Educational Television and the Identification of Community Education

This dissertation has been 63-2476 microfilmed exactly as received

BLAIR, Jr., Joseph Skiles, 1919- EDUC ATIONAL TELEVISION AND THE IDENTIFI CATION OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION NEEDS.

The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1962 Education, adult

University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION AND THE

IDENTIFICATION OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION NEEDS

DISSERTATION

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University

By Joseph Skiles Blair, Jr., B. S., A. M.

The Ohio State University

1962

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Approved by

Adyiser Department of Education ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many persons have contributed to the successful completion of this dissertation. Special appreciation is extended to: Dr. Andrew Hendrickson, my major adviser, whose academic guidance was never found wanting and whose constant encouragement helped to expand my intellectual horizons. Dr. Everett Kircher and Mr. Everett Shimp whose service as members of my doctoral committee provided much assistance. Dr. I. Keith Tyler, who first stimulated my interest in educational television, encouraged the undertaking of this study, and whose conscientious reading of the manu script and resulting suggestions measurably improved its quality. Mr. Richard Hull and Dr. William Ewing of the

Telecommunications Center who gave many helpful comments as well as their personal endorsement of the study. The personnel of WOSU-TV, WCET-TV, WQED-TV, WMVS-TV,

WFPK-TV, and WTTW-TV whose hospitality and many courtesies contributed both to the enjoyment and value of this study. The personnel of the educational television stations whose thoughtful replies to the mailed questionnaire provided much useful data. My wife, Majorie, for her technical assistance in proofreading the manuscript and for her inspiration without which this dissertation could never have been written. My children, Brenda and Larry whose young minds were able to comprehend the importance of this study and understood that the concentrated effort it required necessitated a reduction in family activity.

August, 1962 J . S . B. TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... ii

CHAPTER PAGE I INTRODUCTION ...... 1 Background Information ...... 1

Statement of the Problem ...... 3 Importance of the S t u d y ...... 11

Scope and Limitation of S t u d y ...... 17

Definitions ...... 13

Plan of S t u d y ...... 19 Organization of Study ...... 20

II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ...... 22 Adult Education: Its Functions,

Goals and N e e d s ...... 22 Educational Television and Adult E d u c a t i o n ...... 30 The Identification of Community Education Needs ...... 33 S u m m a r y ...... 43 III REPORT OF STUDY OF EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION STATIONS AND COMMUNNTY GROUPS IN SIX CITIES. 46 Report on Individual Stations Studied . . . 46

WOSU-TV, Columbus, O h i o ...... 47

WCET-TV, Cincinnati, Ohio ...... 59

iv CHAPTER PAGE WQED-TV, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania .... 72

WMVS-TV, Milwaukee, Wisconsin...... $2

WFPK-TV, Louisville, Kentucky ...... 95 WTTW-TV, Chicago, Illinois ...... 106

S u m m a r y ...... 121 Findings of Survey of Community

Group Leaders ...... 127

S u m m a r y ...... 137

S u m m a r y ...... 139 IV FINDINGS OF SURVEY OF EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION

STATIONS ...... 145

Plan of Survey ...... 145 Analysis of data r e c e i v e d...... 146 P o l i c i e s ...... 146 Station relationships to community and

community groups ...... 153 Station advisory groups...... 160 Station programming and the identification

of community education needs ...... 164 Station finances and the community . . . 173

S u m m a r y ...... 178 V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . 183

S u m m a r y ...... 183 CHAPTER PAGE Conclusions...... 1&7 Recommendations ...... 194 APPENDIX ...... 201

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 209 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background Information

One of the most far-reaching consequences of modern technology has been the development of a new form of mass communication--television. With its almost limitless boundaries, television brings to our time a communicative vehicle that has already made a profound impact upon our society. Television has a combined audio-visual immedi acy that can communicate across state and national borders and into the home, shop, school, and office with the speed of light. Television, per se, is a neutral technical device and thus can be applied to achieve either positive of negatives values. As forces within our society are moving in various cross-currents, creating new political, economic and social patterns, man is seeking new aids for confronting them. Television may well become one of the most bene ficial technological aids of mankind. The amazing advance of science in the twentieth century, of which television is but one manifestation, has added to the complexity of man’s organization of society and at the same time created a greater interdependence of men and nations around the globe. Today it has become increasingly essential that individuals constantly reaffirm the rights of personal freedom as well as understand one's personal responsibility to society. It is no longer sufficient to be able to swing an axe

or a pick, to get along in our present culture. The task of physical existence alone is far more complex than that which our fathers and grandfathers faced. Of greater im

portance is that our political, social, and economic structures have also become more complex and the survival

of democratic thought and organization will depend upon individuals who have been able to advance with history and

mature emotionally and intellectually. Not only must individuals learn new facts every day,

but also they must develop the ability to think creatively,

clearly, and critically in order to render the wise and discriminating judgments so necessary to modern life. Therefore, it can no longer be said that an adult has ever finished his education. Education has by necessity

become a life-long endeavor. One’s occupation is no longer a simple matter that can be learned once and performed routinely afterwards. Rather, constant education in new methods, techniques and skills of one's trade must be followed. To be a responsible citizen in a community, state, and nation one must acquire new understanding of human relationships, of community concerns, and of the 3 problems society will face in the future.

The traditional concepts of education must be revised to meet the challenge of this era. Creative methods, tech niques, and aids must be devised, evaluated and utilized.

Television is one of these aids that stand ready to help in present and future educational tasks--but its technological resources must be skillfully and wisely employed.

Statement of the Problem

The advent of television and its spectacular develop ment as a major form of mass communication provides a primary method for meeting, in part at least, the present and future expanding needs of adult education in America.

However, the basic unanswered question is how are these needs of adult education to be identified in order that it can be determined how television can best serve them.

The establishment of non-commercial, educational television stations devoted exclusively to the concerns of education has provided a special opportunity for the adult education movement. The problem of this study has been, therefore, related to educational television stations and the identification of community education needs. It has been the purpose of this study to examine the following:

1. The current policies, processes and practices of educational television stations for identifying and serving adult education needs in their broadcast areas. 4 2. The recommended principles and methods for identi fying community education needs that might be applicable to

educational television stations. This study has been based on the assumption that most educational television stations have not established systematic methods or procedures for identifying and serving adult education needs of their community. It has been

further assumed that educational television stations can better fulfill their function in society if they are in close relationship with educational and civic organizations

in their coverage area. The rapid development of television following the end

of World War II crystallized into action the educational

forces of this country and motivated them to request the Federal Communications Commission to reserve certain

television broadcast channels exclusively for educational use. The Federal Communications Commission and its prede cessor the Federal Radio Commission, through various decisions, had placed upon commercial licensees of radio frequencies an obligation to serve some of the educational needs of the community. However, even with diligent effort on the part of some educators the use of commercial radio

stations for educational purposes was never very fruitful."*" Educators, therefore, came to the conclusion that only reserved channels would enable television ade quately to serve the expanding demands of education in the United States. Because the post-war development of television brought an unprecedented number of applications for broadcast

channels with only a limited number of frequencies avail able, the Federal Communication Commission placed a "freeze" on the allocation of television channels in 1948. This freeze was applied to give the Commission time to study the

entire problem of broadcast frequencies and channel allocations. The freeze was lifted in April 14» 1952, when the

now historic "Sixth Order and Report" of the Commission was issued.^ This decision, in addition to assigning certain television channels for commercial use in each population center, took the important step of reserving 242 channels for future educational use. (This has since been increased to 268 channels.)2*' With this action by the Commission, educational television became a reality for America.

"*"Hazel Cooley, Vision in Television (New York: Channel Press, 1952), pp. 20-22.

^Ibid., p . 9• 3 Ibid. ^Current Developments in Educational Television (Wash- ington: National Educational Television and Radio Center, February, 1961), p. 5. This important decision for education was achieved by the sensitive and diligent concern of the Commissioners and by the organized efforts of educators and public leaders. Fortunately, the freeze on allocations gave those aware of the educational potential of this medium time to marshal wide public support for the reservation of certain channels for exclusive educational use. The Sixth Order and Report has been compared to the passage of the Morrill Act in 1S62. The Morrill Act set aside large tracts of land in the public domain of the

Middle West and Far West to enable new states to establish public colleges and universities. By mandate these insti tutions were to serve the educational needs of all people. In a like manner, parts of the public domain of the airwaves have been set aside for educational purposes and a new frontier for American education has been opened.-' Just as the Morrill Act laid the foundation for the development and expansion of a vital segment of adult education— university extension— so the Sixth Order and Report may have provided the foundation and means for extending adult education opportunities to most of our citizens. However, while educational television

^Four Years of Progress in Educational Television {Washington: Joint Council on Educational Television, 1956), p . 1. 7 programming has expanded rapidly in the field of instruc tional television in schools and colleges, the community adult education possibilities of this mass medium are yet to be fully and seriously explored.

Yet, a primary purpose of reserving the channels for educational use was to serve adults— at least in the view of the Federal Communications Commission. One commis sioner, Frieda Hennock, stated her views as follows:

Combining sight and sound, blessed with an immedi acy of transmission and impact, welcomed by and available to almost everyone,television offers an unprecedented opportunity for education, both formal and informal. It is uniquely capable of serving all of our people in our schools, homes and factories on a constant and intimate basis. In view of televisionTs extraordinary influence, which must grow rather than abate in future years, the Commission has an especial responsibility to the public, adults as well as children, to insure that this great natural resource to a substantial degree is devoted to cultural interests, to education as well as entertainment

Further, the Joint Council on Educational Television, which was organized to support the reservation of channels for education, originally thought of educational television n as a program service for adults and out-of-school children.

