  there,  unless,  in  a 
forlorn  hope,  they  have  traded  in  their  radios  on  television  sets. 
By  nature  I  am  not  a  pessimist.  However,  I  frankly  can't  see 
any  future  more  brilliant  for  television  than  the  present  stage 
of  radio,  with  all  its  hollow  brilliance,  until  old  appetites  are 
whetted  or  new  ones  created  by  something  better  than  radio  has 
so  far  produced. 

I  agree  with  the  chairman,  that  radio  can  become  a  new 
medium.  The  opportunity  is  there  for  you  to  grasp.  Out  of 
the  sad  experiences  of  the  past  quarter-century,  with  vision  and 
determination,  a  program  service  could  be  made  available  in 
this  great  country  that  would  be  quite  unrecognizable  from 
anything  that  has  gone  before,  and  beyond  all  question  the 
finest  in  the  world. 

It  would  be  an  unforgivable  presumption  for  me  to  come 
here  as  a  visitor  and  advocate  what  to  some  may  sound  like 
rank  heresy.  But,  surely,  the  American  people  have  it  within 
their  power  to  force  through  legislation  that  would  guarantee 
them  a  method  or  a  means  dedicated  to  the  dissemination  of 
worthwhile  things.  Surely  your  legislators  are  able  to  recog- 
nize the  tremendous  influence  for  good  that  radio  can  exert. 
If  that  awareness  were  not  present,  there  would  be  no  "Voice 
of  America."  Such  a  method,  maybe  in  network  form,  might 
be  financed  through  subscription.  If  not,  I  am  sure  there 
are  enough  thoughtful,  cultured  people  in  business  and  indus- 


BUILDING    AND    HOLDING    AUDIENCES  295 

try  here,  to  lend  support  to  good  programs  as  a  means  of  insti- 
tutional or  good  will  advertising.  There  has  already  been  con- 
siderable evidence  of  this.  There  must  be  ways  of  doing  it,  and 
I  respectfully  suggest  that  here,  at  this  Institute,  after  years  of 
talk,  is  a  good  place  to  organize  a  meeting  for  action. 

You  must  pardon  my  vehemence  on  the  subject  of  radio 
writing  and  production  in  America.  I  feel  strongly  about  it, 
because  we  share  with  you  the  air  of  North  America.  Your 
radio  programs  flow  as  easily  into  our  country  as  the  Canada 
Goose  flies  north  in  the  spring.  It  is  almost  the  one  thing  made 
in  the  U.S.A.  on  which  we  do  not  pay  a  staggering  import  tax 
or  duty. 

Thanks  to  the  technological  genius  of  this  age,  a  hundred 
of  your  stations  are  readily  available  on  most  radio  dials  in 
Canada.  Say  what  we  will,  American  programs  will  be  a  con- 
tinuing influence  not  only  on  the  listening  habits  of  Canadians, 
but  on  the  thinking  of  our  people  as  well.  We,  of  the  CBC, 
with  you  of  this  Institute,  hope  that  in  some  way  this  will  one 
day  become  an  influence  for  good. 


BUILDING  AND  HOLDING  AUDIENCES 

ALLEN  MILLER,1  Presiding 
SPECIAL  INTEREST  GROUP 

PLANNING  THE  CAMPAIGN 

M.  S.  NOVIK2 

THE  AIM  OF  EVERY  RADIO  STATION,  whether  commercial 
or  non-commercial,  is  to  create  and  maintain  a  steady  listening 
audience.  The  modern  educational  station  should  operate  on  a 
pattern  similar  to  that  of  its  successful  commercial  competitors, 
for  although  one  station  may  have  a  larger  staff  or  more  money 
to  work  with,  the  target  of  all  is  the  audience.  The  successful 
station  is  the  one  which  can  consistently  hold  the  imagination 
and  interest  of  the  audience  with  special  events,  provocative 
program  series,  and  other  stimulating  programming. 

1  Manager,  Station  KWSC,  Washington  State  College,  Pullman,  Wash. 

2  Radio  and  Television  Consultant,  New  York  City. 


296  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

The  educational  stations  can  do  a  far  better  job  in  the  over- 
all community  programming  than  their  network  competitors. 
Many  a  network  affiliate  would  like  to  do  more  community 
service,  but  network  commitments  and  established  program  pat- 
terns prevent  them. 

The  network  affiliate  has  the  advantages  of  power,  position 
on  the  dial,  and  popular  programs.  But  it  is  at  a  disadvantage 
to  the  independent  station  which  is  on  its  toes,  performing 
outstanding  community  service. 

The  educational,  or  independent,  or  new  station  in  the  mar- 
ket, which  must  meet  the  competition  of  the  older,  well- 
established  stations,  must  find  the  neglected  audience.  This 
kind  of  alert  station  can  best  achieve  a  steady-listener  objective. 

The  objectives  vary  in  each  station's  case.  The  station  must 
always  find  the  particular  audience  which  is  being  overlooked. 
The  first  step  is  to  study  the  market  and  its  potential,  and  then 
to  study  the  competition.  Once  the  station  finds  the  neglected 
areas,  it  can  institute  specialized  programming  to  reach  the 
needs. 

There  are  no  hidden  formulas  for  success  in  specialized 
programming.  Each  station  must  look  for  the  need  in  its  com- 
munity. No  two  communities  are  exactly  alike.  What  is 
needed  in  one  may  not  be  present  in  another. 

There  are  stations  in  every  part  of  the  country  that  have 
become  successful  in  specialized  programming.  You  know 
them  as  well  as  I  do.  Some  of  the  outstanding  successes  are 
WNYC,  municipally  owned  and  operated  in  New  York  City; 
WHA,  Madison,  operated  by  the  University  of  Wisconsin ; 
WHDH,  Boston,  and  KFWB,  Los  Angeles,  both  specializing 
in  music  and  news  programming;  WOV,  New  York  City,  a 
leader  in  foreign  languages,  specializing  in  Italian;  WLIB, 
New  York  City,  a  daytime  independent,  specializing  in  Negro 
and  Jewish  programming. 

The  objectives  varied  for  each  of  these  stations,  there  is  a 
wide  difference  in  programming,  but  the  technique  leading  to 
success  is  the  same.  Each  of  them  found  a  service  to  perform 
in  its  community.  And  the  success  of  these  stations  is  open  for 
everyone  to  see. 

This  policy  of  specialized  programming  is  bound  to  succeed 
because  the  listener  gets  what  he  wants.  He  cannot  get  the 
same  product  anywhere  else.  The  successful  station  using  this 


BUILDING    AND    HOLDING    AUDIENCES  297 

programming  technique  has  found  a  lost  audience.  And  by 
catering  to  that  audience,  it  has  found  a  purpose  for  its  own 
being. 

This  specialized  radio  programming  is  similar  to  the  suc- 
cessful community  newspaper.  It  becomes  a  personal  matter 
to  the  listener.  Just  as  a  reader  identifies  himself  with  his 
favorite  newspaper  and  columnist,  so  does  the  radio  listener 
identify  himself  with  his  favorite  radio  station  and  program. 

When  you  have  found  your  specialized  broadcast  pattern, 
it  becomes  necessary  to  exploit  and  promote  it.  Budget  is  im- 
portant, but  not  the  key  factor.  A  mimeographed  notice  will  do 
the  same  job  as  a  fancy  printed  promotional  piece,  if  it  covers 
the  ground  and  reaches  the  proper  persons.  Once  a  listener 
realizes  your  program  is  just  what  he  wants,  he  becomes  your 
top  promoter.  And  as  all  promotion  men  know,  word-of- 
mouth  advertising  is  sure  success. 

What  every  station  manager  and  promotion  staff  must  re- 
member is  this:  Your  listener  is  loyal — but  he's  also  human. 
The  loyal  audience  will  stick  with  you.  But  on  occasion,  your 
loyal  listener  is  going  to  react  just  like  any  other  listener.  He'll 
go  on  a  fishing  trip,  or  a  vacation,  or  to  the  ball  game.  He  won't 
stay  glued  to  his  radio  dial,  although  he  is  taking  his  radio 
along  with  him  more  and  more  these  days.  The  radio  listener 
who  has  found  the  program  he  wants  will  come  back  to  the 
station. 

The  specialized  broadcasting  station  attracts  steady  listen- 
ers. It  maintains  a  place  in  the  listener's  home  and  habits.  Once 
a  station  is  accepted  by  an  audience,  it  is  accepted  by  the  adver- 
tising agency  and  the  advertiser. 

Specialized  broadcasting  is  the  operation  with  the  least  fear 
of  television.  It  is  offering  a  broadcast  fare  which  the  listener 
cannot  get  anywhere  else.  And  the  station's  reward  for  this 
personal  programming  and  outstanding  broadcast  service  is 
the  station's  acceptance  in  the  community. 

SELECTING  THE  TARGET 

ELIZABETH  BLACK3 

IN  MY  POSITION  AS  MEDIA  DIRECTOR  for  an  advertising 
agency,  I  deal  with  both  time  and  space.  I  used  to  wish  that 

8  Director  of  Media,  Joseph  Katz  Co.,  New  York  City. 


298  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

the  audiences  in  broadcasting  could  be  pin-pointed  as  sharply 
as  they  were  in  publications.  And  then  recently  I  re-examined 
my  own  thinking  and  realized  that  "pin-pointing"  the  audience 
is  just  something  we  dream  about  and  struggle  to  achieve.  The 
only  reason  it  seemed  to  be  more  nearly  approximated  in  print 
than  in  broadcasting  was  because  in  the  publication  field  we  deal 
with  more  tangibles. 

I  think  it's  the  intangibles  in  broadcasting,  the  things  that 
continually  crop  up  to  surprise  us  out  of  preconceived  notions 
or  make  us  question  the  validity  of  even  the  most  intelligent 
research,  that  make  this  medium,  whether  radio  or  television, 
the  important  factor  it  is  in  mass  communication. 

The  creating  and  buying  of  an  audience  are  really  two 
facets  of  the  same  problem.  The  problem  is  to  expose  the  mer- 
its of  the  client's  product  to  the  greatest  number  of  people  at 
the  lowest  possible  cost.  The  job  of  a  time-buyer  becomes  com- 
plex in  direct  relation  to  the  number  of  accounts  to  which  he  is 
assigned.  With  each  account  he  acquires  an  unique  set  of  prob- 
lems. These  include  the  character  of  the  product,  the  size  of 
the  appropriation,  the  distribution  of  the  product,  the  degree  to 
which  the  client  and  the  account  executive  are  familiar  with  the 
intricacies  of  time  buying,  etc.  Since  our  discussion  here  is  con- 
cerned with  the  all-important  "audience,"  I  will  not  take  time 
to  elaborate  any  of  these  points,  which  are  primarily  a  matter 
of  market  and  sales  research.  Let  us  assume  that  we  have  no 
problem  beyond  reaching  housewives  all  over  the  United  States 
for  a  food  product,  or  let's  make  it  a  drug  product,  a  classifica- 
tion in  which  I've  had  considerable  experience. 

If,  between  the  client  and  the  agency,  it  has  been  agreed 
that  a  network  program  would  be  the  most  efficient  and  eco- 
nomical approach  to  the  desired  market,  one  group  within  the 
agency  would  be  working  on  the  development  of  the  show  and 
the  buyer  would  start  negotiating  for  time.  In  these  negotia- 
tions, he  would  be  endeavoring  to  secure  a  segment  of  time 
which  research  had  established  as  good  listening  hours  for 
women  in  the  home. 

With  the  help  of  all  available  studies  and  the  best  thinking 
of  the  client  and  the  agency,  the  time  is  finally  bought  and  the 
program  starts.  We  believe  it  to  be  a  program  that  will  appeal 
to  women  in  a  time  bracket  when  they  are  available  as  listeners, 
but  we  cannot  sit  back  and  relax.  We  anxiously  await  the  rat- 


BUILDING    AND    HOLDING    AUDIENCES  299 

ings  and,  more  important,  the  reports  on  sales.  When  it  appears 
that  we  have  captured  some  portion  of  the  audience  we  are 
trying  to  reach,  there  is  a  slight  pause  for  thanksgiving.  Once 
the  fact  is  established  that  the  preliminary  thinking  was  sound, 
the  building  of  the  audience  is  achieved  by  supplementary  pro- 
motions, sometimes  through  newspaper  advertisements,  some- 
times through  local  merchandising. 

It  has  always  been  my  feeling  that,  in  a  broad  sense,  net- 
work broadcasting  is  comparable  to  magazine  circulation,  and 
spot  radio  is  comparable  to  local  newspapers.  There  are  obvious 
advantages  to  all  four  media  and  we  are  not  concerned  here 
with  their  relative  merits. 

It  seems  to  me,  however,  that  the  flexibility  of  spot  radio  is 
sometimes  more  quickly  appreciated  when  the  aforegoing  sim- 
ple comparison  is  made.  Everyone  has  long  recognized  the 
special  appeal  of  a  local  newspaper.  In  the  purchase  of  spot 
radio  time,  whether  it's  an  announcement  or  a  longer  segment 
of  time,  it  is  the  station-originated  programming — the  pro- 
gramming that  gives  the  outlet  its  local  character — that  is  of 
greatest  significance  to  the  time  buyer.  Here  he  is  definitely 
buying,  not  creating,  the  audience.  He  is  seeking  to  refine  his 
attack  on  the  target  of  responsive  listenership  by  finding  out 
which  programs  provide  the  unique  appeals  in  the  individual 
markets  in  which  the  campaign  is  to  run. 

Going  back  to  our  hypothetical  drug  account  that  we  have 
launched  on  a  network  campaign,  let's  suppose  the  budget 
is  sufficient  to  provide  for  a  supplementary  promotion  in  spot 
radio  and  it  is  decided  to  do  a  national  announcement  campaign. 
The  money  would  be  allocated  to  intensify  the  coverage  in  areas 
already  served  by  the  network  show,  or  to  fill  in  where  the 
network  was  weak,  or  both.  There  would  then  be  the  job  of 
buying  X  dollars  worth  of  time  in  X  cities  and  the  agency 
would  send  out  for  availabilities.  In  my  opinion,  a  good  buyer 
would  ask  for  availabilities  on  several  stations  in  each  market, 
even  if  the  budget  would  cover  only  one.  He'd  look  at  every- 
thing submitted,  and  make  his  selection  on  the  basis  of  the  de- 
sirability of  the  time  offered  plus  his  judgment,  which  would 
be  the  sum  of  all  that  he  had  learned  about  the  character  of  each 
of  the  stations  involved  and  what  it  was  doing  to  create,  build 
and  hold  the  kind  of  audience  he  was  after. 

As  to  when  and  where  he  will  find  his  most  productive  aud- 


3OO  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

ience,  there's  no  rule  of  thumb.  It  can  be  at  7:30  a.m.,  before 
the  news,  or  at  3:30  p.m.,  in  a  program  of  "sweet  music,"  or 
both.  Audience  ratings  are  an  important  tool  in  time  buying, 
but  it's  important  to  remember  that  the  character  of  the  audi- 
ence is  often  a  weightier  factor  than  the  rating.  In  this  search 
for  the  perfect  time  for  reaching  the  likeliest  prospects  on  the 
local  level,  the  advertiser  and  the  agency  have  a  basic  interest 
in  such  characteristics  as  working  hours,  the  preference  of  pro- 
grams of  dramatic  appeal  over  musical  shows  (or  vice  versa), 
and  the  degree  of  interest  in  various  sports,  all  of  which  vary 
from  city  to  city. 

I've  tried  to  tell  you  some  of  the  things  the  time  buyer  does 
to  direct  his  client's  message  to  a  selected  audience.  I  hope  that 
I  have  not  strayed  too  far  from  the  point  to  be  of  help  to  you. 
If  some  of  what  I  have  told  you  seems  a  little  wide  of  the  mark, 
let  me  repeat  that  you  can't  do  it  all  with  statistics,  and  experi- 
ence leads  the  time  buyer  on  some  roundabout  paths  in  his 
selection  of  the  target. 


MEASURING  THE  RESULTS 

C.  H.  SANDAGE4 
AN  INTERESTING  EXPERIMENT  IN  AUDIENCE  promotion  Was 

conducted  some  time  ago  by  the  Institute  of  Communications 
Research  and  station  WILL  of  the  University  of  Illinois.  The 
study  sought  to  determine  whether  listenership  to  educational 
radio  programs  can  be  increased  by  means  of  promotion,  and  it 
also  sought  to  measure  the  relative  effectiveness  of  different 
kinds  of  promotion. 

A  fixed  sample  or  panel  of  persons  in  Champaign  County, 
Illinois,  was  established  for  testing  purposes  and  selected  pro- 
grams broadcast  by  station  WILL  were  chosen  for  promotion. 

The  sample  was  selected  on  a  modified  random  basis  in 
urban,  village  and  farm  areas.  Personal  interviewers  were  used 
to  recruit  members  of  the  research  panels.  If  members  of  a 
family  agreed  to  cooperate  with  the  Institute,  a  personal  data 
sheet  was  filled  out  by  the  family. 

Diaries  were  kept  by  each  responsible  member  of  the  family 
•and  mailed  to  the  Institute  at  the  end  of  the  designated  report- 

*  Chairman,  Division  of  Advertising,  School  of  Journalism  and  Communications, 
KJniversity  of  Illinois,  Urbana,  111. 


BUILDING    AND    HOLDING    AUDIENCES  3<DI 

ing  period.  The  "before,  during  and  after"  technique  was  used 
to  measure  the  possible  influence  which  promotion  would  have 
on  increasing  listenership. 

There  were  678  families  in  Champaign  County  who  re- 
turned diaries  for  the  November  period.  This  number  dropped 
to  359  families  for  the  March  diary.  Only  those  individuals 
who  returned  all  four  diaries  were  included  in  the  final  sample. 

This  sample  is  not  sufficiently  large  to  be  highly  sensitive 
to  general  mass  promotional  efforts,  where  such  promotion 
does  not  penetrate  the  great  majority  of  homes.  It  is,  however, 
adequate  to  measure  the  influence  of  promotion  known  to  have 
penetrated  the  home.  It  also  has  the  advantage  of  permitting 
analysis  of  individual  cases  as  well  as  securing  valuable  projec- 
tive  statistical  measures. 

One  of  the  cardinal  purposes  of  this  study  was  to  determine 
whether  listenership  to  strictly  educational  or  "highbrow"  radio 
programs  could  be  increased  significantly  by  means  of  pro- 
motion. 

Four  programs  regularly  heard  over  WILL  were  selected 
for  special  promotion.  They  were:  "For  You  at  Home,"  a 
homemaker's  program  broadcast  9  to  9:30  a.m.,  five  days  a 
week;  "Pops  Concert,"  a  program  of  semi-classical  and  light 
operatic  music  heard  from  10:30  to  1 1  a.m.,  seven  days  a  week  j 
"The  Chamber  Music  Hour,"  a  program  of  classical  or 
"heavy"  music  broadcast  from  1 1  to  1 1 :45  a.m.,  four  days 
each  week;  and,  "Comparative  Literature,"  a  classroom  lecture 
and  discussion  program  broadcast  from  1 1  to  11:45  a-  m-  on 
Tuesday  and  Thursday. 

Various  types  of  promotional  material  were  used  to  encour- 
age people  to  listen  to  the  four  programs  selected  for  special 
emphasis.  This  included  printed  and  mimeographed  material, 
spot  announcements  on  the  radio,  printed  booklets,  and  special 
mailings  to  members  of  the  sampling  panel. 

This  study,  and  other  studies  conducted  at  the  University 
of  Illinois,  indicate  that  almost  all  persons  are  radio  listeners, 
and  that  almost  all  listeners  have  a  highly  diverse  diet  of  pro- 
gram fare.  This  is  true  regardless  of  educational  background. 

The  following  summary  of  conclusions  might  be  drawn 
from  this  study: 

i.  The  number  of  non-listeners  to  radio  programs  of  one 
type  or  another  is  so  small  as  to  be  insignificant.  For  all  practi- 
cal purposes,  one  can  say  that  all  people  listen  to  the  radio. 


3O2  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

2.  The  normal  radio  fare  of  most  listeners  is  quite  diversi- 
fied in  character,  just  as  is  the  normal  food  diet  of  Americans. 
As  the  intellectual  and  emotional  needs  and  wants  of  people 
change  from  hour  to  hour,  or  from  day  to  day,  so  does  the 
choice  of  radio  programs  change.    The  change  may  be  from 
Western  music,  to  barbershop  harmony,  to  popular  hit  tunes, 
to  Grand  Opera,  or  to  symphonies  by  the  "old  masters."    Or 
the  gamut  might  be  run  from  soap  opera,  to  blood  and  thunder 
mystery  stories,  to  variety,  or  even  to  classical  dramas. 

3.  These  aforegoing  observations  lead  naturally  to  the  con- 
clusion that  most  persons  are  potential  listeners  to  educational 
programs.   Some  educational  broadcasters  have  been  grievously 
in  error  by  believing  that  a  larger  percentage  of  the  population 
did  not  listen  to  the  radio  and  did  not  do  so  because  of  the 
absence  of  "quality"  programs.   As  a  result  of  this  misconcep- 
tion, they  have  believed  that  their  natural  audience  is  among 
the  group  labeled  "normally  non-listeners."  Since  the  evidence 
of  this  study  tends  to  destroy  this  basic  assumption,  a  change  in 
policy  would  seem  to  be  warranted. 

4.  Careful  and  systematic  promotion  of  educational  pro- 
grams can  substantially  increase  both  the  number  of  listeners 
and  the  amount  of  listening. 

5.  The  most  effective  promotion  in  this  study  seemed  to  be 
that  which  was  detailed  and  specific  in  character  and  attractively 
presented.   Distribution  of  promotional  material  by  direct  mail 
was  more  effective  than  distribution  through  other  channels, 
although  perhaps  not  more  effective  on  a  "cost  per  listener" 
basis. 

6.  Promotion  confined  to  specific  programs  increased  listen- 
ership  not  only  to  those  specially  promoted  programs  but  also 
to  all  programs. 

7.  While  this  study  was  not  sufficiently  extensive  to  provide 
conclusive  data  on  the  relative  effectiveness  of  various  types  of 
promotion,  it  is  probable  that  a  high  correlation  would  exist 
between  effectiveness  and  full  information  about  specific  pro- 
grams. Potential  listeners  to  programs  with  which  they  are  not 
familiar  need  more  than  just  a  statement  or  label  of  program 
title  and  time  of  broadcast  to  get  them  to  try  it. 

8.  Left   to   their   own   devices,   relatively   more   college- 
trained   than   non-college-trained   persons   will   select   educa- 
tional   radio   programs.     With    proper   promotion,    however, 


TELEVISION    IN    AGRICULTURAL    BROADCASTING  303 

non-college-trained  persons  can  be  added  to  the  audience  of 
educational  programs  in  about  the  same  proportion  as  they 
hold  in  the  total  population. 

9.  The  natural  audience  for  educational  programs  is  com- 
posed of  a  disproportionate  number  of  persons  in  the  "40  or 
more"  age  bracket.    It  would  seem  that  the  special  promotion 
of  adult-type  programs,  such  as  those  broadcast  by  station 
WILL  in  1949  and  1950,  might  have  small  influence  in  per- 
manently influencing  this  ratio. 

10.  Educational   broadcasters   are   distinctly   negligent   in 
their  operations  when  they  fail  to  make  provisions  to  adequately 
inform  potential  listeners  of  what  is  being  broadcast.    Too 
many  educational  broadcasters  believe  their  responsibility  stops 
at  the  microphone  j  that  once  the  program  is  on  the  air,  it  is 
entirely  the  responsibility  of  the  radio  listener  to  find  the  edu- 
cational program.    It  is  hoped  that  the  results  of  this  study 
should  go  far  to  dispel  this  concept. 


TELEVISION  IN  AGRICULTURAL  BROADCASTING 

RICHARD  J.  CECH,1  Presiding 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
MAYNARD  A.  SPEECE2 

IT  is  INDEED  A  PLEASURE  TO  LOOK  BACK  on  some  of  the 
highlights  of  the  past  four  years'  experience  with  agricultural 
television.  This  talk  might  be  called  "Our  Fifth  Annual 
Look  at  TV." 

I  like  to  compare  my  experience  in  television  with  learning 
to  paddle  a  canoe.  If  we  think  of  general  agricultural  informa- 
tion as  being  a  rather  broad,  stable  raft,  I  started  my  journey 
down  the  stream  on  that  raft.  In  college  I  had  no  training  in 
radio,  visual  aids,  journalism  or  public  relations.  So,  after  some 
hardships,  I  managed  to  develop  a  certain  amount  of  skill  in 
maneuvering  the  raft.  I  then  traded  the  raft  for  a  rowboat, 
which  we  will  call  farm  radio.  Learning  to  row  a  boat  required 

1  TV  Production  Specialist,  Iowa  State  College,  Ames,  Iowa. 

2  Television  Information  Specialist,  U.   S.   Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington, 
D.  C. 


304  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

certain  new  skills  and  techniques,  but  after  four  or  five  years, 
I  had  developed  enough  know-how  to  take  me  where  I  wanted 
to  go  in  a  reasonable  amount  of  time.  At  that  point,  four  years 
ago,  I  traded  the  rowboat  for  a  canoe,  called  television. 

During  the  past  three  and  a  half  years,  the  Federal  Com- 
munications Commission  has  had  a  freeze  on  the  construction 
of  new  television  stations,  and  the  water  has  been  quite  free 
from  whitecaps.  But  now  with  the  lifting  of  the  freeze,  I  think 
we  are  faced  with  some  rapids  ahead.  Perhaps,  my  experiences 
of  the  past  four  years  may  help  you  avoid  some  hidden  shoal. 

Our  work  was  not  television  research  in  the  same  sense  that 
we  conducted  scientific  research  in  agriculture.  Rather,  this  was 
an  experimentation — we  tried  things,  and  then  figured  out  why 
they  worked  or  did  not  work,  and  then  we  used  that  experience 
as  the  basis  for  planning  our  next  program. 

The  first  demand  from  the  field  agencies  of  the  U.  S.  De- 
partment of  Agriculture,  from  the  land  grant  college  and  radio 
farm  directors,  was  for  programs  on  films.  For  that  reason, 
films  for  television  became  the  first  phase  of  the  work  we  con- 
ducted back  in  1948  and  1949.  By  June,  1950,  we  had  as- 
sembled a  considerable  amount  of  information  in  the  field  of 
films  for  television,  and  our  first  report,  entitled,  "Television 
Report  No.  i — Films  for  Television,"  was  published.  This 
was  a  comprehensive  article  based  on  our  experience  in  adapt- 
ing existing  films  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  for 
television. 

We  also  studied  the  making  of  new  films  for  television, 
read  every  available  article  published  on  the  subject  of  films 
for  television,  and  held  conferences  with  people  in  the  industry 
and  other  people  in  government  who  were  working  on  films 
for  television. 

The  second  phase  of  our  work  took  up  visual  aids  for  tele- 
vision. We  went  ahead  on  the  theory  that  the  major  difference 
between  planning  television  programs  and  planning  radio  pro- 
grams is  in  the  visualization  of  the  message — the  combining  of 
sight  with  sound.  We  said  that  television  is  know-how  told  by 
show-how.  And  so  for  the  next  twelve  months,  we  studied  how 
to  adapt  the  existing  visual  aids  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture  for  television  use,  how  to  construct  new  visual  aids 
and  visual  display  devices,  and  the  cost  factor  involved  in  their 
use.  The  result  of  our  study  became  "Television  Report  No.  2 


TELEVISION    IN    AGRICULTURAL    BROADCASTING 

— Visual  Aids  for  Television,"  published  in  June,  1951.  This 
report  also  reflected  all  the  information  we  had  gathered  from 
trade  journals,  books,  and  other  sources. 

We  now  are  in  the  process  of  getting  out  our  third  report 
called  "Program  Methods,"  after  a  year  of  study  and  work 
with  TV  programs.  We  hope  to  have  this  report  out  late  this 
summer. 

These  three  comprehensive  booklets  may  be  turned  into  a 
handbook  of  farm  television,  similar  to  the  handbook  on  farm 
radio  which  we  recently  revised  for  your  use. 

As  I  have  said,  we  are  in  a  period  of  comparatively  quiet 
water.  I  don't  know  whether  you  have  this  feeling  or  not.  I 
sense  that  important  things  are  being  done  here  at  Columbus, 
not  necessarily  in  the  general  sessions,  but  maybe  in  small 
groups  of  people  over  coffee  or  dinner,  after  the  formal  meet- 
ings are  finished.  I  have  a  feeling  that  big  things  are  on  down 
the  stream  because  of  the  timely  lifting  of  the  freeze  on  tele- 
vision. I  am  convinced  that  this  year  will  see  more  progress, 
more  changes,  more  things  done  in  farm  television  than  have 
been  done  before. 

In  July,  1951,  we  started  a  research  project  at  Iowa  State 
College,  to  investigate  the  marketing  of  meat  animals,  beef, 
hogs  and  sheep.  The  project  was  designed  to  get  information 
in  the  field  of  agricultural  television.  Dick  Cech,  our  chairman, 
was  in  charge  of  this  research  project,  and  he  will  tell  us  more 
about  it  later.  I  only  mention  it  as  a  part  of  the  overall  picture 
of  what  is  happening  in  farm  television. 

A  new  era  in  farm  television  is  now  opening.  We  have 
learned  a  lot  about  effective  techniques  and  methods  for  doing 
farm  television,  and  it  is  our  hope  that  the  answers  will  save 
you  time  and  money  in  getting  into  farm  television.  We  hope 
that  it  will  improve  the  quality  of  your  programming. 

I  cannot  help  but  recall  that  farm  radio  had  achieved  full 
stature,  and  had  been  going  twelve  to  fifteen  years  before  we 
started  much  research.  Actually,  we  never  had  the  kind  of 
material  on  techniques  and  methods  in  farm  radio  that  we  now 
have  available  in  television. 

During  the  past  four  years,  the  Department  of  Agriculture 
has  produced  some  200  programs  of  all  kinds,  both  black 
and  white,  and  color  television.  We  have  done  a  number  of 
remote  broadcasts.  Also,  a  number  of  film  programs.  We  now 


3O6  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

are  engaged  in  a  series  of  weekly  network  programs  of  farm 
news.  This  is  a  little  different  series  than  we  ever  have  tried. 
We  keep  a  "news  peg"  in  the  program  and  yet  keep  it  short 
and  simple.  We  have  been  mailing  out  copies  of  the  scripts 
free.  Each  week,  we  feature  the  "best  food  buys."  Doing  this 
on  a  network  scale  is  giving  us  some  valuable  experience  in  the 
use  of  three  minutes'  time. 

So  much  for  the  overall  look  at  agricultural  television.  We 
will  spend  most  of  this  session  on  techniques  and  methods  for 
doing  effective  farm  television,  and  you  will  have  an  opportu- 
nity to  ask  questions  and  make  comments. 


TELEVISION  FOR  THE  CONSUMER 

MRS.  MIRIAM  J.  KELLEY3 

IT  MIGHT  BE  BEST  TO  GIVE  A  BRIEF  picture  of  our  consumer 
and  marketing  program  in  Louisville,  as  a  background  for  what 
I  would  like  to  say.  This  program  was  made  possible  by  funds 
from  the  USDA  Research  Marketing  Act,  matched  by  state 
money. 

In  setting  up  the  project  five  years  ago,  we  just  talked  with 
producers,  other  extension  people,  food  handlers,  and  food 
buyers,  including  wholesalers,  retailers  and  consumers.  It  in- 
volved getting  the  cooperation  of  a  lot  of  people.  Without  ex- 
ception, we  had  complete  cooperation  from  everybody  along 
the  line.  In  turn,  we  have  been  able  to  take  back  some  infor- 
mation to  the  producers  and  get  their  help  in  doing  a  different 
type  of  grading  or  selling.  And  we  have  consistently  told  the 
story  to  the  consumer. 

My  work  began  with  a  daily  radio  program  on  one  station, 
and  press  releases  for  county  papers  and  one  Negro  city  paper. 
We  now  write  a  news  feature,  "Better  Buys  in  Food  This 
Week,"  that  is  used  in  the  daily  paper  on  Thursday.  In  addi- 
tion, I  am  doing  one  television  program  a  week  on  our  commer- 
cial station,  WAVE. 