6U. S. Federal Register of the National Archives, Federal Communications Commission "Sixth (irder and Report." Part II, Vol. XVII, No. 37, p. 4039. ^Richard Hull, Address "ETV History” — given to a Pilot Conference on the Dissemination of the Principles and Practices in the Uses of Television in Education. November 12, 13, 14, I960. (Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio) Mimeographed report. The Fund for Adult Education also considered educa tional television to be a valuable resource for the future education of adults and made grants totaling $11,666,291 between 1951 and 1957. These grants were made to the early licensees of the educational television channels for station construction ($3,9139332), for programming such as the establishment of the National Television and Radio

Center ($5,838,149) and for the support of service organi zations such as the Joint Council on Educational Television

($1,864)810). This substantial monetary support at the critical time of the early development of educational television was responsible for much of the progress of this medium to its present level of service. The importance of this interest by the Commission, the Fund for Adult Education, and other groups in visualiz ing educational television as a "community education" medium was explicitly stated in the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission: . . . non-commercial educational broadcast stations will be licensed only to non-profit educational organi zations upon a showing that the proposed stations will be used primarily to serve the educational needs of the community, for the advancement of educational programs and to furnish a non-profit and non-commercial television service.9

^Continuing Liberal Education: Report of the Fund For Adult Education 1957-5^. (White Plains, New York), p. l+b. ^U. S. Federal Register of the National Archives op. cit Rule No. 3*621. Permission was granted, however, for the telecasting of instructional courses to schools and school systems in paragraph "c" of the same regulation:

. . . non-commercial educational television broad cast stations may transmit educational, cultural and entertainment programs and programs designed for use by schools and school systems in connection with regular school courses, as well as routine and administrative material pertaining thereto.10

These regulations place a requirement upon licensees of educational channels to serve the broad educational needs of the community and not those of a single insti

tution or educational interest. Hubert P. Morehead mentions this mandate when he states that a non-commercial

educational station is expected to offer its facilities to

all legitimate educational groups in the community

The Ohio State University, for example, in making

application for an educational television channel recog nized the importance of the above regulations and fulfilled

both the letter and the spirit of the requirement that the

channel be utilized for the benefit of diverse educational

needs of the community. In making application, the Uni

versity stated that it would cooperate with all educational,

non-commercial and cultural organizations in the broadcast

10ibid. "^Hubert P. Morehead, "The Educational Television Sta tion in Higher Education" (unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. 1957), p. 71. 10 area in the production of television programs at the studios.When the application was approved the Univer sity reported the following:

Under the terms of the FCC allocation to Ohio State, the University provides the station as steward for educational groups in the area.^ When the University station first went on the air at

3 p. m. on February 20, 1956, a vice-president of the

University appeared on the initial program and made this

statement: While the station will be controlled and operated by The Ohio State University, programming will not be limited to campus sources. Through proper associ ations its offerings may be greatly enriched by talents drawn from the whole community and its many educational and cultural institutions.-*-^

Thus, the importance of having educational television stations serve the educational needs of a community has been fully recognized by the Federal Communications Commission and by the licensees of such channels allocated for educational purposes. The unanswered question, however, is what policies, practices and methods have been estab lished by educational television stations to identify and

Faculty Review, Vol. 14, April, 1953, No. 6 (Ohio State University, Bureau of Public Relations, Columbus, Ohio), p. 1. ^ The Ohio State University Monthly, Vol. 47, No. 5, February 15, 1956, p . 44• ^The Ohio State University Monthly, Vol. 47, No. 6, March 13"] 1956, p. 48* 11 serve the community adult education needs of their coverage area. It is to this basic question that this study has been addressed.

Importance of the Study

Educational television may be adult education’s most important vehicle for service to members of society. Morehead makes a definite statement on this subject:

It can not be stated with enough emphasis that television broadcasting is potentially one of the best possible methods of carrying on much adult education.15

Television offers new and exciting resources for adult education that have not been available before. Some of the attributes of television might be described as follows: Television can communicate to a mass audience. Because the airways are used as a transmitting medium, television can be employed to educate large numbers of people residing throughout a fairly large geographic area. Within a local community, a station can broadcast educa tional information to every citizen with the proper receiv ing equipment and the motivation to learn. No other communicative device can transmit both words and visual conceptions over such a wide area to such a large audience at the same time.

15Morehead, oj:. cit., p. 26. 12

Television is a multiple-media resource. Through the scientific development of television, it is possible for this medium to utilize and integrate almost every other type of mass communication. It has the sound of radio, the words of a printed book, the pictures of a newsreel. It can be a photograph, a newspaper, or the theater. It is all these and more— yet it synthesizes these media in a significant way.

Television is not bound by the limits of time or place. The normal limits of time and geographical distance are not insurmountable barriers for television. Through visual use of drama, historical events can become real for modern man. The television camera can roam the world to bring current events, and the life and cultures of various peoples to the living room of most any citizen. It has the quality of immediacy that no other medium shares.

Television can multiply high quality educational and cultural offerings. One of the miracles of television is that "greatness" can be shared by millions. The Great Masters of the past contributed to the lives of a rela tively small number of students throughout a lifetime of teaching. Through the use of television a teacher can stimulate the thinking and lives of thousands of Students in a single telecast lesson. The same is true of a brilliant actress, a classic drama, an outstanding 13 preacher, or a national leader. Culture can be enjoyed by many regardless of their stations in life through the gift of television.

Television can motivate action and stimulate long-time interests. The printed word, or even the audible word alone, may not be able to convey motion or feeling to the

same degree that television is able to do by adding visual appeal. Seeing and hearing at the same time is more successful in motivating people to take action, and by

skillful programming television can stimulate new interests

among viewers that may continue into the future. These characteristics of television must be carefully

considered and understood if adult education is to employ

them successfully in the fulfillment of its future tasks.

While adult education was an early motive for the estab

lishment of educational television, instructional television

has been emphasized in the last few years. Yet, adult

education remains the great opportunity of educational television to be realized. Richard B. Hull states this as

follows: . . . using television within the formal structure of education is an important and in some ways, a daring idea, but not nearly so daring, so difficult, nor so unique as serving the vast audience of adults and out-..-: of-school children with a new kind of television fare.

"^Richard B. Hull in Education On The Air, ed. Wayne Carle. Yearbook of the 1959 Institute for Education by 14 With a potential audience in I960 of over twenty million viewers and an actual, fairly regular audience of 17 at least eight and one-half million, ' educational tele vision has an obligation to be creative, unique, and daring in programming for this audience. The response to programs broadcast for adults in recent years suggests that there exists an eagerness to learn via television. Both formal and informal educational offerings over educational television stations have resulted in strong response from the adult viewer. Perhaps one of the more significant and successful adult education programs that has been presented over television has been the 1fTV Junior College" in Chicago. The Chicago City Junior College, in cooperation with the community educational television station, WTTW, has for several years telecast junior college courses for adults in the Chicago area. These courses were developed with the potential for adult audience in mind.

The average enrollment for these credit courses has been 1,261 with a non-credit enrollment of 3>550, with thousands of others who "looked in" on the courses for their own

Radio-Television, (Columbus: Ohio State University, 1959) p. 56. ■^Wilbur Schram, The Impact of Educational Television (Urbana, University of Illinois Press, I960), p . 23. 15 enrichmentThe "TV students" have been predominantly adults— mostly housewives— who had a desire to learn, but were unable to attend college on a regular basis. Other students included handicapped persons, gifted high school pupils, and a group of penal inmates undergoing rehabili tation in two Illinois prisons.^9

In Memphis, Tennessee, over 1,000 functionally illiterate adults have been taught to read and write through the facilities of the educational channel there. Traffic violators in Cincinnati, Ohio, are encouraged to view the safe-driving series on the educational station. 20 "Continental Classroom" is another adult education program which has been telecast for the past three years primarily over commercial stations as a public service. The first offerings were in science and mathematics designed to serve the needs of high school teachers of these subjects.

Not only did about one-half of the 70,000 science teachers in America watch the first program, but it attracted a total audience of nearly 500,000 in the initial year of

1 A Benjamin C. Willis, Peter Masiko, Jr., Clifford Erickson, ChicagoT s TV College (Chicago: Board of Educa tion, 19o0}, ppT 3-4. 19Ibid. 20eTV-A Ford Foundation Pictorial Report (New York: Ford Foundation, 19bl), pp. 6^-6 4 . 16

p "I 1953 and 1959 even though it was telecast at 6:30 a. m. The current "Continental Classroom" course in American government was predicted to attract an audience in excess OO of 1,200,000. ** Parent education over television has also had good audiences. In San Diego, California, a parent education series on "Family Life" has been televised to listening groups throughout the city.^ Cleveland, Ohio, had a similar series with Dr. Benjamin Spock, the noted pediatrician. These few examples indicate the interest in learning which many adults have expressed. With a hunger for cultural and spiritual enrichment, adults present an eager and challenging potential audience for educational tele vision. Eugene D. Glynn speaks fervently about these challenges which television can meet and the new horizons that may result: Television can produce a people wider in knowledge, more alert and aware of the world, prepared to be much more actively interested in the life of their times. Television can be the great destroyer of provincalism. Television can produce a nation of people who really live in the world, not just in their own hamlets. It

21Ibid. 22Robert Sarnoff, News Release to TV-Radio Editors, September 29, 1961, from National Broadcasting Company. Bernice H. Papworth, "Parent Education Via TV" Americal Vocational Journal, Vol. 33, No. 8 (November, T955TT 17 is here that the great opportunity of educational television lies.24

Scope and Limitation or Study

In rapidly expanding fields such as educational tele vision and adult education, there are many research needs. It is hoped that this study will make a contribution to at least one aspect of these needs. This study has been limited to the educational, or non-commercial, stations on the air as of August 1, 1961, and to a special concern with the methods used to identify and serve community education needs.

While there is need to examine commercial television and adult education, to have included this additional area within the scope of this research project would have broadened it beyond available resources. Further some aspects of adult education programming on educational stations have been studied or evaluated. Therefore, it has not been the purpose of this study to make any thorough evaluation of present adult education offerings of educa tional television stations.

^"Eugene H. Glynn, "Television and the American Character," Television* s -Impact on American Culture, ed. W. Y. Elliott (East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 1956), p. iSl. Definitions

The following definitions have been provided to give a clearer understanding of the major concepts and terms as the writer has employed them in this study.

Educational television. While in the technical sense, educational television programs can be telecast on all television stations, in this study it has been interpreted to mean telecast programs from a non-commercial, non profit station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to a non-profit community corporation or educa tional institution.

Instructional Television. This is television pro gramming produced and broadcast in an orderly, sequential manner, relative to an organized course of study.

Community Programming. As used in this study, com munity programming is educational television produced for the average viewer in the community. This may include formal and informal education programs, locally produced telecasts, as well as general information on national and world concerns.

Adult Education. Those many and diverse methods, institutions and functions by and through which adults, past the compulsory school age, attempt purposefully to 19 fulfill their individual and group needs on a voluntary, part-time basis, are included in this definition.

Community. While community has many definitions, its use in this study has been restricted to that geographic area reached by the signal of the educational television station, and the residents who reside within this area.