When  I  started  on  TV,  I  had  a  seven-minute  program  at 
6:30  p.m.,  a  poor  time  for  the  housewife.  Later  we  were  on  at 

8  Field  Agent,  Marketing  and  Conservation  Information  Extension  Service,  Louis- 
ville, Ky. 


TELEVISION    IN    AGRICULTURAL    BROADCASTING  307 

9:45  p.m.  Our  program  went  from  fifteen  minutes  to  thirty, 
and  then  to  twenty-five.  In  addition  I  have  agricultural  pro- 
grams on  Monday  and  Friday. 

The  main  television  program  is  sustaining.  At  one  time, 
details  were  worked  out  to  accept  a  sponsor,  but  the  station 
decided  to  keep  us  on  sustaining.  That  means  my  program  is 
confined  to  production  and  retailing  of  food,  and  Mrs.  Con- 
sumer's job  of  making  the  food  dollar  go  as  far  as  possible. 

I  consider  that  my  first  job  is  to  teach,  but  when  we  get  into 
radio  and  television  we  are  competing  with  the  entertainment 
field  and  I  have  always  tried  to  use  things  that  attract  attention. 

Sometimes,  I  use  eggs  with  lettering  on  them.  I  don't  like 
to  use  notes,  so  I  plan  the  program  in  such  a  way  that  my  little 
devices  serve  as  reminders  to  me  as  well.  We  give  food  infor- 
mation and  cost  differences.  Here  are  two  potatoes.  You  may 
not  see  the  difference  in  quality  from  where  you  are  sitting, 
but  television  closeup  will  show  it.  We  talk  about  quality.  If 
it  is  oranges,  we  actually  cut  the  orange  and  the  juice  runs  out. 

Here  is  an  example  of  another  way  of  making  comparisons : 
In  this  bowl  is  a  can  of  peas  that  cost  19^5  that  package  of 
frozen  peas  was  24^5  and  i  pound  of  fresh  peas  cost  30^.  I 
tell  my  audience  that  we  have  enough  to  serve  four  persons 
from  the  can.  The  frozen  peas  will  make  three  or  four  por- 
tions. The  fresh  ones  will  make  two  helpings,  which  makes  it 
pretty  high.  We  always  figure  out  the  cost  per  serving. 

I  try  to  open  the  show  with  something  that  has  action,  like 
a  little  jack-in-the-box.  I  did  a  program  in  January  about  the 
"Outlook."  We  created  our  own  background,  a  picture  of 
Janus,  the  two-headed  individual,  one  head  for  looking  back 
and  another  for  looking  forward,  in  the  light  of  what  had  gone 
before.  This  helped  to  dramatize  the  program,  as  I  had  Janus 
look  into  my  home  account  book  and  proceeded  from  there. 

I  always  wear  a  "corsage"  related  to  problems  of  the  day. 
Sometimes  it  is  lettuce,  radishes,  or  a  handmade  ear  of  corn. 
I  have  a  special  day  for  answering  questions,  pulled  from  a 
question  box.  Instead  of  using  charts,  which  I  think  are  unin- 
teresting to  many  people,  I  often  use  a  flannelgraph  to  show 
such  things  as  increases  in  population  and  the  need  for  produc- 
ing food. 

Women  have  long  been  accused  of  talking  too  much.  I  do 
not  agree,  but  I  know  it  is  easy  to  forget  that  things  can  be  seen 


308  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

on  television,  and  we  should  spare  the  adjectives.  In  closing, 
my  advice  is  not  to  be  afraid  to  use  something  other  people 
have  used.  Adapt  things  to  your  own  program.  But  more  im- 
portant, don't  be  afraid  to  be  different. 

TELEVISION  RESEARCH  AT  WOI-TV 

RICHARD  J.  CECH4 

LAST  JUNE,  WE  STARTED  A  PROJECT  of  television  research 
for  the  USD  A,  under  the  Research  and  Marketing  Act.  The 
project  work  is  attempting  to  find  simpler,  easier  and  more 
direct  methods  of  presenting  to  consumers  the  information 
about  marketing  of  agricultural  products.  As  a  corollary,  the 
project  is  attempting  to  establish  techniques  of  TV  production 
— including  the  use  of  appropriate  and  available  props — that 
will  help  all  producers  of  TV  agricultural  information  and 
marketing  programs  to  simplify  the  job  of  informing  and  dem- 
onstrating. 

The  project  work  is  bound  up  in  the  production  of  5-minute 
films  based  on  a  5-minute  "table-top"  type  of  demonstration, 
either  through  continuous  filming  or  shooting  of  individual 
sequences.  Single-system  sound-on  movie  cameras  are  used  to 
record  both  sound  and  picture,  so  that  the  developed  product 
is  quick,  usable  film  of  good  quality  for  TV  and  other  educa- 
tional purposes.  Each  5-minute  film  is  produced  specifically 
for  TV  presentation.  Each  one  deals  with  a  specific  step  or 
steps  in  the  various  phases  of  marketing  and  distribution  of 
farm  products. 

An  attempt  is  being  made  to  use  as  simple  tools  as  possible, 
including  such  things  as  cut-outs  of  animals  or  scenes,  simple 
photographs,  animated  charts  or  pictures,  dime-store  "props" 
purchased  at  a  reasonable  price,  live  objects,  etc.,  to  illustrate 
some  of  the  economic  principles  involved.  The  idea  is  to  show 
how  most  TV  performers  can  convert  these  simple  props  into 
valuable  materials  in  presenting  agricultural  information. 

Approximately  fifteen  trial  films  have  been  produced,  with 
ten  more  scheduled  for  production  by  June  i,  1952.  The  proj- 
ect began  on  June  i,  1951,  and  will  run  until  May  31,  1953. 
It  will  include  the  production  of  fifty  films. 

4  TV  Information  Specialist  in  Agriculture,  Iowa  State  College,  Ames,  Iowa. 


TELEVISION    IN    AGRICULTURAL    BROADCASTING  309 

Iowa  State  College  was  selected  as  the  project  center,  be- 
cause of  the  complete  facilities  for  producing  such  films,  avail- 
able qualified  personnel,  and  control  of  a  TV  outlet,  WOI-TV, 
where  trial  films  can  be  field-tested  for  audience  reaction. 

In  February,  1952,  WOI-TV,  in  cooperation  with  the 
Agricultural  Extension  Service  at  Iowa  State  College,  telecast 
a  series  of  ten  3O-minute  films — produced  specifically  for  TV 
— showing  all  the  details  of  making  a  dress,  from  the  selection 
of  a  pattern,  through  measurements,  sewing  procedures,  etc., 
to  modeling  the  dress. 

Some  3,000  Iowa  women,  urban  and  rural,  enrolled  in  the 
TV  course,  following  the  TV  programs  presented  twice  a  week 
and  constructing  their  garments  according  to  the  lessons  learned 
via  TV.  At  the  end  of  the  series,  seventeen  women  were  se- 
lected in  the  sixteen-county  primary  coverage  area  of  WOI- 
TV,  and  they  modeled  their  dresses  in  a  live  program  on 
WOI-TV,  and  discussed  features  of  the  "Make-a-Dress"  TV 
programs. 

This  is  believed  to  be  the  largest  scale  single  teaching-by- 
TV  attempt  made  to  date  by  a  television  station.  A  follow-up 
survey  is  under  way  now  to  determine  audience  reaction  to  this 
program.  Preliminary  reports  showed  an  audience  of  20,000 
women,  who  either  watched  or  actively  took  part  in  the  lessons. 

Television  authorities  at  Iowa  State  College  and  educa- 
tional leaders  believe  the  success  of  this  attempt  presages  ulti- 
mate large-scale  attempts  to  direct  both  general  and  specific 
educational  lessons  and  projects  to  the  TV  audience,  particu- 
larly in  the  field  of  agriculture  and  home  economics. 

A  year  ago,  in  the  summer  of  1951,  the  Ford  Foundation 
awarded  a  $250,000  research  fund  to  WOI-TV  at  Iowa  State 
College  for  the  expressed  purpose  of  research  in  educational 
programs.  A  special  organization  was  set  up  to  tend  to  the  pro- 
duction of  programs  to  meet  this  purpose  j  and  WOI-TV 
granted  program  time,  as  requested  by  the  Fund  for  Adult 
Education,  to  try  the  innovations  in  program  presentation  re- 
sulting from  study  and  research. 

The  first  series  of  programs  was  a  combination  of  docu- 
mentary films  and  discussion-demonstrations,  dealing  with  the 
operation  of  "democracy  at  the  grass  roots  level."  It  involved 
observations  of  a  community's  reaction  to  a  pressing  problem, 


3IO  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

in  this  case,  school  reorganization.  The  series  was  concluded 
with  a  "mock"  session  of  the  state  legislature  considering  the 
particular  problems. 

The  current  series  includes  programs  based  on  other  prob- 
lems, such  as  "voting  of  bond  issues  for  school  buildings  or 
hospitals"  and  "effect  of  import-export  relationships  on  farm- 
ers and  businessmen." 

In  another  research  venture,  the  fund  is  presenting  a  series 
of  eighteen  lectures  on  European  history,  past  and  present, 
based  on  classroom  lectures  given  in  a  college  credit  course  at 
Iowa  State  College  by  the  head  of  the  history  department. 

The  fund  also  has  conducted  an  audience  survey  in  the 
WOI-TV  area  to  determine  listening  habits  and  other  charac- 
teristics of  the  TV  population  in  the  area. 

DISCUSSION 
COMMENT: 

I  wish  to  say  a  word  about  television  being  a  visual  medium.  It  is 
visual  in  the  sense  we  have  added  an  element  we  don't  have  in  radio,  but 
at  Penn  State  a  comparison  of  audio  and  video  elements  has  been  made 
and  results  showed  that  the  two  elements  put  together  earn  a  large 
increment,  so  don't  forget  the  audio  part. 
MR.  CECH: 

You  are  right,  but  sometimes  the  verbal  is  overdone. 
QUESTION  : 

My  question  is  in  regard  to  your  single  system  camera.   How  do  you 
do  the  editing? 
MR.  CECH: 

The  sound  is  automatically  24  frames  ahead.    If  you  want  to  cut, 
you  do  it  wherever  you  want  to.    It  is  a  most  simple  editing  job.    We 
only  must  be  careful  not  to  cut  in  the  middle  of  a  word. 
MR.  KENNETH  M.  GAPEN:5 

We  had  a  problem  like  that  in  one  of  our  single  system  5 -minute  TV 
films.  The  editors  took  out  a  few  frames  with  two  cuts  and  put  it  back 
together. 

(Presentation  of  selected  TV  programs  on  film) 
MR.  CECH: 

This  is  the  first  film  we  produced.  We  made  a  deliberate  effort  to 
load  this  with  everything,  and  we  knew  at  the  time  we  were  putting  in 

6  Assistant  Director  of  Information  for  Radio  and  Television,  USDA,  Washington, 
D.  C. 


TELEVISION    IN    AGRICULTURAL    BROADCASTING  311 

too  much.   We  wanted  to  study  the  audience  reaction.   One  of  the  worst 
mistakes  was  that  we  used  too  many  figures. 

(Film  about  price  of  steak) 
QUESTION: 

In  your  breakdown  of  price,  you  don't  show  what  the  meat  cost 
the  producer.    Why  didn't  you  start  at  the  beginning? 
MR.  CECH: 

I  knew  that  objection  would  be  made.    You  can't  put  everything  in 
a  5-minute  film. 

Actually,  all  we  were  interested  in  was  the  amount  the  consumer 
was  paying.    He  spent  a  dollar  for  meat.    Where  did  the  dollar  go? 
How  was  it  divided? 
COMMENT: 

When  that  lady  was  talking  by  herself,  she  was  in  front  of  a  simple 
background.    When   you   switch   to  film,   you   should  have   a  similar 
backdrop  so  the  viewers  don't  get  the  idea  it  is  a  film. 
MR.  SPEECE: 

Television  is  essentially  an  honest  medium.    We  try  not  to  pose  or 
pretend.   Television  is  too  intimate  to  do  that  successfully  for  any  length 
of  time.    We  set  up  a  natural  situation,  and  said  it  was  a  demonstration 
of  how  the  meat  dollar  was  divided. 
QUESTION  : 

W"as  that  on  two  cameras? 
MR.  CECH: 

Yes. 
QUESTION: 

Is  that  film  supposed  to  be  a  dramatic  story?    In  your  two  transitions, 
both  of  you  turned  to  the  camera. 
MR.  CECH: 

The  fades  have  not  been  put  in. 
COMMENT: 

From  the  standpoint  of  a  consumer,  I  thought  that  was  a  most 
unusual  butcher. 
MR.  GAPEN: 

I  thought  it  was  quite  heavy  on  the  moral,  or  preaching  side.    You 
probably  could  lighten  it  by  editing. 
COMMENT: 

On  the  other  hand,  he  is  selling  information  and  he  has  to  get  his 
point  across. 

I  think  the  technique  of  the  circle  and  men  standing  by  the  percentage 
sign  was  good. 


312  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

(Next  film  was  "Meat  is  King") 
COMMENT: 

You  started  out  with  prices  per  100  pounds,  then  went  to  I,OOO 
pounds,  and  finally  to  58<f  a  pound  for  hamburger. 

You  used  too  many  figures.    Some  scenes  were  too  short  to  catch 
them. 
MR.  CECH: 

This  next  film  will  show  a  couple  shopping  in  a  store,  and  a  voice 
will  ask  them  how  they  buy  their  meat. 

(Film  on  meat  marketing) 
COMMENT: 

I  thought  the  time  passed  pleasantly,  but  I  don't  know  what 
happened. 

Are  there  any  other  films  available  along  these  lines? 
MR.  CECH: 

The  fifteen  films  we  have  made  are  not  for  release  until  pre-tested 
and  approved  in  Washington. 
COMMENT: 

If  released,  it  would  be  of  great  service  to  retailers  to  have  them 
available  when  they  were  opening  self-service  meat  departments. 
MR.  SPEECE: 

We  made  a  series  of  twelve  shorts  in  ten  days'  time,  from  start 
to  finish.  This  was  an  attempt  to  spread  the  cost  of  cameramen,  sound 
men  and  studio  over  several  films.  They  were  all  made  in  much  the 
same  way,  only  about  different  kinds  of  fruits  and  vegetables. 

We  also  decided  not  to  use  music,  which  increases  cost  considerably. 
We  used  amateur  talent  and  wrote  our  own  scripts.  We  studied  all  the 
cost  factors.  Another  decision  was  to  use  a  single  set.  There  are  many 
problems  with  background  scenery,  and  if  you  build  sets  the  cost  goes  up. 


RADIO  IN  AGRICULTURAL  BROADCASTING 

PAUL  M.  VISSER,1  Presiding 

WORK- STUDY  GROUP 
WE   SHALL   DIRECT   OUR  ATTENTION   TO   A   SUBJECT  that   IS 

always  worthy  of  thought,  namely:  "How  Can  We  Build  Our 
Audience?"   This  program  has  largely  been  the  work  of  Mr. 

1  Director  of  Agriculture,  NBC,  Chicago. 


RADIO    IN    AGRICULTURAL    BROADCASTING  313 

James  Chapman,  farm  director  of  station  WTAM,  Cleveland, 
who  will  bring  his  viewpoint  as  fourth  speaker  of  our  panel. 
The  other  members  of  our  resource  board  are:  Mr.  Forest 
Hall,  county  extension  agent,  Findlay,  O.j  Mrs.  Mary  Lou 
Pfeiffer,  of  station  WRFD,  Worthington,  O.j  Miss  Jessie  E. 
Heathman,  assistant  extension  editor,  University  of  Illinois, 
Urbana,  111.;  and  Mr.  Charles  R.  Carroll,  Jr.,  of  Carl  Byoir 
and  Associates,  New  York  City. 


A  COUNTY  AGENT  SPEAKS 

MR.  FOREST  HALL:S 

In  the  early  days  of  station  WFIN,  in  Findlay,  Ohio,  a  group  of 
nine  county  agents  met  once  a  week  for  a  broadcast.  We  carefully 
prepared  a  script,  wrote  out  questions  and  answers,  and  the  announcer 
carried  on  a  sort  of  an  interview.  The  program  was  not  very  successful. 
One  agent  after  another  quit.  There  was  no  fan  mail  from  anywhere. 
That  was  our  first  experience  with  radio  and  it  was  a  very  valuable  one 
for  us. 

However,  I  was  sold  on  the  importance  of  radio  and  we  wanted  to 
use  the  station.  A  group  of  about  forty  leaders  from  Farm  Bureau 
councils  met  and  talked  it  over.  The  majority  wanted  a  program  around 
noon,  between  1 1  .'30  and  I  p.  m.  Their  second  choice  was  breakfast 
and  milking  time,  6  to  7  a.  m.;  and  the  third  choice  was  the  dinner  hour, 
5  to  6  p.  m.  We  asked  the  station  if  we  might  have  time  around  noon 
to  put  on  a  regular  series  of  programs. 

In  the  survey  of  the  forty  farm  bureau  leaders  we  also  asked  what 
they  wanted  in  the  way  of  a  program.  They  voted  for  the  interview 
type  of  program  and  our  committee  later  on  decided  not  to  use  any 
music.  We  also  sent  questionnaires  to  teachers  of  home  economics  and 
vocational  agriculture,  and  then  formed  a  committee. 

At  this  point  we  began  to  make  plans  for  building  an  audience.  We 
held  conferences  with  leader  of  many  organizations  that  would  be 
interested  directly  or  indirectly  in  our  program.  Altogether  we  reached 
about  ninety  organizations,  and  we  had  hopes  that  a  number  of  other 
people  would  get  the  habit  of  listening  regularly  to  our  program. 

We  built  our  program  completely  on  the  basis  of  a  single  county, 
although  the  station  covers  a  greater  radius.  That  is  how  we  got  our 
radio  audience. 

3  County  Extension  Agent,  Findlay,  O. 


314  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

However,  we  now  get  mail  from  many  listeners  outside  the  county. 
Once  we  had  a  special  program  with  menus  for  Thanksgiving  dinner. 
We  had  letters  from  all  over  requesting  the  recipes  and  we  had  to 
mimeograph  the  program  and  distribute  it. 


THE  WOMAN  BROADCASTER 

MRS.  MARY  Lou  PFEIFFER:S 

Being  a  farm  wife  and  also  a  mother,  I  think  I  know  the  needs  of 
our  station  audience  from  a  farm  woman's  standpoint  as  well  as  urban,  so 
at  WRFD  I  try  to  bridge  the  gap  between  farm  and  urban  women. 

A  few  weeks  ago,  we  held  an  open  house  at  our  station  to  show  off 
the  new  studio.  More  than  18,000  people  visited  the  station. 

I  like  to  go  out  and  meet  my  audience.  We  should  remember  that 
the  audience  is  very  much  alive.  Early  in  my  first  series,  I  told  the 
people  who  I  was  and  how  we  lived.  I  think  that  is  the  secret  of  reaching 
their  hearts,  and  that  is  what  I  want  to  do.  I  told  them  something  like 
this: 

"Perhaps  the  best  way  to  get  acquainted  would  be  for  me  to  tell  you 
a  few  things  about  myself.  I  was  born  in  Illinois,  the  fourth  of  a  family 
of  eight  children.  What  fun  we  had  together!  We  came  to  Ohio  and 
bought  a  farm,  which  turned  out  to  be  not  what  we  expected  .  .  . 

"I  started  to  earn  my  education  by  carrying  university  mail  at  Ohio 
Northern  University.  Later  I  taught  school;  met  a  young  farmer,  and 
tried  to  impress  him  by  milking  an  old  cow  .  .  .  We  got  married,  have 
two  fine  children,  and  are  still  farming.  I  wouldn't  change  places  with 
anyone.  I've  learned  that  life  is  what  we  make  it  ... 

"I  guess  I've  told  you  enough  about  myself.  Now  I  should  like  to 
tell  you  about  'Kitchen  Kettle'  heard  each  day,  Monday  through  Friday, 
at  1 1 115.  'Kitchen  Kettle'  is  a  program  designed  to  help  the  homemaker 
in  many  things — nutrition,  gardening,  freezing  and  canning,  flower 
raising,  etc. 

"I  like  a  bit  of  a  chuckle  and  home  spun  philosophy,  besides  inter- 
views and  hints  from  all  of  you  readers  and  listeners.  I  hope  you'll  tell 
me  things  about  homemaking  that  we  all  can  share.  Now  I  must  go. 
I've  enjoyed  this  visit  so  much.  I'll  try  not  to  stay  so  long  the  next  time. 
Keep  reading,  keep  listening,  keep  smiling  and  write  to  me,  won't  you?" 

I  found  this  helped  to  build  my  audience  at  the  start.  I  am  still 
working  at  the  job.  I  have  a  30-minute  show  in  the  afternoon,  planned 
around  home,  community,  and  world  affairs.  People  want  to  be  edu- 

8  Station  WRFD,  Worthington,  O. 


RADIO    IN    AGRICULTURAL    BROADCASTING  315 

cated.  They  want  to  know  more  about  family  relationships.  I  visit 
institutions,  such  as  the  Juvenile  Research  Center,  and  interview  the 
psychiatrists.  People  also  want  to  know  about  decorating,  hobbies,  and 
stretching  the  family  dollar.  I  try  to  keep  things  practical,  and  up  to  the 
times. 

We  have  another  way  to  gain  listeners.  We  salute  a  different  town 
or  community  once  a  month,  and  a  small  church  or  a  civic  organization 
once  a  week.  I  invite  representatives  of  these  organizations  to  be  a  part 
of  our  program.  There  is  no  end  to  what  we  can  do  with  a  program 
like  that. 

As  I  say,  I  don't  know  too  much  about  it,  but  I  am  learning  some- 
thing each  day.  I  have  had  wonderful  cooperation  from  my  audience. 
We  have  a  "Good  Egg  Club,"  organized  to  cheer  shut-ins.  People  send 
in  dimes  and  quarters.  They  like  to  share  in  bringing  happiness  to  others 
less  fortunate. 


THE  COLLEGE  BROADCASTER 

Miss  JESSIE  E.  HEATHMAN:* 

I  have  been  asked  to  report  on  a  study  made  on  establishing  audiences 
and  holding  them.  This  study  was  done  by  Dr.  C.  H.  Sandage  of  the 
University  of  Illinois,  and  he  will  cover  this  material  in  more  detail  at 
another  meeting  of  this  Institute. 

His  project  was  a  survey  on  building  audiences  for  educational  radio 
programs.  It  sought  to  determine  whether  listenership  can  be  increased 
by  means  of  promotion,  and  the  relative  effectiveness  of  different  types 
of  promotion.  This  was  set  up  in  Champaign  County  and  divided  into 
three  divisions:  urban,  village,  and  rural.  In  the  sampling  phase,  students 
from  the  advertising  class  were  sent  out  to  interview  people  who  were 
asked  to  keep  diaries  over  a  period  of  several  weeks,  one  week  at  a  time. 
The  survey  endeavored  to  establish  the  listening  pattern.  Every  member 
of  the  family  was  asked  to  report  on  the  stations  he  listened  to,  and  for 
how  long. 

The  program  promotion  phase  was  done  under  a  different  name 
entirely.  Four  regular  WILL  programs  were  selected.  These  were  a 
Pops  concert,  chamber  music  hour,  comparative  literature,  and  "For 
You  At  Home,"  a  woman's  program.  Different  levels  of  programs 
were  selected  for  different  audiences.  So  far  as  the  people  knew,  this 
promotion  study  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  survey. 

Various  promotion  techniques  and  pieces  were  tried,  spaced  about 

*  Assistant  Extension  Editor,  University  of  Illinois,  Urbana,  111. 


3l6  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

three  or  four  weeks  apart.  In  the  last  promotion  period,  a  handsome 
mailing  piece,  in  colors,  told  about  the  four  programs.  That  was  mailed 
to  6,OOO  people  in  the  county. 

Some  very  worthwhile  results  were  accomplished.  Comparative  lit- 
erature had  the  smallest  audience,  or  1.5  when  the  study  started.  This 
program  stood  at  6  at  the  end  of  the  fourth  period.  "For  You  At  Home" 
started  at  3.6  and  was  pushed  up  to  12,  or  an  audience  about  as  large 
as  for  daytime  radio  serials. 

The  research  people  particularly  were  interested  in  noting  where 
the  programs  leveled  off  in  audience  appeal.  There  was  a  tapering  off, 
after  the  fourth  period,  but  the  audiences  now  are  stabilized.  The  one 
that  hit  12  at  the  peak  is  stabilized  at  8.  Comparative  literature  stands 
at  about  5. 

The  purpose,  I  repeat,  was  to  find  out  whether  it  is  practical  to 
promote  programs  on  an  educational  station.  The  results  speak  for  them- 
selves. I  know  a  lot  of  people  who  do  a  good  job  of  promoting  extension 
radio  programs,  but  as  a  rule  I  think  extension  people  are  a  little  too 
modest. 


THE  COMMERCIAL  RFD'S  EXPERIENCE 

MR.  JAMES  CHAPMAN  :5 

For  any  kind  of  broadcasting  program,  whether  it  be  farm  and  home 
programs,  or  some  other  kind,  the  first  requisite  in  audience  building  is  to 
have  something  the  people  will  want  to  hear.  That  should  be  obvious,  of 
course.  Secondly,  it  must  be  aired  at  a  good  time.  The  broadcaster  must 
determine  the  best  time  locally  for  the  type  of  program  he  has. 

Assuming  that  good  judgment  has  been  exercised  in  the  matter  of 
planning  and  scheduling  the  program,  there  are  several  additional  things 
that  may  be  done  to  attract  an  audience  and  hold  it. 

One  of  the  most  effective  means  is  a  good  publicity  department.  The 
publicity  man  is  confronted  with  the  problem  of  publicizing  the  whole 
day's  schedule,  if  possible.  You  can  gain  a  great  deal  by  feeding  your 
own  promotional  stuff  to  him.  Don't  depend  on  him  to  come  back  to 
your  office  to  dig  it  up.  Bring  it  to  him. 

Special  promotional  projects  of  your  own  are  tremendously  im- 
portant. We  have  used  farm  picture  contests  effectively.  We  published 
a  special  farm  calendar-almanac  which  made  a  big  hit.  We've  given 
away  apple  recipe  folders  for  the  Ohio  Apple  Institute.  You  don't  attract 

6  Farm  Director,  Station  WTAM,  Cleveland. 


RADIO    IN    AGRICULTURAL    BROADCASTING  317 

any  new  listeners  with  give-away  items  on  your  programs;  buty  it  helps 
to  build  loyalty  and  keep  listeners,  if  the  things  you  give  away  are 
worthwhile. 

Public  service  promotionals  are  very  valuable,  also.  Some  outstand- 
ing examples  are  the  plowing  matches  and  conservation  field  days  of 
station  WHO,  Des  Moines,  KVOO's  Green  Pastures  contest,  and 
WLW's  scholarships.  You  can  capitalize  on  real  public  service.  It  is  the 
key  to  top  drawer  publicity.  And  there  are  many  ways  in  which  public 
service  may  be  rendered  by  the  individual  station.  One  way  to  study 
this  possibility  is  by  analyzing  one's  audience.  Try  to  build  some  special 
service  for  each  special  interest.  If  you  have  a  large  concentration  of 
dairy  farmers,  build  projects  for  their  interest.  Help  promote  their 
activities,  use  names,  tell  about  their  work.  Attend  their  meetings  and 
field  days.  If  at  the  same  time,  your  station  can  support  activities  such 
as  4-H  dairy  projects,  dairy  farm  improvement  contests,  grassland  im- 
provement, etc.,  you  can  build  a  tremendously  interested  and  loyal 
audience. 

If  a  large  fruit  growing  area  lies  within  your  listening  range,  these 
folks  are  interested  in  weather  information  during  the  spring  and  early 
summer.  You  can  capitalize  on  this  with  a  special  series  of  weather 
broadcasts  and  fruit  spray  information,  in  cooperation  with  your  county 
agent  or  the  state  extension  service.  Have  a  conference  with  representa- 
tive fruit  growers.  Find  out  what  they  want  and  give  it  to  them. 

Get  to  know  the  leaders  of  all  your  state  conservation  and  agricul- 
tural organizations. 

On  Arbor  Day  three  years  ago,  we  planted  5,000  trees  on  our 
transmitter  property  on  the  southern  edge  of  Cuyahoga  County.  With 
the  help  of  the  extension  forester,  the  county  agent,  and  four  district 
men,  we  planned  quite  a  program.  We  went  to  the  Brecksville  high 
school,  nearby,  and  arranged  for  a  couple  of  classes  of  kids  to  take  part. 
Each  youngster  planted  at  least  one  tree,  and  some  several.  We  demon- 
strated a  mechanical  tree  planter  and  did  a  special  broadcast  from  the 
site.  We  made  TV  movies,  which  were  used  later.  I  might  add,  I  have 
never  worked  so  hard  physically  since  I've  been  at  WTAM  as  I  did 
that  day  getting  those  trees  planted.  But  we  got  a  lot  of  publicity. 

We've  helped  to  dedicate  several  large  tree  farms  in  our  part  of 
Ohio.  All  this  sort  of  thing  makes  the  folks  in  the  Ohio  Forestry 
Association  happy,  and  this  comes  back  to  our  station  in  good  will  co- 
operation. 

My  suggestion  is  that  you  do  things  like  this  for  other  organizations. 


31 8  EDUCATION    ON    THE   AIR 

Remember  to  keep  your  activities  on  a  plane  of  sensible  us 
must  build  and  maintain  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
Think,  first,  in  terms  of  doing  a  service  for  your  audience. I 
However,  in  the  final  analysis  there  is  one  basic  conclu] 
stunts,  gimmicks,  and  press  agentry  in  the  world  won't 
an  audience.  You  must  have  a  program  that  meets  the  wai 
of  the  people,  at  a  time  when  people  can  listen. 

THE  PUBLIC  RELATIONS  VIEWPOl 

MR.  CHARLES  R.  CARROLL,  JR.  :6 

All  members  of  the  panel,  so  far,  have  touched  on  thin' 
to  talk  about,  but  Jim  Chapman's  summary  bears  repeating.  If  we  want 
to  get  listeners,  we  have  to  be  expert,  unusual,  spectacular;  we  have  to 
find  out  what  they  want,  when  they  want  it,  and  then  give  it  to  them. 
I  think  that  is  the  major  premise  of  all  audience  building. 

To  that  I  should  like  to  add  that  we  should  "hit  'em  where  they 
ain't."  In  the  broadcasting  business,  whether  we  are  in  extension  work 
or  commercial  radio,  there  is  always  competition.  I  have  always  believed 
it  was  worthwhile  to  find  out  what  was  on  the  air  competing  with  us, 
try  to  find  the  weaknesses  of  that  competition,  and  program  accordingly. 

Before  I  give  you  my  viewpoint,  I  would  like  to  indulge  in  a  few 
disclaimers.  I  am  not  a  radio  man,  not  in  TV,  not  a  farmer  and  I  don't 
participate  in  agriculture,  physically.  However,  my  work  during  the  last 
four  or  five  years  has  been  tied  into  agriculture,  and  that  qualified  me  in 
some  small  degree  for  this  meeting.  Basically,  the  work  of  my  company 
is  public  relations.  Our  clients  include  the  A.  &  P.  Tea  Co.,  RCA, 
Goodrich,  American  Can,  Libbey-Owens,  etc. 

With  that  introduction,  I  will  take  up  what  I  think  is  one  of  the  most 
intangible  subjects  ever  created — public  relations.  Certainly,  public  rela- 
tions is  an  intricate  part  of  the  problem  we  all  face  in  radio,  that  of 
building  and  keeping  an  audience. 

People  ask,  "what  is  public  relations?"  I  am  at  a  loss  for  a  definition 
to  satisfy  all.  One  reads  this  way:  "Public  relations  is  the  management 
function  which  evaluates  public  attitudes,  identifies  policies  and  pro- 
cedures of  individuals  or  organizations  with  public  interest,  and  executes 
a  program  of  action  to  earn  public  understanding  and  acceptance." 

A  longer  definition  states  that,  "Public  relations  is  the  formulation 
and  execution  of  policies  calculated  to  win  and  hold  the  good  will  of  each 
of  the  groups  with  which  an  enterprise  must  deal.  These  are  the  em- 
ployees, stockholders,  customers,  federal,  state,  and  local  government, 

*  Carl  Byoir  and  Associates,  New  York  City. 


RADIO    IN    AGRICULTURAL    BROADCASTING  319 

people  of  communities,  and  the  public-at-large.  Public  relations  should 
carry  to  these  groups,  in  terms  of  self-interest,  the  story  of  what  the 
enterprise  means  to  them  and  it  should  do  this  consistently  and  dra- 
matically through  every  medium  which  moulds  public  opinion." 