Plan of Study

The following plan was carried in making this study: 1. A review of the related literature of the fields of adult education and educational television was made so as to study the implications of educational television for adult education in the community. 2. An intensive study was made of six (6) repre sentative educational television stations to ascertain their processes, policies, and practices for serving the

educational needs of the community. 3. Community group leaders in the cities where the six educational stations are located were surveyed to de termine their relationship to educational stations. 4. Educational television stations on the air as of August 1, 1961 were requested to complete a survey form regarding their community relationships and their methods, if any, for identifying community education needs. 20

The educational television stations selected for intensive study were representative of different types of licensees, various sizes of communities, and included both channel frequencies (VHF and UHF) authorized for use by educational television. The stations studied were: 1. WOSU-TV. Licensee: The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. UHF Channel 34* Began operations, February 20, 1956. Authorized power: 219 kw visual, 117 kw aural. 2. WCET-TV. Licensee: Greater Cincinnati Tele vision Educational Foundation, Cincinnati, Ohio, UHF Channel 4&. Began operations July 26, 1954* Authorized power: 15*1 kw visual, S .13 kw aural. 3. WQED-TV. Licensee: Metropolitan Pittsburgh Educational Station, Pittsburgh, Pa. VHF Channel 13* Began operations April 1, 1954* Authorized power: 203 kw visual, 101 kw aural. 4. WMVS-TV. Licensee: Board of Vocation and Adult Education, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. VHF Channel 10. Began operations October 2o, 1957. Authorized power; 129 kw visual,'6 5 .7 kw aural. 5* WFPK-TV. Licensee: Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville, Kentucky. UHF Channel 15. Began operations September 5> 195&. Authorized power: 13*5 kw visual, 7*24 kw aural. 6. WTTW-TV. Licensee: Chicago Educational Tele vision Association, Chicago, Illinois. VHF Channel 11. Began operations September 19, 1955< Authorized power: 275 kw visual, 141 kw aural.

Organization of Study

The findings of this study are reported in the follow ing pages. In Chapter II, the related literature in the fields of adult education and educational television is 21 reviewed, while Chapter III includes the findings of the study of educational television stations and community group leaders in six representative cities. The findings of the mail survey of the educational television stations are reported in Chapter IV with Chapter V being the summary, conclusions and recommendations. CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Adult Education: Its Functions, Goals and Needs

Society, throughout most of recorded history, has recognized the importance of educating its adult members so as to preserve the culture. Many of the great teachers of early communities devoted their energies not to the develop ment of the immature, but to the training of the adult mind."*" While adult education probably started in America in

1607 on the day the settlers landed in Jamestown and had to learn about their new environment in order to survive, our traditional attitude as a nation toward the education of O adults is that it is an optional concept. The emphasis has been on the education of the young based on the assump tion that most of the information needed can be learned during the early years of life. Thus, in many respects adult education is a young movement in the United States.

"''The Commission of the Professors of Adult Education, Adult Education, A New Imperative for Our Times (Chicago: The Adult Education Association of the U.S.A., 1961), p. 4- Malcolm S. Knowles "Historical Development of The Adult Education Movement," Handbook of Adult Education (Chicago: Adult Education Association of the U.S.A., I960), p. 7. 22 23 Malcolm Knowles reminds us that until 1924 the term "adult education" was practically unknown in America and that agencies and groups engaged in educating adults were so unrelated that there was not a common name for what they were doing.^ Further, as a profession with a body of knowledge, professional leadership and research activities, adult education is only 34 years old.^ While it has developed at a faster pace during this brief period than other professions, it still is hampered in its development by the optional concept of adult education in our culture. The idea that adult education is life-long learning has been gradually and significantly gaining acceptance by educators and the general public. In 1926, Eduard C.

Lindeman, an early leader, stated that "the whole of life is learning, therefore education can have no endings." He went on to say that the purpose of adult education is to put meaning into the whole of life.^ Ruth Kotinsky in

1933 conceived of adult education as an essential component of any effort toward a more desirable social order.^

Îbid., p . 3• Âdult Education, A New Imperative for Our Times. Op. cit., p . 13 • Êduard C. Lindeman, The Meaning of Adult Education (New York: New Republic, Inc., 1926)7 pp. 6-7* ^Ruth Kotinsky, Adult Education and The Social Scene (New York: D. Appleton-Century Company, 1^33) p* xiii. 24 Much thought has been given to an appropriate descrip tion of adult education, and the result has been, as Robert

Blakely says, "as multitudinous as the autumn leaves.

But, he goes on to give his own views of adult education as having two limits as follows:

First, adult education implies purposeful, system atic learning, in contrast to random unexamined ex perience; that is, it contains elements of science and art.

Second, adult education implies a respect for the purposes and integrity of the learner, in contrast to attempts to fool, cheat, or exploit; that is, it has an ethic.®

Andrew Hendrickson found some general agreement that adult education is characterized in four ways: (a) it is voluntary on the part of the learner, (b) is engaged in as a part-time endeavor, (c) is presented under organized auspices, and (d) is for persons beyond the compulsory school a g e . ^

Adult education, according to the above definitions, is carried on by a number of agencies and by a variety of informal and formal methods. Recognized educational

^Robert J. Blakely, "What is Adult Education," Handbook for Adult Education, op. cit. , p. 3*

®Ibid., p . 4• ^Andrew Hendrickson, "Adult Education," Encyclopedia of Educational Research, ed. Chester W. Harris, Third Edition (]tfew York: The MacMillan Company, I960), p. 30 25 institutions from elementary level through universities provide many opportunities Tor adult education as fo libraries, museums, theaters, settlement houses, group work organizations, labor unions, business firms, and government agencies. With this pluralism of adult education, one might ask what the functions may be. Lyman Bryson gives five principal functions of adult education: 1. Remedial function. Formal study by adults to bring their education up to a minimum level. 2. Occupational function. Education to obtain a means of employment, or to advance in one's trade or profession. 3. Relational function. Education to improve one's relationships to others and including parent education. 4. Liberal Function. Education undertaken for the sake of learning itself and for pleasure.

5. Political function. Education to enable adults to be more effective citizens A different approach to the functions of adult educa tion has been taken by Leland Bradford who believes that

adult education must be concerned with (1) the internal

dynamic balance of the individual, (2) with his behavior in external situations, and (3) with his ability to take membership in his societal units.

^ L y m a n Bryson, Adult Education (New York: American Book Company, 1936) , "p"! 30. -*--*-Leland P. Bradford, "Toward a Philosophy of Adult Education," Seeking Common Ground in Adult Education, ed. 26 Stanley Sworder considers the purpose of adult educa tion "to develop the potentialities that lie within our selves to the end that we may solve the problems that we face as adults." 12 Lawrence Frank makes a similar statement and puts it in equally broad terms:

One of the primary tasks of adult education is to communicate insights and understanding and to create the sensibilities we need for the great tasks, recognizing that human living is guided primarily by ideas, concepts and assumptions.

While BrysonTs specific functions are still important, the broader descriptions of Sworder and Frank evidence a more realistic understanding of the world we live in. Adult education has the critical function in modern life of developing the ability of adults to understand and solve the problems of a changing culture. A natural question to follow such a delineation of functions might be in regard to the need for adult educa tion in the present day. Robert Blakely replied to such a question that this is an adult controlled world and that the education of adults is, therefore, a necessity

He says:

Robertson Sielars (Chicago: Adult Education Association of the U. S. A.), p. 41. 12Stanley Sworder, "What is Adult Education— A Symposi um," Adult Education, Vol. V, No. 3 (Spring, 1955), p. 135- ^Lawrence K. Frank, Ibid., p. 145- -^Robert J. Blakely, Adult Education in a Free Society (Toronto: Guardian Bird Publications, 1958), p. 27

Adult education, continuous education, is necessary because what you learn is out-of-date very quickly and knowledge which is out-of-date is in many instances worse than ignorance because ignorance oftentimes has with it a humility whereas out-of-date knowledge has pride.15

The adult in the present day is faced with a situation which no previous generation needed to confront. The rapid growth of knowle&ge and the accelerating pace of social change suggests that the present generation of adults live in a culture that is different in kind from the one passed on to them from the previous generation.^ The mature adult, therefore, cannot depend upon his education as a youth to sustain him through adulthood. The young person today with a sound education will be inadequately educated when he reaches mature adulthood.

The fast changing world in which an adult finds him self is also a world greatly influenced by science and technology. The expansion of scientific truths and know ledge during the lifetime of the present generation of adults has been greater than that of all time previous to their births. This means, according to Wilbur Hallenbeck, that the "inevitable trend in all areas of life is to become more technical and that technology dominates our

15Ibid. •^Adult Education, A New Imperative for our Times op. cit., p. 5"^ 26 civilization.”^ While it is generally recognized that such an advance of science has resulted in many benefits for mankind, certain problems are also created. The livelihood of many adults has been threatened and often eliminated by this march of science and technology. This in turn has caused considerable personal and community dislocation. It is essential that the education of adults play a critical role in enabling individuals and groups to make a satisfactory readjustment to this expansion of knowledge, especially in areas affected by science and technology. One example of the serious impact scientific advance ment may have on millions of adults is that those who are under-educated and considered to be functionally illiter ate will find it extremely difficult to find employment as our technological society develops. It is estimated that by 1970 nearly 15 million functionally illiterate adults may be technologically unemployed unless these persons have the opportunity to correct their educational deficiencies

-^Wilbur C. Hallenbeck, "The Function and Place of Adult Education in American Society,” Handbook of Adult Education, p. 32. ■^Paul L. Chamberlain, "The Future of Educational Television,” Education on the Air, ed. Wayne M. Carle * cit., p* ^fO. 29 With adults confronted with a culture different in kind than they were born into, a culture that is increas ingly technological, the importance of and need for adult education today is extensive. Homer Kempfer sums up this need as follows: 1. Rapidly Changing Culture. Systematic learning throughout life becomes necessary when rate of change requires faster adaptions than can be made incidentally in a normal lifetime.

2. Development of Democracy. Our forefathers saw clearly that political democracy depends upon an educated citizenry. If the free world is to endure, the total citizenry must continuously engage in creative learning and put that learning into constructive action.

3. Development of Individual. The task of education at any age is to help people make adjustments which they must make to maintain psychological and social integration and personal effectiveness.19

Kempfer goes on to say that "by the wise use of the educational process throughout life, man can assure his own maximum personal development, learn how to control the products and processes of science and technology maximally for his own benefit, and perfect his ability to live 20 democratically in all areas of human relationship. The need for continuing education throughout life is succinctly and dramatically stated also by Bryson:

■^Horner Kempfer, Adult Education (New York: McGraw- Hill Book Company, 1955), pp. 10-14* ^ I b i d ., p . 15. 30

Our success in managing our difficult civilization may hang upon the use we make of the learning power which is ours as long as we are alive.21

Educational Television and Adult Education

As the scientific advances of this century have been developed, it is only natural that some would be applied to the area of communications. While newspapers have played and will continue to play an important role in our

society, it is radio and television--the electronic mass media— that have had the most far reaching impact on our

culture.