Another  statement  I  like  to  use  is  more  simple,  while  equally  accurate 
and  true:  "Public  relations  is  everything  you  do.  No  matter  where  you 
are,  or  what  you  are  doing,  in  the  final  word  it  is  gauged  in  terms  of 
public  relations  one  way  or  another." 

A  successful  public  relations  program  must  be  born  in  sincerity,  and 
be  designed  for  the  common  good.  As  an  example  of  that,  the  A.  &  P. 
Tea  Company  undertook  an  elaborate  public  relations  program  with 
agriculture.  One  of  their  major  projects  has  been  the  "Chicken  of 
Tomorrow"  contest.  They  started  this  because  they  found  the  broiler 
industry  was  not  as  progressive  as  other  phases  of  agriculture.  The  idea 
of  the  program  is  to  bring  the  consumer  an  improved  type  of  broiler. 
That  is  the  sincere  purpose  of  the  program. 

Public  relations  can  fit  into  any  agricultural  broadcasting  program 
and  also  help  to  build  an  audience.  I  am  a  firm  believer  of  advertising 
what  you  have,  even  though  it  may  sound  a  little  immodest.  If  we  do 
something  for  the  business  we  are  in,  talk  about  it.  That  means  getting 
cooperation  from  your  radio  station. 

One  factor  that  was  not  cited  was  the  important  part  that  a  studio 
audience  can  play.  One  outstanding  example  of  the  influence  of  a  studio 
audience  is  the  Arthur  Godfrey  show.  I  don't  think  county  agents  and 
agricultural  broadcasters  will  be  able  to  get  big  audiences  in  studios  every 
day,  but  it  helps  to  encourage  groups  to  come  to  the  studio.  In  this 
business,  if  we  can't  be  unusual,  spectacular,  build  our  audience  and  keep 
it,  I  don't  know  whether  we  have  any  business  in  it. 

Here  are  some  of  the  items  I  have  listed  on  the  subject  of  keeping  an 
audience:  Program  promotion  by  various  methods,  including  guests  in 
studio  audience.  Get  rid  of  the  stereotyped  format.  Keep  a  vital  interest 
in  current  subjects.  With  the  pace  of  living  today,  people  are  relying 
more  and  more  on  radio  to  give  them  information. 

Another  important  thing  is  to  get  out  of  our  own  backyard.  Many 
of  us  are  too  lazy.  It  is  much  easier  to  sit  in  the  studio  and  do  a  show 
with  releases,  but  we  must  go  to  meetings  and  be  available  as  speakers. 

We  are  not  giving  enough  time  and  thought  to  the  matter  of  public 
service  and  dealing  with  public  problems.  I  think  that  people  in  the 
informational  field  have  a  tremendous  opportunity  to  be  of  service  to 
everyone  else  in  the  country,  if  we  just  get  at  the  problems  ourselves,  and 
not  say  "that  is  somebody  else's  affair,  let  somebody  else  do  it." 

In  conclusion,  I  would  like  to  emphasize  again  that  public  relations 


32O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

is  one  way  of  building  and  keeping  a  radio  audience.  If  we  don't  have  a 
public  relations  program  of  some  kind,  we  are  ten  steps  behind  the  pro- 
cession. Everybody  is  thinking  in  terms  of  public  relations.  Now  is  the 
time  to  build  the  program.  If  we  don't  do  it  when  the  money  is  available, 
we  never  will  get  the  chance. 


DISCUSSION 

CHAIRMAN  VISSER: 

We  will  now  discuss  and  answer  some  of  the  questions  you  may 
have. 
QUESTION  : 

In  Ontario,  Canada,  occasionally  our  extension  people  do  not  take 
the  job  seriously  enough.    They  do  not  spend  enough  time  in  preparing 
material.    I  wonder  if  you  have  faced  that  problem? 
Miss  HEATH  MAN: 

We  had  reports  once  that  a  program  was  not  too  good,  so  we  asked 
the  station  to  record  three  or  four  of  them.  When  that  home  extension 
agent  listened  to  her  own  programs,  that  was  a  sure  cure.  She  decided 
to  go  to  work  and  make  some  changes.  Perhaps  you  could  do  the  same 
thing. 
COMMENT: 

I  had  an  experience  with  an  extension  radio  specialist  that  touched 
on  the  same  problem.  We  went  to  this  county  with  tape  recorder  and 
interviewed  various  leaders.  Those  interviews  were  played  back  during 
a  two-week  period.  The  county  agent  had  a  dramatic  example  of  the 
value  of  radio  that  he  has  never  forgotten. 
QUESTION  : 

We  have  an  extension  service  farm  and  home  program  heard  on 
twenty-six  stations  every  day.  We  record  the  programs  for  broadcast 
a  week  later.  If  the  stations  do  not  find  a  sponsor  for  the  program,  they 
are  apt  to  put  it  on  at  any  time  of  the  day. 

That  brings  up  my  question.    We  have  been  thinking  of  measuring 
our  audience  by  offering  a  free  gift  over  the  air.    We  would  like  to 
have  you  suggest  something  to  give  away  to  test  our  listening  audience, 
without  having  to  go  overboard  for  any  particular  firm. 
Miss  HEATH  MAN: 

In  Illinois,  we  have  had  good  returns  by  offering  a  publication  by 
the  USDA  or  by  the  university.  We  announce  that  it  is  available,  and 
invite  people  to  write  to  the  station.  That  gives  us  a  mail  check  and 
some  indication  of  audience. 


MUSIC    IN    BROADCASTING  321 

MR.  CARROLL: 

Give-aways  can  be  a  help  in  audience  building  provided  they  are 
accompanied  by  some  form  of  promotion  or  publicity  in  advance  of  the 
give-away. 
MRS.  PFEIFFER: 

Farm  directors  have  a  great  responsibility  to  keep  up  a  little  on 
everything.  As  an  example,  this  week  I  spoke  to  five  different  groups. 
I  have  found  that  if  you  let  them  choose  their  topic,  you  will  gain  more 
of  a  listening  audience. 

At  Utica,  they  chose  "Hidden  Talents,"  one  of  my  topics,  a  phil- 
osophical talk  and  show.  At  Newark  I  spoke  on  "Today  Is  a  Day  to 
Rejoice"  to  a  home  and  community  group.  I  spoke  at  a  PTA  meeting 
on  "Teaching  Sex  to  Children."  I  told  them  I  was  no  authority,  but  I 
would  do  my  best  and  also  tell  them  where  they  could  get  more  infor- 
mation. At  Bowling  Green,  I  spoke  on  "The  Torch  of  Democracy." 

After  each  personal  appearance  the  people  say,  "Now  that  I  know 
you,  I  will  listen  to  you." 
MR.  HALL: 

The  thing  we  have  in  mind  is  to  try  to  get  our  idea  across  in  as  many 
places  as  possible.  The  fact  that  we  use  radio  does  not  lessen  our  interest 
in  newspapers. 

MUSIC  IN  BROADCASTING 

RONALD  W.  RICHARDS,1  Presiding 
SPECIAL  INTEREST  GROUP 

THE  CASE  FOR  SERIOUS  MUSIC 

WALBERG  BROWN2 
SlNCE    ITS    FIRST    DAY    OF    BROADCASTING    OPERATIONS,    OUF 

station  in  Cleveland,  WDOK,  has  had  a  sympathetic  feeling 
for  concert,  or  classical,  music.  We  avoid  any  reference  to  this 
music  as  "good"  music  or  "classical"  music.  We  have  no  desire 
to  antagonize  the  casual  listener,  who  might  find  he  enjoys 
classical  music,  by  arbitrarily  labelling  it  "good"  music.  Neither 
do  we  wish  to  contribute  to  the  long  and  unfortunate  reputation 
of  the  classics,  as  dull,  by  calling  it  "serious"  music. 

We  do  not  adopt  funereal  tones,  or  elaborate  on  the  techni- 
calities of  opus  numbers,  or  submerged  influences  in  musical 

1  Program  Manager,  Station  WFMJ,  Youngstown,  O. 
a  General  Manager,  Station  WDOK,  Cleveland. 


322  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

evolution  that  may  have  influenced  the  development  of  the 
particular  work  we  have  programmed.  If  there  should  be  any 
background  on  the  composition  of  a  romantic  or  generally 
interesting  nature,  we  relate  it  quite  briefly.  Or,  if  the  work  in 
question  is  intended  to  tell  a  story,  or  represent  specific  solu- 
tions or  impressions,  this  also  may  be  described. 

We  have  a  sincere  and  honest  belief  that  there  is  a  notable 
and  unfortunate  lack  of  broadcasting  time  devoted  to  the  great 
compositions  and  great  artists.  It  is  our  conviction  that  if  they 
are  presented  easily  and  pleasantly,  without  stodginess  or  pom- 
pous dullness,  these  classics  can  and  will  be  enjoyed  by  a  great 
many  people  who  do  not  necessarily  have  any  formal  musical 
background,  education,  or  previous  acquaintance  with  concerts 
or  concert  music. 

With  this  faith  in  concert,  or  serious  music,  as  a  mark  of 
difference  from  the  general  programming  pattern,  and  a  practi- 
cal means  of  winning  respect,  making  friends,  and  gaining  lis- 
teners, station  WDOK,  since  its  inception,  has  given  more  air 
time  to  the  classics  than  any  other  station  in  Cleveland.  Our 
serious  music  programs  have  at  various  times  amounted  to  over 
twenty  hours  a  week.  At  no  time  have  we  used  less  than  four- 
teen hours  of  good  music  in  a  week. 

I  should  like  to  trace,  briefly,  the  development  of  good 
music  listening  in  our  country.  Prior  to  World  War  I,  America 
had  a  small  handful  of  symphony  orchestras  and  chamber 
music  groups,  which  would  play  only  to  a  limited  number  of 
people  in  the  course  of  a  season.  Many  thousands  of  our  young 
soldiers,  during  that  war,  heard  symphonies  and  operas  for  the 
first  time,  during  their  stay  on  the  European  continent.  They 
learned  to  like  this  music  in  a  limited  fashion.  When  they 
returned  home,  they  wanted  to  hear  more  of  this  type  of  music, 
and  for  several  years  there  was  an  upswing  in  classical  record- 
ings. About  this  same  time,  the  public  schools  began  to  empha- 
size the  value  of  music  courses  and  music  appreciation  as  part 
of  their  curriculum. 

Then  radio  began,  and  the  question  was  asked,  "What  do 
people  want  to  listen  to?"  The  majority  of  our  people,  still 
unacquainted  with  serious  music,  created  a  huge  audience  for 
popular  music  and  it  surged  ahead  rapidly. 

During  World  War  II,  millions  in  our  Armed  Forces  got 
a  taste  of  good  music.  Foreign  recording  companies  filled  the 
market  with  the  best  of  the  classics. 


MUSIC    IN    BROADCASTING  323 

Then  in  June,  1948,  the  announcement  was  made  that  a 
33  Y$  r.p.m.  record  was  to  become  part  of  the  American  music 
scene.  Today,  only  three  and  one-half  years  later,  there  are 
approximately  120  companies  manufacturing  long-playing  rec- 
ords for  the  American  public.  These  long-playing  records  have 
caught  the  interest  and  fancy  of  the  record  buying  public. 
People  who  had  never  previously  bought  symphonies,  concer- 
tos and  other  long,  important  works  began  to  take  an  interest 
in  records  that  could  reproduce  a  work  in  an  almost  unbroken 
sequence  as  the  composer  had  conceived  it. 

The  lovers  of  serious  music  now  abound  in  great  numbers,  or 
there  would  not  be  so  many  thousands  of  long-playing  classics 
released,  month  after  month.  But,  as  an  individual,  he  has  one 
noteworthy  fault.  He  is  strangely  silent  when  it  comes  to  ex- 
pressing his  appreciation. 

I  do  not  believe  that  in  all  history  there  has  been  a  country 
more  music  minded  than  America  today.  Our  conservatories 
are  turning  out  tens  of  thousands  of  musicians.  American  com- 
posers, in  ever  increasing  number,  are  receiving  recognition 
throughout  the  world.  Music  appreciation  courses  are  being 
offered  in  educational  institutions  on  a  nation-wide  scope. 

We  recognize  that  radio  is  the  greatest  medium  for  satis- 
fying the  listening  desires  of  all  ages  and  all  walks  of  life. 
Radio  has  been  a  part  of  the  American  scene  for  only  thirty- 
two  years,  yet  no  other  single  factor  in  the  history  of  the  world 
has  been  more  influential  in  shaping  the  thoughts  of  the  civi- 
lized people  of  the  world.  And  the  end  is  not  yet,  for  it  will 
continue  to  grow  and  improve. 

To  return  to  the  music  activities  at  WDOK,  the  program 
we  consider  of  most  interest  to  broadcasters  as  an  innovation 
is  our  "Afternoon  Concert."  This  is  a  daily  feature,  Monday 
through  Friday,  from  i  to  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  It  is  the 
only  program  of  serious  music  on  the  air  at  that  time  and  it  has 
won  all  listeners  who  do  not  care  about  soap  operas  and  disc 
jockeys. 

About  a  year  ago,  we  conducted  a  two-week  mail  pull  test 
with  the  "Afternoon  Concert,"  which  amazed  and  delighted  us. 
The  day  after  the  first  announcement,  more  than  300  pieces  of 
mail  arrived.  Each  succeeding  day  the  mail  count  increased, 
until  a  total  of  3,500  cards  and  letters  had  been  received.  Many 
just  briefly  stated  their  enjoyment  of  the  concerts,  with  the 


324  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

hope  we'd  continue  them.  Most  of  them,  however,  went  to 
some  length  to  explain  that  the  "Afternoon  Concerts"  had  be- 
come a  precious  part  of  their  day. 

During  October  and  November  last  year,  a  Pulse  survey 
was  conducted  in  Cleveland.  Our  locally-produced  and  re- 
corded "Afternoon  Concert"  tied  with  the  NBC  station  for  the 
fourth  largest  audience  of  the  city's  eight  radio  stations,  at  i 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  Monday  through  Friday.  It  had  the 
highest  percentage-of-audience  rating  of  any  of  our  local  shows, 
with  the  exception  of  football.  We  aren't  as  naive  as  to  think 
our  classics  will  ever  attract  more  of  the  public  than  "Young 
Dr.  Malone"  or  "Ma  Perkins."  But  we  are  pleased  to  note  that 
our  "Afternoon  Concert"  has  topped  the  disc  jockeys  competing 
with  it.  In  other  words,  it  has  proved  to  be  a  strong  and  effec- 
tive local  daytime  device  for  winning  friends  and  gaining  lis- 
teners to  WDOK. 

Out  of  the  more  than  3,500  persons  who  wrote  to  us  about 
"Afternoon  Concert,"  an  estimated  80  per  cent  of  the  writers 
also  mentioned  listening  to  our  one-hour  program,  "Candle- 
light Concert,"  scheduled  from  8  to  9  o'clock  nightly. 

As  a  different  type  of  spot  check  on  the  evening  concert,  the 
announcer  took  two  or  three  minutes,  one  Friday  evening,  and 
asked  for  a  written  expression  from  all  who  were  frequent  lis- 
teners, and  who  enjoyed  the  concerts  sufficiently  to  wish  them 
to  continue  on  the  air.  A  response  of  more  than  425  pieces  of 
mail  was  received.  On  the  Pulse  survey,  the  evening  concert 
did  not  make  such  a  high  competitive  showing  as  the  daytime 
concert,  because  of  the  tougher  competition  of  the  night  time 
network  radio  and  television  shows.  It  did,  however,  show  as 
much  strength  as  any  local  programming  that  opposed  it  on 
other  stations. 

Because  we  programmed  the  classics,  the  music  department 
of  Western  Reserve  University,  in  Cleveland,  asked  if  they 
could  select  the  major  work  to  be  presented  two  evenings  a 
week  for  a  period  on  our  "Candlelight  Concert."  These  two 
evenings  were  then  made  assigned  listening  for  university 
classes  studying  the  great  composers,  the  development  of  the 
symphony,  etc.  It  was  a  slight  inconvenience  to  us,  but  we  were 
happy  for  the  added  listeners  and  publicity,  and  so  cooperated 
fully. 


MUSIC    IN    BROADCASTING  325 

A  year  ago,  they  programmed  the  major  work  one  evening 
each  week.  This  year  they  were  allowed  to  increase  it  to  two 
evenings  a  week. 

This  has  proved  a  great  convenience  to  both  students  and 
professors.  It  eliminates  spending  class  time  in  listening  to 
music.  It  eliminates  the  inconvenience  of  requiring  the  indi- 
vidual students  to  listen  to  a  long  list  of  symphonies  privately. 

Dr.  Evans,  of  Western  Reserve's  music  department,  has 
praised  the  arrangement.  In  March,  he  will  open  a  new  tele- 
course  in  music.  Western  Reserve  University  has  been  offering 
courses  to  the  general  public  on  television.  Those  who  success- 
fully complete  the  work  are  given  college  credit  for  the  course. 
The  response  has  been  astounding. 

In  connection  with  the  coming  telecourse  in  music,  Station 
WDOK  has  been  asked  to  program  a  selected  major  work  on 
our  "Afternoon  Concert"  three  days  a  week.  This  we  have 
agreed  to  do.  At  the  close  of  each  television  class,  Dr.  Evans 
will  announce  that  the  music  studied  will  be  broadcast  on 
WDOK,  at  a  specified  time.  The  full  list  of  works  to  be  broad- 
cast on  WDOK,  in  cooperation  with  the  telecourse,  will  be 
listed  in  the  university  syllabus,  which  will  be  distributed  to 
all  who  enroll  in  the  course.  Our  call  letters,  frequency,  and 
broadcast  time  for  the  selections,  will  be  included  in  the  listing. 

We  believe  we  are  already  well  on  the  road  to  tomorrow's 
world  of  enlightenment.  Great  music  is  already  influencing 
popular  music.  Great  music  will  become  the  source  for  all  types 
of  musical  performances,  from  which  will  stem  the  qualities  of 
integrity,  unity  and  creative  originality.  It  is  of  paramount 
importance  that  we  consider  today  what  radio  will  be  tomorrow. 
Especially  is  this  true  in  view  of  television's  arrival  on  the 
scene.  The  appeal  of  great  music,  with  its  intelligence,  its 
superb  address  to  our  highest  impulses  of  inspiration  and  imag- 
ination, is  second  to  none.  Music  has  a  greater  appeal  than  that 
of  literature,  because  its  language  is  universal. 

At  Station  WDOK,  we  have  found  Beethoven,  Tchaikov- 
sky, Wagner,  Brahms,  Rachmaninoff  and  others  have  been  val- 
uable friends  to  cultivate.  In  addition  to  being  eminently 
respectable,  they  have  proved  to  be  practical,  and  valuable  allies 
in  the  sometimes  puzzling  competition  of  local  programming. 


326  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

CONSIDER  YOUR  TURNTABLES 

RICHARD  REDMOND3 

MY  OBSERVATIONS  WILL  BE  SIMPLE  and  few  and  refer  to 
the  most  commonplace  part  of  radio  programming.  I  mean  the 
turntables  and  the  records  or  transcriptions  played  on  them. 
The  turntables  may  be  considered  radio's  basic  equipment,  the 
key  tools  of  our  business. 

You  wouldn't  think  much  of  a  carpenter  who  couldn't  use 
a  saw,  plane,  or  hammer;  or  a  mechanic  who  couldn't  use  a 
pair  of  pliers.  Yet,  in  this  great  and  fabulous  radio  industry, 
it's  the  exception,  rather  than  the  rule,  where  the  turntables  are 
used  intelligently.  Regardless  of  how  great  your  programming 
is,  you  can't  have  a  good  operation  unless  your  turntables  are 
used  properly. 

Let's  first  consider  just  what  are  the  turntables.  They  are 
implements  for  playing  music.  The  four  chief  categories  of 
radio  are  music,  drama,  comedy,  and  news.  In  the  average 
operation,  music  constitutes  almost  60  per  cent  of  the  schedule. 
The  largest  part  of  this  is  recorded  music,  and  so  we  can  appre- 
ciate the  importance  of  handling  this  operation  expertly. 

I  should  like  to  ask  the  question  why  we  continue  to  grind 
out  musical  "fills"  day  after  day,  when  with  very  little  effort 
these  times  might  be  made  feature  times  and  used  to  contribute 
to  our  schedules,  rather  than  detract  from  them?  Why  not  give 
each  segment  of  time  just  a  little  extra  thought  and  come  up 
with  a  program  that  has  some  degree  of  organization? 

Whether  we  are  playing  popular  music,  concert  music,  or 
hillbilly  music,  we  are  using  valuable  air  time,  and  it  should  be 
used  wisely.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  dead  air,  unless  we  make 
it  so.  This  should  be  one  of  the  points  radio  educators  should 
remember. 

One  of  the  commonplace  errors  is  that  a  recorded  program 
will  come  on  the  air  with  its  opening  theme  blaring  high  and 
loud  at  the  very  moment  when  the  announcer  begins  to  speak. 
A  few  seconds  after  he  is  finished,  the  music  moves  to  a  softer 
mood,  which  would  have  been  more  appropriate  for  the  open- 
ing. Just  a  brief  consideration  would  have  led  the  announcer 
to  the  proper  place  in  which  to  talk.  An  even  greater  error  is  to 

3  Program  Director,  Station  WHP,  Harrisburg,  Pa. 


MUSIC    IN    BROADCASTING  327 

fade  out  the  theme  entirely  to  make  the  opening  announcement. 
This  puts  two  strikes  on  the  show  before  it  gets  started.  The 
listener  senses  that  he  is  going  to  get  a  chopped  up  program. 

Perhaps  the  greatest  mistake  of  all  is  breaking  off  a  tune, 
either  to  make  an  announcement,  or  to  conclude  the  program. 
Every  piece  of  music  appeals  to  some  one.  Therefore,  in  chop- 
ping it  off  before  it  is  finished,  you  are  offending  some  one. 
This  is  all  the  more  inexcusable  when  you  know  beforehand,  by 
looking  at  the  clock,  whether  you  have  time  enough  to  play  it. 
Yet,  these  things  take  place  every  day,  all  across  the  country. 

It  might  strike  you  as  a  little  strange  that  we  place  so  much 
emphasis  on  a  record  program,  but  think  it  over.  It's  not  only 
the  basis  of  our  entire  operation  j  it's  the  key  to  having  a  good 
operation. 

The  listener  doesn't  care,  particularly,  whether  his  radio 
music  is  "live"  or  transcribed.  But  he  does  want  it  to  be  good. 
Actually,  then,  you  are  slapping  the  listener  in  the  face  every 
time  you  use  your  turntables  poorly. 

We  should  never  get  the  idea  that  this  or  that  record  show 
isn't  important.  Every  show  on  the  air  is  important. 

Educators  should  emphasize  expert  use  of  the  turntable. 
This  is  one  of  the  first  steps  in  turning  out  good  programs. 

The  popular  attitude  is  that  it  doesn't  take  special  skill  to 
play  a  record.  This  is  true,  if  all  you  plan  to  do  is  turn  it  on  the 
turntables.  But  playing  records  should  be  thought  of  as  pro- 
gramming and  can  become  an  art.  Once  we  start  approaching 
the  subject  from  that  viewpoint,  our  turntables  will  start  turn- 
ing out  results. 


A  MUSIC  EDITOR  VIEWS  RADIO 
AND  TELEVISION 

IAN  MINNENBERG4 
THE  BALLROOM  OF  THE  EsTERHAZY  CASTLE  SEAT  at 

stadt,  near  Vienna,  is  aglow  with  soft  candle  light.  Music  stands 
are  set  up  at  one  end  of  the  room.  Servants  bustle  about  over 
the  polished  floors.  Excitement  prevails.  It  is  a  beautiful  June 
evening  in  1761. 

4  Editor,  Keyboard,  Jr.,  Publications,  Inc.,  New  Haven,  Conn. 


328  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Franz  Joseph  Haydn,  who  has  been  music  director  only  a 
little  over  a  month,  has  written  a  new  composition  to  be  per- 
formed this  evening.  It  is  a  great  event.  Wealthy  nobles,  who 
live  within  driving  distance,  have  come  to  the  concert. 

The  stable  boy  told  himself,  how  lucky  I  am  to  be  working 
for  Prince  Esterhazy!  He  loved  music  and  sometimes  had  the 
opportunity  of  hearing  a  concert  at  the  castle.  Of  course,  only 
the  house  servants  could  hear  the  music  from  inside  the  house, 
because  stable  boys  were  not  permitted  in  the  castle.  But  on  a 
warm  evening,  such  as  this,  if  a  boy  were  careful  and  quiet,  he 
could  slip  up  close  to  the  wall  and  listen  under  the  open  win- 
dows. The  stable  boy  smiled  in  anticipation. 

********* 

It  is  a  Sunday  afternoon  in  the  home  of  the  Johnson  family 
in  Ashley,  Wisconsin.  They  have  just  finished  a  late  dinner 
and  everyone  helps  with  the  dishes,  because  a  special  event  is 
taking  place  that  afternoon.  A  new  opera  by  the  gifted  com- 
poser, Menotti,  is  to  be  shown  on  television.  The  Johnsons 
have  heard  about  this  opera,  the  wonderful  singers,  beautiful 
scenic  designs,  and  the  acting.  No  expense  has  been  spared  by 
a  great  radio  and  television  company  to  produce  this  lovely 
opera. 

As  the  hour  for  the  program  draws  near,  the  family  gathers 
in  the  living  room.  Chairs  are  grouped  for  better  listening  and 
viewing.  Then  with  a  flick  of  a  switch,  the  opera  begins. 

The  Johnson  family  in  Ashley,  Wisconsin,  in  1952,  is  more 
wealthy  than  the  Esterhazys  of  1761.  The  finest  music,  stage 
direction,  scenic  effects  and  acting  are  theirs  at  small  cost.  The 
Johnsons  are  rich  beyond  compare.  They  have  no  need  to  slip 
up  under  an  open  window  to  listen.  They  may  go  into  the  opera 

house,  itself. 

********* 

Let  us,  briefly,  touch  upon  some  of  the  musical  develop- 
ments of  this  country  in  the  past  thirty-five  years. 

We  go  to  a  small  Dakota  town,  near  the  Montana  border, 
in  the  year  1917. 

The  musical  activities  of  the  town  consist  of  organ  playing 
in  church,  occasional  concerts  by  the  town  band  for  national 
holidays,  and  the  high  school  orchestra.  A  child  interested  in 
music  feeds  himself  on  this  limited  diet.  His  piano  lessons  are 
with  a  teacher  who  in  her  prime  played  the  first  movement  of 


MUSIC    IN    BROADCASTING  329 

the  "Moonlight  Sonata"  and  "Liebestraum."  He  has  never 
heard  a  great  artist.  Paderewski,  Elman,  Gluck,  McCormick 
are  only  names  to  him.  He  has  little  opportunity  for  develop- 
ment in  this  hamlet,  so  far  from  musical  centers.  ...  I  know 
this  story  well  because  I  was  that  boy,  born  and  reared  in  that 
town. 

The  picture  changed  in  the  mid-twenties.  Science  devel- 
oped radio  and  the  sound  movie.  The  silent  picture,  with  the 
town  pianist  playing  background  music  faded  out.  The  sound 
movie  was  an  important  step  in  making  people  music-conscious. 
Composers  who  were  writing  background  music  were  talented 
and  eager  to  experiment  with  modern  harmonics  and  unusual 
orchestral  effects.  The  ear  of  the  movie-goer  was  being  devel- 
oped musically.  Unknown  to  himself,  he  was  being  made  con- 
scious of  the  beauties  of  music.  Children  were  listening  to 
excerpts  from  Schumann,  Chopin,  Brahms  and  other  great  com- 
posers. They  were  asking  music  teachers  to  give  them  sections 
from  these  compositions  for  their  homework. 

Then  film  companies  began  to  make  musical  movies.  They 
told  the  story  of  famous  composers  on  film.  Some  will  say  that 
Chopin  was  not  authentically  portrayed.  But  this  is  beside  the 
point.  What  is  important  is  that  moviegoers  went  home  hum- 
ming Chopin  melodies.  They  purchased  records.  And  Chopin 
hit  a  new  high  in  record  sales.  Publishers  brought  out  easy 
arrangements  and  sections  of  pieces  demanded  by  the  students. 
The  nation  was  made  Chopin-conscious. 

Radio  also  made  a  great  contribution.  Excellent  conductors 
and  fine  artists  were  presented  by  the  Voice  of  Firestone,  on  the 
Telephone  Hour,  NBC  Symphony,  Metropolitan  Auditions  of 
the  Air,  and  others.  Fine  choral  directors,  including  Fred 
Waring,  made  us  a  choral-conscious  nation.  Singing  in  groups 
became  popular. 

The  price  of  a  radio  set  was  within  the  reach  of  nearly 
everyone.  The  poorest  people  had  sets  in  their  homes.  The 
great  music  of  the  world  was  heard  by  all  who  wanted  to  listen. 
There  were  no  small  isolated  Dakota  towns  any  more. 

Today,  we  have  still  another  great  development.  Televis- 
ion has  arrived  with  all  its  wonderful  potentialities.  Now  we 
not  only  hear  the  great  music,  but  we  actually  see  it  produced. 
Great  orchestras,  world-renowned  soloists,  beautiful  scenic  ef- 
fects, intimate  interviews  with  those  making  music  are  offered 


33O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

on  television.  The  concert  hall  has  come  into  our  home.  In  a 
few  years,  every  small  town  will  be  a  music  center.  With  the 
short  working  hours  and  more  leisure  time,  the  people  of  this 
country  will  develop  musically  beyond  our  present  imagination. 

There  is  one  serious  problem,  however.  At  present,  the  cost 
of  time  on  television  is  almost  prohibitive.  Such  musical  pro- 
grams can  exist  only  if  they  draw  audience  response,  for  popu- 
larity is  a  big  factor  in  keeping  any  show  on  the  air.  Therefore, 
if  you  enjoy  a  program  like  Metropolitan  Auditions,  Recital 
Hour,  Meet  the  Masters,  Telephone  Hour,  Voice  of  Firestone, 
Fred  Waring,  and  others,  write  to  the  directors  and  express 
your  appreciation.  This  will  help  keep  these  great  programs 
on  the  air. 

In  this  remarkable  scientific  age,  music  has  benefited  more 
than  at  any  other  time  in  its  history.  The  wealth  of  its  litera- 
ture, of  its  artists  and  orchestras  are  now  offered  to  every  indi- 
vidual in  America.  This  is,  indeed,  the  golden  age  of  music. 

RELIGIOUS  BROADCASTING 

ALBERT  R.  CREWS,1  Presiding 

WORK-STUDY  GROUP 
Reported   By  JEAN  A.  EICKS2 

THE  QUESTION  SELECTED  FOR  DISCUSSION  by  the  panel  was:  "Shall 
the  Church  Be  a  Customer,  Partner  Or  a  Salesman  in  Television?" 
The  chairman  Mr.  Albert  R.  Crews,  introduced  the  problem  in  general 
terms,  pointing  out  that  the  religious  broadcaster  is  often  faced  with 
inadequate  financial  resources.  He  said  the  general  question  might  be 
rephrased  as  follows:  "What  Will  Be  Our  Future  Relationship  With 
Broadcasting?" 

The  first  speaker  was  Dr.  Clayton  T.  Griswold,  executive  director 
of  radio  and  television  for  the  Presbyterian  church  U.S.A.,  New  York 
City.  He  declared  that  the  question  was  a  most  important  one  because, 
with  the  rapid  development  of  television,  all  broadcasting  is  in  a  state  of 
flux.  The  pattern  for  future  religious  broadcasting  will  soon  be  deter- 
mined. 

1  Director,  Radio  and  Television,  National  Council  of  Churches  of  Christ,  New 
York  City. 

3  Staff  Writer,  Board  of  Education  Station  WNYE,  New  York  City. 


RELIGIOUS    BROADCASTING  331 

Dr.  Griswold  discussed  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  for  the 
church  as  a  customer,  a  partner,  or  a  salesman  in  television.  As  a 
customer,  he  said  uany  denomination  that  buys  time  jeopardizes  the 
possibility  of  free  time,  both  for  itself  and  for  other  denominations." 

"As  a  partner,  the  station  provides  free  time  as  a  public  service,  and 
the  church  provides  the  program  as  a  public  service.  This  is  the  relation- 
ship maintained  by  the  Broadcasting  and  Film  Commission  of  the 
National  Council  of  Churches." 

In  the  third  category,  the  church  becomes  a  salesman  when  it  asks 
a  television  station  to  purchase  or  pay  a  rental  fee  for  a  religious  film. 