With the complex development of our societies and groups, such mass communicative methods take on an even greater role than was first perceived. Fred Seibert believes that mass communication is essential to our

American democracy:

Communication is the cement which gives cohesion to social groups. Mass communications supplies the same type of cohesion for populous and complex societies. Without the services performed by the mass media, our social, political, and economic structures would lose their ability to perform their functions in today’s highly integrated and interdependent society.22

The electronic developments which permit the

^Bryson, op. _cit., p. 199*

^Fred S. Siebert, "The Role of Mass Communication in American Society," Mass Media and Education, Fifty-Third Yearbook of the National Society for Study of Education, Part II. (Chicago: U. of Chicago Press, 1954), p. 13* transmission of both visual and audio signals brought a new medium of great significance to society. It is perhaps typical that a free, democratic society which must have a means of mass communication should be the society that developed and applied television as a way of communication.

Television as a method of communication has grown so rapidly that it has been difficult to maintain an under standing of its importance. Dr. Frank Stanton, President of the Columbia Broadcasting System, put it this way at the 1959 Institute for Education by Radio-Television: Television burst upon our society, little more than a decade ago, almost in a state of full growth. It has had a life of such rapid action that our thinking has not had time to keep up with it all. And I suspect we have had far more reactions to it than we have had thought about it.23

Stanton goes on to explain that a responsible broad caster has an obligation to lead, not merely respond, and that he must have T,a clear insight into the importance of this medium as a communication channel in a modern democratic society.,T^

The acceptance of television, and of radio before it, has been phenomenal, and it began early to attract the interest of those concerned with education. Americans give a higher percentage of their leisure time to radio and television programs than to any other activity--a fact

^ Education On The Air, ed. Wayne M. Carle, 0£. eft.,p.

2/fIbid. , p. 13. 32 which suggests that educators should be alert to the potentialities of such media for the enrichment of learning experiences. 25J

The implications of mass communication for the edu

cation of the adult members of society were enunciated early in the life of television by Earl J. McGrath in

1953: Nothing less than a continuing education through mass media can provide the type of understanding among our people that will be needed if they are to live effectively in the evolving social life of their times. It is in this connection that I see the maxi mum usefulness of radio-television.26

The opportunity to use television as a means of

education did not come easily. Actually, the general public was probably not aware of the potential of this medium as a method of adult education for all citizens.

Only because of the persistent, dedicated endeavors of a small number of educators and civic minded individuals was television, at least part of it, preserved for educa tional purposes. As John Powell contends, the opportunity for educational television "was forced into being by not 27 more than twenty persons."

O C Mass Media and Education, 0£. cit., p. 8l.

^Earl J. McGrath, "The Opportunities of Education Through The Mass Media," Education On The Air, ed. Joe Olson (Columbus, Ohio: The bhio State University, 1953)> p. 24. ^^John W. Powell, Channels of Learning (Washington D. C.: Public Affairs Press, 1962), p. 3- The struggle to reserve a limited number of television

channels for exclusive, educational, non-commercial use is a dramatic one detailed vividly by Powell. This struggle and effort was to insure the application of television to the continuing education of citizens in a free society.

Powell gives the reason for a separate educational network as the need for continuity. Education is not an episode, but a sequential development. Commercial stations cannot provide such continuity nor give the necessary access to evening hours so that the primary audience, the adult p d population, can be reached. When the reservation of television channels for edu

cational purposes was assured, the discussion began as to what was "educational television" and in a sense the

discussion is still going on. Without going into the complete range of definitions of educational television, two statements of breadth seem inclusive enough for the concerns of this study. A few years ago John Weiss wrote

as follows:

I would describe educational television as any television experience which broadens or stretches an individual, which excites his aspirations, and extends his capabilities and which better equips him to achieve his ultimate potential.

^Ibid., p. 15* 34 It may take place in a living room and a class room. Frederick Breitenfeld simply says that educational television is any broadcast which has an educational purpose.While educational television as so described can occur on commercial stations as well as non-commercial television stations, the probability of educational television being made available to the general population is more likely to occur on a non-commercial station. Therefore, educational television as an aid to adult education will primarily utilize non-commercial stations and as indicated previously the concern of this study is limited to this category.

Those who labored for a separate educational tele vision network, and the organizations that provided the financial resources which have enabled the growth of this electronic means of education to take place, both con ceived the primary role of the reserved channels as serving the continuing needs of the adult population. The Fund For Adult Education entered the task of preserving this vital medium for education because the staff of the

29john k . Weiss, "Opportunities ETV Offers," The NAEB Journal, Vol. 17, No. 5 (February, 195&), p. 10.

■^Frederick Breitenfeld, Jr., "The Pedant and The Clown--How ETV Can Educate and Entertain Adults", The fmrjTNAEB Journal, Vol. 20, No. 4 (July-August, 1961) Fund had strong convictions as to the contribution tele

vision might make to the critical areas of need within the

American culture. Powell gives these concerns of the Fund: One was the restoration of the vitality of mind and purpose on which the Republic was built; another, restoration of the immediate sense of public partici pation and the continuous reminder, example and challenge of public responsibility.31

The Fund for Adult Education placed the emphasis of

its support of educational television on the liberal edu cation of adults. There was no thought of in-school or college credit courses.^ This philosophy of the Fund was carried out when grants were made to stations to enable them to begin operations. An agreement was made with the recipient stations that a reasonable proportion of the programming be in the field of adult education, especially

in the liberal arts and sciences.33 a corresponding mandate was given to the National Educational Television and Radio Center which received large grants from the

-3 I Fund. The Center’s program is devoted primarily to the

production of programs for the general education of adults, which indicates the value both the Fund and the Center have

3^Powell, op> cit. , p. 165. 3^Ibid., p . 61.

33Ibid., p. 89. 34Ibid. 36 placed on television as an adult education technique.

The early thought of writers in the field and of leaders in conferences was that educational television could play a strategic role in meeting the intellectual aspirations of adults in America. Cooley in 1952 wrote that television would raise the potential for adult educa tion to new levels.^ At an early conference on educational television the summary report included these words: Television is virtually "tailor-made" for adult^ education....Education can be a lifetime process.36

A few years later in a conference of the American Council on Education, J. W. Ashton, Vice-President of Indiana University told the assembled group:

We should not forget that one of the greatest potentialities of educational television is in the education of adults. Here is a great challenge to educators who are working in television.37

More recently Henry Alter, while recognizing the important role educational television is playing in formal, in-school instruction, said that the main reason

■^Cooley, OjD. cit., p. 2&.

-^Carroll V. Newsom (ed.), A Television Policy For Education (Washington, D. C.: American Council on Educa tion, ly^2), p. 142.

37John Cm Adams (ed.) College Teaching By Television (Washington, D. C.: American Council on Education, 195SJ, pp. 134-35. 37 educational television stations exist is to provide an alternative to commercial television at all hours for a general audience.

Furthermore the implication seems clear that the government, through the Federal Communications Commission,

conceived of television as making an especially important

contribution to the education of our adult citizens.

This point of view on the part of the government has con tinued to the present time. President Kennedy, in a letter to the National Association of Educational Broad

casters, expressed his view that educational television was a means of meeting the needs of adult education.

Since it has been shown that communication is essential to an interdependent, complex, democratic

society, television can be an effective force in the

continuing education of adult citizens. The early aspirations of the Federal Communications Commission and of many educators was that educational television would

serve to increase the opportunities for adult education.

The application of educational television to adult education does have great potential. It utilizes an

3%enry C. Alter, "Television in The Community," Adult Leadership. Vol. 10, No. 1+ (October, 1961), p . 106.

•^The NAEB Journal, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jan.-Feb., 1962), p. 23 . 33 existing means of contact with citizens or the community

with a method of communication which attracts their atten tion and holds their interest.

The Identification of Community Education Needs

The development of an adult education program in any

community must be based upon accurate knowledge and in formation. Knowledge of the community, its people, their problems, and the groups in which much of the decision making takes place must be gathered.^ The diverse educa tional needs of the community must be known.^ Since an educational television station is in the true sense a new educational institution, it too, as Lewis suggests, must make an analysis of the ways in which television can serve the felt and unfelt needs of the

viewers.^ If an educational station is to serve the com munity, intimate knowledge of the coverage area must be known. The community of an educational station is its cover

age area, the distance its transmitting signal can reach.

^Paul H. Sheats, Clarence D. Jayne and Ralph B. Spence, Adult Education (New York: The Dryden Press, 1953)) p. 320. ^Charles E. Chapman, "Some Characteristics of Adult Part-time Students," Adult Education, Vol. X, No. 1 (Autumn, 1959)) p. 27. ^Philip Lewis, Educational Television Guidebook (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1961), p. 172. Thus, it might include a number of geographical, political, ethnic and neighborhood "communities." An educational station, therefore, may have many publics, and different audiences of varying sizes. This, of course, is one of the £reat advantages of educational television--to be able to serve small as well as large audiences. However,

Anthony Zaitz contends the station must be able to justify "small" audiences for some of its programs on the basis that an important service needs to be rendered.^ An educational station has the responsibility of determining which needs of the community, or which groups, can best be served by television.

Serving a variety of different publics with special goals is a task which can be performed best by an educa tional television station. There is no need to placate a sponsor or try to attract a large audience of viewers to achieve a high rating. This means that when needs are known, and they are evaluated to determine if television can be of service, then the goals and objectives can be carried out primarily on the basis of what is most important for the community. Producers-directors of educational stations find this freedom to concentrate on program quality without concern for sponsor demands or

*+3Anthony W. Zaitz, "The History of Educational Television 1932-195S" (unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, University of Wisconsin, I960), p. 117. 40

pressure to build a large audience, a highly desirable

asset.^ While a mass medium should not be unconcerned

about a mass audience, educational stations can take steps

to serve small audiences as well as large if adequate

information regarding needs is available.

The study of the community to ascertain its problems,

liabilities, and its assets and resources should involve

the citizens themselves. The experience of adult educa

tion leaders suggests that this is a basic premise upon

which to develop any process for the identification of

community education needs. ^

If the citizens are to be related to the identifica

tion of educational needs of the community, then the

viewers of an educational station would be, perhaps, the

logical place to begin. Glynn,^ Alter,^ and Morehead^ believe that educational television viewers should have

an active part in the determination of program policy.

^George B. Leonard, Jr., "TV Station KQED, No Sponsors, No Censors, No Scandals," Look Magazine, Vol. 24 No. 4> February 16, I960, pp. 31-32.

^ K e m p f e r , ojc. cit., p. 3&.

^Glynn, 0£. cit., p. 1S1-&2.

^Alter, o£. cit., p. 107*

^Morehead, 0£. cit., p. 10 5. 4 1 Viewer groups can be considered to be one way in which an educational station might obtain information about changing conditions, as well as being a continuing evalu ative group for the station's programming. Organized listener and viewer councils do exist in a few instances and there are two national organizations of this type.^ However, these groups have been primarily interested in the upgrading of commercial television. Such listener groups, according to Nicholas Vidnovic, do have the enthusiastic support of the Federal Communications Com mission.-^ Viewers do represent an untapped source of support, moral if not financial, for educational tele vision and might well be an extremely effective way to feel the "pulse" of any given community. The staff of an educational television station has a central role in the identification of needs. This function is described by Roddy Packer:

The familiarity of the local personnel on the television staff with current local problems assures a high degree of consideration for the community and a local pertinence in the channel's program content.51

^The National Association for Better Radio and Tele vision and The American Council for Better Broadcasts. ^Nicholas Vidnovic, "Educational Television— Its Pre sent Status and Recommendations for Its Future Development" (unpublished Master’s Thesis, The Ohio State University, 1951), p. 36 ^1Roddy E. Packer, "An Analysis of the Degree of Inte gration of Existing Educational Television Stations with their Particular Communities" (unpub. Ph.D. dissertation, 42 Station staff can most easily keep informed about the community by knowing civic leaders. Knowles suggests an important way to obtain specific information about the community is to make an informal survey by talking with community leaders in order to, (1) get facts, (2) become acquainted with the leaders, (3) and to give them oppor tunity to know the staff.^ Educational stations through their staffs could follow these suggestions as an informal way of identifying community educational needs. A systematic approach to the discovering of broad community needs as well as individual interests of the television audiences should be developed. This must be a constant concern of station management because of the changing nature of the community and the needs of its adult residents. As Kempfer so accurately reminds us, the educational needs of adults can not be identified once and for all time.^3

Lewis recommends that there be a position on the staff of educational television stations with the respon sibility of research. He gives a possible job description for a director of research: Has the responsibility for carrying on a continuous program of inquiry and research in such fields as

University of Minnesota, I960), p. 29- ^Kempfer, Adult Education, op. cit., p. 62. 43 viewing habits and patterns, program impact reaction, institutional analysis, communication research, activities directed toward more effective interaction of staff, securing increased viewer participation, and developing a better understanding of the public programming needs.54

While this comprehensive outline of the possible scope of a research director may not be feasible for all educational stations, still its importance cannot be over emphasized.

It is imperative that an organized, continuous plan be established by each educational station to discover educational needs and to "keep a finger on the pulse of the community."

Summary

While society throughout most of recorded history has recognized the importance of educating its adult members, only recently has the importance of life-long learning gained acceptance among educators. The adult education movement and the development of a professional field have come into being during the past few decades. While definitions vary, adult education is considered by many to be voluntary learning activity by persons past the compulsory school age, engaged in as a part-time endeavor under some form of organized auspices. A broad function of adult education is to develop the potentialities of

^Lewis, o£. cit., p. 162. 44 adults so that they may better solve their own problems and the problems of a changing society. There is an expanding need for adult education because technological advance has resulted in the present genera tion of adults being faced with a new culture different in kind from what they knew as children. The demand for adult education is a result of (1) a rapidly changing culture, (2) the development of a democratic society requiring an informed citizenry, and (3) the importance of the indi vidual knowing how to adjust to a growing interdependent, complex society. Television burst on the scene a decade ago causing revolutionary changes in entertainment and living patterns. A few far seeing persons perceived the importance of this new medium of communication to education. Through dedi cated and persistent effort public opinion was mobilized and a number of television channels were reserved exclusively for non-commercial educational use. Early motivation for such non-commercial television was to provide continuing education opportunities for adults.

Charitable and educational foundations gave substantial financial support because of their interest in adult edu cation. Television as an adult education method is con sidered to be "tailor-made."

For an educational station to render an effective communicative service to a community, adequate, relative information must be gathered about the coverage area.

Local citizens, including viewers, should be involved in the process, and the station staff should have a central role in "keeping a finger on the pulse of the community."

A systematic plan for identifying community educa

tional needs should be made. It should be a continuous

plan because of the ever changing conditions of the

community and of the needs of the adult residents. CHAPTER III

REPORT OF STUDY OF EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION STATIONS

AND COMMUNITY GROUPS IN SIX CITIES

Report on Individual Stations Studied

As indicated in the plan of this study, an intensive study of six educational television stations was made in order to gain a deeper understanding of the policies and programs related to adult education than could be obtained through a mail survey. These six stations were selected in such a manner as to be representative of both types of channel frequency, various licensees, and partially, of different sizes of cities. Each station selected was visited personally for a period of one to two days. Available material and infor mation about the station was studied prior to the personal visit. During the visit, interviews were held with station management and staff as well as with some com munity leaders. Station reports were examined to gain further data. Programs of the station were viewed in some instances and an inspection of the facilities and studios was made.

46 47

WOSU-TV, Columbus, Ohio

Establishment of the Station. The establishment of an educational television station at The Ohio State University was a natural extension of long interest in and concern for education on the air. The University has been providing education by radio to the residents of central Ohio for many years. Since 1921, the University has owned and operated a radio station.4 Thousands of listeners have depended upon WOSU-AM and FM to give them high quality radio listening.

As early as 1944 Ur. Howard L. Bevis, then president of The Ohio State University, recognized the important future of educational television. In testifying in behalf of the National Association of State Universities and the

Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities, Dr. Bevis made a positive statement at the FCC Allocation

Hearings: As television develops to the point of being able to serve mass audiences, it is recommended that the Commission keep in mind the needs of educational institutions and the natural program resources of

R. C. Higgy, "Educational Broadcasting from Ohio State University," Education On The Air, First Yearbook of the Institute for Education by Radio (Columbus: The Ohio State University, 1930), p. 257. 48

universities so that adequate facilities may not be preempted by commercial stations.2 In 1948 Dr. Bevis, as chairman of the Committee on Broadcasting of the National Association of State Univer sities recommended that a study be made of the possi bilities of educational television as a form of university educational s e r v i c e . ^ Later that same year he was instru mental in urging the passage of a resolution by the Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities urging the Federal Communications Commission to reserve a reason able number of television channels for the use of educa tional institutions.^4" As public support for the reservation of channels for educational use gained momentum, various educational associations formed the Joint Council on Educational Tele vision with headquarters in Washington, D. C. Its purpose was to coordinate the efforts of these associations working for the channel reservations. Dr. I. Keith Tyler of The Ohio State University served as the first chairman and

p The Stake of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleg~es in Radio Broadcasting, Testimony of Dr .Howard L Bevis at the Allocation Hearings, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D. C., September 28, 1944- ^Report of the Committee on Radio Broadcasting, National Association of State Universities (Mimeograph 1948). ^"Report of Committee on Radio, Association of Land- Grant Colleges and Universities [Himeographed, November, 1948). 49 directed the activities during the crucial hearings before the FCC. In 1952, when the Federal Communications Commission issued its "Sixth Order and Report," it assigned UHF channel 34 to Columbus, Ohio for non-commercial use. An attempt by the University to obtain a VHF reservation instead was unsuccessful. The University Trustees main tained an interest in educational television and in the

possibility of assuming the responsibility for channel 34. The audience of WOSU-Radio also encouraged the University to extend its service to include television. The public expected the University to operate the channel assigned to Columbus and there was no indication that a "community foundation" should be organized to apply for the license for the reserved channel.^

The University Trustees authorized the application for the license on March 9, 1953 and the construction per mit was granted shortly thereafter on April 22, 1953. After a thorough study of needed equipment, construction of the station was undertaken. It was financed primarily

through regular University funds with additional support from the Ford Foundation. After a preliminary period of telecasting a test signal, Station WOSU-TV officially

'’interview with Dr. William Ewing, March 13, 1962, The Associate Director of WOSU-TV. 50 went on the air February 20, 1956 at 3 p.m.

Station Relationships to Community and. Community Groups. Being a state institution in the capital of the State of Ohio, the University has been sensitive to the importance of close rapport with the many segments of the metropolitan area in which it is located. In the field of communications, the surrounding population has come to depend on the University for a non-commercial service. The broadcasting services of the University have been provided for the community and not for the exclusive internal use of the academic departments. In 1930 the director of the radio station stated that the program was devoted primarily to evening lectures for adults. Later in an organization manual for WOSU-Radio this policy of cooperation with the community was stated again: To extend its services as widely as possible, the station will cooperate when possible with civic groups in preparation and production of radio programs bearing on the work of the particular group.7

With this relationship to the community and community groups well established, a natural extension of this philosophy to the television station resulted. The support

^Higgy, o£. cit., p. 257. ^Organization Manual for Ohio State University Radio mo)Tp"nn.St at i on WOStJ (Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University, 51 of other educational institutions in the area was obtained before the University actually applied for the channel license. Service to the community is a principle strongly supported by station management and the station staff has a high interest in programming for community groups.^ Before channel 34 began regular telecasts, there was considerable interpretation to the faculty and to the public as to the technical requirements to enable existing television sets to receive channel 34 (s signal. The potential audience for the first few years was not known, but it is presumed to have been rather limited. The prob lem which faces the station, as it does other UHF stations, is how can it serve the community effectively when only a small percentage of the residents have receivers capable of receiving WOSU-TV’s programs. Good programming, of course, attracts viewers and WOSU-TV began development of a schedule to do just that. University sports events. With keen insight into the temperament of the coverage area, WOSU-TV embarked upon an extensive schedule of broadcasting sports events at the University. From 1956 to 1959 a number of sports programs were telecast, usually ’’live.” They covered a wide range, wrestling, fencing, gymnastics, boxing, football and

Interviews with Richard Hull, Director of WOSU-TV, and Dr. William Ewing, Associate Director of WOSU-TV, March 13, 1962. 52 basketball. The telecasting of basketball games began in 195^ and received a favorable response and increased the sale of converters. With an increase in demand for other programs and less available "air time" the emphasis on

University sports has been somewhat reduced since 1959.

Academic courses. A state university faced with an expanding enrollment would, of course, be interested in determining the extent to which television could be used in the teaching processes of the institution. Many of the academic courses telecast over Channel 34 have been designed for classroom study, but viewers in the community have been "voluntary" students.

Columbus Public Schools. WOSU-TV has made its facilities available to other educational institutions in the community and the Columbus Public Schools has made effective use of this opportunity. Locally produced programs are telecast to elementary and secondary schools regularly. WOSU-TV is also employed to enable the super intendent to address the entire teaching staff. With

3,000 teachers it is nearly impossible for the superin tendent to have a general meeting. By using television the teachers merely assemble in their respective buildings, and the superintendent talks with the entire group via television. 53 Adult community groups. The station has provided television service for community groups. In 195^> in cooperation with the Adult Education Council WOSU-TV pro duced a series of half-hour programs interpreting the activities of eighteen different member groups. A more recent series (1962) in which the station and the Adult Education Council cooperated was the "Great Decisions" programs. This series was programmed weekly with a half- hour tape from the National Educational Television Center, and was followed in each case by a local panel discussing the subject of the tape.

Several years ago for a period of about eighteen months, a program entitled "Uniscope" was produced with a format designed to be utilized by a number of community groups. Currently a weekly quarter-hour program titled

"Dateline OSU" is a weekly review of happenings in the community.