He  recommended  that  religious  broadcasters  invest  in  good  scripts 
and  casts.  "One  group,"  he  said,  "paid  a  large  sum  for  time  and  had 
nothing  left  for  production."  He  concluded  that  perhaps  the  broadcast- 
ers, themselves,  are  helping  the  church  to  find  an  answer  to  the  question 
before  the  panel  because  the  Television  Code,  of  1951,  states:  "It  is 
the  responsibility  of  a  television  broadcaster  to  make  available  to  the 
community,  as  part  of  a  well-balanced  program  schedule,  adequate 
opportunity  for  religious  presentations,  and  a  charge  for  television  time  to 
churches  and  religious  bodies  is  not  recommended." 

Mr.  Dean  E.  McCarthy,  of  the  National  Council  of  Catholic  Men, 
Washington,  D.C.,  said  he  opposed  the  opinion  that  there  is  a  lack  of 
uniformity  among  Roman  Catholics.  "In  faith  and  morals  there  is  no 
lack  of  uniformity."  He  stressed  the  fact  that  most  local  religious 
broadcasters  do  not  have  sufficient  money  to  do  the  job  well.  On  a 
national  level,  organizations  are  better  off.  The  Catholic  program 
is  supported  by  voluntary  contributions. 

Mr.  McCarthy  pointed  out  that  the  broadcaster  has  a  problem  in 
that  he  does  not  always  know  what  program  to  put  on.  He  cited  the 
television  program  of  Bishop  Fulton  J.  Sheen  as  having  a  general  appeal, 
because  he  had  discussed  only  general  religious  topics. 

He  said  he  thought  the  church  might  better  give  religious  films  to 
television  stations,  than  sell  or  rent  them. 

In  answer  to  a  question,  Mr.  McCarthy  related  that  Bishop  Sheen's 
television  program  started  when  DuMont  could  not  sell  the  time  opposite 
the  Berle  show.  The  program  began  with  one  camera,  a  small  studio,  and 
three  stations  of  the  network.  It  has  grown  to  three  cameras,  a  larger 
studio,  and  twenty-three  stations. 

Dr.  Griswold  said  this  was  additional  evidence  that  viewers  are  not 
merely  looking  for  entertainment.  The  Sinatra  show  was  on  at  the  same 
time  and  it  folded  up. 


332  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

During  the  discussion  period,  Miss  Judith  C.  Waller,  director  of 
public  affairs  and  education  for  the  NBC,  Chicago,  presented  the  network 
point  of  view.  She  said  that  at  stations  WMAQ  and  WMBQ,  the 
problem  is  not  financial,  but  one  of  cooperation.  "We  need  help  in  find- 
ing the  right  people  for  a  television  broadcast."  She  recommended  that 
anyone  starting  a  television  show  "do  it  simply." 

Chairman  Crews  agreed  that  the  churches  are  not  doing  so  much 
yet.  "Frontiers  of  Faith,"  for  example,  was  a  program  proposed  orig- 
inally by  the  network.  "We  are  lagging  behind  on  the  church  side.  The 
networks  are  leading  the  way." 

Among  others  participating  in  the  discussion  were:  Edwin  T.  Ran- 
dall, American  Friends  Service  Committee,  Philadelphia;  Wilbur  Sunday 
Lewis,  Institute  for  Public  Education  by  Radio-Television,  Milford,  O.; 
Rev.  Arthur  J.  Rock,  Audio- Visual  Director,  Reorganized  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,  Independence,  Mo.;  Mrs.  Alice 
Keith,  president  of  the  National  Academy  of  Broadcasting,  Washington, 
D.C.;  Mrs.  Harry  Long,  state  radio  chairman,  Ohio  Council  of  Church 
Women,  Akron,  O. ;  Miss  Leslie  M.  Spence,  Wisconsin  Association  for 
Better  Radio  and  Television,  Madison,  Wise. ;  and  Otis  Payne,  manager 
of  Station  WETN,  Wheaton  College,  Wheaton,  111. 

Chairman  Crews  brought  a  final  suggestion  that  in  religious 
broadcasting  there  was  a  danger  of  becoming  too  long-faced.  He  said: 
"We  need  to  remember  that  we  are  commanded  to  'make  a  joyful  noise' 
unto  the  Lord ! " 


RESEARCH  TECHNIQUES  AND  PROBLEMS 


COMMUNICATIONS  RESEARCH 


BROADCASTING  MEDIA 

SPECIAL  INTEREST  GROUP 
MERRITT  C.  LUDWIG,1  Presiding 

HOW  TEACHERS  CAN  GUIDE  CHILDREN 
TO  EVALUATE  TV  AND  RADIO  PROGRAMS 

ELLA  CALLISTA  CLARK2 

MARQUETTE  UNIVERSITY  RESEARCH  IN  TELEVISION  has  at- 
tempted to  secure  the  answers  to  what  we  believe  are  significant 
local  questions. 

Milwaukee  has  only  one  television  station  and  this,  together 
with  a  radio  station,  is  owned  and  operated  by  Wisconsin's 
largest  newspaper.  The  city  has  seven  radio  stations  altogether, 
plus  the  facilities  offered  by  the  state-operated  FM  network. 

The  television  station  commences  operation  at  9:30  a.  m., 
and  runs  past  midnight.  Post-midnight  shows  were  inaugurated 
recently,  in  response  to  requests  of  several  thousand  night-shift 
workers,  many  of  whom  do  not  go  home  until  midnight. 

The  station  makes  periodic  surveys  to  keep  up  with  devel- 
opments. In  February,  1952,  their  survey  showed  that  73  per 
cent  of  the  homes  in  the  Greater  Milwaukee  area  had  television 
sets.  This  represents  a  substantial  increase  over  the  49  per  cent 
reported  in  November,  1951. 

Five  years  ago,  the  Milwaukee  County  Radio-TV  Council 
was  organized  by  a  group  of  civic  minded  persons  who  were 
interested  in  encouraging  improvement  in  radio  programs.  The 
council's  membership  now  takes  in  most  of  the  women's  clubs, 
PTA's,  home  and  school  associations,  and  other  similar  groups, 
as  well  as  interested  individuals. 

1  Supervisor,  Fund  for  Adult  Education  Television  Project,  Station  WOI-TV,  Ames, 
Iowa. 

2  Director,  Audio-Visual  Aids,  Marquette  University,  Milwaukee,  Wise. 

335 


336  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

The  council  has  announced  a  list  of  things  it  aims  to  do: 

1.  Arouse   our   citizens   to   their   responsibility   in 
proving  that  Milwaukee  appreciates  and  wants  good 
radio  and  television  programs. 

2.  Encourage   constant   constructive  evaluation   of 
current  offerings  and  offer  suggestions  for  improve- 
ment. 

3.  Periodically  publish  a  listening  guide,  listing  the 
"air-fare"  which  the  council  believes  represents  the  best 
programs  available. 

4.  Make  annual  awards  to  the  locally  produced 
programs  which,  in  the  opinion  of  our  members,  make 
the  best  contribution  to  the  community. 

From  the  beginning,  the  council  has  worked  closely  with 
the  local  stations  and  has  enjoyed  splendid  cooperation.  The 
council  has  tried  to  avoid  being  destructively  critical.  Instead, 
it  has  used  a  positive  approach  which  has  maintained  cordial 
relationships  and  brought  some  consideration. 

Marquette  University  has  conducted  periodic  studies  de- 
signed to  secure  various  types  of  significant  data. 

One  study,  started  in  November,  1950,  is  appropriate  to 
our  discussion  of  television.  By  means  of  a  questionnaire,  we 
surveyed  some  3,000  school  children,  grades  I  through  VIII, 
and  secured  much  important  information  concerning  viewing 
habits  and  opinions.  In  November,  1950,  56  per  cent  of  the 
children  responding  to  the  questionnaire  reported  having  tele- 
vision sets  in  their  homes,  and  77  per  cent  said  they  saw  televis- 
ion regularly.  Less  than  one  per  cent  reported  having  no 
television  set  available.  The  average  amount  of  time  spent 
watching  television  was  24  hours  per  week,  which  exceeds  the 
number  of  hours  children  are  in  school.  Survey  tabulations  also 
showed  the  following: 

1 9  %  said  television  bothered  their  eyes. 
1 6%  reported  that  it  developed  fears. 

8%  noted  that  television  disturbed  their  sleep. 
2 1  %  said  television  disrupted  meal-times. 

The  two  values  most  commonly  reported  were :  "Television 
helps  to  keep  me  out  of  trouble  j"  and  "It  saves  money  that 
would  go  for  movies  or  other  recreation." 

Examination  of  survey  data  prompted  a  questionnaire  to 


COMMUNICATIONS    RESEARCH  337 

parents  and  teachers,  to  discover  to  what  extent  they  evaluated 
the  television  programs  these  children  saw,  and  also  to  what 
extent  they  helped  children  to  evaluate  and  to  use  intelligently 
any  of  the  television  offerings. 

This  survey  clearly  indicated  that  the  majority  of  the  teach- 
ers did  not  view  television  regularly.  Many  of  them  stated  that 
they  felt  televiewing  did  not  represent  the  best  use  of  their 
time.  Some  teachers  reported  doing  little  or  nothing  in  school 
about  the  television  children  saw  outside  of  school,  or  about 
guiding  children  to  evaluate  or  select  television  programs. 

From  the  parent's  viewpoint,  television  was  a  value  chiefly 
in  keeping  children  at  home.  They  also  noted  that  the  family 
stayed  home  more.  Several  mentioned  the  educational  value  of 
occasional  programs  such  as  the  inauguration  of  a  President  and 
the  United  Nations  in  action. 

These  findings  suggested  to  a  research  group  at  Marquette 
University  the  possibility  of  a  direct  attack  on  the  problem. 
Accordingly,  teachers  who  were  also  graduate  students  tried  to 
answer  experimentally  these  questions: 

1.  Can  teachers  guide  children  to  evaluate  televis- 
ion and  radio  so  that  selective  viewing  and  listening  will 
result? 

2.  How  can  teachers  make  optimum  classroom  use 
of  available  television  and  radio  programming? 

After  surveying  their  own  schools,  these  teachers  set  to 
work  to  correct  the  conditions  revealed. 

Realizing  that  not  all  children  could  conveniently  view 
television,  the  teachers  decided  to  broaden  the  study  to  include 
radio.  Thus  all  children  were  included  in  the  experiment. 

On  the  score  of  eye  fatigue,  the  teachers  concentrated  on 
conditions  most  favorable  to  viewing.  With  help  of  a  physician, 
they  developed  and  disseminated  the  following  suggestions: 

1 .  Be  sure  image  on  television  screen  is  clear. 

2.  Avoid  sitting  too  close  to  the  screen. 

3.  Have  other  soft  light  on  in  the  room. 

4.  Avoid  televiewing  too  long  a  time  continuously. 

5.  Occasionally  rest  the  eyes  by  closing  them  or  by 
looking  out  the  window  at  more  distant  objects. 

6.  If   the   eyes   are   sore   continually,   have   them 
checked. 


338  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Teachers  also  decided  that  they  needed  to  examine  tele- 
vision and  radio  critically,  if  they  were  to  make  good  use  of 
suitable  programs  in  their  classroom.  They  developed  some 
basic  criteria  for  evaluating  various  types  of  programs  such  as 
drama,  news,  music,  and  public  issues.  Next,  they  introduced 
into  class  discussions  materials  covered  in  the  programs  which 
they  felt  made  contributions  to  their  teaching  objectives.  Occa- 
sionally, a  teacher  would  tape-record  an  evening  radio  program 
and  play  it  in  school  the  following  day.  The  discussion  which 
followed  usually  stimulated  such  interest  in  the  class  that  many 
more  children  listened  to  some  of  the  series,  like  "Cavalcade  of 
America."  However,  teachers  avoided  making  home  work  as- 
signment of  television  or  radio.  Instead,  they  tried  to  stimulate 
voluntary  effort  along  this  line. 

The  teachers  encouraged  pupils  to  report  on  television  and 
radio  programs  they  liked.  Pupils  were  interested  in  using  the 
council's  "Listening  Guides"  and  in  some  instances,  they  made 
up  their  own  guides.  One  group  of  children  studied  musical 
selections,  including  information  about  the  composers.  They 
finally  presented  a  mock  television  musical  program  for  their 
parents  and  other  grades. 

At  the  end  of  this  phase  of  the  Marquette  study,  the  fol- 
lowing results  seemed  to  emerge: 

1.  Children  reported  enjoying  more  worthwhile  programs. 

2.  School  work  was  enriched  by  appropriate  use  of  the 
broadcasts,  which  were  familiar  to  both  children  and  teachers. 

3.  In  class  discussions,  children  showed  ability  in  evaluat- 
ing programs. 

4.  Pupils  gave  evidence  of  recognizing  the  need  of  a  bal- 
anced program  of  activity  rather  than  spending  so  much  time 
on  television. 

5.  The  survey  results  in  March,  1951,  compared  with  those 
of  November,  1950,  showed  that: 

a.  Number  of  children  reporting  that  televiewing 
bothered  the  eyes  dropped  from  19  per  cent  to 
1 1  per  cent. 

b.  A  gain  of  5  per  cent  in  reading  was  reported. 

c.  Whereas  in  November,  31   per  cent  said  they 
played  outdoors  less  than  before  television,  only 
1 8  per  cent  reported  this  in  March. 


COMMUNICATIONS    RESEARCH  339 

6.  The  hour  of  retiring  was  not  changed.  The  late  tele- 
vision shows  still  held  their  audiences. 

Some  summary  conclusions: 

Schools  should  recognize  the  tremendous  impact  of  tele- 
vision and  radio  on  children  of  today. 

Teachers  should  be  familiar  with  current  television  and 
radio,  and  help  children  to  evaluate  and  select  programs  wisely. 
Appropriate  programs  incorporated  into  the  classroom  work  can 
stimulate  considerable  interest. 

Implications  for  teacher  training  institutions,  as  well  as  for 
in-service  teacher  training,  are  worthy  of  careful  consideration. 
Television  undoubtedly  is  the  most  powerful  means  of  com- 
munication yet  devised,  and  teachers  as  well  as  others  need  to 
learn  how  to  use  it  wisely. 

Although  current  TV  fare  leaves  much  to  be  desired,  it  will 
require  the  active  work  of  the  people  to  improve  it. 

A  NEW  VISTA  IN  INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNICATIONS  RESEARCH 

LEO  LOWENTHAL3 

MY  INVITATION  TO  SPEAK  TO  YOU  HERE  stems  from  the 
position  which  I  have  the  honor  to  occupy.  In  order  to  make 
clear  what  I  will  have  to  say,  and  to  establish,  as  it  were,  my 
right  to  say  it,  I  must  first  explain  my  position,  that  is,  the 
particular  mission  of  communications  research  which  has  been 
assigned  to  me  and  my  staff. 

We  are  all  aware  that  the  Government  of  the  United  States 
is  engaged  extensively  in  international  broadcasting.  The  in- 
strument of  that  broadcasting  is  the  International  Broadcasting 
Service,  which  is  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Department  of 
State,  and  which  is  more  popularly  known  by  its  station  name, 
the  "Voice  of  America." 

The  Voice  of  America,  or,  if  you  prefer,  the  International 
Broadcasting  Service,  is  a  large  and  complex  organization,  of 
several  divisions.  One  such  division  actually  broadcasts  the  pro- 
grams, two  others  are  concerned  in  one  way  or  another  with 
technical  facilities,  etc.  Another  division,  of  which  I  am  chief, 
is  assigned  the  work  of  evaluating  Voice  broadcasts.  It  is  our 

3  Chief,  Program  Evaluation  Division,  Office  of  International  Broadcasting,  Voice  of 
America,  New  York  City. 


34O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

job  to  determine,  insofar  as  possible,  to  what  degree  the  Voice 
is  achieving  its  goals,  and  to  recommend  measures  for  its  im- 
provement, or  for  its  continued  success,  as  the  case  may  be. 

In  pursuit  of  this  mission,  the  Division  of  Radio  Program 
Evaluation  engages  in  extensive  research,  on  a  global  basis.  We 
evaluate  Voice  activities  from  program  production  through  to 
audience  effect. 

As  originally  conceived,  my  talk  here  was  to  deal  with  "the 
most  significant  research  activities  in  which  my  group  is  en- 
gaged." I  have  thought  a  great  deal  about  that,  and  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that,  except  in  the  immediate  practical 
sense,  the  most  significant  activities  of  my  group  are  not  actual 
research  procedures,  nor  yet  the  provision  of  discovered  data. 
I  think  that  our  most  significant  achievement  lies  in  our  real- 
ization and  our  insistence  that  we  are  pioneers  j  that  we  are 
functioning  in  a  field  as  yet  unmapped  and  imprecisely  defined  j 
that  certain  problems,  peculiar  to  that  field,  have  been  realized 
as  -problems  and  can  be  defined,  and  so  placed  in  the  market  for 
suggested  solutions. 

In  the  brief  time  allotted,  I  will  attempt  to  mention  a  few 
examples  of  such  problems,  and  point  out  some  of  the  almost 
limitless  implications — implications  which  involve  not  only 
communications  research,  but  such  far-flung  questions  as  the 
very  meaning  of  "communication,"  the  obstacles  to  intercul- 
tural  comprehension,  integration  of  intellectual  disciplines,  and 
even  the  need  of  new  kinds  of  university  curricula. 

The  first  problem  I  would  like  to  speak  about  might  be 
called  "the  need  of  knowing  the  meaning  of  the  communica- 
tion in  the  cultural  Gestalt  of  the  audience." 

In  the  United  States,  and  in  reference  to  domestic  audi- 
ences, we  are  accustomed  to  thinking  of  overt  purposive  com- 
munication as  something  which  the  audience  can  take  or  leave 
alone,  and  which,  if  it  is  taken,  is  generally  taken  for  what  it 
actually  is:  an  attempt  by  a  known  speaker  at  persuading  the 
listener  to  a  given  point  of  view  or  course  of  action.  With  cer- 
tain qualifications,  it  is  generally  true  that  the  larger  the  willing 
audience,  the  more  widely  effective  will  be  the  communication. 

In  reference  to  international  communication  of  a  purposive 
sort,  the  relationship  between  audience  size  and  the  communi- 
cation's effectiveness  is  much  more  tenuous.  It  is,  of  course, 
obviously  better  to  have  an  audience  than  to  have  no  audience 
at  all.  But  aside  from  this  axiomatic  consideration,  there  is  no 


COMMUNICATIONS    RESEARCH  341 

assurance  that  national  effectiveness  of  the  communication  in- 
creases with  the  size  of  the  national  audience.  Rather,  the 
relationship  between  audience  size  and  communicative  effect- 
iveness, seems  to  be  a  function  of  the  use  made  of  the  commu- 
nication by  the  audience  in  question  in  the  course  of  their  daily 
lives.  Here  is  an  example. 

Certain  field  studies  reveal  that  in  several  countries  of  the 
Near  East,  the  Voice  of  America  commands  a  faithful,  regu- 
larly listening  native  audience,  which  is  (or  at  least  was,  until 
recently)  composed  of  a  relatively  small,  select  group.  The 
same  group  includes  the  wealthier,  the  more  educated,  and,  in 
general,  the  most  respected  members  of  the  community. 

In  these  same  countries  of  the  Near  East,  certain  other  per- 
tinent conditions  exist: 

1.  The  masses,  who  do  not  own  radios,  are  neverthe- 
less very  fond  of  listening  to  them  when  occasion 
permits,  and  eagerly  listen  in  coffee  houses,  village 
squares,  etc. 

2.  The  masses  are  quite  easily  led  to  listen  to  a  new  sta- 
tion by  the  provision  of  program  material  closely 
related  to  their  established  patterns  of  interest  and 
loyalty.   The  VOA,  for  example,  has  broadcast  Ko- 
ranic readings  which  have  a  relatively  large  and  en- 
thusiastic audience. 

3.  There  is  a  general  shying-away  from  any  foreign 
communication  which  is  felt  to  be  "propagandists." 

4.  There  is  a  long  tradition  among  the  lesser  educated 
of  seeking  and  following  the  views  of  the  elite,  who 
function  as  effective  "opinion  leaders." 

Given  these  facts,  VGA's  Division  of  Radio  Program  Eval- 
uation is  faced  with  the  following  problem:  What,  precisely,  is 
the  preferable  road  to  increasing  national  effectiveness  of  the 
VGA?  Should  the  VOA  concentrate  on  winning  the  greater 
friendship  of  the  existing  core  audience?  Should  we  rather  con- 
centrate on  winning  the  masses?  Or  should  we  try  to  do  both? 

To  answer  this  question  requires  an  ability  to  forecast  the 
effect  of  the  selected  procedure  on  the  national  group.  Such 
forecasting  in  turn  presupposes  a  real,  intense  familiarity  with 
cultural  values.  Questions  such  as  the  following  arise,  for 
example: 


342  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

1.  Is  the  purpose  of  the  Voice  served  by  a  continual 
long-range  program  of  broadcasting  Koranic  read- 
ings or  other  matters  not  closely  related  to  world 
politics?    If  it  is  not,  would  the  masses  be  confused 
or  alienated  by  programs  more  overtly  political? 

2.  May  the  highly  educated  strata  regard  Koranic  read- 
ings as  a  kind  of  intrusion  by  aliens  into  sacrosanct 
cultural  precincts? 

3.  What  do  the  people  of  these  countries  mean  by 
"propaganda?"  Does  "propaganda"  include,  for  ex- 
ample,  factual  comparisons  of  the  American   and 
Soviet  scenes,  say  in  regard  to  economics  or  religion, 
in  which  America  comes  off  the  better?    Is  any  at- 
tempt by  a  foreign  source  to  mould  opinion  regarded 
as  "propaganda?"  If  not,  what  specifically  is  accept- 
able? 

The  mere  posing  of  these  questions  suggests  the  overall 
problem.  Valid  answers  to  such  questions  can  be  provided  only 
by  a  combination  of  a  thorough  knowledge  of  cultural  psy- 
chology, and  a  body  of  opinions  drawn  from  a  wide  and  repre- 
sentative national  sample.  The  two  requirements  are  in  fact 
interlocked:  the  opinions  must  be  obtained  by  some  process 
which  is  not  culturally  offensive,  and  culture-bound  meanings 
of  the  opinions  must  be  made  manifest  to  the  communicators  of 
Western  culture. 

The  individual  capable  of  performing  the  requisite  research 
would,  it  appears,  have  to  be  a  cultural  anthropologist  who  has 
specialized  in  Near  Eastern  societies,  who  is  semantically  adept 
in  the  local  languages,  who  is,  furthermore,  a  specialist  in  public 
opinion  measurement,  and  who,  into  the  bargain,  is  trained  in 
experimental  design  and  ingenious  at  adapting  scientific  tech- 
niques to  use  under  new  and  trying  conditions. 

Where  is  such  a  person  to  be  obtained?  And  where  are  his 
counterparts  for  audience  research  in  the  Far  East,  in  South 
Asia,  in  Eastern  Europe,  in  the  Scandinavian  countries,  etc. 

Of  these  personnel  difficulties,  I  will  speak  further.  Let 
me  now  cite  just  one  more  of  the  many  problems  that  daily 
confront  us  in  our  task  of  evaluating  international  communica- 
tions research.  I  refer  now  to  the  problems  attendant  upon 
interviewing  refugees  from  Iron  Curtain  countries. 

You  will  readily  understand  why  we  make  a  practice  of 


COMMUNICATIONS    RESEARCH  343 

interviewing  refugees  from  the  USSR,  the  Satellites,  Com- 
munist China,  and  other  areas  under  Communist  domination. 
Briefly,  we  cannot  conduct  large  scale  systematic  research  on  the 
audience  behind  the  Iron  Curtain,  and  among  our  attempts  to 
compensate  for  this  tremendous  difficulty  we  interview  the 
persons  who  have  come  through  the  Curtain. 

The  first  question  that  arises  is  the  problem  of  bias.  The 
refugees  can  be  so  chosen  as  to  equate  with  the  population  in 
every  respect  but  one:  They  are  all  sufficiently  anti-regime  to 
have  uprooted  themselves  and  fled,  whereas  those  still  at  home 
obviously  have  not.  Just  what  is  the  degree  and  scope  of  the 
bias  so  engendered?  How  can  it  be  limited,  overcome,  or 
allowed  for?  Those  questions  we  cannot  yet  answer  with  pre- 
cision. We  have  resorted,  in  practice,  to  interviewing  the  ref- 
ugees in  various  different  social  contexts,  and  so  providing  some 
kind  of  comparative  data.  But  this  is  only  a  stop-gap. 

One  form  of  bias,  which  we  know  exists,  manifests  itself  in 
extraordinary  behavior  toward  agents,  however  far  removed, 
of  Western  governments.  The  refugees  are  anxious  to  obtain 
visas  j  they  come  from  a  situation  of  enforced  non-criticism  j 
they  are  therefore  suspicious  of  government  agents,  and  in- 
clined to  avoid  criticizing  communication,  or  any  other  activity, 
connected  with  the  government  in  question.  This  reluctance 
extends  to  an  unwillingness  to  discuss  the  shortcomings  of  the 
communication  for  the  less  intense  anti-Communists,  or  even 
pro-Communists,  still  behind  the  Curtain.  Any  implication  of 
inadequacy  is  regarded  by  the  refugees  as  fraught  with  danger 
for  his  own  future. 

We  have  recently  attempted  to  introduce  quasi-projective 
techniques  into  refugee  interviews.  Our  first  attempts  have 
been  quite  fruitful:  We  have  been  able  to  spot,  for  example, 
those  aspects  of  Comm]orm  propaganda  which  even  these  anti- 
Communists  have  swallowed,  and  thus  we  know  more  precisely 
what  we  are  fighting.  But  this  is  merely  a  scratch  on  a  surface 
whose  limits  we  do  not  yet  know.  To  extend  the  scratch,  and 
to  recognize  valid  responses,  requires  again  a  rare  combination 
of  skills.  Here  again  what  is  needed  is  a  cultural  anthropolo- 
gist, with  area  specialization,  who  is  also  a  specialist  in  group 
projective  testing,  and  into  the  bargain  mature  in  sampling 
problems  and  all  the  other  aspects  of  quantitative  applied  social 
research. 

I  could  tell  you,  had  I  time,  of  thirty  more  highly  specific 


344  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

problems  that  confront  us.  Each  is  unique,  but  all  have  these 
elements  in  common:  they  derive  from  the  fact  of  intwnational 
communication,  and  the  specific  audience  involved  5  their  solu- 
tion requires  a  combination  of  skills  which  is  rarely,  if  ever, 
found  in  one  individual.  We  are  engaged  in  a  new  kind  of  job. 
It  is  perhaps  our  most  significant  achievement,  that  we  have 
come  to  recognize  the  fact  of  its  newness,  and  something  of  the 
nature  of  its  demands. 

How  these  demands  are  to  be  met,  I  cannot  yet  say  with 
conviction.  It  is  my  growing  impression  that  this  new  field  can 
best  be  explored  and  mapped  only  by  persons  who  have  gone 
through  a  new  kind  of  apprenticeship.  Interested  and  promis- 
ing persons  must,  I  believe,  begin  to  prepare  for  such  a  career 
sometime  in  mid-stream  of  their  undergraduate  training.  En- 
tirely new  curricula  combinations  would  have  to  be  mapped, 
accredited,  and  implemented.  Such  a  process  takes  years,  and 
even  were  the  road  clear  and  specific,  no  such  a  curriculum 
could  become  available  for  the  better  part  of  a  decade. 

The  need,  however,  is  now.  And  as  of  now  the  need  cannot 
be  met  in  the  most  efficient  manner.  We  are  meeting  it,  as  best 
we  can,  in  three  ways.  We  are  trying  to  attract  the  rare  indi- 
viduals who,  by  happy  circumstance,  have  the  desired  combi- 
nation of  skills.  We  are  exercising  the  best  administrative 
ingenuity  we  can  muster  in  an  attempt  to  unite  the  skills  of 
many  different  individuals.  And,  finally,  we  are  realizing  and 
admitting — in  fact,  we  are  insisting — that  international  com- 
munications research  is  a  new  field,  with  new  problems  and  new 
demands,  all  of  which  must  be  defined  and  met  through  long- 
range  planning.  I  submit  that  in  the  long  run  it  will  turn  out 
that  this  realization  and  the  beginnings  of  the  definition  were 
the  most  significant  accomplishments  of  our  first  operational 
years. 

RESEARCH  IMPLICATIONS  OF  THE  N.A.E.B. 
MONITORING  STUDIES 

DALLAS  W.  SMYTHE4 
MY  ASSIGNMENT  AT  THIS  SECTION    MEETING  IS   to  tell  VOU 

about  some  of  the  research   implications  of  the   monitoring 

4  Research  Professor,  Institute  of  Communications  Research,  University  of  Illinois, 
Urbana,  111. 


COMMUNICATIONS    RESEARCH  345 

studies  that  were  initiated  and  conducted  under  the  sponsorship 
of  the  National  Association  of  Educational  Broadcasters. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  this  1952  Institute,  many  of  you 
heard  me  summarize  the  studies.  Pd  like  to  give  a  plug  to  the 
NAEB's  first  report,  which  is  complete  and  available  to  all. 
This  is  the  report  on  Los  Angeles  Television  by  Dallas  Smythe 
and  Angus  Campbell.  It  can  be  secured  from  the  NAEB  office 
in  Urbana,  Illinois,  at  $5  a  copy.  The  second  New  York  study 
also  is  available  in  a  preliminary  release  form.  The  Chicago 
study  will  be  published  this  summer  or  fall. 

In  my  talk  at  the  opening  meeting  of  the  Institute,  I 
described  the  results  of  the  study  and  said  something  about  the 
significance  of  the  results.  At  that  time,  I  was  relating  the 
results  to  the  policy  framework  of  the  studies.  Some  of  the 
policy  implications  are  also  research  implications,  and  I  wish  to 
state  briefly  what  I  believe  are  some  of  the  significant  high- 
points  and  techniques  which  are  involved  in  these  findings. 

I  remarked,  on  opening  night,  that  the  studies  are  like  a 
map,  so  that  he  who  reads  may  travel  where  he  wants  to  go,  and 
that  different  parts  of  the  map  may  have  a  different  significance 
for  policy  purposes.  On  some  parts  of  the  map,  the  meaning  is 
very  clear,  for  example,  the  findings  on  the  amount  of  adver- 
tising, and  the  growing  tendency  to  blend  advertising  and  pro- 
gram material  together.  Other  illustrations  in  this  category 
would  be  the  findings  on  the  amount  of  local  live  telecasting 
and  the  findings  on  the  dominance  of  recorded  programming. 
On  these,  I  don't  propose  to  elaborate  any  further  on  the  poli- 
cies or  the  research  techniques  involved.  These  speak  pretty 
well  for  themselves. 

There  are  other  findings  where  the  map  meaning  is  obvious, 
and  the  policy  reasons  suggest  a  great  deal  of  research  of  a 
qualitative  nature.  But  this  is  not  the  kind  of  research  in  which 
I  believe  you  are  most  interested.  The  part  that  I  wish  to 
expand  a  bit  here  is  a  part  of  the  map,  whose  meaning  is  far 
from  clear. 

This  is  the  matter  of  violence  on  TV  and  in  the  other  mass 
media.  We  are  still  engaged  in  extensive  analysis  of  the 
amount,  kind  and  psychological  content  of  violence  observed  in 
the  New  York  television  study.  There  is  reason  to  suspect  that 
the  relation  of  fictional  crime  to  the  real  thing  is  not  at  all  as 
many  a  TV  critic  would  have  us  believe. 


346  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

One  hypothesis  on  the  meaning  of  violence  in  the  mass 
media  is  that  it  permits  frustrated  people  to  discharge  their 
aggressive  impulses  vicariously.  Another  hypothesis  deals  with 
the  stereotype.  I  would  suggest  that  the  most  dubious  effect  of 
violence  in  the  last  few  years,  as  far  as  the  welfare  of  the  indi- 
vidual is  concerned,  comes  from  the  fact  that  crime  programs 
are  the  most  stereotyped  of  programs ;  not  because  they  are 
violent  but  because  they  are  stereotyped. 

The  shortest  way  of  making  my  point  is  to  refer  you  to  a 
few  chapters  in  a  new  book  entitled,  "The  Authoritarian  Per- 
sonality." This  is  the  result  of  five  years  of  research  by  a  team 
of  psychologists,  working  at  the  University  of  California.  They 
explored  the  characteristics  of  individuals  who  are  prejudiced 
and  those  who  are  not.  They  were  concerned  with  the  person- 
ality set  underneath  the  surface  of  the  individual,  which  pro- 
vides the  latent  conditions  for  developing  fascist  points  of  view, 
which,  in  turn,  may  break  out  in  overt  acts. 