Professional and scientific groups. The resources of professional and scientific groups have been used to provide programs for the community. In the medical field several productions have been useful in expanding the knowledge and interest of local viewers. "Research Doctor" was a series produced in cooperation with the

Ohio State University Health Center which explained recent research projects. "Doctors of Hope" was a timely telecast 54 involving two physicians with service in Project Hope, a program which sends a starred hospital ship to under developed countries. The legal proression has also been represented with programs entitled ’’Law Day, USA” and "Court Reporter." Science programs have been produced in cooperation with the Battelle Memorial Institute, an internationally known scien- tiric research organization located near the University.

Labor and business groups. Requests ror programs rrom these groups have not been numerous. The station has produced programs with the Foreman's Club of Columbus, and a local stock brokerage firm provided the talent for a television series on investments. To supplement these local programs, the station does periodically project films from the National Association of Manufacturers and the A.F.L.-C.1.0.

Music and drama groups. The program schedule in cludes a number of locally produced music and drama pro grams. A regular program is "Music from Ohio State" which features faculty and students from the University School of Music. Other programs of music have included "Columbus Church Choirs," a series featuring twelve church choirs from the community; "Songs for a Summer Evening," with local talent; and "Jazz Forum" with a local group partici

pating . 55 Local drama has been produced over Channel 34 by the

Jewish Center Gallery Players doing Finian’s Rainbow and the Independent Players, another local amateur group, doing a "Mikado Preview."

Recreational groups. The University Physical Educa tion Department has provided leadership and talent for a series on the role of recreation in life, entitled "Relax and Live." The same department helped produce the program

"Summer Recreation" informing local residents of activi ties available to them at recreation centers. The local Red Cross Chapter gave leadership to a

"Water Safety" program, and a local scuba diving club aided the production of a demonstration of that sport.

Special programs. WOSU-TV, being a University station, can bring to viewers telecasts which provide the opportunity to become acquainted with aspects of academic life they might not otherwise be able to visualize.

Commencements are telecast bringing to the screen this traditional ceremony of the granting of degrees.

As with most large state universities, the student body includes many from other countries. WOSU-TV from time to time tries to interpret to the community the role of such students in the life of the University. "Shake

Hands With the World" was one program involving students from other lands. 56

Another special event was the program "Report on

India" which concerned the work of faculty members who had been granted leaves to serve in institutions of higher education in India.

Other community relations activities. In addition to the station's contact with community groups described above, other relationships to the community are carried on.

The station staff are encouraged to be active in the activities of the community, and many do. A number are talented musically and participate in local theatricals.

Staff members give frequent talks on educational television to various local organizations, and state meetings as well.

For example, Mr. Richard Hull, Director of WOSU-TV, addressed the 1962 Annual Conference of the Ohio Associa tion for Adult Education on the subject, "Educational

Television as a New Medium for Cooperation in Adult

Education."

Since Channel 34 has been on the air, the press re lations have been usually good. Press coverage at the inauguration of the station was fairly extensive. The local morning newspaper includes Channel 34 program schedules along with those of the commercial stations.

However, the afternoon daily does not follow this practice, and instead lists the WOSU-TV schedule in a separate box with the caption "On-The-Air Education." The neighborhood 57 weeklies have also shown interest in WOSU-TV. One desig nated the station director as the paper’s "Man of the Year” and the station staff as "Staff of the Year" in 195& for "increasing appealing live programming at the University station."

Channel 34 is listed in the regional edition of

TV Guide, but it is identified as "educational." In cooperation with the three commercial stations WOSU-TV helps produce a brochure listing special programs of all four stations. Another contact with the community has been tours of the studio. Each year many organizations visit the station’s facilities and gain a new awareness of the pro duction of television programs.

Identification of Community Education Needs. The Ohio State University as a land-grant institution of higher education has the responsibility of serving the people of the state and as such is cognizant of the necessity of determining the needs of people which can be served by the many resources of the University. Channel

34> as a part of the University, is in a position to benefit from this association.

University resources provide the station with an outreach to the community. Research is being carried on by many University departments. There is no organized 53 procedure by which pertinent University research is channeled to the station staff, but in some instances studies by faculty members are made available. For example, a recent study conducted by the Center for Adult Education was forwarded to the station and was studied by the program staff.

Staff discussion and analysis is the primary method by which community needs are determined. Staff members through study of current issues before the public and individual reading learn about or project community needs.

These are then discussed and analyzed to determine their feasibility for programming on ETV.

Surveys and studies have been carried on by some staff members as part of the requirements for academic degrees at the University. However, research is not an assigned responsibility of any staff member.

Liaison with community groups is maintained as much as time permits. The program director periodically attends the meetings of the Adult Education Council which has a membership of many groups in the community.

Viewer response to Channel 34 programs is frequent and is carefully considered by the staff. The station’s audience, though limited, is extremely loyal and con sistent in their viewing habits. Viewers write often to 59 express their opinions about programs and programs that should be developed. Channel 34 does not have any formal organization of viewers, nor is there any community advisory group. With a tradition of providing a radio broadcasting service for its community, The Ohio State University established an educational television station as a natural extension of this service. Even though on a UHF channel,

WOSU-TV from the beginning has been committed to fulfilling its responsibility of serving community groups. While station management has not yet developed a systematic, organized, and continuous plan for the identification of community education needs, various informal methods are employed in an attempt to gain information that will assist the station in programming for the community.

WCET-TV. Cincinnati, Ohio

Establishment of the station. When the Federal Communications Commission solicited indications of interest from a number of cities regarding the reservation of channels for educational use, the incumbent mayor of Cincinnati publicly endorsed the establishment of an educa tional station in the Greater Cincinnati Area and called a meeting of seven educational and civic groups to discuss 60 Q possible means of achieving such a goal. The representatives attending this meeting on April 14»

1951, saw broad possibilities for the utilization of an educational television station in the Cincinnati area if a channel could be reserved. The meeting reported that public and parochial schools would be able to benefit from the programs during the morning hours and the evening hours could be devoted to adult education programs.Plans for financing the station were also made. The following year many conferences and consulta tions were held with educational and cultural groups, during which time evidence of the community interest in having an educational station was transmitted to the Federal Communications Commission. The Commission did reserve a UHF educational channel for the Cincinnati area in its

Sixth Order and Report. The difficulties of establishing a community station in the UHF range did not deter the community from working toward the objective of obtaining an educational station. In July, 1952, the Greater Cincinnati Television Educa tional Foundation was organized with a membership of most educational institutions in the area. With the formal

^Cincinnati Enquirer, April 14, 1951. 1QCincinnati Times-Star, April 14, 1951. 61 structure finalized, plans were undertaken to procure the necessary funds to finance the construction of the station.

As the campaign for funds was initiated, the Cincinnati City Council pledged $5,000 toward the cost of constructing the station . H The community drive for flands reached beyond the corporate limits of the City of Cincinnati with over 114 communities cooperating in soliciting funds for

WCET. In March, 1953, sufficient funds were on hand to incorporate and the Foundation was granted a charter by the State of Ohio to operate as a non-profit corporation. The assets of the Foundation at that time were $230,000.12

Nine trustees were elected by the voting member institu tions to govern the affairs of the Foundation. These trustees immediately employed a general manager and instructed him to file an application with the Federal Communications Commission for Channel 4&. The construc tion permit was granted on December 2, 1953 and on July 26, 1954, WCET-TV went on the air as the first educational television station in Ohio. The problems faced in order to establish the station had not been easy, but through community effort the objective of an educational station was reached. The day

11 Cincinnati Enquirer, September 19, 1952.

•^Cincinnati Post, March 16, 1953* 62 WCET began telecasting, a local paper commented that it was a unique "nickels and dimes" station supported by funds collected throughout the area through pageants, ice cream parties, and other events.^ Thus, the station became a reality because of wide community interest.

Station Relationships to Community and Community Groups. As a community sponsored station, WCET has had the interest and support of many individuals and groups through its coverage area. The station’s relationships to the community have been hampered to some degree because of the inability of most citizens to receive the programs. Never theless, it has maintained close liaison with many segments of the community.

Educational institutions. When the Greater Cincinnati Television Education Foundation was formally organized and incorporated, nearly every accredited and recognized educa tional institution became a voting member of the Foundation. These members are as follows: Post-High School and Higher Education Art Academy of Cincinnati Our Lady of Cincinnati College Chase College of Law Ohio College of Applied Science College-Conservatory of University of Cincinnati Music Xavier University Hebrew Union College Mt. St. Joseph College Boards of Education, Ohio Boards of Education, Kentucky Cincinnati Beechwood Hamilton County Bellevue

13Ibid., July 26, 1954- 63 Deer Park Campbell County Elmwood Place Cold Spring Glendale Covington Greenhills Dayton Indian Hill Erlanger Lincoln Heights Fort Thomas Lockland Kenton County Loveland Ludlow Madeira Newport Mariemont Silver Grove Milford Southgate M t . Healthy New Richmond North College Hill Norwood Parochial Schools Reading St. Bernard Archdiocese of Cincinnati Wyoming Catholic School Board, Covington, Kentucky

Independent Schools Others

Cincinnati Country Day Public Library of Cincinnati College Preparatory and Hamilton County Concordia Lutheran Hillsdale School Lotspeich School Summit Schools Waterman School

With most educational institutions being voting members of the Foundation, there is a close rapport between them and the station. Further, since WCET broadcasts on a low power UHF channel, it has been difficult to attract a general audience, but this technical problem is not present in schools which obtain the proper receivers for the class rooms. These voting members also furnish most of the operating budget for the station. Therefore, instructional in-school telecasting to elementary and secondary schools has been a primary emphasis on Channel 4#* The programs 64 for schools are produced locally and live. Additional programs from other sources are also used in the schedule.

The response of the schools to instructional tele vision on Channel 48 has been very favorable with more and more schools indicating a desire to participate in the classroom programs. There exists close liaison between the instructional programs and the schools using the pro grams. The Parent Teacher Association in each school has a TV chairman whose responsibility is to interpret to parents the purpose of the WCET instructional television programs and what the schedule is so that interested parents may view the programs and understand better the curriculum in the classroom. Each school also has a teacher TV representative to maintain contact with the station staff, keep teachers informed of schedules and be the coordinator for suggestions and recommendations to the station staff and to the television teachers producing the programs.

Community programming. Although informal educational organizations and other civic groups are not officially voting members of the Foundation, it has been the aim of

WCET-TV to be truly a community station and it maintains a high interest in programming for the adult viewer. The following program objectives have been established: 65 1. Systematic programming for children of pre school age. 2. Programs which will enrich the classroom experi ences for children in elementary and secondary schools. 3. Constructive programs for out-of-school hours for children of all ages. 4. Courses in formal education in high school and college subjects for youths and adults.

5- Programs for the home viewer to improve skills and earning power; to better understand civic and community problems and projects; to demon strate new developments in science, art and international affairs. 6. Music, drama, and the other programs in the field of the arts, that are both entertaining and self-improving.

7. Programs which will add to the store of personal values which may contribute to better family life, and the long-range welfare of the community and the country.14 The facilities of station WCET-TV have been made available to community groups and organizations since beginning operations. The policy in this matter is stated as follows: WCET’s air time may be used by all voting member educational institutions and qualified non-profit organizations which operate for the cultural, educa tional, or civic well-being of the community.15

Qualified groups may use the telecasting facilities of WCET-TV without expense for air time, but they must provide any necessary production costs. The station production

■'■^'The Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Found ation, (undated mimeographed report), p. 3. !5ibid., p. 2 66 staff is provided at no charge, however.

The initial novelty and potential of educational tele vision encouraged many community groups to produce programs over Channel 1+8 during the first year or two of operation.

As a result, many high quality telecasts of music, drama, and informal education were produced in cooperation with local organizations. After a period of time, however, the various groups producing the programs began to contemplate if anyone was viewing the telecasts since the audience was not known and few converters had been installed in homes.

As a result, many groups decided it was not worth the time and effort and turned to the commercial station for public service time and a larger potential audience. Thus, the technical factors which limit the audience of Channel 4^ do have a serious effect on the station’s relationships to the community and community groups. In spite of the fact that community groups have been encouraged to use the facilities of Channel 4&, the response has not been very great. Community programming, therefore, un fortunately has never approached its full potential. A few community programs have been consistently telecast over

WCET-TV and have gained public acceptance. Community programs have been produced in cooperation

■^Interview with Uberto Neeley, General Manager of WCET-TV on February 8, 1962. with such groups as the Cincinnati Bar Association, Council on World Affairs, Retail Merchant's Association, Women's

Auxiliary to the Hamilton County Medical Society, and the

Berlitz Language Center, to name a few. The Junior League of Cincinnati helped produce a dramatized series, "Around the World on 4#." A successful program has been the "Home

Buyers' School" sponsored by the Home Builder's Association in cooperation with the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Public

School Adult Division, and WCET-TV. The classes for the school are held in public classrooms which have equipment

capable of receiving WCET-TV programs. A half-hour tele cast is broadcast over Channel i+8 to these adult classes in various school buildings throughout the city, with the remainder of the class period being conducted by classroom instructors in each case. This plan overcomes the limita tion of the UHF channel and also combines the use of tele vision with classroom instruction for adults. During I960,

840 evening programs were telecast over Channel 4& for the

adult viewer, 30 per cent of the total number of programs.1^

The station has also attempted to maintain close con tact with business and industry in order to determine

training needs of employers that might be met through the facilities of an educational station. Several years ago

^Program Report of WCET-TV for i960 (Mimeographed) . 68 the station arranged for an audition telecast for a number of representatives of corporations and business firms in the Cincinnati area. It was well received and a local paper commented that it demonstrated the great possibilities that TV offers for employee and supervisory training.-1'0

Unfortunately, this program developed by WCET-TV was not put into production because of the inability of employer groups to provide the necessary arrangements in local plants to receive the telecasts.

While community programming has been hampered by the technical problems limiting WCET-TVfs potential audience, it also faces the problem of budget limitations which do not permit an evening schedule each week night. The fluctuating budget, necessary because of uncertain income, has forced changes in the number of evening hours available for adult programs. Changes have been necessary both in terms of the number of hours on the air each evening as well as the number of evenings per week. As a result it has been difficult to build a consistent audience.

Community relations and station finances. The per

sistent problem of financing WCET-TV has prevented it from fulfilling its potential service to the community. While the community initial response to the needs for establishing

The Cincinnati Enquirer, June 16, 1955. 69 the station was generous, the year to year operating ex penses continue to be a serious obstacle. In the summer of 1955 the station faced a serious financial crisis with the possibility of the first educational television station in Ohio to go off the air. A public campaign was organized and sufficient funds were obtained to keep the station on the air until a new state law became operative permitting school systems to contribute to the support of educational television stations. The community does not provide an annual support for WCET-TV through a fund drive. The primary contributions come from the voting members of the Foundation. Here, therefore, is the dilemma Channel 4& must face. More financial support from the community is desirable, but the general public cannot view Channel 4^ f s programs to see the value of their being supported to a greater extent. However, it is interesting to note that both in the drive to finance the original construction and in the emergency campaign for funds in 1955, the potential for adult education was emphasized. This potential could be reached if additional funds could be obtained to increase the power of the station and provide regular consistent evening telecasts. This would result in wider understanding and support and establish a base for greater financial giving to operate the station. 70

Identification or Community Education Needs. The identification of community needs is recognized as being important, but is difficult when budget limitations prevent the assignment of this responsibility to a staff member. The primary attention of management has been given to the problem of staying on the air, but several methods of identifying needs have provided information for the station staff.

Foundation members, themselves, constitute an im portant link with community needs. While their primary interests are in the field of education, they do present a method of staying abreast of changing developments in the coverage area. One Foundation member is the Public

Library which is an institution that reaches into many facets of residential life and is alert to intellectual and cultural interests. Through their membership on the Foundation, these educational institutions can transmit to station management, changing conditions of the community that are important to educational television.

Research carried on is in the area of instructional television. WCET-TV depends upon the members of the Foundation to conduct any necessary research or studies for the station. 71 Liaison with community groups continues to be an indirect way of learning about suggestions for programs.

While local community programming is not extensive, the general rapport with community organizations is good.

Community needs are sometimes expressed by these groups.

Viewer response is a most important way for WCET-TV to maintain contact with the community. The contact with

schools and FTATs has been mentioned. Adult viewers of the station receive each month or two a bulletin entitled

"Program Previews" which gives the schedules for the evenings and highlights programs of the future. Viewers through this and other publications are encouraged to write the station with their evaluation of the programs or about concerns they believe the stations should con

sider. Such responses are carefully studied by staff.

A station advisory council is being considered by

station management. In one neighborhood residents have

initiated a plan to show films of WCET-TV programs to

community audiences to show the type of programs possible

over Channel 4 8 . It is anticipated that other neighbor hoods might be so organized and then coordinated into a city-wide advisory council. The station management believes such a grass roots liaison with the community will be helpful in programming for the adult viewer. 72

In summary, community concern and support made WCET-TV possible, but the technical difficulty of broadcasting on a low-power UHF channel has prevented the station from reaching its potential service. While its facilities are available to community groups and a good rapport has been established, WCET-TV’s limited audience discourages ex tensive community programming. Instructional television has been the primary emphasis since educational institu tions provide most of the budget and because classrooms can be easily equipped to receive the station's programs.

Thus, the dilemma— low power on UHF limits the audi ence making it difficult to provide better service to the community in order to encourage more financial support to enable WCET-TV to increase its power.

WQED-TV, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Establishment of the Station. The initiative for the establishment of an educational television station can come from any of several different sources, but perhaps it is most significant when it originates with the community ' itself. WQED-TV came into existence as a result of the inherent interest of the community-at-large working together toward a common objective.

This common concern was evidenced on April 1, 1951) when the then mayor of Pittsburgh, David L. Lawrence, convened a special meeting to discuss the possibilities of 73 educational television for the Greater Pittsburgh area.

Invited were the heads of the fourteen colleges and uni versities in the area, the superintendents of the Pitts burgh and Allegheny County Public Schools and representa tives of civic and cultural groups. A focal point of the meeting’s concerns was the procedures necessary to have an educational channel allocated to Pittsburgh. Within a week,

April 7, 1951, a statement had been formulated and sent to the Federal Communications Commission requesting that one of the television channels reserved for educational use be assigned to the Pittsburgh area. Mayor Lawrence took definite action soon thereafter by appointing a group of eighteen individuals to begin the exploration into costs, staffing and other problems that would need to be solved in order to establish an educational station. Dr. Alfred W. Beattie, superintendent of the

Allegheny County Schools, served as chairman of the group.

After some study of the problem, Dr. Beattie on February

13, 1952, requested the assistance of the Allegheny Con ference on Community Development for his committee's assignment.

On April 14, 1952, Channel 13 in the VHF range was assigned to Pittsburgh by the FCC. The Allegheny Con ference assisted in exploring methods for financing the station. Grants from foundations provided the necessary funds to equip and staff the station. The Ford 74 Foundation made a conditional grant of $100,000 if an additional $200,000 were provided locally. These matching funds were provided by two Pittsburgh foundations, the

Arbuckle-Jamison Foundation and the A. W. Mellon Educa tional and Charitable Trust, each of which gave $100,000.

Two other important gifts were received. The historic Holland Mansion, near the University of Pitts burgh, the Carnegie Institute, and other cultural centers, was leased to the WQED-TV for one dollar per year. This structure gave the station space for studios, offices and other equipment necessary for operation. Westinghouse

Radio, Inc., offered the use of its tower above the Uni versity of Pittsburgh stadium to WQED-TV, which was a welcome gesture. With the basic physical necessities assured, the station was staffed with both professional and volunteer personnel and was able to begin operations on April 1, 1954 j just three years to the day after Mayor Lawrence convened the first meeting to take steps to obtain the station. Thus, the first community sponsored educational television station in the United States came into being. A forty-two member board of directors was organized to give continuing direction to the station. The board is representative of many segments of Greater Pittsburgh. 75

Station Relationships to Community and Community Groups. A significant factor in the relationships of Channel 13 to its coverage area is the fact that it is a channel in the VHF range, the same as the existing three commercial channels. This is a decided advantage since each television set in the area can receive the programs on Channel 13. Thus, the audience of WQED-TV has grown steadily since it first went on the air. A recent study reported that 329,280 homes in the coverage area with

1 }0$3j690 individuals are regular viewers of the station .^9 The community and community groups have been informed that the facilities and services of the station were available to them since the station first went on the air. Air time is granted to community groups if their proposed programs meet the station’s criteria for programming. A facilities charge of one hundred and fifty dollars for one-half hour on the air is made to cover overhead costs. Organizations, agencies, and other groups in the Pittsburgh area have accepted Channel 13 as a service for the community and use its facilities. In an average week eight to ten different community groups will sponsor, pro duce, or cooperate in a telecast on WQED-TV. Some of the many different types of programs produced by local

^^1960-61 Annual Report, (Metropolitan Pittsburgh Educational Television;, p . 3* 76 groups are as follows:

Eduoation. WQED-TV has a School Services Division which is responsible for in-school classroom television serving 103 school districts and 5,000 classrooms with basic and supplementary television teaching. In September 1954, the station began an nAdult School of the Air" to enable interested individuals to complete their high school education. An enrollment of &34 students was achieved. The first graduating class of this unique high school included eleven adults from the

Western Pennsylvania Penitentiary and the Allegheny County

Workhouse. The School Is currently being evaluated and is not in the present schedule.