Without  attempting  a  summary  of  everything  in  the  book, 
the  authors  give  the  following  principal  points,  as  far  as  the 
hypothesis  is  concerned:  Mainly,  individuals  who  are  poten- 
tially prejudiced  or  authoritarian  are  pretty  well  stereotyped 
in  their  thinking  and  feeling.  The  potential  fascist  is  charac- 
terized by  emotional  coldness,  by  generalized  hostility,  by  his 
tendency  to  think  in  stereotypes.  He  sees  himself  on  a  sort  of 
pinnacle,  with  his  in-group  around  and  slightly  below  him,  and 
the  rest  of  the  world  arranged  on  a  descending  series  of  stairs 
or  plateaus  below  his  in-group. 

TThis  is  a  pretty  clear  and  consistent  picture  when  you  see  the 
way  they  have  developed  it,  and  I  would  suggest  that  one 
interesting  hypothesis  is  stereotypy. 


USE  OF  RADIO  BY  EXTENSION  WORKERS 
IN  THE  NORTH  CENTRAL  STATES 

MEREDITH  C.  WILSON1 

A  REGIONAL  COMMITTEE  ON  EXTENSION  studies  in  the  north 
central  states  initiated  the  work  that  led  to  the  radio  study  on 
which  I  am  reporting.  Each  state  and  county  worker  in  nine 

1  Chief   of   Field    Studies    and   Training,    Extension    Service,    U.    S.    Department    of 
Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C. 


COMMUNICATIONS    RESEARCH  347 

north  central  states  was  asked  to  fill  out  a  mail  questionnaire. 
About  95  per  cent  responded,  and  2,373  questionnaires  were 
returned  in  the  late  spring  of  1950. 

The  study  is  chiefly  a  summary  of  how  extension  workers 
use  radio.  It  should  be  helpful  to  extension  workers,  partic- 
ularly extension  administrators,  in  charting  future  activities.  It 
also  may  serve  as  a  basis  for  additional  studies  of  the  use  of 
radio  by  extension  people. 

It  will  be  helpful  in  this  report  to  have  in  mind  a  few 
definitions  prepared  for  the  purpose  of  this  study. 

A  broadcast  is  any  single  presentation  on  the  air. 

A  'program  is  made  up  of  broadcasts  that  fill  a  previously 
allotted,  regularly  recurring,  specific  period  of  time  on  the  air. 

A  regular  broadcaster  had  one  or  more  programs  on  which 
he  was  scheduled  at  the  time  of  the  study  to  broadcast  at  spe- 
cific, regularly  recurring  intervals. 

An  Irregular  broadcaster  made  broadcasts  now  and  then 
during  the  previous  year,  but  not  at  specific,  regularly  recurring 
intervals. 

The  data  for  regular  extension  broadcasting  represent  the 
arrangements  in  effect  at  the  time  the  questionnaire  was  filled 
out. 

The  survey  established  that  about  two-thirds  of  all  county 
and  state  extension  workers  in  the  nine  states  were  broadcasting 
regularly,  irregularly,  or  both.  Nearly  one-third  of  all  workers 
were  regular  broadcasters. 

About  three  out  of  five  county  extension  agents  were  broad- 
casting regularly,  irregularly,  or  both.  Relatively  few  of  the 
workers  on  the  state  staff  were  regular  broadcasters,  but  a  much 
higher  percentage  of  the  state  staff  than  of  the  county  staff  were 
irregular  broadcasters.  From  53  to  97  per  cent  of  the  state  staff 
were  broadcasting  regularly,  irregularly,  or  both. 

The  regular  broadcasters  in  the  region  made  an  average  of 
51  broadcasts  per  year.  Irregular  broadcasters  averaged  10  per 
year. 

The  over-all  length  of  the  regular  broadcasts  averaged  15 
minutes.  More  than  three  out  of  five  regular  extension  pro- 
grams go  on  the  air  between  1 1 130  a.  m.  and  1 129  p.  m.,  and 
one  out  of  five  between  6  and  8 159  a.  m.  About  one-third  were 
on  the  air  between  12,  noon,  and  12:50  p.  m. 

The  county  workers  made  26  per  cent  of  their  broadcasts 


348  EDUCATION    ON    THE   AIR 

entirely  by  transcription,  compared  with  16  per  cent  for  the 
state  workers.  Inasmuch  as  one-fourth  of  all  regular  broadcasts 
of  state  and  county  workers  were  by  transcription,  a  study 
would  seem  desirable  to  determine  the  extent  to  which  tran- 
scriptions can  profitably  be  used  and  the  best  techniques  for 
using  them. 

An  average  of  thirty-one  different  radio  stations  per  state 
were  being  used  for  regular  extension  broadcasts,  and  twenty- 
five  stations  per  state  were  reported  by  the  workers  as  being 
reasonably  accessible  to  them,  and  that  time  could  be  had  on 
the  stations  for  broadcasting  regularly. 

Of  county  extension  agents  not  broadcasting  regularly, 
three-fifths  said  one  or  more  radio  stations  were  reasonably 
accessible  to  them.  A  little  over  half  of  these  said  time  could  be 
had  for  broadcasting  regularly,  and  nearly  half  said  they  did 
not  know  whether  or  not  time  was  available. 

Thirteen  per  cent,  or  116  of  the  total  876  extension  radio 
programs,  were  on  commercially  sponsored  time.  All  but  six  of 
these  programs  were  reported  by  county  extension  agents.  Only 
five  out  of  the  102  regular  broadcasters,  with  a  program  on 
commercially  sponsored  time,  reported  any  criticism  of  the 
policy  of  commercial  sponsorship. 

A  high  proportion  of  the  regular  broadcasters  attempted 
various  kinds  of  teaching  jobs  by  radio  and  all  reported  evi- 
dences of  success.  The  teaching  goals  by  percentages:  stimulate 
participation  in  extension  work,  93  per  cent;  make  announce- 
ments, 90  per  cent;  teach  subject  matter,  82  per  cent;  change 
attitudes,  82  per  cent;  and  teach  skills,  50  per  cent. 

Various  kinds  of  subject  matter  were  included  in  the  regular 
broadcasts.  Those  that  received  the  highest  percentage  of  radio 
time  were:  livestock  production;  crop  production;  extension 
organization  and  planning;  goods,  nutrition,  and  health;  con- 
servation of  natural  resources;  recreation  and  community  life; 
housing,  farmstead  improvement,  and  equipment;  and  clothing 
and  textiles. 

Comparison  of  the  use  of  broadcasting  techniques  by  county 
workers  and  state  workers  showed  that  the  state  workers  used 
the  interview,  forum  or  discussion,  and  variety  more  often  than 
the  county  workers,  and  that  they  used  lecture,  announcement, 
and  music  less  often  than  the  county  workers. 

Nearly  nine  out  of  ten  county  extension  agents,  who  were 
regular  broadcasters,  received  some  radio  assistance  from  the 


COMMUNICATIONS    RESEARCH  349 

state  staff.  Radio  news  releases  from  the  extension  editor  were 
received  by  71  per  cent  of  the  agents.  Other  types  of  assistance 
were:  background  or  outline  material j  relationships  with  sta- 
tions j  and  disc,  tape,  and  wire  recordings. 

Two-thirds  of  all  extension  people  spent  some  time  on  radio 
work.  An  annual  average  of  seventy-seven  hours  per  worker 
was  reported.  This  included  the  time  used  in  preparation  of 
broadcasts,  travel  in  connection  with  broadcasts,  etc. 

It  was  the  opinion  of  only  3  per  cent  of  all  regular  broad- 
casters that  they  could  use  the  time  required  for  radio  work  to 
better  advantage  on  some  other  activity.  Nearly  three-fourths 
thought  the  time  could  not  be  used  to  better  advantage. 

Radio  was  thought  of  as  an  extension  educational  method 
by  93  per  cent  of  all  extension  workers,  as  an  "extra  chore"  by 
4  per  cent,  while  3  per  cent  did  not  answer. 

In  seven  of  the  nine  states,  some  participation  in  television 
broadcasting  was  reported.  Two  per  cent  had  appeared  on  a 
television  show,  while  4  per  cent  had  prepared  materials  or 
made  arrangements  for  shows  during  the  six  months  prior  to 
filling  out  the  questionnaire. 

As  stated,  one  of  the  reasons  for  making  this  radio  study 
was  to  obtain  information  that  might  help  the  extension  admin- 
istrators of  the  states  in  planning  the  future  use  of  radio  in 
extension  teaching,  and  I  shall  mention  a  few  of  our  general 
conclusions  in  closing. 

Considering  the  percentage  of  state  and  county  extension 
workers  utilizing  radio,  and  the  amount  of  time  devoted  to  it, 
certain  things  become  obvious : 

1.  Extension  workers,  particularly  county  workers, 
should  be  given  more  adequate  training  and  assistance 
with  this  method  of  teaching. 

2.  Studies  need  to  be  made  which  will  shed  light  on 
various  factors  such  as  content,  length,  regularity,  broad- 
casting techniques,  and  use  of  transcriptions  which  may 
influence  the  effectiveness  of  this  important  medium  of 
communication. 

DISCUSSION 

QUESTION: 

In  this  survey,  did  you  have  any  kind  of  program  records 
similar  to  those  of  Neilsen's? 


35O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

MR.  WILSON: 

No.    Such  records  were  not  incorporated  in  this  study.    A 
number  of  studies  were  made  in  each  state.    For  example,  in 
six  counties  near  Manhattan,  Kansas,  interviews  were  made 
throughout  the  year. 
QUESTION: 

What  was  the  average  length  of  the  broadcasts  on  which 
you  had  figures? 
MR.  WILSON: 

Most  of  the  broadcasts  were  if-minutes  long.  But  the  time 
estimate  included  preparing  scripts,  travel  to  and  from  the  sta- 
tion, the  actual  broadcast,  etc.    The  average  time  spent  was  a 
little  less  than  three  hours  per  broadcast. 
COMMENT: 

I  am  a  farm  radio  editor  from  Canada,  and  I  think  there  is 
a  serious  problem  in  the  extension  worker  who  does  not  take 
radio  seriously. 
MR.  WILSON: 

That  was  one  of  my  concluding  points.    Considering  the 
time  and  importance  of  broadcasts,  we  feel  much  more  needs  to 
be  done  with  these  agents. 
QUESTION: 

What  is  included  in  the  station  relationship  category? 
MR.  WILSON: 

There  might  be  no  end  of  things  in  ten  different  states,  with 
an  average  of  seventy-one  stations  per  state.  In  some  cases,  it 
might  be  just  introducing  the  county  agent  to  the  station  man- 
ager, or  of  straightening  out  some  specific  problem.  You  will 
have  to  draw  upon  your  imagination  there. 
QUESTION: 

Do  you  know  of  any  plans  to  follow  up  this  quantitative  sur- 
vey with  one  on  effectiveness  of  some  of  the  county  agent  radio 
programs? 
MR.  WILSON: 

It  is  hoped  that  the  central  states  study  committee  will  fol- 
low through  with  additional  studies,  either  in  individual  states 
or  as  a  cooperative  enterprise.  The  opportunities  are  tre- 
mendous. 


ANNUAL  INSTITUTE  DINNER 


ANNUAL  INSTITUTE  DINNER 


THE  CULTURAL  AND  EDUCATIONAL 
POSSIBILITIES  OF  TELEVISION 

JACOB  B.  TAYLOR,1   Presiding 

THIS  INSTITUTE  is  THE  TWENTY-SECOND  that  has  been  spon- 
sored by  The  Ohio  State  University  with  the  active  cooperation 
of  many  organizations  and  individuals.  Our  educational  insti- 
tution is  one  of  the  younger  members  of  the  group  of  state- 
supported  colleges  and  universities  in  the  country. 

Twenty-two  years  ago,  we  were  only  a  little  over  fifty 
years  old.  Now  we  are  approaching  eighty. 

An  important  factor  in  our  growth  as  an  educational  institu- 
tion has  been  institutes  and  conferences  such  as  this.  We  are 
grateful  for  the  host  of  friends  the  University  has  won  as  a 
result  of  them. 

We  have  a  large  number  of  distinguished  guests  with  us 
and  it  will  be  my  pleasure  to  ask  Dr.  I.  Keith  Tyler,  director  of 
this  Institute,  to  introduce  them  to  you  later.    At  this  time 
our  friend,  Mr.  Tyler,  has  some  announcements. 
MR.  I.  KEITH  TYLER:* 

We  note  the  untimely  passing  of  Dr.  W.  W.  Charters,  the 
honorary  director  and  founder  of  the  Institute  for  Education  by 
Radio-Television.  Dr.  Charters  was  director  of  the  Bureau  of 
Educational  Research  at  Ohio  State  University  when  the  first 
meeting  of  this  Institute  was  organized,  twenty-two  years  ago. 
He  invited  representatives  of  education  and  commercial  broad- 
casters to  The  Ohio  State  University  campus  for  the  purpose  of 
studying  mutual  problems  and  exploring  means  of  cooperation 
between  industry  and  education. 

1  Vice-President,  Ohio  State  University,  Columbus,  O. 
3  Director,  Institute  for  Education  by  Radio-Television. 

353 


354  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Miss  Judith  C.  Waller  was  a  member  of  that  first  Institute, 
but  it  goes  further  than  that.  She  and  Dr.  Charters  discussed 
this  problem  of  getting  industry  and  education  together  before 
Dr.  Charters  joined  the  faculty  at  Ohio  State.  We  are,  there- 
fore, asking  Miss  Waller  to  read  a  letter  which  some  of  the 
early  Institute  members  have  drafted  as  a  tribute  to  Dr. 
Charters. 
Miss  JUDITH  C.  WALLER :3 

This  tribute  is  in  the  form  of  a  letter,  and  it  will  be  sent  to 
Mrs.  W.  W.  Charters.   It  follows: 

To  Mrs.  W.  W.  Charters: 

We  wish  to  express  to  you  and  your  family  the  loss  which  we 
in  radio  and  education  have  sustained  through  the  death  of  Dr.  W. 
W.  Charters. 

His  wise  counsel  and  guidance  through  the  formative  years  of 
our  Institute  have  made  it  possible  for  those  interested  in  this  im- 
portant field  of  communications  to  broaden  our  concepts  and  to  accept 
the  ever-increasing  challenge  with  which  we  are  faced. 

When  Dr.  Charters  retired  from  Ohio  State  University  and 
formally  severed  his  connection  with  the  Institute  in  1942  we 
presented  him  with  a  volume  containing  expressions  of  our  gratitude 
for  his  leadership.  Among  those  tributes  was  a  statement  by  our 
director,  Dr.  I.  Keith  Tyler,  which  states  so  succinctly  our  feelings 
that  we  are  including  it  here  as  our  tribute  to  our  founder — a  great 
educator  and  leader: 

"For  your  continuous  inspiration  that  stimulates  the  maximum 
effort  from  all  with  whom  you  work — 

"For  your  vision  that  sets  goals  for  far-reaching  endeavor  and  that 
gives  inspiration  and  perspective  to  every-day  activities — 

"For  your  imagination  that  stimulates  the  breaking  of  new  trails 
and  the  establishment  of  new  ventures — 

"For  your  friendliness  that  encourages  all  who  know  you  to  seek 
your  counsel  and  assistance — 

"For  your  practical  bent,  that  finds  a  technique  for  solving  the 
most  difficult  problem — 

"And  for  your  humanity  that  places  human  values  first  in  all  your 
associations — 

"For  all  these  enduring  qualities  which  you  possess  in  abundance, 
we  who  have  known  you,  honor  and  love  you." 

Members  of  the  Twenty-Second  Institute 
For  Education  by  Radio-Television 
April  17,  1952 

MR.  TYLER: 

It  is  a  great  pleasure  for  the  Institute  for  Education  by 

3  Director,  Public  Affairs  and  Education,  NBC,  Chicago,  111. 


ANNUAL    INSTITUTE    DINNER  355 

Radio-Television  to  announce  the  award  of  a  life  membership. 
The  certificate  from  this  university  Institute  reads  as  follows: 

The  Twenty-second  Institute 
for  Education  by  Radio-Television 

proudly  presents 

This  life-time  membership 

With  affection,  admiration  and  profound  respect  to 

JUDITH  GARY  WALLER 
Outstanding  citizen,  broadcaster  and  educator 
Her  dedication  to  the  ideals  of  better  broadcasting, 
her  devotion  to  education  and  her  wise  guidance  to  the 
Institute  for  Education  by  Radio-Television  throughout 
its  first  twenty-two  years  have  contributed  immeasurably 
to  the  improvement  of  American  broadcasting. 

The  Institute  for  Education  by  Radio-Television 

of 
The  Ohio  State  University 

April  19,  1952 

It  is  a  great  pleasure,  Miss  Waller,  to  present  this  award  to 
you  as  a  complete  surprise. 
Miss  WALLER: 

Thank  you,  very  much.    It  has  been  a  surprise.    I  am  left 
speechless.    I  treasure  this  life  membership  in  the  Institute 
more  than  I  can  say. 
MR.  TYLER: 

Unfortunately,  two  members  of  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  were  unable  to  remain  for  this  annual  meet- 
ing. Both  have  attended  the  Institute  in  previous  years,  and 
both  have  been  active  in  their  support  of  education,  particularly 
in  relation  to  broadcasting. 

Mr.  Paul  A.  Walker,  the  chairman  of  the  FCC,  was  a  long- 
time friend  of  the  founder  of  the  Institute,  Dr.  W.  W.  Charters. 
Commissioner  Walker  has  addressed  numerous  educational 
conferences,  including  this  one,  and  always  has  stood  for  the 
highest  ideals  of  public  service,  both  in  precept  and  example. 
On  the  Commission,  he  has  consistently  supported  the  cause  of 
education. 

Commissioner  Frieda  B.  Hennock  is  identified  in  the  public 
mind  as  the  outstanding  exponent  of  education.  She  has  un- 
stintingly  devoted  herself  to  this  cause  since  she  was  named  to 
the  Commission.  She  has  been  a  zealous  advocate. 

It  seems  particularly  appropriate  at  this  time  also  to  recog- 


356  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

nize  these  two  Commissioners  by  awarding  them  life  mem- 
berships in  the  Institute.  The  actual  presentation  of  these 
certificates  will  take  place  later  in  Washington.  They  read 
as  follows: 

The  Twenty-second  Institute 
tor  Education  by  Radio-Television 

proudly  presents 

This  life-time  membership 

With  respect,  admiration  and  deep  gratitude  to 

PAUL  A.  WALKER 

Public  servant,  friend  of  education 

As    Commissioner    and    Chairman    of    the    Federal 

Communications   Commission,   he   has  consistently   been 

guided  by  the  highest  ideals  of  a  servant  of  the  people. 

As    a    custodian    of    powerful    modern    communications 

media,  he  has  sought  their  usefulness  in  public  service 

and  education  as  well  as  entertainment  and  commerce. 

The  enlightened  pattern  of  American  broadcasting  which 

he  helped  to  shape  is  his  enduring  monument. 

The  Institute  for  Education  by  Radio-Television 

of 
The  Ohio  State  University 

The  Twenty-second  Institute 
for  Education  by  Radio-Television 

Proudly  presents 

This  life-time  membership 

With  respect,  admiration  and  deep  gratitude  to 

FRIEDA  B.  HENNOCK 
Courageous  advocate  of  education 
As   Commissioner  of   the   Federal   Communications 
Commission,  she  has  consistently  and  untiringly  cham- 
pioned the  cause  of  education.    Dedicating  herself  to  the 
wider   public   usefulness   of   television,   she   participated 
without  stint  in  the  successful  struggle  for  recognition  of 
educational  reservations  by  the  Commission.    The  people 
will  benefit  in  perpetuity  from  her  devotion. 

The  Institute  for  Education  by  Radio-Television 

of 
The  Ohio  State  University 

CHAIRMAN  TAYLOR: 

The  first  part  of  our  program  has  to  do  with  puppets,  and 
we  have  a  treat  in  store.  We  might  mention,  in  passing,  that 
the  man  who  is  to  talk  to  us  is  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency. 
I  present  to  you  now,  Mr.  Oliver  J.  Dragon,  of  "Kukla,  Fran 
and  Ollie."  (A  summary  of  Mr.  Dragon's  more  serious  re- 


ANNUAL    INSTITUTE    DINNER  357 

marks  follows.   His  appearance  was  in  the  familiar  style  of  the 
popular  TV  program,  and  other  characters  also  participated.) 
MR.  OLIVER  J.  DRAGON:* 

Words  cannot  express  my  delight  at  being  here  tonight. 
This  is  truly  one  of  the  most  exciting  moments  of  my  life. 

You  educators  have  had  a  great  thing  handed  to  you  re- 
cently. These  new  educational  channels  are  a  wonderful  thing. 

I  want  to  say  one  thing,  especially,  to  you  folks  who  are 
going  to  get  your  feet  wet  soon  in  television.  Education  or  no 
education,  you  have  got  to  learn  one  fact.  And  it  may  revolu- 
tionize the  entire  concept  of  this  Institute.  Television  is  pri- 
marily an  entertainment  medium.  You  educators  have  got  to 
realize  that.  But  that  doesn't  mean  there  is  no  room  for 
education! 

It  would  be  pretty  silly,  if  you  went  to  all  the  work  of 
producing  the  shows  and  didn't  have  any  audience,  wouldn't 
it?  Therefore,  my  tip  to  you,  my  message  to  you,  is  to  dip  into 
show  business  a  little  bit.  Put  a  little  tinsel  on  the  show,  and  in 
that  way  you  will  be  able  to  attract  an  audience.  And  who 
knows,  you  may  not  only  be  able  to  attract  an  audience  but  take 
the  audience  away  from  us  kids? 

This  is  a  very  important  thing.  You  can't  make  people 
watch  television.  You  can't  make  them  pay  attention,  like  you 
do  in  school.  So  you  have  to  have  something  to  catch  and  hold 
their  interest. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  folks  in  the  entertainment  field  must 
keep  our  eyes  and  ears  open,  too,  because  there  are  many  won- 
derful things  in  the  educational  fields  which  offer,  literally,  an 
unlimited  source  of  material  which  we  can  use. 

When  you  get  into  television  production,  you  are  going  to 
have  a  lot  of  problems.  These  will  be  in  addition  to  your  own 
programming.  When  you  start  to  work  in  the  television  studio, 
a  million  things  can  go  wrong,  and  always  at  the  last  minute. 

There  are  different  people  you  will  address  in  the  studio. 
There  will  be  the  dolly  pusher,  the  cameraman,  audio-man  and 
your  stagehands. 

Then  there's  another  fellow  we  have  a  lot  of  trouble  with. 
He  works  the  microphone  boom.  Many  times,  especially  in  a 
mystery  play  or  serious  dramatic  play,  something  will  flit  across 
the  screen.  Sometimes  it  comes  in  front  of  somebody's  face. 

*  Mr.  Burr  Tillstrom,  Manager,  Kuklapolitan  Players,  NBC,  Chicago,  111. 


358  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

That's  the  shadow  of  the  microphone,  and  it  really  is  most 
exasperating.  If  that  happens,  it  will  be  the  fault  of  the  boom- 
boy,  and  this  is  my  advice  on  what  to  tell  him: 

Boom-boy,  watch  it! 
I  said,  Boom-boy,  watch  it. 
Your  microphone  is  showing 
Where  do  you  think  you're  going? 
With  your  boom,  big  boom, 
boom-boy. 

Boom-boy,  watch  it, 
Boom-boy,  lift  it. 
You  just  missed  the  light  fixture, 
Remove  it  from  the  picture, 

Boom-boy. 

I'll  be  happy  when  some  inventor 
Makes  a  gadget,  and  I  hope  it's  soon, 
So  the  microphone  won't  show, 
Boom-boy. 

From  the  shadows  I've  been  getting, 
I  would  take  a  chance  on  betting 
That  every  day  is  Groundhog  Day, 

Because  of  you 
And  you  are  through 
Pick  up  your  boom 
And  leave  the  room, 
Boom-boy. 

I  hope  you  follow  my  advice.  I  have  been  very  honored  to 
be  your  guest  speaker  here  at  this  annual  affair. 
CHAIRMAN  TAYLOR: 

Don't  you  think  that  was  wonderful?  I  want  to  thank  Ollie 
for  that  profound  address. 

Out  on  the  West  Coast,  a  distinguished  program  has  been 
broadcast  for  twenty-five  years.  It  is  the  oldest  musical  broad- 
cast on  the  air.  I  wish  to  introduce  Mr.  Adrian  Michaelis,  pro- 
ducer of  the  "Standard  Hour"  and  "Standard  School  Broad- 
cast." 
MR.  ADRIAN  MICHAELIS:S 

Thank  you,  very  much. 

I  am  not  going  to  say  very  much,  because  we  have  written 
the  story  of  our  program  into  the  script  of  this  evening.  I  wish 
to  take  this  opportunity  to  thank  you  for  inviting  us,  and  I  now 

"  Producer,  Standard  Hour  and  Standard  TV  Hour,  San  Francisco,  Calif. 


ANNUAL    INSTITUTE    DINNER  359 

will  turn  the  program  over  to  the  man  who  has  been  the  voice 
of  our  program  on  the  air  for  many  years,  Mr.  John  Grover. 
MR.  JOHN  GROVER:S 

The  production  you  are  about  to  witness  may  be  a  new 
experience  to  many  of  you,  since  we  are  far  from  our  customary 
territory.  We  wish  to  make  it  clear  that  this  program  is  neither 
an  illustration  of  our  "Standard  Hour"  program,  nor  a  typical 
"Standard  School  Broadcast."  Instead,  it  is  a  special  program, 
combining  elements  of  both  our  programs  in  a  single  hour, 
illustrating  what  Standard  Oil  Company  of  California  has  been 
doing  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  the  Far  West. 

The  Standard  Hour,  itself,  is  heard  weekly  on  Sunday 
nights  from  8 130  to  9:30  o'clock,  Pacific  time,  over  the  Western 
network  of  NBC.  It  is  the  oldest  of  all  hour-long  programs 
of  fine  music,  and  features  four  symphony  orchestras.  Weekly, 
throughout  the  year,  we  present,  in  turn  a  Winter  Symphony 
series,  a  Spring  Light  Opera  season,  a  Summer  series  of  "Pops" 
concerts,  and  a  Fall  Grand  Opera  season,  with  stars  of  the  San 
Francisco  and  Metropolitan  Opera  companies. 

The  Standard  School  Broadcast,  on  the  other  hand,  is  a 
transcribed  half-hour  program,  taped  in  San  Francisco  and 
released  throughout  the  West,  weekly  during  the  school  year. 
Each  year  a  different  theme  is  selected  for  development,  and 
our  music  is  correlated  with  that  theme  by  means  of  narration 
and  dramatic  presentation.  Many  young  artists  who  were  first 
presented  on  the  School  Broadcasts,  have  become  Standard 
Hour  favorites  and  stars  in  other  programs  and  related  fields. 

The  Standard  School  Broadcast  currently  reaches  nearly 
1,000,000  students  and  about  40,000  educators  in  7,000  public, 
private  and  parochial  schools  in  the  seven  western  states,  Alaska 
and  Hawaii  plus  hundreds  of  thousands  of  parents  and  other 
adult  listeners  at  home. 

The  musical  director  of  the  Standard  School  Broadcast,  and 
of  the  summertime  concerts  of  the  Standard  Hour,  is  Carmen 
Dragon,  who  is  here  with  us  tonight.  He  has  won  national 
recognition  as  conductor  of  "The  Railroad  Hour"  and  as  the 
winner  of  an  Academy  award  for  motion  pictures. 

Our  soloists  are  two  young  singers  who  were  first  heard  on 
the  air  on  the  Standard  programs.  They  are  soprano  Eileen 
Christie,  now  under  contract  to  Republic  pictures,  and  baritone 

9  Announcer,  Standard  Hour,  San  Francisco,  Calif. 


360  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Charles  Harmon,  who  might  well  devote  his  entire  time  to 
singing,  but  who  prefers  to  pursue  his  chosen  career  as  a  re- 
search chemist. 

Though  drawing  on  the  music  of  the  whole  world,  the 
Standard  programs  always  have  endeavored  to  further  the 
cause  of  American  music.  Especially  is  this  true  of  our  School 
Broadcast,  and  a  good  part  of  the  credit  for  these  pioneering 
efforts  for  American  music  is  due  to  your  own  director,  Dr.  I. 
Keith  Tyler,  who  as  far  back  as  1935  recognized  our  aims  and 
encouraged  us  to  continue.  To  him,  therefore,  and  to  all  Amer- 
ican educators,  school  administrators  and  others  who  safeguard 
the  foundations  of  American  freedom  through  their  teaching 
and  training  of  our  youth,  we  dedicate  this  program. 

(The  program  followed). 
CHAIRMAN  TAYLOR: 

On  behalf  of  the  audience,  I  wish  to  thank  the  director, 
Carmen  Dragon,  and  soloists  Eileen  Christie  and  Charles  Har- 
mon, and  these  musicians  for  a  wonderful  evening.  We  deeply 
appreciate  the  marvelous  program  they  have  given  us. 


EXHIBITION  OF  RECORDINGS 


SIXTEENTH  ANNUAL  AMERICAN 
EXHIBITION  OF  RECORDINGS 


AWARDS  AND  HONORABLE  MENTIONS 

FOLLOWING  is  A  COMPLETE  LIST  of  the  awards  and  honor- 
able mentions  for  outstanding  programs  in  the  Sixteenth  Amer- 
ican Exhibition  of  Educational  Radio  and  Television  Programs, 
sponsored  by  the  twenty-second  annual  Institute  for  Education 
by  Radio-Television  at  Ohio  State  University,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

All  awards  are  given  to  program  series,  not  to  individual 
programs,  with  the  exception  of  programs  in  the  "One  Time 
Broadcast"  judging. 

The  series  were  judged  in  fourteen  cooperating  centers,  one 
for  each  program  class.  The  centers  and  names  of  coordinators, 
judges  and  summarizers  are  given  following  the  list  of  prize 
winning  series. 

Classification  I :  Programs  Heard  Nationally  by  Network  or 
Transcription 

Class  i .     Religious 

FIRST  AWARD — "The  Ave  Maria  Hour,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  the  Franciscan  Friars  of  the  Atonement.  Length:  30 
minutes  j  Script,  John  Dineen,  Leo  Brady,  Joseph  Cochran, 
Jean  Eicks,  and  William  McSherry;  Talent,  AFRA  members 
in  New  York  City;  Director-Producer,  Carlo  De  Angelo. 
Broadcast  Sunday,  6:30  to  7  p.  m.  over  Station  WMCA, 
New  York  City,  and  various  other  stations.  CITATION — For 
over-all  excellence  of  purpose  and  production,  this  series  is 
commended.  Careful  planning  and  professional  writing  and 
production  give  this  series  high  rank  in  any  field  of  broadcast- 
ing. This  was  effective  use  of  radio  for  both  education  and* 
inspiration.  It  was  dynamic  throughout,  and  maintained  a  high 
rate  of  interest  in  subjects  often  admittedly  difficult.  This  was 
excellent  "radio." 

363 


364  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Let  There  Be  Light,"  planned- 
produced  by  the  Broadcasting  and  Film  Commission  of  Na- 
tional Council  of  Churches,  New  York  City.  Length:  15  min- 
utes ;  Script,  various;  Talent,  professional  cast;  Director,  Al- 
bert Crews;  Producer,  John  Gunn.  Broadcast  at  various  times 
over  numerous  stations.  CITATION — For  a  presentation  that 
has  universal  appeal  as  well  as  a  concept  of  practical  religion, 
this  program  is  commended.  The  timeliness  of  the  'program 
deserves  'praise,  and  the  readiness  and  ability  to  answer  the 
question  of  "What  can  I  do  to  help  my  fellowman?"  is  both 
good  religion  and  good  radio. 

Class  2.     Agricultural 

No  AWARDS  WERE  GIVEN  IN  THIS  CLASS. 

Class  3.     Womenys 

No  AWARDS  WERE  GIVEN  IN  THIS  CLASS. 

Class  4.  Cultural:  Arty  Science,  Literature,  and  Music  (But 
Not  Straight  Music) 

FIRST  AWARD — "Stage  52,"  planned-produced  by  the  Ca- 
nadian Broadcasting  Corporation.  Length:  60  minutes;  Script, 
various;  Talent,  professional  actors;  Director-Producer,  Peter 
McDonald.  Broadcast  Sunday,  9  to  10  p.  m.  EST  over 
the  Trans-Canada  Network  of  the  CBC.  CITATION — For  main- 
taining extremely  high  cultural  and  educational  values  in  sev- 
eral major  dramatic  series,  constantly  utilizing  new  production 
and  writing  techniques  to  'present  'provocative  themes. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "CBC  Wednesday  Night,"  plan- 
ned-produced by  the  Canadian  Broadcasting  Corporation. 
Length:  90  to  120  minutes;  Script,  various;  Talent,  profes- 
sional actors;  Director-Producer,  J.  Frank  Willis  and  Rupert 
Caplan.  Broadcast  Wednesday  evenings  over  the  Trans-Can- 
ada Network  of  the  CBC.  CITATION — For  a  vibrantly  alive 
'presentation  of  the  music  and  lives  and  the  social  impact  of] 
both,  of  outstanding  composers  in  the  Vienna  tradition,  encour- 
aging interest  in  good  music,  good  drama,  and  in  the  musical 
heritage. 

Class  5.     Dealing  with  Personal  and  Social  Problems 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "The  Lonesome  Road,"  planned- 
produced  by  the  Communication  Materials  Center,  Columbia 


EXHIBITION    OF    RECORDINGS  365 

University  Press,  New  York  City.  Length :  1 5  minutes  ;  Script, 
Gunnar  Back;  Talent,  Gunnar  Back  and  members  of  Alcohol- 
ics Anonymous;  Director-Producer,  Gunnar  Back.  Broadcast 
at  various  times  over  numerous  stations.  CITATION — For  "pre- 
senting the  problems  of  alcoholism  with  simplicity  and  direct- 
nessy  and  for  offering  honest  hope  to  those  afflicted. 

Class  6.     Presenting  Public  Issues  (Forums,  etc.) 

FIRST  AWARD — "Cross  Section,"  planned-produced  by  the 
Canadian  Broadcasting  Corporation.  Length:  30  minutes; 
Script,  George  Salverson;  Talent,  free  lance  actors;  Producer, 
E.  S.  Hallman;  Director,  Arthur  Hiller.  Broadcast  Thurs- 
days, 8:30  to  9:00  p.  m.  EST  over  Station  CJBC,  Toronto, 
and  the  Dominion  Network  of  the  CBC.  CITATION — For  pio- 
neering in  a  field  of  social  consciousness  that  is  rarely  touched; 
for  courage  in  presenting  an  issue  which  is  patently  controver- 
sial; and  for  inspiring  an  individual  approach  to  a  problem. 

Class  7.     News  Interpretation  (Not  Straight  Reporting) 
No  AWARDS  WERE  GIVEN  IN  THIS  CLASS. 

Class  8.     Furthering  International  Understanding 

FIRST  AWARD — "Citizens  of  the  World,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  United  Nations  Radio,  New  York  City.  Length :  1 5 
minutes;  Script,  Allan  E.  Sloane  and  Howard  Rodman;  Nar- 
rator, Gerald  Kean;  Talent,  AFRA;  Director,  William  Ham- 
ilton; Producer,  Gerald  Kean.  Broadcast  at  various  times  over 
numerous  stations  in  the  United  States,  Canada,  Australia,  New 
Zealand,  etc.  CITATION — For  utilizing  the  best  techniques  of 
radio  production  to  presenting  true  stories  of  men  and  women 
working  for  peace  through  the  United  Nations.  The  unity  of 
purpose  and  the  authenticity  of  these  programs  give  them  a  ring 
of  authority  and  provide  one  of  the  best  approaches  to  interna- 
tional understanding. 

Class  9.     Special  One-Time  Broadcasts 

FIRST  AWARD — "Arise  and  Go  Thy  Way,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  the  National  Society  for  Crippled  Children  and 
Adults.  Length:  30  minutes;  Script,  Lou  Hazam;  Talent, 
AFRA;  Director,  Ed  King;  Producer,  Wade  Arnold.  Broad- 
cast March  17,  1951,  5:30  to  6  p.  m.  over  Station  WNBC, 
New  York  City,  and  the  NBC  Network.  CITATION — For  skill- 


366  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

ful  and  effective  dramatic  portrayal  of  a  serious  sociological 
'problem.  "Arise  and  Go  Thy  Way"  demonstrates  in  an  excel- 
lent fashion  the  ability  of  radio  programs  to  lead  our  society  in 
the  attack  on  a  crippling  disease  and  its  after-effects. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "No  Escape,"  planned-produced 
by  the  Canadian  Broadcasting  Corporation.  Length:  15  min- 
utes j  Script,  E.  S.  Hallmanj  Talent,  free  lance ;  Director,  Ar- 
thur Hillerj  Producer,  E.  S.  Hallman.  Broadcast  Thursday, 
October  25,  1951,  7:30  to  7:45  p.  m.  EST  over  Station  CBL, 
Toronto,  and  the  Trans-Canada  Network  of  CBC.  CITATION 
— For  literary  excellence  in  the  use  of  poetic  drama  to  focus 
the  attention  of  the  listener  on  a  dilemma  of  modern  man. 
From  the  many  programs  on  the  danger  of  atomic  attack,  "No 
Escape"  emerges  as  an  outstanding  example  deserving  high 
commendation. 

Class   10.     Children's  (For  Out-of-School  Listening) 

FIRST  AWARD — "Bert,  the  Turtle,"  planned-produced  by 
the  Audio- Visual  Division,  Federal  Civil  Defense  Administra- 
tion, Washington,  D.  C.  Length:  15  minutes j  Script,  Paul  D. 
Newlandj  Talent,  AFRA;  Director-Producers,  Paul  D.  New- 
land.  Broadcast  at  various  times  over  numerous  stations.  CI- 
TATION— For  originating  an  effective  way  of  teaching  a  vital 
lesson  through  a  well-considered  analogy  and  memorable  repe- 
tition of  key  words  that  will  stimulate  action.  It  is  a  needed 
public  service. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "The  Children's  Theater,"  plan- 
ned-produced by  the  Canadian  Broadcasting  Corporation. 
Length:  30  minutes j  Script,  various j  Talent,  boys  and  girls  of 
Edmonton ;  Director-Producer,  various.  Broadcast  Saturdays, 
10:30  to  ii  a.  m.  EST  over  the  Trans-Canada  Network  of 
CBC.  CITATION — For  dramatizing  fairy  tales  of  other  lands  in 
such  a  way  as  to  use  children  as  participants  and  yet  to  hold  the 
attention  of  the  child  audience-,  and  then  to  present  items  of 
news  in  a  manner  acceptable  to  children. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "A  Carol  for  Canada,"  planned- 
produced  by  the  Canadian  Broadcasting  Corporation.  Length: 
30  minutes  j  Script,  Dorothy  Robb  and  Muriel  Patterson  j  Tal- 
ent, Muriel  Patterson,  Howard  Manning,  and  the  Isbister 
Trio;  Director-Producer,  Norman  Hollingshead.  Broadcast 
Tuesday,  i  :3O  to  2  p.  m.  over  Station  CJBC,  Toronto, 


EXHIBITION    OF    RECORDINGS  367 

CITATION — For  a  loyalty -inspiring  picture  of  all  Canada, 
chiefly  through  its  birds  and  animals,  in  a  Christmas  party 
which  culminates  in  the  appreciative  "Carol  for  Canada."  The 
program  achieves  a  satisfying  balance  of  lively  description  and 
originality  in  song  and  drama. 

Class  ii.     Teen-Agers*  (For  Out-of -School  Listening) 
No  AWARDS  WERE  GIVEN  IN  THIS  CLASS. 

Class   12.     Designed  for  In-School  Use  by  Pupils  in  Primary 

Grades  (Approximately  Grades  I-III) 
No  AWARDS  WERE  GIVEN  IN  THIS  CLASS. 

Class  13.     Designed  for  In-School  Use  by  Pupils  in  Interme- 
diate Grades  (Approximately  Grades  IV-VI) 
No  AWARDS  WERE  GIVEN  IN  THIS  CLASS. 

Class   14.     Designed  for  In-School   Use  by  Pupils  in  Jun- 
ior and/ or  Senior  High  Schools   (Approximately 
Grades  VII-XII) 
No  AWARDS  WERE  GIVEN  IN  THIS  CLASS. 

Classification  II.  Regional  Networks,  Regional  Organizations, 
and  Regional  and  Clear-Channel  Stations  (5 
to  50  k.w.) 

Class  i.     Religious 

FIRST  AWARD — "The  Pastor's  Study,"  planned-produced 
by  Station  WSB.  Length:  30  minutes;  Script,  ad  lib;  Talent, 
various  ministers  j  Director-Producer,  Dr.  Robert  S.  Giffen. 
Broadcast  Tuesdays,  Thursdays,  and  Saturdays,  1 1 130  to  1 2  :oo 
midnight  over  Station  WSB,  Atlanta,  Ga.  CITATION — For  tak- 
ing radio  time  ordinarily  discarded  and  presenting  a  program 
of  such  uniquely  worthwhile  purpose  and  so  inherently  timely, 
this  program  is  highly  commended.  Praise  is  due  both  the  pas- 
tor and  the  station  for  the  worth  of  the  idea  and  the  courage  to 
violate  many  supposed  rules  of  good  radio  to  bring  a  program 
of  such  timely  value  to  many  whoy  it  may  be  supposed,  would 
seldom  if  ever  listen  to  the  more  usual  religious  program.  The 
possibility  of  rendering  real  help  with  this  program  seems 
highly  probable.  The  presentation  of  the  minister  as  one  eager 
to  help  those  needing  answers  is  also  very  significant.  This  pro- 
gram is  commended  as  excellent  use  of  the  radio  medium  at  the 
scheduled  time. 


368  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Class  2.     Agricultural 

FIRST  AWARD — "McClatchy  Farm  Review,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  the  McClatchy  Broadcasting  Company,  Sacramento, 
Calif.  Length:  30  minutes j  Script,  Raymond  Rodgers  and 
Hamilton  Hintz  j  Talent,  Raymond  Rodgers,  Hamilton  Hintz, 
and  guests  j  Directors,  Hamilton  Hintz  and  Emil  Martin  j 
Producer,  William  Anderson.  Broadcast  Saturdays,  6:30  to 
7  a.  m.  over  various  California  and  Nevada  stations.  CITA- 
TION— For  its  concise,  extensive  farm  news  roundup  and  effec- 
tive effort  to  unite  rural  and  urban  interests  in  working  to- 
gether on  worthy  activities. 

HONORABLE  MENTION  —  "The  Voice  from  the  Farm," 
planned-produced  by  Station  WNOX.  Length:  15  minutes ; 
Script,  Cliff  Allen  j  Talent,  University  of  Tennessee  Agricul- 
tural experts  and  county  agents  j  Director,  Cliff  Allen.  Broad- 
cast Tuesdays,  Thursdays,  and  Saturdays,  6:30  to  6:45  a.  m. 
over  Station  WNOX,  Knoxville,  Tenn.  CITATION — For  pre- 
senting sound  factual  information  in  a  captivating  manner. 

SPECIAL  CITATION — "The  Farm  Front,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  the  Farm  Department,  the  Crosley  Broadcasting  Cor- 
poration. Length:  30  minutes  j  Script,  talent  and  director,  Roy 
Battles.  Broadcast  Sundays,  9  to  9:30  a.  m.  over  Station 
WLW,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  CITATION — For  outstanding  service 
in  stimulating  rtiral  thinking  on  current  issues  and  increasing 
mutual  understanding  of  the  economicy  social,  and  political  is- 
sues by  rural  and  urban  people. 

Class  3.     Women's 

FIRST  AWARD — "Knudsen  Women's  Forum,"  planned- 
produced  by  the  Columbia  Pacific  Network.  Length:  30  min- 
utes j  Script,  Hale  Sparks  and  research  staff;  Talent,  Hale 
Sparks,  moderator,  and  women  speakers  j  Director,  Cliff  How- 
ell  j  Producer,  Bill  Whitley.  Broadcast  Fridays,  7:30  to  8 
p.  m.  over  Station  KNX,  Hollywood,  Calif.  CITATION — For 
presenting  a  series  of  outstanding  programs,  giving  evidence  of 
valuable  community  service.  This  series  is  well  balanced,  of 
timely  interest,  and  given  in  a  stimulating  manner.  A II  partici- 
pants are  well  qualified  and  enthusiastic.  The  moderator  de- 
serves special  mention  for  his  competent  handling  of  the  active 
discussion.  The  questions  give  evidence  of  wide  radio  audience 
appeal. 


EXHIBITION    OF    RECORDINGS  369 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "The  Barbara  Welles  Show," 
planned-produced  by  Station  WOR.  Length:  30  minutes j 
Script,  Barbara  Welles  j  Talent,  Barbara  Welles  and  guests. 
Broadcast  Monday  through  Friday,  1 130  to  2  p.  m.  over  Sta- 
tion WOR,  New  York  City.  CITATION — For  presenting  an  in- 
formative, authentic y  and  interesting  program  which  creates  in 
the  listener  the  desire  for  "further  study  of  a  subject  which  is 
of  vital  importance  to  the  solution  of  the  present-day  world 
problems. 

Class  4.     Cultural:   Arty  Science ,  Literature ,  and  Music  (But 
Not  Straight  Music) 

FIRST  AWARD — "The  University  Hour,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  the  Communication  Center,  University  of  North 
Carolina,  Chapel  Hill.  Length:  30  minutes  j  Script,  Robert 
Schenkkan,  John  Clayton,  and  others  j  Talent,  various  j  Direc- 
tor, Arthur  V.  Briskin;  Producer,  John  Clayton.  Broadcast 
January  i,  1951,  to  March  31,  1951,  over  various  North  Caro- 
lina stations.  CITATION — For  distinguished  service  in  recog- 
nizing the  contributions  of  individuals  to  our  culture;  specifi- 
cally,  for  producing  a  highly  meritorious  y  sensitive  drama  about 
man's  victory  over  blindness. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Critically  Speaking,"  planned- 
produced  by  Station  KUOM,  the  University  of  Minnesota. 
Length:  15  minutes  j  Script,  experts  who  present  their  own 
material  j  Talent,  University  of  Minnesota,  Minnesota  colleges, 
and  the  professional  ranks  j  Director,  Irving  Fink;  Producer, 
Dorothy  Greenwood.  Broadcast  Monday  through  Friday,  3 :45 
to  4  p.  m.  over  Station  KUOM,  the  University  of  Minnesota, 
Minneapolis,  Minn.  CITATION — For  the  courage  and  forth- 
rightness  in  constantly  speaking  out  in  well-written  commen- 
tary about  unusual  problems  of  our  day,  and  suggesting  intelli- 
gent viewpoints. 

Class  5.     Dealing  with  Personal  and  Social  Problems 

FIRST  AWARD — "Minnesota  Mid-Century,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  Station  KUOM,  the  University  of  Minnesota. 
Length:  30  minutes;  Script,  William  Connell,  Mayo  Simon, 
Harry  Johnson,  Saul  Wernick,  and  Irving  Deer  j  Talent,  semi- 
professional  dramatic  casts  and  representative  Minnesota  citi- 
zens via  tape  recordings  j  Director,  Northrop  Dawson,  Jr.; 


37O  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Producer,  David  Gaines.  Broadcast  Saturdays,  February  17, 
1951,  to  May  5,  1951,  5  to  5:30  p.  m.  over  Station  KUOM, 
Minneapolis,  Minn.,  and  over  various  Minnesota  stations.  CI- 
TATION— In  producing  this  series  the  University  of  Minnesota 
has  made  an  important  contribution  to  radio  and  to  the  general 
'public  by  presenting  an  intricate  problem  of  mental  health  with 
integrity,  imagination,  and  superb  'production. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "The  Untouchables,"  planned- 
produced  by  Station  WBBM.  Length:  30  minutes j  Script, 
Perry  S.  Wolff ;  Talent,  Fahey  Flynn,  Hal  Stark,  interviewees, 
and  miscellaneous  actors ;  Director,  Perry  S.  Wolff  5  Musical 
Director,  Frank  Smith.  Broadcast  Mondays,  July  16,  1951,  to 
August  20,  1951,  8:30  to  9  p.  m.  over  Station  WBBM,  Chi- 
cago, 111.  CITATION — For  presenting  a  critical  public  problem 
with  honesty,  through  research,  and  outstanding  production. 

Class  6.     Presenting  Public  Issues  (Forums,  etc.) 

FIRST  AWARD — "Freedom  Revisited,"  planned-produced 
by  Station  WCAU.  Length:  30  minutes  j  Script,  Jack  Charest; 
News  Commentator,  Charles  Shaw;  Talent,  celebrities;  Direc- 
tor, Jack  Charest.  Broadcast  Fridays,  May  25,  1951,  to  June 
29,  1951,  10:30  to  ii  a.  m.  over  Station  WCAU,  Philadelphia, 
Pa.  CITATION — For  restating  and  rekindling  the  essence  of  an 
ideology  which  can  provide  a  dynamic  answer  to  the  acknowl- 
edged dynamic  menace  of  Communism;  for  a  humble  and  sin- 
cere reiteration  of  principles  of  positive  Americanism  that  can 
be  utilized  as  a  daily  creed;  and  for  the  permanence  of  auto- 
impulsion  on  the  individual  that  a  thirty -minute  radio  program 
can  make. 

FIRST  AWARD — "The  Killers,"  planned-produced  by  the 
Public  Service  Division,  Station  WMCA.  Length:  30  minutes 5 
Script,  various  j  Talent,  actors,  accident  victims,  and  civic  lead- 
ers; Director-Producer,  Howard  Phillips.  Broadcast  Monday 
through  Friday,  March  19,  1951,  to  April  23,  1951,  9:30  to 
10  p.  m.  over  Station  WMCA,  New  York  City.  CITATION — 
For  recognition  of  the  possibilities  of  radio  in  presenting  ef- 
fectively an  intensely  human  document;  for  a  most  awakening 
exploitation  of  the  medium  of  radio ;  and  for  a  specific  approach 
to  a  solution  of  a  nationwide  problem. 


EXHIBITION    OF    RECORDINGS  371 

Class  7.     News  Interpretation  (Not  Straight  Reporting) 

FIRST  AWARD — "E.  W.  Ziebarth  News  Analysis,"  planned- 
produced  by  Station  WCCO.  Length:  10  minutes j  Script,  tal- 
ent and  director,  E.  W.  Ziebarth.  Broadcast  Mondays,  Wed- 
nesdays, and  Fridays,  10:15  to  10:25  over  Station  WCCO, 
Minneapolis-St.  Paul,  Minn.  CITATION — For  an  intelligent 
and  informed,  yet  not  formidable,  analysis  of  the  news  by  a 
news  analyst  with  a  pleasing  manner  of  presentation  and  with  a 
voice  that  carries  authority. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "W.S.C.  Views  the  News,"  plan- 
ned-produced by  Station  KWSC.  Length:  15  minutes ;  Script, 
Burt  Harrison,  Larry  Anderson,  and  William  Ladd;  Talent, 
William  Laddj  Director-Producer,  Burt  Harrison.  Broadcast 
daily  except  Thursdays,  9:30  to  9:45  p.  m.  over  Station  KWSC, 
State  College  of  Washington,  Pullman,  Wash.  CITATION— 
For  a  Us  tenable  analysis  that  is  informative  without  being  dull-, 
that  has  authority  without  becoming  'ponderous. 

Class  8.     Futhering  International  Understanding 

FIRST  AWARD — "The  Ralph  Story  Show,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  the  Columbia  Pacific  Network.  Length :  1 5  minutes ; 
Script,  talent  and  director,  Ralph  Story.  Broadcast  Monday 
through  Friday,  October  n,  1951,  to  November  16,  1951,  8 
to  8:15  a.  m.,  PST,  over  Station  KNX,  Los  Angeles,  and  the 
CBS  Pacific  Network.  CITATION — For  excellent  use  of  tape 
recordings  to  capture  the  "feel"  of  faraway  places,  with  authen- 
tic sounds  and  interesting  narration. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "It's  a  Small  World,"  planned- 
produced  by  Station  WMAQ.  Length:  15  minutes ;  Talent, 
Louise  Leonard  Wright ;  Director,  various;  Producer,  Judith 
Waller.  Broadcast  Sundays,  10  to  10:15  a.  m.  over  Station 
WMAQ,  Chicago.  CITATION — For  furthering  international 
understanding  through  informal  discussions  with  guests  from 
other  countries.  In  these  interviews,  similarities,  rather  than 
differences,  are  pointed  out.  The  personalised  "down-to- 
earth"  quality  of  these  interviews  gives  them  validity  and  wide 
human  interest  appeal. 

SPECIAL  CITATION — "Japanese  Peace  Conference,"  plan- 
ned-produced by  Station  KFWB.  Length:  Throughout  confer- 


372  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

ence;  Script,  Al  Gordon;  Talent,  diplomats  of  more  than  fifty 
nations,  George  Putnam,  Dan  Russell,  Al  Gordon,  of  KFWB, 
and  Manchester  Boddy,  of  Los  Angeles  Daily  News.  Broad- 
cast September  i,  1951,  to  September  8,  1951,  during  the  Con- 
ference over  Station  KFWB,  Hollywood,  Calif.  CITATION — 
For  an  excellent  'public  service  in  covering  one  of  the  great 
events  of  our  times — the  signing  of  the  Japanese  Peace  Treaty 
— with  live  broadcasts  of  every  session,  interviews  with  diplo- 
mats of  fifty  nations,  and  interpretive  commentary. 

Class  9.     Special  One-Time  Broadcasts 

FIRST  AWARD — "Who  Killed  Dr.  Drew?"  planned-pro- 
duced by  Station  KOIN.  Length:  30  minutes;  Script,  Willard 
Mears;  Talent,  dramatic  cast  and  orchestra;  Director-Pro- 
ducer, Willard  Mears.  Broadcast  February  23,  1951,  7:30  to 
8  p.  m.  over  Station  KOIN,  Portland,  Ore.  CITATION — For 
bringing  to  an  educational  program  on  an  old  subject  all  the 
freshness  and  originality  normally  associated  with  the  highest 
and  best  of  American  radio.  This  program  teaches  its  lesson 
with  a  dramatic  skill  which  is  most  unusual.  From  preliminary 
planning  and  research  through  script  writing  and  production 
"Who  Killed  Dr.  Drew?"  is  deserving  of  the  highest  commen- 
dation. A  masterful  attack  on  racial  prejudice! 

Class   10.     Childrenys  (For  Out-of -School  Listening) 

FIRST  AWARD — "Let's  Listen  to  a  Story,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  the  Public  Service  Division,  Station  WMCA.  Length : 
25  minutes;  Script,  adapted  by  Lilian  Okun;  Talent,  Florida 
Freibus;  Director-Producer,  Lilian  Okun.  Broadcast  Satur- 
days, 9:05  to  9:30  a.  m.  over  Station  WMCA,  New  York  City. 
CITATION — For  nearly  perfect  use  of  simple  narrative  tech- 
nique'y  without  the  usual  paraphernalia  of  musicy  sound  effects, 
etc.,  in  presenting  a  character-building  story  based  on  deep  psy- 
chological understanding. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Down  Story  Book  Lane,"  plan- 
ned-produced by  the  Department  of  Speech,  University  of 
Michigan.  Length:  15  minutes;  Script  and  Talent,  students; 
Director-Producer,  Merrill  McClatchey.  Broadcast  Mondays, 
5:30  to  5:45  p.  m.  over  Station  WUOM,  the  University  of 
Michigan,  Ann  Arbor,  and  Sundays,  8:45  to  9  p.  m.  over 
Station  WWJ,  Detroit.  CITATION — For  stimulating  the  imag- 


EXHIBITION    OF    RECORDINGS  373 

inations  of  five-to-nine-year-olds  by  a  simply  told  story  of  ani- 
mated animals. 

Class   ii.     Teen-Agers*  (For  Out-of-School  Listening) 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "WQXR  Youth  Forum,"  plan- 
ned-produced by  Station  WQXR  and  the  New  York  Times. 
Length:  45  minutes;  Script,  ad  lib.  Moderator,  Dorothy  Gor- 
don ;  Talent,  adult  guests  and  panel  of  six  students  5  Director, 
Albert  A.  Grobe  and  Peter  Allen.  Broadcast  Saturdays,  10:15 
to  1 1  a.  m.  over  Station  WQXR,  New  York  City.  CITATION — 
For  demonstrating  consistently  how  the  resources  and  facilities 
of  a  great  newspaper  may  be  employed  to  serve  the  community 
by  encouraging  its  youth  to  take  an  intelligent  interest  in  major 
current  issues. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Young  Book  Reviewers,"  plan- 
ned-produced by  the  Public  Service  Division,  Station  WMCA. 
Length:  30  minutes  Script,  ad  lib-,  Talent,  Margaret  Scoggin; 
Director-Producer,  Lilian  Okun.  Broadcast  Saturdays,  1 1 :3O 
to  1 2  noon  over  Station  WMCA,  New  York  City.  CITATION— 
For  a  program  that  is  literate  and  popular,  combining  show- 
manship with  cultural  values;  this  program,  involving  teen- 
agers y  has  definite  appeal  to  teen-agers. 

Class   12.     Designed  for  In-School  Use  by  Pupils  in  Primary 

Grades  (Approximately  Grades  I-III) 
FIRST  AWARD — "Old  Tales  and  New,"  planned-produced 
by  the  Minnesota  School  of  the  Air  and  Station  KUOM,  the 
University  of  Minnesota.  Length:  15  minutes;  Script,  Betty 
Girling;  Talent,  members  of  the  University  of  Minnesota  radio 
station;  Director-Producer,  Don  Salper.  Broadcast  Mondays, 
ii  to  11:15  a.  m.  and  Thursdays,  2:15  to  2:30  p.  m.  over  Sta- 
tion KUOM,  the  University  of  Minnesota.  The  script  was 
used  by  various  stations  through  the  Minnesota  Tape  Ex- 
change. CITATION — For  a  unified,  imaginative,  and  inspired 
script  resulting  in  a  first-rate  production ;  for  a  program  that  is 
clear,  fresh,  original,  and  humorous;  for  teaching  a  complex 
and  difficult  concept  in  tolerance  and  understanding. 

Class  13.     Designed  for  In-School  Use  by  Pupils  in  Interme- 
diate Grades  (Approximately  Grades  IV-VI) 
FIRST  AWARD — "Let's  Sing  Together,"  planned-produced 
by  the  Department  of  Education  of  Manitoba,  Alberta,  and 


374  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

British  Columbia.  Length:  30  minutes;  Script,  James  Duncan ; 
Talent,  James  Duncan  and  school  choruses  and  soloists  ;  Direc- 
tor-Producer, Norman  Lucas.  Broadcast  alternate  Thursdays, 
3  to  3:30  p.  m.,  October  4,  1951,  to  March  27,  1952,  over  Sta- 
tion CBW,  Winnipeg,  Manitoba,  and  in  the  provinces  of  Al- 
berta and  British  Columbia.  CITATION — For  a  distinguished 
contribution  to  school  music,  planned  to  develop  an  apprecia- 
tion for  areas  of  human  understanding  and  international  good 
willy  in  addition  to  providing  a  rich  and  lasting  musical  experi- 
ence. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "News  of  the  Week,"  planned- 
produced  by  Station  WHA,  the  University  of  Wisconsin. 
Length:  15  minutes;  Script,  Elizabeth  Carlson 5  Talent,  Roy 
Vogelman,  news  editor,  and  Radio  Hall  Players  5  Director- 
Producer,  Myron  Curry.  Broadcast  Thursdays,  i  :3O  to  i  :45 
p.  m.  over  Station  WHA,  Madison,  Wise.,  and  the  State  FM 
Network.  CITATION — For  an  objective  and  dynamic  approach 
to  news  reporting,  backgrounding  current  news  in  a  historical 
setting,  and  developing  a  thoughtful  approach  toward  informa- 
tion services. 

Class  14.  Designed  for  In-School  Use  by  Pupils  in  Junior 
and /or  Senior  High  Schools  (Approximately 
Grades  VII-XII) 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Fun  from  the  Dictionary,"  plan- 
ned-produced by  Cleveland  Board  of  Education  Station 
WBOE.  Length:  15  minutes ;  Script,  I.  H.  Conley;  Talent, 
students;  Director-Producer,  J.  B.  Cameron.  Broadcast  Wed- 
nesdays, February  14,  1951,  to  June  6,  1951,  nine  times  during 
the  day  over  Board  of  Education  Station  WBOE,  Cleveland, 
Ohio.  CITATION — For  excellent  use  of  the  radio  medium;  for 
originality  and  freshness  of  approach  to  what  is  often  considered 
a  dull  subject;  for  success  in  developing  an  effective  help  in 
vocabulary  building  at  the  high  school  level. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Ecoutez!"  planned-produced  by 
the  British  Columbia  Department  of  Education  in  cooperation 
with  the  CBC.  Length:  30  minutes;  Script,  Sadie  Boyles;  Tal- 
ent, high  school  students;  Director,  Philip  J.  Kitley;  Producer, 
Raymond  Whitehouse.  Broadcast  Mondays,  January  8,  1951, 
to  April  2,  1951,  2  to  2:30  p.  m.  over  Station  CBR,  Vancouver, 
British  Columbia,  and  over  the  Pacific  Division  of  the  Trans- 


EXHIBITION    OF    RECORDINGS  375 

Canada  Network  of  CBC.  CITATION — For  an  excellent  sup- 
plementary series  in  which  the  'planner ~s,  writer,  and  producer 
have  succeeded  In  motivating  classroom  Interest  In  conversa- 
tional French  at  the  high  school  level. 

Classification   III:    Local   Organizations   and   Local   Stations 

(Less  Than  5  K.W.) 
Class  i.     Religious 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Our  Kind  of  People,"  planned- 
produced  by  the  Radio  Class,  Yale  Divinity  School.  Length: 
15  minutes  j  Script,  Barbara  Nodine  and  Irwin  Trotter  j  Talent, 
Stan  Harbison  j  Director-Producer,  Winthrop  Nelson.  Broad- 
cast Sundays,  December  23,  1951,  to  December  30,  1951, 
12:45  to  J  P-  m-  over  Station  WAVZ,  New  Haven,  Conn.  CI- 
TATION— For  an  excellent  basic  Idea  and  for  an  ambitious  un- 
dertaking, this  program  Is  commended.  Praise  Is  due  to  the 
practicability  of  the  work  herein  demonstrated  and  to  the  moti- 
vation for  activity  by  other  groups  found  in  this  'program.  The 
promotion  of  understanding  and  acceptance  of  our  fellowman 
is  'praiseworthy,  and  it  is  believed  that  the  omission  of  obvious 
preaching  deserves  special  mention  as  a  recommendation  for 
religious  programming  as  a  whole.  It  is  desired  to  encourage 
the  continuation  of  the  many  positive  qualities  of  this  program. 

Class  2.     Agricultural 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Farmer,  What's  Your  Prob- 
lem?" planned-produced  by  the  Bureau  of  Publications,  Gov- 
ernment of  Saskatchewan.  Length:  15  minutes  j  Script,  David 
E.  Watson  j  Talent,  various  in  dramatized  portion  and  co-oper- 
ative farmers  in  discussion  portion ;  Director,  David  E.  Wat- 
son j  Producer,  Fred  Laight.  Broadcast  Mondays,  January  29, 
1951,  to  March  5,  1951,  9:15  to  9:30  p.  m.  over  Station 
CKRM,  Regina,  Saskatchewan,  Canada.  CITATION — For  ef- 
fectively presenting  problems  common  to  young  farmers  and 
presenting  information  to  assist  In  solving  these  problems. 

Class  3.     Women's 

No  AWARDS  WERE  GIVEN  IN  THIS  CLASS. 

Class  4.     Cultural:   Art,  Science,  Literature,  and  Music  (But 

Not  Straight  Music) 
FIRST  AWARD — "Angell  Hall  Playhouse,"  planned-pro- 


376  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

duced  by  the  Speech  Department,  University  of  Michigan. 
Length:  30  minutes j  Script  and  Talent,  students j  Director- 
Producer,  Merrill  McClatchey.  Broadcast  Tuesdays,  8  to  8 130 
p.  m.  over  Stations  WUOM  and  WHRV,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 
CITATION — For  the  highly  successful  marriage  of  student  train- 
ing for  radio  with  •presentation  of  original  scripts  of  high  cul- 
tural value  for  the  general  adult  audience. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Sir  Ernest  Plays  Favourites," 
planned-produced  by  Station  CKEY.  Length:  60  minutes  j 
Script  and  Talent,  Sir  Ernest  MacMillan;  Director-Producer, 
Ed  Houston.  Broadcast  Sundays,  8  to  9  p.  m.  over  Station 
CKEY,  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada.  CITATION — For  a  beauti- 
ful, informal  'presentation  of  the  best  in  music  and  the  best  in 
human  footnotes,  constantly  maintaining  a  high  level  of  good 
taste  and  entertainment. 

Class  5.     Dealing  with  Personal  and  Social  Problems 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Unfinished  Business,"  planned- 
produced  by  Station  WCFM.  Length:  60  minutes  j  Script, 
Jean  Putnam  j  Talent,  staff  and  friends  of  the  station  j  Director- 
Producer,  Jean  Putnam.  Broadcast  on  the  Fourth  of  July, 
1949,  1950,  and  1951,  9:30  to  10:30  p.  m.  over  Station 
WCFM,  Washington,  D.  C.  CITATION — For  presenting  an 
incendiary  problem  to  a  sensitive  community,  with  dignity  and 
impact. 

Class  6.     Presenting  Public  Issues  (Forums,  etc.) 

FIRST  AWARD — "Alabama  Document,"  planned-produced 
by  Station  WUOA,  the  University  of  Alabama.  Length:  30 
minutes  5  Script,  LeRoy  Bannerman;  Talent,  campus  authori- 
ties and  staff  talent  5  Director-Producer,  Walter  Whitaker. 
Broadcast  Sundays,  i  to  i  :3O  p.  m.  and  Wednesdays,  8  to  8 :3O 
p.  m.  over  Station  WUOA,  the  University  of  Alabama,  Tusca- 
loosa,  Ala.,  and  distributed  over  the  state  by  tape.  CITATION — 
For  creation  in  simple,  sympathetic,  effective,  compelling  radio 
of  a  basic  regional  problem-,  for  translating  into  individual  ac- 
ceptance at  the  level  of  the  listener  a  responsibility  for  individ- 
ual cooperation  in  the  problem's  solution;  and  for  the  positive 
stimulation  of  the  listener  to  follow  the  practical  and  sound 
solutions  authentically  advanced. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Notes  on  Labor,"  planned-pro- 


EXHIBITION    OF    RECORDINGS  377 

duced  by  the  Bureau  of  Publications,  Government  of  Saskat- 
chewan. Length:  15  minutes.  Script,  David  E.  Watson j  Tal- 
ent, various  j  Director,  Fred  Laight;  Producer,  Thomas  Hill. 
Broadcast  Mondays,  November  5,  1951,  to  November  26, 
1951,  10:15  to  10:30  p.  m.  over  Station  CKRM,  Regina,  Sas- 
katchewan. CITATION — For  an  outstanding  demonstration  of 
the  use  of  radio  at  the  local  community  level-,  for  the  imagina- 
tivey  unheatedy  and  'penetratively  objective  abroach  to  a  funda- 
mental problem;  for  demonstrating  that  a  question  that  Is  so 
often  negatively  answered  by  disagreement  can  be  answered  by 
exploring  the  areas  of  agreement;  and  for  the  clear  and  Impar- 
tial analysis  thereof  and  suggested  utilization  at  the  community 
level. 

Class  7.     News  Interpretation  (Not  Straight  Reporting) 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Religion  at  the  News  Desk," 
planned-produced  by  the  New  Haven  Council  of  Churches. 
Length:  15  minutes 5  Script,  William  Miller,  Ernest  Lefever, 
Robert  Lynn,  R.  Good,  William  McKinstry,  Van  Harvey, 
Charles  McCoy,  and  David  Graybealj  Talent,  Dick  Unsworth 
and  William  Miller  j  Director-Producer,  William  Miller. 
Broadcast  Saturdays,  7  to  7:15  p.  m.  over  Station  WELI,  New 
Haven,  Conn.  CITATION — For  excellence  In  a  news  analysis 
which  has  a  constructive  abroach  along  with  the  suggested 
'possibility  that  the  listener  CAN  do  something  about  the  'prob- 
lems that  are  discussed. 

Class  8.     Furthering  International  Understanding 

FIRST  AWARD — "Freedom  Speaks,"  planned-produced  by 
the  World  Wide  Broadcasting  Corporation,  New  York  City. 
Length:  30  minutes  j  Script,  Sid  Dimond  and  Fletcher  Coates; 
Talent,  Sid  Dimond,  Fletcher  Coates,  and  Ed  Wesley  j  Direc- 
tors and  Producers,  Sid  Dimond,  Fletcher  Coates,  Ed  Wesley, 
and  Wyman  Holmes.  Broadcast  Fridays  and  Saturdays,  7  to 
7:30  p.  m.  over  short  wave  Station  WRUL,  Boston,  Mass. 
CITATION — For  an  outstanding  example  of  realism  in  selling 
the  A  merlcan  way  of  life  by  letting  A  merlcan  workers  tell  their 
own  storleSy  contrasting  their  lot  with  that  of  the  Iron  Curtain 
workers.  The  simpley  straight- forward  statements  of  those  in- 
terviewed and  the  dramatic  use  of  background  sound  effects 
give  these  shows  a  terrific  Impact. 


37^  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

Class  9.     Special  One-Time  Broadcasts 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Strike  in  Danville,"  planned- 
produced  by  Station  WFDR-FM.  Length:  60  minutes ;  Script, 
Joe  Michaels  ;  Talent,  persons  involved  in  the  strike  j  Director, 
Joe  Michaels  5  Producer,  Lou  Frankel.  Broadcast  May  25, 
1951,  9  to  10  p.  m.  over  Station  WFDR-FM,  New  York  City. 
CITATION — For  factual  and  impartial  reporting  of  a  social 
problem  with  simplicity  and  dignity.  This  program  brought  to 
its  audience  a  comprehensive  and  well-edited  coverage  of  the 
strike  in  Danville  in  such  a  manner  that  the  sociological  back- 
ground and  implications  were  developed  clearly  and  inter- 
estingly. 

Class   10.     Childrenys  (For  Out-of -School  Listening) 

FIRST  AWARD — "When  the  World  Was  Young,"  planned- 
produced  by  the  Junior  League  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  the  Radio 
Department,  University  of  Utah.  Length:  15  minutes ;  Script, 
Elizabeth  Ralphs,  Blanche  Cannon,  Christie  Freed,  Eleanor 
Thomas  j  Talent,  University  of  Utah  and  KSL  staff  members 
and  the  Junior  League  members  j  Director-Producer,  Louise 
Hill  Howe.  Broadcast  Saturdays  5:45  to  6  p.  m.  over  Station 
KSL,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  CITATION — For  the  charm  and  art 
with  which  it  brings  stories  of  Greek  mythology  to  young  lis- 
teners. 

Class   ii.     Teen-Agers*  (For  Out-of-School  Listening) 
No  AWARDS  WERE  GIVEN  IN  THIS  CLASS. 

Class   12.     Designed  for  In-School  Use  by  Pupils  in  Primary 
Grades  (Approximately  Grades  I-III) 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Tell  Me  a  Story,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  the  Minneapolis  Public  Schools.  Length:  15  min- 
utes ;  Script,  various,  edited  by  Madeline  S.  Long;  Talent, 
teachers  and  elementary  school  pupils;  Director,  Madeline  S. 
Long  and  Clarissa  Sunde.  Broadcast  Tuesdays,  n  to  11:15 
a.  m.  and  i  :45  to  2  p.  m.  over  Station  KTIS,  Minneapolis, 
Minn.  CITATION — For  an  excellent  production  of  wisely  chosen 
children's  stories  effected  through  the  use  of  typical  school 
children  as  actors.  For  a  series  in  which  the  resources  of  radio 
are  admirably  utilized — an  appropriate  and  vivid  script  pro- 
duced with  clear  narrationy  soundy  and  music. 


EXHIBITION    OF    RECORDINGS  379 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Tell  It  Again,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  Atlanta  Board  of  Education  Station  WABE-FM. 
Length:  15  minutes 5  Script,  Margaret  A.  Kilianj  Talent,  Lil- 
lian Lee,  narrator  j  Director-Producer,  Margaret  A.  Kilian. 
Broadcast  Wednesdays  and  Thursdays,  9:45  a.  m.,  12:20  p.  m., 
and  i  :2O  p.  m.  over  Board  of  Education  Station  WABE-FM, 
Atlanta,  Ga.  CITATION — For  an  excellent  selection  of  favorite 
stories  of  children  presented  in  a  simple,  but  appealing  manner; 
designed  to  encourage  further  reading,  as  well  as  to  provide  a 
highly  entertaining  listening  period  for  primary  children. 

Class   13.     Designed  for  In-School  Use  by  Pupils  in  Interme- 
diate Grades  (Approximately  Grades  IV-VI) 
No  AWARDS  WERE  GIVEN  IN  THIS  CLASS. 

Class  14.  Designed  for  In-School  Use  by  Pupils  in  Junior 
and/or  Senior  High  Schools  (Approximately 
Grades  VII-XII) 

FIRST  AWARD — "United  Nations — Success  Story,"  plan- 
ned-produced by  the  Radio  Division,  Department  of  Theater 
Arts,  University  of  California  at  Los  Angeles  and  Audio-Visual 
Aids  Section  of  the  Los  Angeles  City  Schools.  Length:  15  min- 
utes j  Script,  Arthur  B.  Friedman  and  Elizabeth  Hunter  j  Tal- 
ent, students  j  Producers,  Arthur  Friedman,  Walter  K.  King- 
son,  Ruth  Swanson,  and  Richard  Tumin.  Broadcast  Mondays, 
1:15  to  1:30  p.  m.  and  2  to  2:15  p.  m.;  Tuesdays,  2  to  2:15 
p.  m.j  Wednesdays,  1:15  to  1:30  p.  m.;  Thursdays,  11:30  to 
11:45  a.  m.,  January  3,  1951,  to  March  i,  1951,  over  various 
California  stations.  CITATION — For  rendering  a  valuable  aid 
to  teachers  of  social  studies  by  effectively  presenting  a  series  of 
skillfully  written  dramatized  stories  in  which  the  work  of  vari- 
ous agencies  of  the  UN  is  interpreted  in  terms  of  human  value. 


380  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

TELEVISION  AWARDS 

Classification  I.  Network:  Multi-Station  Telecast  by  Cable, 
Relay,  or  Delayed  Video  Recording  (Kine- 
scope) 

Class  i.  Public  A  fairs:  News  Interpretation,  Issues,  Prob- 
lems, etc. 

FIRST  AWARD — "The  March  of  Time  Through  the  Years," 
planned-produced  by  the  March  of  Time.  Length:  30  min- 
utes ;  Script,  Lilian  Rixey;  Film  Editor,  John  Dullaghan;  Tal- 
ent, John  Daly  and  guests  5  Director,  Richard  Krolik;  Pro- 
ducer, Arthur  B.  Tourtellot.  Telecast  at  various  times  over 
Station  WJZ-TV,  New  York  City,  and  numerous  ABC  sta- 
tions. CITATION — For  its  interesting  and  significant  compari- 
son of  conditions  of  three  decades. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Industry  on  Parade,"  planned- 
produced  by  the  Public  Relations  Division,  National  Associa- 
tion of  Manufacturers.  Length:  15  minutes;  Script,  Arthur  J. 
Lodge,  Jr.;  Talent,  various;  Producer,  G.  W.  Johnstone, 
N.A.M.  Films  were  produced  by  NBC-TV  News.  Telecast 
over  53  stations  at  various  times.  CITATION — For  an  informa- 
tive presentation  of  the  story  of  American  industry. 

SPECIAL  AWARD — "TV  Spots  Before  Your  Eyes,"  planned- 
produced  by  the  American  Jewish  Committee.  Length:  I  min- 
ute; Script,  Lynne  Rhodes;  Talent,  Tom  Glazer,  folk  singer, 
and  Fred  Arnott,  artist;  Director,  Milton  E.  Krents;  Producer, 
Lynne  Rhodes.  Telecast  over  numerous  stations  at  various 
times.  CITATION — For  a  succinct  presentation  of  the  essence  of 
brotherhood  in  an  animated  spot  announcement. 

Class  2.     Cultural:  Drama,  Music,  Literature,  Science,  Art 

FIRST  AWARD — "Zoo  Parade,"  planned-produced  by  the 
National  Broadcasting  Company.  Length:  30  minutes;  Script, 
Don  Meier;  Talent,  R.  Marlin  Perkins,  Jim  Hurlbut,  Lincoln 
Park  Zoo  animals,  birds,  and  reptiles;  Director-Producer,  Don 
Meier.  Telecast  Sundays,  4:30  to  5  p.  m.,  EST,  over  the  Na- 
tional Broadcasting  Company,  Chicago,  111.  CITATION — For  a 
novel  program  that  recognizes  the  educational  values  inherent 
in  a  community  enterprise  so  often  regarded  as  pure  entertain- 
ment and  that  presents  those  values  with  technical  excellence, 
good  taste,  and  audience  appeal. 


EXHIBITION    OF    RECORDINGS  381 

HONORABLE  MENTION  —  "Mr.  Wizard,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  the  Cereal  Institute,  Chicago,  111.  Length:  30  min- 
utes ;  Script  and  Talent,  Don  Herbert;  Director,  Don  Meier; 
Producer,  Jules  Pewowar.  Telecast  Saturdays,  5:30  to  6  p.  m., 
CST,  over  Station  WNBQ,  Chicago,  111.,  and  over  the  NBC- 
TV  Network.  CITATION — For  effectively  popularizing  impor- 
tant scientific  phenomena  with  integrity  and  a  keen  sense  of  re- 
sponsibility to  the  audience. 

Class  3.     Programs    Directed    to    Special    Interest    Groups: 

Women's,  Agriculture,  etc. 
No  AWARDS  WERE  GIVEN  IN  THIS  CLASS. 
Class  4.     Systematic    Instruction:     TV    University ,    Tele- 


courseSy  etc. 


FIRST  AWARD — "American  Inventory,"  planned-produced 
by  Teleprograms,  Inc.  Length:  30  minutes;  Script,  free  lance; 
Talent,  Ray  Morgan,  narrator  and  free  lance  actors;  Producer, 
Bill  Hodapp.  Telecast  Sundays,  since  July  i,  1951,  1:30  to  2 
p.  m.  over  Station  WNBT,  New  York  City,  and  the  NBC  Net- 
work. CITATION — For  effective  visual  development  through 
mature  dramatization  of  a  wide  variety  of  themes  basic  to  un- 
derstanding of  American  democracy. 

Class  5.     Children's  Programs  (Out-of-School) 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "The  Big  Top,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  Station  WCAU-TV.  Length:  60  minutes;  Script, 
Robert  Forrest;  Talent,  Jack  Sterling,  Ed  McMahon,  and 
Chris  Keegan;  Director,  Paul  Ritts;  Producer,  Charles  Vanda. 
Telecast  Saturdays,  since  July  i,  1950,  12  to  i  p.  m.  over  Sta- 
tion WCAU-TV,  Philadelphia,  and  the  CBS-TV  Network. 
CITATION — For  presenting  wholesome  entertainment  for  chil- 
dren at  home,  using  authentic  settings,  skillful  production,  and 
exciting  acts  in  capturing  the  flavor  of  the  circus,  a  great  Ameri- 
can tradition. 

Class  6.     School  Telecasts  (Elementary  and  High  School) 
No  AWARDS  WERE  GIVEN  IN  THIS  CLASS. 

Classification  II.  Local  and  Regional  Stations  or  Organizations 
Class  i.     Public  Affairs:    News  Interpretation,  Issues,  Prob- 
lems, etc. 
FIRST  AWARD — "March  On,"  planned-produced  by  Sta- 


382  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

tion  KING-TV.  Length:  25  minutes;  Script,  Pvt.  William  A. 
Loudonj  Talent,  members  of  the  Armed  Forces ,  Director- 
Producer,  Lee  Schulman.  Telecast  Saturdays,  since  February 
24,  1951,  7:35  to  8  p.  m.  over  Station  KING-TV,  Seattle, 
Wash.  CITATION — For  merit  as  an  example  of  a  creatively 
conceived,  technically  excellent,  local  telecast  'performing  a 
needed  community  service. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Your  Family  Doctor,"  planned- 
produced  by  the  Baltimore  City  Health  Department  and  Sta- 
tion WMAR-TV.  Length:  15  minutes j  Script,  Ralph  T. 
Braunj  Talent,  outstanding  medical  and  public  health  author- 
ities j  Director-Producer,  Robert  C.  Jones.  Telecast  Mondays, 
since  December  15,  1948,  7:15  to  7:30  p.  m.  over  Station 
WMAR-TV,  Baltimore,  Md.  CITATION — For  its  informative 
presentation  of  the  tope  of  community  health  and  its  contribu- 
tion to  'public  education  on  the  problem  of  personal  hygiene. 

SPECIAL  AWARD  —  "Inside  Our  Schools,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  Station  WHAS  Television.  Length:  20  minutes ; 
Script,  Ken  Meeker ;  Talent,  teachers  and  school  children  j  Di- 
rector, Ralph  Hansen;  Producer,  Richard  Sweeney.  Telecast 
Monday  through  Friday,  November  n,  1951  to  November 
17,  1951,  morning,  afternoon  and  night  over  Station  WHAS 
Television,  Louisville,  Ky.  CITATION  —  For  its  significant 
treatment  of  a  topic  of  immediate  community  importance  in  an 
honest  and  direct  manner. 

Class  2.     Cultural:  Drama,  Music,  Literature,  Science,  Art 

FIRST  AWARD — "Science  in  Action,"  planned-produced  by 
the  California  Academy  of  Sciences.  Length:  30  minutes ; 
Script,  Benjamin  Draper,  Nelson  Valjean,  Larry  Russell, 
Lawrence  A.  Williams,  Jr.,  David  Kasavan,  Richard  Bertran- 
dias  and  Ross  Chichester;  Talent,  Tom  Groody;  Director, 
Russell  Baker  j  Executive  Producer,  Benjamin  Draper.  Tele- 
cast Tuesdays,  since  September,  1950,  7  to  7:30,  PST,  over 
Station  KGO-TV,  San  Francisco,  Calif.  CITATION — For  tech- 
nical excellence  and  effectiveness  in  the  presentation  of  sound 
scientific  information  of  high  value  in  a  manner  that  is  appeal- 
ing and  easily  understood  by  the  family  audience. 

HONORABLE  MENTION  —  "KING'S  Community  Work- 
shop," planned-produced  by  Station  KING-TV.  Length:  25 


EXHIBITION    OF    RECORDINGS  383 

minutes j  Script,  ad  lib;  Talent,  William  Corcoran,  master  of 
ceremonies,  and  various  educators  and  experts  j  Director-Pro- 
ducer, William  Nielson.  Telecast  Monday  through  Friday, 
since  October  i,  1951, 1 1 130  to  1 1 155  a.  m.  over  Station  KING- 
TV,  Seattle,  Wash.  CITATION — For  making  a  television  series 
a  true  community  project  by  becoming  a  *part  of  that  commu- 
nity and  reflecting  accurately  and  sensitively  the  cultural  activ- 
ities that  are  available. 

Class  3.     Programs    Directed    to    Special    Interest    Groups: 

Women's,  Agriculture,  etc. 

FIRST  AWARD — "How  Does  Your  Garden  Grow?"  plan- 
ned-produced by  Station  WNBQ.  Length:  30  minutes  j  Script, 
ad  lib;  Talent,  John  Nash  Ott,  Jr.,  instructor  j  Director,  vari- 
ous -j  Producer,  George  Heinemann.  Telecast  Sundays,  since 
April  22,  1951,  i  to  1:30  p.  m.  over  Station  WNBQ,  Chicago, 
111.  CITATION — For  a  creative  educational  series,  combining 
factors  of  'practice  and  theory,  and  developing  excellent  motiva- 
tion for  constructive  action  by  the  family  grou'p. 

Class  4.     Systematic  Instruction:  TV  University,  Telecourses, 
etc. 

FIRST  AWARD — "The  Western  Reserve  University  Tele- 
courses,"  planned-produced  by  Station  WEWS  and  Western 
Reserve  University.  Length:  30  minutes  j  Speakers,  Messrs. 
Stromberg,  Hampton,  Wallen  and  Remenyij  Director-Pro- 
ducer, Barclay  S.  Leathern.  Telecast  Monday  through  Satur- 
day, since  September  17,  1951,  9  to  9:30  a.  m.  over  Station 
WEWS,  Cleveland,  Ohio.  CITATION — For  a  successful  pio- 
neer effort  in  presenting  formal  adult  education  materials  on 
television  with  clarity  and  simplicity. 

Class  5.     Children's  Programs  (Out-of- School) 

FIRST  AWARD  —  "Telaventure  Tales,"  planned-produced 
by  Station  KING-TV  in  cooperation  with  Gloria  Chandler  Re- 
cordings, Inc.  Length:  30  minutes  j  Script,  Gloria  Chandler  j 
Talent :  story  teller,  children  from  Junior  Theater  as  book  char- 
acters, eight  children  from  a  different  school  each  week  as  vis- 
ual audience  and  the  voice  of  Penjamin  Scribble  j  Director,  Lee 
Schulmanj  Producer,  Gloria  Chandler.  Telecast  Saturdays, 
since  November  17, 1951, 10  to  10:30  a.m.  over  Station  KING- 
TV,  Seattle,  Wash.  CITATION — For  best  combining  the  imag- 


384  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

inative  resources  of  television  with  superior  production  to 
achieve  a  blend  of  unusual  educational  and  entertainment  val- 
ues; well  designed  to  motivate  children  to  further  reading  of 
good  books. 

HONORABLE  MENTION — "Magic  Window,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  Station  WOI-TV,  Iowa  State  College.  Length:  30 
minutes ;  Script,  Richard  F.  Hartzell,  Jr.;  Talent,  Craighton 
Knau  and  Joy  Ringham;  Director,  John  Dunlopj  Producer, 
Richard  F.  Hartzell,  Jr.  Telecast  Mondays,  Wednesdays  and 
Fridays,  since  October  15,  1951,  4:30  to  5  p.  m.  over  Station 
WOI-TV,  Ames,  Iowa.  CITATION — For  doing  a  craftsmanlike 
job  of  direct  teaching)  and  for  presenting  a  unified  development 
of  a  worthwhile  themey  carefully  geared  to  the  viewing  child 
in  terms  of  his  span  of  inter esty  comprehension  and  ability. 

Class  6.     School  Telecasts  (Elementary  and  High  School) 

FIRST  AWARD  —  "Operation  Blackboard,"  planned-pro- 
duced by  the  Philadelphia  Public  Schools.  Length:  30  min- 
utes j  Script,  Radio-TV  staff  of  the  Philadelphia  Public  Schools. 
Telecast  Monday  through  Friday,  since  October  i,  1951,  lOto 
10:30  a.  m.  over  Station  WPTZ,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  CITATION 
— For  a  significant  venture  in  a  developing  field  and  for  em- 
phasis on  high  quality ;  strong  participation  values;  and  recog- 
nition of  the  need  to  keep  content  at  a  practical  level. 


COOPERATING  JUDGING  CENTERS,  COORDINATORS, 
JUDGES  AND  SUMMARIZERS  FOR  RADIO  SERIES 

CLASS  i — Religious.  Center — Waco,  Texas.  Coordinator,  John  W.  Bachman, 
Director  of  Radio,  Baylor  University,  Waco,  Texas;  formerly  Minister 
and  Commercial  Announcer.  Judges:  William  B.  Helton,  former  Com- 
mercial Announcer  and  Program  Director,  Station  WACO;  Professor 
of  Radio,  Baylor  University;  Rev.  Charles  Higgins,  Episcopal  Minister 
and  President  of  the  Ministerial  Association;  former  Professional  Musician 
with  the  Les  Brown  Orchestra;  M.  N.  Bostick,  Manager,  Station  KWTX; 
Mary  Ellen  Graham,  Radio  Writer  with  a  Catholic  Background;  John 
Bachman.  Summarizer,  Louise  Helton,  Instructor  in  Radio,  Baylor 
University. 

CLASS  2 — Agricultural.  Center — Columbus,  Ohio.  Coordinator,  Larry  E. 
Sarbaugh,  Extension  Radio  Editor,  Office  of  Information  and  Educational 
Aids,  Agricultural  Extension  Service,  Ohio  State  University.  Judges: 
Francis  C.  Byrnes,  Agricultural  Editor,  Office  of  Information  and  Edu- 


EXHIBITION    OF    RECORDINGS  385 

cational  Aids,  Agricultural  Extension  Service,  Ohio  State  University; 
Robert  Worrall,  Associate  Extension  Agent,  Franklin  County;  Larry  E. 
Sarbaugh.  Summarizer,  Larry  E.  Sarbaugh. 

CLASS  3 — Women's.  Center — Cleveland,  Ohio.  Coordinator,  Mrs.  W.  J. 
Snow,  Chairman,  Evaluation  Committee,  Radio-Television  Council  of 
Greater  Cleveland.  Judges:  Rachel  Bevington,  Member,  Evaluation 
Committee,  Radio-Television  Council  of  Greater  Cleveland;  Florence 
Rogers,  Member,  Evaluation  Committee,  Radio-Television  Council  of 
Greater  Cleveland;  Grace  Dougherty,  Member,  Evaluation  Committee, 
Radio-Television  Council  of  Greater  Cleveland;  Mrs.  Thomas  Hayes, 
Member,  Evaluation  Committee,  Radio-Television  Council  of  Greater 
Cleveland;  Mrs.  H.  W.  Loescher,  Member,  Evaluation  Committee, 
Radio-Television  Council  of  Greater  Cleveland;  Mrs.  Robert  Conway, 
Member,  Evaluation  Committee,  Radio-Television  Council  of  Greater 
Cleveland;  Mrs.  Alfred  DeWitz,  Member,  Evaluation  Committee,  Radio- 
Television  Council  of  Greater  Cleveland. 

CLASS  4 — Cultural.  Center — Boston,  Mass.  Coordinator,  Leo  A.  Martin, 
Director  and  Professor,  Division  of  Radio,  Television,  and  Theater, 
Boston  University.  Judges:  O.  Leonard  Press,  Radio  and  Television 
Assistant,  Publicity  Bureau,  Boston  University;  Sidney  A.  Dimond, 
Assistant  Professor,  Division  of  Radio,  Television,  and  Theater,  Boston 
University;  Anne  Kelleher,  Instructor,  Division  of  Radio,  Television, 
and  Theater,  Boston  University.  Summarizer,  Gerald  F.  Noxon,  Associate 
Professor,  Division  of  Radio,  Television,  and  Theater,  Boston  University. 

CLASS  5 — Personal  and  Social  Problems.  Center — Washington,  D.C.  Co- 
ordinator, Gertrude  G.  Broderick,  Radio-Television  Education  Specialist, 
United  States  Office  of  Education.  Judges:  Marvin  Beers,  Chief  of 
Information,  Bureau  of  Medical  Services,  United  States  Public  Health 
Service;  Muriel  W.  Brown,  Consultant  in  Family  Life  Education,  Home 
Economics  Education  Service,  United  States  Office  of  Education ;  Howard 
H.  Cummings,  Specialist  for  the  Social  Sciences  and  Geography,  United 
States  Office  of  Education;  Marion  L.  Faegre,  Consultant  in  Parent 
Education,  Children's  Bureau,  Federal  Security  Agency.  Summaiizer, 
Gertrude  G.  Broderick. 

CLASS  6 — Presenting  Public  Issues  (Forum,  etc.).  Center — Lexington,  Ky. 
Coordinator,  Elmer  G.  Sulzer,  Head,  Department  of  Radio  Arts;  Director 
of  University  Radio  Activities,  University  of  Kentucky.  Judges:  Kath- 
erine  Fox,  Director  of  Special  Interests  Programs,  Station  WLW,  Cincin- 
nati; Jean  Clos,  Director  of  Public  Interests  Programs,  Station  WKLO, 
Louisville;  Bill  Ladd,  Radio  Columnist  and  Critic,  Louisville  Courier- 
Journal.  Summarizer,  Mrs.  Joe  C.  (Queenie)  Grable,  National  Radio 
Chairman,  National  Federation  of  Business  and  Professional  Women's 
Clubs. 

CLASS  7 — News  Interpretation  (Not  Straight  Reporting).  Center — Urbana, 
111.  Coordinator,  Frank  E.  Schooley,  Assistant  Professor  of  Journalism; 
Manager,  Station  WILL,  University  of  Illinois.  Judges:  Donald  E. 
Brown,  Assistant  Professor  of  Journalism  and  Communications;  Super- 


386  EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 

visor  of  News,  Station  WILL,  University  of  Illinois;  Harold  Salzman, 
News  Editor,  Station  WILL,  University  of  Illinois;  Frank  E.  Schooley. 
Summarizer,  Donald  E.  Brown. 

CLASS  8 — Furthering  International  Understanding.  Center — Chicago,  111. 
Coordinator,  Josephine  Wetzler,  Director  of  Education,  Station  WLS. 
Judges:  Judith  C.  Waller,  Director,  Public  Affairs  and  Education,  Na- 
tional Broadcasting  Company,  Midwest  Division;  Farrell  Davisson, 
Editor,  Variety;  Louise  L.  Wright,  Midwest  Director,  Institute  for 
International  Education;  Donald  F.  Fedderson,  Director  of  Radio, 
Northwestern  University;  John  Drake,  Director  of  Public  Relations, 
Station  WLS. 

Note:  Miss  Waller  and  Mrs.  Wright  did  not  participate  in  the  judging 
of  the  WMAQ  program  "It's  a  Small  World." 

CLASS  9 — Special  One-Time  Broadcasts.  Center — Syracuse,  N.Y.  Coordina- 
tor, Eugene  S.  Foster,  Radio  and  Television  Center,  Syracuse  University. 
Judges:  Gordon  Alderman,  Program  Director  and  Production  Manager, 
Station  WHEN;  Edward  C.  Jones,  Assistant  Professor,  Radio  and  Tele- 
vision; Manager,  Station  WAER,  Syracuse  University;  Jeanne  Anne 
King,  in  Charge,  Radio  and  Television,  Syracuse  Board  of  Education. 
Summarizer,  Mrs.  Howard  Coffin,  Assistant  to  the  Executive  Secretary 
of  the  Empire  State  FM  School  of  the  Air. 

CLASS  10 — Children's  (For  Out-of-School  Listening).  Center — Madison, 
Wise.  Coordinator,  Leslie  Spence,  Chairman  of  Education,  Wisconsin 
Association  for  Better  Radio  and  Television.  Judges:  Fred  Delliquadri, 
Director,  Division  for  Children  and  Youth,  Wisconsin  State  Department 
of  Public  Welfare;  Member  of  the  National  White  House  Fact-Finding 
Committee  for  Children  and  Youth;  Member,  National  Board,  American 
Public  Welfare  Association;  Mrs.  E.  T.  Herbig,  Parent;  DeAlton  G. 
Neher,  Program  Coordinator,  Wisconsin  State  Broadcasting  Service;  Mrs. 
L.  A.  Osborn,  Parent;  formerly,  Assistant  Professor  of  Education,  Uni- 
versity of  Buffalo;  Director,  Laboratory  for  Study  of  Young  Children 
and  Parent  Education;  Dr.  Hania  W.  Ris,  Pediatrician;  formerly, 
Instructor  in  Pediatrics,  Johns  Hopkins  Medical  School;  Parent.  Sum- 
marizer, Leslie  Spence. 

CLASS  II — Teen-Agers'  (For  Out-of-School  Listening).  Center — New  York 
City.  Coordinator,  Elizabeth  Bass  Golding,  President,  National  Woman's 
Forum,  Inc.  Judges:  James  F.  Macandrew,  Director  of  Broadcasting, 
Board  of  Education  Station  WNYE,  New  York  City;  Flora  Rheta 
Schreiber,  Assistant  Professor  of  Speech;  Director,  Radio  TV  Workshop, 
Adelphi  College  and  New  York  School  for  Social  Research.  Summarizer, 
Jerome  Binder,  Program  Director  for  Teen-agers  and  Young  Adults, 
North  Hudson  Community  Center,  Union  City,  New  Jersey. 

CLASS  12 — Designed  for  In-School  Use  by  Pupils  in  Primary  Grades  (Ap- 
proximately Grades  I-III).  Center — Newark,  N.  J.  Coordinator,  Mar- 
guerite Kirk,  Director,  Department  of  Libraries,  Visual  Aids  and  Radio, 
Board  of  Education.  Judges:  Margaret  Manly,  Radio  Assistant,  Newark 
Board  of  Education ;  Marie  Scanlon,  Radio  Assistant,  Newark  Board  of 


EXHIBITION    OF    RECORDINGS  387 

Education;  Edith  List,  Radio  Assistant,  Newark  Board  of  Education; 
Sally  Bianchi,  Assistant,  Newark  Board  of  Education;  Clara  Brady, 
Librarian,  Newark  Board  of  Education ;  Marie  Guthrie,  Radio  Assistant, 
Newark  Board  of  Education;  Loretta  McDonald,  Department  of  Lib- 
raries, Visual  Aids  and  Radio,  Newark  Board  of  Education.  Summarizer, 
E.  T.  Schofield,  Assistant  Supervisor,  Department  of  Libraries,  Visual 
Aids  and  Radio,  Newark  Board  of  Education. 

CLASS  13 — Designed  for  In-School  Use  by  Pupils  in  Intermediate  Grades 
(Approximately  Grades  IV-VI).  Center — Minneapolis,  Minn.  Co- 
ordinator, Betty  Thomas  Girling,  Director,  Minnesota  School  of  the  Air, 
Station  KUOM,  University  of  Minnesota.  Judges:  Lorayne  Palarine, 
Radio  Supervisor,  St.  Paul  Schools;  Irving  Fink,  Production  Director, 
Station  KUOM,  University  of  Minnesota;  Betty  Thomas  Girling;  Mary 
Lou  Reed,  Administrative  Fellow  in  Radio,  Station  KUOM,  University 
of  Minnesota.  Summarizer,  Mary  Lou  Reed. 

CLASS  14 — Designed  for  In-School  Use  by  Pupils  in  Junior  and/or  Senior 
High  Schools  (Approximately  Grades  VII-XII).  Center — St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Coordinator,  Marguerite  Fleming,  Director,  Board  of  Education  Station 
KSLH.  Judges:  Catherine  Dillon,  Program  Coordinator,  Station  KSLH; 
William  Kottmeyer,  Assistant  Superintendent  in  Charge  of  Special 
Services,  St.  Louis  Public  Schools;  Gould  Meenach,  Teacher  of  Drama- 
tics and  Director  of  Radio  Workshop,  Southwest  High  School;  Lucille 
Sutherland,  Principal,  Ashland  Elementary  School;  John  Tinnea,  Assist- 
ant Director  in  Charge  of  Programs,  Station  KWK.  These  were  assisted 
by  Principals,  Directors,  Consultants,  Teachers,  Educational  Radio  Writers 
and  Producers. 

TELEVISION  SERIES 

Center — Columbus,  Ohio.  Coordinator,  John  C.  Crabbe,  President,  Associa- 
tion for  Education  by  Radio-Television ;  Director  of  Radio,  College  of  the 
Pacific.  Judges:  Richard  H.  Bell,  Research  Associate  in  Radio  Education, 
Ohio  State  University;  William  H.  Ewing,  Program  Supervisor,  Station 
WOSU,  Ohio  State  University;  Andrew  Hendrickson,  Professor,  Bureau 
of  Special  and  Adult  Education,  Ohio  State  University;  George  R. 
Holsinger,  News  Supervisor,  Station  WOSU,  Ohio  State  University; 
Richard  M.  Mall,  Director  of  Public  Affairs,  Station  WLW-C;  Instructor, 
Department  of  Speech,  Ohio  State  University;  Milton  D.  McLean, 
Coordinator  of  Religious  Activities,  Ohio  State  University;  Marion 
Renick,  Script  Editor,  Ohio  School  of  the  Air,  Ohio  State  University; 
Ottmer  F.  Schlaak,  Program  Assistant,  Station  WOSU,  Ohio  State 
University;  John  Sittig,  Director,  Radio  and  Visual  Aids,  Columbus  City 
Schools,  Columbus;  Paul  H.  Wagner,  Associate  Professor,  School  of 
Journalism,  Ohio  State  University;  Robert  W.  Wagner,  Assistant  Pro- 
fessor, Department  of  Photography,  Ohio  State  University. 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Abbott,  Waldo,  229 

Adkins,  Gale  R.,  226 

Advertising  on  Television,  II 

Aird  Commission,  291 

Aird,  John,  291 

Allen,  Larry,  182 

Allerton  Report,  250 

American  Exhibition  of  Recordings, 
Sixteenth  Annual,  363 

American  Heritage,  The,  261 

An  Analysis  of  the  Allocation  of  TV  Chan- 
nels to  Education,  Paul  A.  Walker,  112 

Anderson,  Milo,  264 

Are  We  Doing  An  Effective  Job  as  Organ- 
ized Radio  Listeners,  Mrs.  Harold  W. 
Barger,  presiding,  237 

Armed  Forces  Radio  Service,  261 

AUSMUS,  GRAYDON,  presiding,  Closed  Cir- 
cuit Theater  Television — A  New  Mass 
Medium?,  315  presiding,  Clinic  for  Edu- 
cational Stations,  207;  presiding,  An  An- 
alysis of  the  Allocation  of  TV  Channels 
to  Education,  112 

AZINE,  HAROLD,  Some  Practical  Aspects  of 
Closed  Circuit  Operation,  33 

Bachman,  John  W.,  227,  265 

Barbour,  Philip  L.,  82 

BARDEN,  JOHN  P.,  presiding,  Broadcasting 
Adult  Education,  196 

BARGER,  MRS.  HAROLD  W.,  presiding,  Are 
We  Doing  An  Effective  Job  as  Organized 
Radio  Listeners?,  237 

Barnouw,  Erik,  205 

BARTLETT,  KENNETH,  moderator  and  dis- 
cussion leader,  The  Improvement  of 
Television  Programming,  25-31;  discus- 
sion leader,  Closed  Circuit  Theater  Tele- 
vision— A  New  Mass  Medium?,  43-49; 
discussion  leader,  What  the  Educational 
Administrator  Expects  from  Television, 
107-12 

Bell,  Richard  H.,  141 

Bernstein,  George  A.,  30 

Birney,  George  H.,  44 

BLACK,  ELIZABETH,  Selecting  the  Target, 
297 


BORMANN,  JAMES,  presiding,  Coverage  Via 
Television  of  News  and  Special  Events, 
269 

Boston  University,  134 

BOUTWELL,  WILLIAM  D.,  presiding,  The 
High  School  Workshops  in  Radio  and 
Television,  202 

Boyle,  James  R.,  230 

British  Broadcasting  Corp.  (BBC),  74,  79, 
294 

Broadcasting  Problems  of  Teacher  Train- 
ing, Institutions,  Clarence  M.  Morgan, 
presiding,  229 

Broadcast  Training  in  Colleges  and  Univer- 
sities, Thomas  D.  Rishworth,  presiding, 
225 

Broadcasting  in  Adult  Education,  John  P. 
Barden,  presiding,  196 

Broadcasting  and  International  Understand- 
ing, Bernard  R.  Buck,  79 

Broadcasting  by  Government  Agencies,  John 
P.  Meagher,  presiding,  261 

Broadcasting  by  National  Organizations, 
Robert  K.  Richards,  presiding,  256 

Broadcasting  Health  Information,  Claude- 
Starr  Wright,  presiding,  263 

Broadcasting  in  the  School  Public  Relations 
Program,  Allen  H.  Wetter,  presiding,  191 

Broadcasting  to  Foreign  Countries,  Dorothy 
M.  Lewis,  presiding,  53 

Broderick,  Mrs.  Gertrude  G.,  206,  239 

Brown,  G.  Stewart,  182 

Brown,  Walberg,  The  Case  for  Serious 
Music,  321 

Browne,  R.  Edwin,   128,  227 

Bryan,  Julien,  153 

BUCK,  BERNARD  R.,  presiding,  Broadcasting 
and  International  Understanding,  79 

Building  and  Holding  Audiences,  Allen 
Miller,  presiding,  295 

BULLITT,  MRS.  A.  SCOTT,  Toward  Im- 
proved Television  Programming,  13 

Butcher,  Jesse,  175 

Byron,  James  A.,  269 

Caffrey,  Gerald  P.,  48 
Cahan,  Herbert,  44 


391 


392 


EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 


Galloway,  Joe  A.,  29 

Cane,  William,  220 

Carlson,  Floyd  E.,  47 

Carmony,  Edwin,  210 

Carroll,  Charles  R.,  Jr.,  The  Public  Rela- 
tions Viewpoint,  318 

Case  for  International  Radio,  The,  Pierre 
Crenesse,  76 

Case  for  Serious  Music,  The,  Ronald  W. 
Richards,  presiding,  321 

Cassidy,  Henry,  278 

CBC,  281 

CBS  Television,  82 

CECH,  RICHARD  J.,  presiding,  Television  in 
Agricultural  Broadcasting,  303;  Televis- 
ion Research  at  WOI-TV,  308 

Chapman,  James,  The  Commercial  RFD's 
Experience,  316,  313 

Charters,  W.  W.,  353 

Christian  Science  Monitor,  54 

Christie,  Eileen,  359 

Cincinnati  TV  Educational  Foundation,  129 

Clark,  Miss  Ella  C.,  26;  How  Teachers 
Can  Guide  Children  to  Evaluate  TV  and 
Radio  Programs,  335 

Clark,  Thomas  C.,  257 

Clarke,  Walton  D.,  210,  231 

Clinic  for  Educational  Stations,  Graydon 
Ausmus,  presiding,  207 

Clinic  for  ic-Watt  Stations,  M.  McCabe 
Day,  presiding,  210 

Clinic  on  the  Utilization  of  Educational  TV 
Channels,  Belmont  M.  Farley,  presiding, 

120 

Closed  Circuit  Theater  Television — A  New 
Mass  Medium?,  Graydon  Ausmus,  pre- 
siding, 31 

College  Broadcaster,  The,  Jessie  E.  Heath- 
man,  315 

Collier,  Eleanor,  134 

Colliers,  54 

Command  Post,  35 

Commercial  RFD's  Experience,  The,  James 
Chapman,  316 

Communications  Research,  Merritt  C.  Lud- 
wig,  presiding,  335 

Consider  Your  Turntables,  Richard  Red- 
mond, 326 

Conway,  Mrs.  Robert  W.,  240 

County  Agent  Speaks,  A,  Forest  Hall,   313 

Coverage  Via  Television  of  News  and  Spe- 
cial Events,  James  Bormann,  presiding, 
269 

CRABBE,  JOHN  C.,  presiding,  Keeping  Up 
With  School  Telecasting,  143 

Crane,  B.  Kendall,  228 

CRENESSE,  PIERRE,  The  Case  for  Interna- 
tional Radio,  76 

Creshkoff,  Lawrence,  126,  210 

CREWS,  ALBERT  R.,  presiding,  Religious 
Broadcasting,  330 


Crosby,  John,  21 

Cultural  and  Educational  Possibilities  of 
Television,  The,  Jacob  B.  Taylor,  pre- 
siding, 353 

DAY,  CHARLES  R.,  Radio  News  Considered 
As  An  Adjunct  to  Public  Relations,  274 

DAY,  M.  McCABE,  presiding,  Clinic  for 
10-Watt  Stations,  210 

Dempsey,  William  C.,  48 

Des  Moines  Register-Tribune,  95 

Dragon,  Carmen,  182 

Dragon,  Oliver  J.,  357 

Drill  Call,  37 

DUNHAM,  FRANKLIN,  Education  Through 
Commercial  Stations,  158 

DUNLOP,  W.  JOHN,  presiding,  Radio  Writ- 
ing and  Production,  280 

Dunn,  John,  208 

Education  Through  Commercial  Stations, 
Gordon  Hawkins,  presiding,  157 

Education  Through  Commercial  Stations, 
Franklin  Dunham,  158 

Educational  Programming  on  Commercial 
Television  Stations,  Arnold  L.  Wilkes, 
presiding,  178 

Education's  Contribution  to  the  Improve- 
ment of  Television  Programming,  Ar- 
mand  L.  Hunter,  20 

Effectiveness  of  Training  by  Television, 
The,  E.  G.  Sherburne,  Jr.,  35 

Emery,  Walter  B.,  241 

English  by  Radio,  80 

Ewing,  William  H.,  253 

FARLEY,  BELMONT  M.,  presiding,  A  Clinic 
on  the  Utilization  of  Educational  TV 
Channels,  120 

Faught,  Millard  C.,  no 

FCC,  18,  62,  90,  112,  211,  241,  245,  304 

Federal  Civil  Defense  Administration,  41 

Federation  Radio  School,  204 

Fink,  Irving,  263 

Fleming,  Marguerite,  199 

Flynn,  Roy  J.,  218 

FM,  115;  FM,  Low-power,  211 

Foltz,  Ruth,  199 

Ford  Foundation,  8,  163,  309 

Friley,  Charles  E.,  92 

Frontiers  of  Faith,  331 

Froom,  William  P.,  27 

Frost,  Robert,  291 

Fullen,  John  B.,  263 

Gable,  Martha  A.,  143,  148,  178 
Gadberry,  Bob,  277 

GAINES,  ALVIN  M.,  presiding,  School  Broad- 
casting, 198 
Gallup  organization,  74 


Ganger,  Robert  M.,  14.1 

Gapen,  Kenneth  M.,  263,  310 

Garrison,  Garnet  R.,  147,  229 

Garroway,  Dave,  163 

Geister,  Jan,  257 

Gibbons,  John  W.,  259 

Gilbert,  John,  232 

Goggin,  Richard  J.,  149,  226 

Good  Listening,  243 

Gordon,  Mrs.  Dorothy,  109,  265 

Gorman,  Mrs.  Robert  N.,   147 

Gould,  Jack,  273 

Grady,  R.  F.,  210 

Greatest   Story   Being   Told,   The,    Dorothy 

M.  Lewis,  53 
Griffin,  Mike,  279 
Griswold,  Clayton  T.,  330 
Grover,  John,  182,  359 
GRUBER,  FREDERICK  C.,  Education  Through 

Commercial  Stations,  165 

Hall,  Forest,  A  County  Agent  Speaks,   313 

Hanrahan,  James  C.,  179,  254 

HANSEN,  HOWARD  C.,  presiding,  Problems 
of  Campus  Stations,  215 

Hanson,  Mrs.  Gertie  B.,  231 

Harmon,  Charles,  360 

Hawkings,  Rowena  B.  O.,  264 

HAWKINS,  GORDON,  presiding,  Education 
Through  Commercial  Stations,  157 

Heathman,  Jessie  E.,  The  College  Broad- 
caster, 315 

HEFFRON,  EDWARD  J.,  Education  Through 
Commercial  Stations,  175 

Henderson,  Camille,  227 

Hennock,  Frieda  B.,  108,  122,  355-56 

HENRY,  DAVID  D.,  presiding,  What  the 
Educational  Administrator  Expects  from 
Television,  89 

Herbevaux,  Jules,   163 

Heyden,  F.  J.,  219 

High  School  Workshops  in  Radio  and  Tele- 
vision, The,  William  D.  Boutwell,  pre- 
siding, 202 

Hochstetter,  Leo,  83 

HOEING,  FREDERICK  W.,  The  Need  for  Co- 
operation in  Achieving  Educational  Tele- 
vision, 102 

Hollenbeck,  William,   182 

Hollywood  Quarterly,  250 

Hooper  ratings,  27 

How  Teachers  Can  Guide  Children  to 
Evaluate  TV  and  Radio  Programs,  Ella 
Callista  Clark,  335 

Hudson,  Bob,  250 

HULL,  RICHARD  B.,  What  Can  a  University 
Do  With  Television?,  92,  90 

Hunt,  John  L.,  no,  129,  193 

HUNTER,  ARMAND  L.,  Education's  Contri- 
bution to  the  Improvement  of  Television 
Programming,  20 


INDEX  393 

Improvement  of  Television  Programming, 
The,  I.  Keith  Tyler,  presiding,  5 

Improving  Films  for  Television,  Robert  W. 
Wagner,  151 

Indonesia,  56 

Intercollegiate  Broadcasting  System,  215 

International  Telecommunication  Confer- 
ence, 64 

Iron  Curtain,  342 


Jackson,  Robert,  44 

Jennings,  George,  143 

Johnson,  George  C.,  204 

JOHNSON,  JACK   T.,   Use  of   Closed   Circuit 

Theater     Television     in     Civil     Defense 

Training,  31 

Johnson,  Senator  Edward,  19 
Joint  Committee  for  Educational  Television, 

JCET,  8,  89,   107,  123 
Jorgensen,  Erling  S.,  45 
Juvenile  Journal,  277 

Kaltenborn,  H.  V.,  244 

Katz,  George,  26 

Keeping  Up  With  School  Telecasting,  John 

C.  Crabbe,  presiding,  143 
Keith,  Mrs.  Alice,  232,  252,  332 
KELLEY,    MIRIAM    J.,    Television    for    the 

Consumer,  306 
KING,  1 6 

Klock,  Mrs.  Dorothy,  148 
Konkle,  Ward  W.,  203 
Krieger,  Seymour,  124 
KSLH,  199 
KVOF,  201 
KVOO,  317 

Lagler,  Karl  F.,  196 

Lahr,  Roy,  47 

LAMB,  EDWARD,  National  School  of  the  Air 
Proposed  for  Television,  18,  265 

Lamb,  Harry  D.,  200 

Langer,  Rudolph  E.,  243 

Lardie,  Kathleen  N.,  no,  200 

LEVENSON,  WILLIAM  B.,  Moderator,  Organ- 
ized Radio  Listeners,  237;  What  Can  a 
Community's  Educational  Organizations 
Do  With  Television?,  97 

LEWIS,  DOROTHY  M.,  presiding,  Broadcast- 
ing to  Foreign  Countries,  53;  Education 
Through  Commercial  Radio  Stations,  1575 
80,  239 

Lewis,  Wilbur  Sunday,  332 

Life,   145 

Locke,  John  F.,  191 

Logan,  Mrs.  Clara  S.,  244 

Long,  Madeline  S.,  144 

Long,  Mrs.  Harry,  332 

Long,  Watt  A.,  265 

Look,  54 

Look-Listen  Project,  243 


394 


Lowdermilk,  R.  R.,  210 

LOWENTHAL,  LEO,  A  New  Vista  in  Inter- 
national Communications  Research,  339; 
Program  Evaluation  of  the  Voice  of 
America,  71 

LUDWIG,  MERRITT  C.,  presiding,  Communi- 
cations Research,  335 

McCann-Ericson  agency,  73 
McCann,  Frank  T.,  128 
McCarthy,  Dean  E.,  331 
McCarthy,  Florence  C.,  207 
McCarty,  Harold  B.,  229 
McClarty,  Edward  L.,  216 
McKown,  Vernon,  210 
McPherson,  J.  J.,  126 
McSharry,  John,   196 

Macandrew,  James  F.,  127,  208 

MacDougal,  Robert  E.,  265 

MARSHALL,  WALTER  H.,  presiding,  Train- 
ing for  Broadcasting  by  Professional 
Schools,  232;  27 

Martz,  Charles  E.,   265 

Massey  Commission,  292 

MEAGHER,  JOHN  P.,  presiding,  Broadcasting 
by  Government  Agencies,  261 

Measuring  the  Results,  C.  H.  Sandage,  300 

Meiling,  Richard  L.,  264 

Metropolitan   Opera  Company,   244.,   290 

MICHAELIS,  ADRIAN  F.,  The  Standard  Hour 
—On  TV,  1 80;  358 

Michigan  Hour,  The,  147 

MINNENBERG,  IAN,  A  Music  Editor  Views 
Radio  and  Television,  327 

Milbauer,  Richard,  84 

Miles,  James,  210. 

MILLER,  ALLEN,  presiding,  Building  and 
Holding  Audiences,  295 

Milwaukee  County  Radio-TV  Council,  335 

Mock,  Mrs.  Jerrie  L.,  28 

Moore,  Forrest  W.,  220 

MORGAN,  CLARENCE  M.,  presiding,  Broad- 
cast Problems  of  Teacher  Training  In- 
stitutions, 229;  225 

Mr.  I.  Magination,  164,  246 

Murrow,  Edward  R.,  112,  161 

Music  Editor  Views  Radio  and  Television, 
A,  Ian  Minnenberg,  327 

National  Association  for  Better  Radio  and 

Television,  241,  245 
National  Association  of  Broadcasters,  NAB, 

239 

National  Association  of  Educational  Broad- 
casters, NAEB,  250 

National  Committee  for  Traffic  Safety,  259 

National  Congress  of  Parents  and  Teachers, 
248 

National  Council  of  Catholic  Men,  331 

National  Safety  Council,  260 


EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 


National    Scholastic    Radio    Guild,    NSRG, 

202 

National  School  of  the  Air  Proposed  for 
Television,  Edward  Lamb,  18 

NBC,  248 

Need  for  Cooperation  in  Achieving  Educa- 
tional Television,  Frederick  W.  Hoeing, 
102 

Neely,  Uberto,  129 

New  England  TV  Guide,  136 

New  Medium — Radio,  The,  Joseph  Schull, 
281 

New  Vista  in  International  Communica- 
tions Research,  A,  Leo  Lowenthal,  339 

New  York  Daily  News,   148 

New  York  Herald  Tribune,  54 

New  York  Times,  26,  54,  132,  273 

News  From  Behind  the  Iron  Curtain,  83 

Northwest  Local  News,  The,  277 

NOVIK,  M.  S.,  Planning  the  Campaign, 
295;  29,  no 

O'Connor,  Ralph,   182 

O'Dea,  Paul  J.,  265 

Operation  Blackboard,  161 

Organized     Radio     Listeners,     William     B. 

Levenson,  moderator,  237 
Our     Fifth     Annual     Look    at    Television, 

Maynard  A.  Speece,  303 

Palarine,  Lorayne  G.,  205 

Palmer,  William,  183 

Palmerscope,  183 

Paterson,  Charles  P.,  221 

Paulu,  Burton,   123 

Payne,  Otis,  332 

Peabody  awards,  55 

Peterson,  T.  S.,   182 

Pfeiffer,  Mrs.  Mary  Lou,  The  Woman 
Broadcaster,  314 

Planning  the  Campaign,  M.  S.  Novik,  295 

POOLE,  LYNN,  presiding,  Television  Broad- 
casting in  College  Public  Relations,  134 

Power,  Daniel  E.,  262 

Prager,  William  L.,   30 

President's  Highway  Safety  Conference,  259 

Press,  O.  Leonard,  134 

Pride  of  Service,  261 

Problems  of  Campus  Stations,  Howard  C. 
Hansen,  presiding,  215 

Probst,  George,   125 

Production  of  Films  for  Educational  Tele- 
vision, The,  John  R.  Winnie,  presiding, 
149 

Program  Evaluation  of  the  Voice  of  Amer- 
ica, Leo  Lowenthal,  71 

Public  Relations  Viewpoint,  The,  Charles 
R.  Carroll,  Jr.,  318 

Public  Service  Responsibilities  of  Broadcast 
Licensees,  242 


INDEX 


395 


QUIGLEY,  THOMAS  J.,  Education  Through 
Commercial  Stations,  170 

Radio  Free  Europe,  82 

Radio  House,  University  of  Texas,  227 

Radio  in  Agricultural  Broadcasting,  Paul 
M.  Visser,  presiding,  312 

Radio  News  Considered  As  An  Adjunct  to 
Public  Relations,  Charles  R.  Day,  274 

Radio-TV  Council  of  Greater  Cleveland, 
238 

Radio-Television  Institute  of  the  NBC,  226 

Radio-Television  Manufacturers  Associa- 
tion, 257 

Radio  Writing  and  Production,  W.  John 
Dunlop,  presiding,  280 

Radiodiffusion  Francaise,  77 

Randall,  Edwin  T.,  332 

Rasp,  Edward  C.,  Jr.,  45 

Recipe  for  An  Average  Program,  14 

REDMOND,  RICHARD,  Consider  Your  Turn- 
tables, 326 

Reid,  Seerley,  150 

Relation  of  Radio  and  Television  to  Other 
School  Public  Relations  Media,  John  F. 
Locke,  191 

Religious  Broadcasting,  Albert  R.  Crews, 
presiding,  330 

Research  Implications  of  the  NAEB  Mon- 
itoring Studies,  Dallas  W.  Smythe,  344 

Rice,  Allis,  227 

RICHARDS,  ROBERT  K.,  presiding,  Broad- 
casting by  National  Organizations,  256 

RICHARDS,  RONALD  W.,  presiding,  The  Case 
for  Serious  Music,  321 

Rider,  Richard  L.,  210 

RISHWORTH,  THOMAS  D.,  presiding,  Broad- 
cast Training  in  Colleges  and  Univer- 
sities, 225;  247 

Roach,  Hal,  Jr.,  22 

Roberts,  John  B.,  217,  229 

Rock,  Arthur  J.,  332 

Rosalie,  Sister  M.,  204 

Ross,  Duncan,  279 

SANDAGE,  C.  H.,  Measuring  the  Results, 
300;  315 

Schimmel,  Robert  C.,  206 

Scholastic  magazines,  202 

School  Broadcasting,  Alvin  M.  Gaines,  pre- 
siding, 198 

School  of  Radio  Technique,  New  York,  232 

SCHULL,  JOSEPH,  The  New  Medium — 
Radio!,  281 

Seel,  Helen,  265 

Seidel,  Vaughn  D.,  28,  44,  148,  195 

Seitz,  C.  P.,  263 

Seldes,  Gilbert,  244 

Selecting  the  Target,  Elizabeth  Black,  297 

Selective  Dialing,  240 

Seltzer,  Jack,  137 

Shayon,  Robert  Louis,  163 


Sheen,  Fulton  J.,  164,  174,  331 

SHELLEY,  JOHN,  Trends  in  News  Handling, 
276 

SHERBURNE,  E.  G.  JR.,  The  Effectiveness 
of  Training  by  Television,  35 

Simple  Television  Techniques  for  Educa- 
tional Programs,  Edward  Stasheff,  pre- 
siding, 146 

Siverson,  Charles  W.,  25 

Sixteenth  Annual  American  Exhibition  of 
Recordings,  363 

Smith,  George  Ivan,  54 

SMYTHE,  DALLAS  W.,  The  Status  of  Tele- 
vision Programming  As  Disclosed  by 
Studies,  6;  Research  Implications  of  the 
NAEB  Monitoring  Studies,  344;  209,  248 

Some  Implications  for  Education  in  the 
FCC  Allocations  Report,  Ralph  Steetle,  90 

Some  Practical  Aspects  of  Closed  Circuit 
Operation,  Harold  Azine,  33 

Some  Thinking  About  Educational  Tele- 
vision, Edward  M.  Webster,  129 

Sparks,   Hale,   183 

SPEECE,  MAYNARD  A.,  Our  Fifth  Annual 
Look  at  Television,  303 

Spence,  Miss  Leslie  M.,  244,  252,  332 

Spindt,  Herman  A.,  261 

Standard  Hour — On  TV,  The,  Adrian  F. 
Michaelis,  180 

STASHEFF,  EDWARD,  presiding,  Simple  Tele- 
vision Techniques  for  Educational  Pro- 
grams, 146;  128 

Status  of  Television  Programming  as  Dis- 
closed by  Studies,  The,  Dallas  W. 
Smythe,  6 

STEETLE,  RALPH,  Some  Implications  for 
Education  in  the  FCC  Allocations  Re- 
port, 90;  121,  180 

Stillinger,  Jay  J.,  210 

Stone,  Sidney,  21 1 

SULDS,  IRVIN  PAUL,  The  Theater  Owners' 
Viewpoint  of  Closed  Circuit  Television, 
38 

Sulzer,  Elmer  G.,  227 

Summers,  Harrison  B.,  225 

TAYLOR,  JACOB  B.,  presiding,  The  Cultural 
and  Educational  Possibilities  of  Tele- 
vision, 353 

Ted  Mack  Amateur  Hour,  141 

Telaventure  Tales,   16 

Television  at  Ohio  State  University,  Wil- 
liam B.  Wilcox,  138 

Television  Broadcasting  in  College  Public 
Relations,  Lynn  Poole,  presiding,  134 

Television  Code,  331 

Television  Code  Review  Board,  15 

Television  for  the  Consumer,  Mrs.  Miriam 
J.  Kelley,  306 

Television  in  Agricultural  Broadcasting, 
Richard  J.  Cech,  presiding,  303 


39^ 


EDUCATION    ON    THE    AIR 


Television  Research  at  WOI-TV,  Richard 
J.  Cech,  308 

Theater  Owners'  Viewpoint  of  Closed  Cir- 
cuit Television,  The,  Irvin  Paul  Sulds,  38 

Thornton,  Basil  F.,  79 

Time,  22,  161 

Toward  Improved  Programming,  Mrs.  A. 
Scott  Bullitt,  13 

Toynbee,  Arnold  J.,  57 

Training  for  Broadcasting  by  Professional 
Schools,  Walter  H.  Marshall,  presiding, 
232 

Trends  in  News  Handling,  John  Shelley, 
276 

Truman,  Harry  S.,  273 

Trusteeship  Council  of  the  UN,  57 

TYLER,  I.  KEITH,  presiding,  The  Improve- 
ment of  Television  Programming,  5 ; 
presiding,  Youth  Discussion  Broadcasts, 
265;  353 

Tyler,  Margaret  C.,  201 

Tyler,  Tracy  F.,  228 

Ultra  High  Frequency,  112 

UN  Information  Center,  54 

United  Nations  Radio,  54,  81 

University  Association  for  Professional 
Radio  Education,  UAPRE,  225 

Use  of  Closed  Circuit  Theater  Television 
in  Civil  Defense  Training,  Jack  T. 
Johnson,  31 

Use  of  Radio  by  Extension  Workers  in  the 
North  Central  States,  Meredith  C.  Wil- 
son, 346 

Van  Dyck,  Russ,  278 
Variety,  21,   136 

VISSER,  PAUL  M.,  presiding,  Radio  in  Agri- 
cultural Broadcasting,  312 
Voice  of  America,  339 
Voice  of  Democracy,  257 

Wade  and  His  Corn  Huskers,  293 

Wagner,  Robert  W.,   151 

Walker,  Louis  S.,   195 

WALKER,  PAUL  A.,  An  Analysis  of  the 
Allocation  of  Television  Channels  to 
Education,  112;  237,  280,  355-56 

Waller,  Judith  C.,  226,   331,   354 

Walton,  Eloise,  45,  257 

Waring,  Fred,  329 

Washington  Post,  126 

WATU,  197 

WAVZ,  279 

WBAL,  144 

WBAP,  271 

WBOE,  199 


WCTN,  144 

WDEL,  193 

WDTR,  200 

WEBSTER,  EDWARD  M.,  Some  Thinking 
About  Educational  Television,  129;  What 
Lies  Ahead?,  62 

Wegener,  Edward  P.,  153 

Weld,  Arthur  F.,   179 

Westinghouse  stations,  157 

WETTER,  ALLEN  H.,  presiding,  Broadcast- 
ing in  the  School  Public  Relations  Pro- 
gram, 191 

WEWS,  98 

WEWS-TV,   179,   197 

What  Can  a  Community's  Educational  Or- 
ganizations Do  With  Television?,  Wil- 
liam B.  Levenson,  97 

What  Can  a  University  Do  With  Televis- 
ion?, Richard  B.  Hull,  92 

What  Lies  Ahead?,  E.  M.  Webster,  62 

What  the  Educational  Administrator  Ex- 
pects From  Television,  David  D.  Henry, 
presiding,  89 

White,  D.  Arden,  265 

WHO,  317 

Wilcox,  William  B.,  138 

WILKES,  ARNOLD  L.,  presiding,  Educational 
Programming  on  Commercial  Television 
Stations,  1785  44,  144 

WILL,  300 

Williams,  Thomas,  211 

Willis,  J.  Frank,  289 

WILSON,  MEREDITH  C.,  Use  of  Radio  by 
Extension  Workers  in  the  North  Central 
States,  346 

WINNIE,  JOHN  R.,  presiding,  The  Produc- 
tion of  Films  for  Educational  Television, 
149 

Wisconsin  Association  for  Better  Radio 
Listening,  241 

WLW,  317 

WNAL-TV,  34 

WNYE,  201,  208 

Woman  Broadcaster,  The,  Mrs.  Mary  Lou 
Pfeiffer,  314 

World  Communications  report,  80 

WOSU,  201 

WPIX,  148 

WRIGHT,  CLAUDE-STARR,  presiding,  Broad- 
casting Health  Information,  263 

WTAM,  317 

WTDS,  200 

Yeager,  Murray  R.,  201 
Youth  Discussion  Broadcasts,  I.  Keith  Tyler, 
presiding,  265 

Zoomar  lens,  149,  185