The colleges and universities have cooperated in producing programs of general interest and credit courses have been offered under the auspices of one.

Religion. Several quality programs in the field of religion have been possible as a result of the cooperation of community groups. The United Presbyterian Church produced with WQED-TV a series entitled "That They May Know," designed to aid in the training of church school teachers. The program "House of God" which considered the development of church architecture was made possible by the same organization. "Religion in Education" was a series produced with the Parent Teacher Association and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Another regular program produced with the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Conference of Christian and Jews is "Opera tion Understanding," a weekly series to build racial and religious freedom.

Art, drama and music. The Junior League of Pitts burgh cooperates in making art programs over Channel 13 possible, especially for young people. Drama departments of the universities assist in this area. A recent example was a program of oral reading by members of the

University of West Virginia speech department. Music has an important place on Channel 13Ts schedule. The Pittsburgh Youth Symphony have given spring concerts over WQED-TV. "Pittsburgh Sings" has featured a number of local singing organizations in music of yesteryear, while "One World City" is a series with songs and dances of the many different nationality and ethnic groups represented in the Greater Pittsburgh community.

Professions. The Allegheny County Bar Association has cooperated in a weekly program entitled "Legally Speaking" programmed to aid the viewer in understanding legal problems of everyday living. The program "Family Doctor" has featured local physicians discussing health problems of the individual. Both programs have provided for telephone questions from viewers to the panels. 7a Public affairs. WQED-TV has had a continuing interest in programming in public affairs. The local chapter of the

Foreign Policy Association has helped produce such pro grams. An earlier program "Allegheny Round Table," which presented a regular forum on current issues, is now incor porated in a new series entitled "Special Report" which considers local problems. "Key to the City," another regular feature, presents interesting personalities and guests, in the city. During the I960 national election the program, "Grass Roots Voter" depicted the importance of participation in political affairs.

Local groups have also assisted in producing programs on community development, children's programs, and sports events. In addition, the regular offerings of the National

Educational Television and Radio Center, as well as out standing productions on commercial networks, are made available to the adult viewer over Channel 13.

Other community relationships. Community programming is such an important part of WQED-TV's telecasting philosophy that a staff position carries the title "Execu tive Producer for Community and Public Affairs." A full time volunteer with background and experience in educa tional broadcasting has the responsibility of this position.

The station has a Department of Community Relations,

but this title is somewhat misleading since this department 79 is solely concerned with the raising of funds for the operation of the station. It does, of course, have many contacts with the community and community groups as it conducts an annual fund drive. Another contact with the community is through the volunteers who since the beginning have helped in the actual operation of the station. A training program is provided for the volunteers, and in some instances volun teers have been employed on a professional basis.

Identification of Community Education Needs. There is an awareness on the part of the station staff about the importance of the identification of community education needs, but there has not yet been formulated a planned, organized procedure to achieve this objective. There are several ways by which Channel 13 attempts to be sensitive to needs of the community. The Board of Directors is a large group, forty-two members, and is fairly representative of the diverse population of the Pittsburgh area. It is, in a very indirect sense, a way of discovering community educational needs. Members are representative of formal education at both secondary and university levels, of labor and manage ment, of the major religious faiths, and of other com munity groups. The members of the board probably feel free to express community concerns to the station staff. 80

However, the board meets only quarterly for a luncheon meeting and serious deliberation of the community is un

fortunately absent. Further, there does not seem to be any

active committee structure. Members of the station staff

do not consider the board to be an important means of

identifying community needs. Such a board could be utilized, nevertheless, to give

periodic consideration to the community and its needs,

especially those of the adult viewer. The board would

need to meet more frequently and for longer periods of

time, in order to function in this way.

Research at WQED-TV has been exclusively concerned

with instructional television at the elementary and

secondary levels. Three substantial research grants have

been received from the U. S. Office of Education, under

Title VII of the National Defense Education Act. However,

no research into adult education needs has been conducted,

and no member of the staff carries a continuing responsi

bility for research. The present station manager does

believe research is a primary need, however, especially before, during, and after a program has been produced and

telecast.

Liaison with community groups and their leaders is

maintained as much as possible. The previous description

of community programming at Channel 13 is indicative of this relationship. Contact with community leaders is a valuable source of program ideas according to the evalua tion of the staff.

An advisory group to the School Services Division, composed of school administrators, provides guidance as to content and schedule of instructional television pro gramming. There is no comparable community advisory group for aiding in the development of programs for the adult viewer.

Viewer response to programming is carefully studied.

(Some viewers enclose contributions when they comment favorably about a particular series of programs.) Viewer suggestions reflect in an indirect way community condi tions. There is no organization of viewers, but they are solicited for contributions during the annual fund drive and a mailing list for program schedules is maintained.

The Financial drive each year involves a door-to-door campaign. This provides a type of response to the year's programming, but the staff does not consider it to be a method of learning about needs and interests of viewers.

Indirectly, however, it could be a mechanism through which the concerns of viewers could find expression.

Volunteers helping to operate the station have rela tionships to many different phases of community life. &2

They too, could be another means of discovering community interests. As the first community sponsored educational station, WQED-TV has extensive community programming, serving many community groups with a large viewing audience. One of the pioneers in utilizing volunteers in the operation of the station, WQED-TV also depends upon the community for about one third of its annual budget. Through close liaison with community groups, station staff attempts to discover educational needs.

WMVS-TV, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Establishment of the station. The advance of educa tional television during the past decade has been due primarily to the early foresight and courageous leadership of both institutions and individuals. In Milwaukee, the

Vocational and Adult Schools, its board, and its director, Dr. William F. Easche, first considered the possibilities of educational television in 1951. Dr. Rasche, sensi tive to the ever changing needs of the city of Milwaukee, saw in educational television a new method by which the Vocational and Adult Schools could extend its services to the citizens of that city.

^Robert W. Tarbell, A History of the Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schoo'ls--IiVom 1912-195# (Milwaukee: M.V.A.S. Press, 1958), p. 23 5. Dr. Rasche initiated studies concerning the feasi bility of establishing the station in Milwaukee. Civic groups became interested in the potential of educational television and supported the proposed plan. The South eastern Wisconsin Association of County Superintendents, labor unions affiliated with the A.F.L.— C,I.O, the

Milwaukee County Radio and TV Council, and Parent Teacher

Associations all supported the establishment of an educa tional station at the Vocational and Adult Schools. The mayor of Milwaukee in October, 1951, publicly favored the station.^ ^ • 21

The Federal Communications Commission allocated eleven reserved educational channels to the state of Wisconsin, including one for the Milwaukee area. Later that same year,

October, 1952, the Board of the Milwaukee Vocational and

Adult Schools authorized the construction of television studios and a closed circuit system in its building. This equipment enabled the schools to begin the formulation of a curriculum for training students for vocations in the various branches of television. At that time, the Board also instructed Dr. Rasche to apply for the license of the 22 educational television channel assigned to Milwaukee.

21Ibid., p. 236.

22Ibid., p. 237. 64 A state-wide citizens’ group attempted to develop support for a state financed network for the entire eleven

channels allocated to Wisconsin. This move delayed the awarding of the license for Channel 10 to the Vocational

and Adult Schools. The Wisconsin legislature did not give support to this citizens’ proposal and a state-wide referendum was also defeated by a large margin.

Opposition to the assignment of the channel to the

Schools was expressed by commercial interests desiring this valuable VHF channel. Some negative reaction was also expressed by the general public because of disagreement with the concept of tax revenues being used for such a new purpose, and to a misunderstanding of the cost factor of constructing and operating an educational television

station. However, with the assistance of various groups and individuals public support in favor of the station was developed.

On June 6, 1956, the Federal Communications Commission granted the construction permit for Channel 10 to the

Schools.^3 The station was well prepared having used the several years between applying for the license and the granting of the permit to prepare the studios, gain experi ence in production, and acquaint the community with

^ This is WMVS-TV, Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools” (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), p. 6. 35 television through the facilities of the Vocational and

Adult Schools and the closed-circuit system installed earlier. Construction costs were provided by regular funds of the school and by a grant of $100,000 from the Ford Founda-

Q I tion. A local commercial channel, WITI-TV, gave permis sion to Channel 10 to use their tower equipment. However, with the equipment at hand, a final obstacle had to be overcome. A group of taxpayers brought suit to seek a restraining order to prohibit the station from going on the air. Station WMVS-TV was successful in defeating this move.^^ Channel 10 went on the air, October 23,

1957.26

Station Relationships to Community and Community

Groups. The concept of WMVS-TV, symbolized by the telecast identification "Your Community Station," is the culmination of a long history of service to the citizens of Milwaukee by the Vocational and Adult Schools. Channel 1 0 fs service to the community is a continuation of a traditional philosophy the Schools have followed since their founding.

The Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools were first

2^Tarbell, ojd. cit., p. 237. 2^The Milwaukee Journal, October 25> 1957. 2^This is WMVS-TV, op. cit., p. 6. 56 organized in 1912 following the passage of legislation by the state of Wisconsin in 1911 which provided for continu ation schools in each city over 5,000. Such schools are for students who dropped out of school to work; who were unemployed, but not in school; and for apprentices. Pro vision for adults on a voluntary basis was included in the

legislation.

Today the following divisions of the Schools offer a wide range of educational opportunities. The beginning

dates of the divisions are listed in parentheses.

The Continuation School (1912) Serves boys and girls under eighteen years of age. The Apprentice School (1912) Provides related instruc

tion for apprentices who are indentured by the Wisconsin

Industrial Commission to learn a trade.

The Adult School (1912) Provides specialized courses

of study for men and women who pursue personal objectives

on an individual basis, primarily to acquire new skills

and develop economic competence.

The Central School of Nursing (1923) Provides nurses

training for the Milwaukee hospitals. The Evening Technical Engineering Course (1924) Offers technical engineering courses for employed young men whose

2^Tarbell, 0£. cit., pp. 15-20. 37 work is allied to that of engineers.

The Adult High School (Transferred from public school,

1933) An accredited high school for adults desiring to complete their high school education.

The Vocational Junior College (1934) Provides post- high courses in both vocational and academic subjects.

The School of Practical Nursing (1947) Provides a one- year course in practical nursing.

The Institute of Technology (1951) Provides courses for students with high school diplomas, or equivalent, able to carry post-high courses.

With these various schools, the Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools has a tradition of responding to changing community needs. The relationship of WMVS-TV to the community is a continuation of this awareness of needs.

As previously mentioned, the Schools installed tele vision studios and a closed-circuit system of television to provide laboratory experience for students in the television curriculum and to start training staff in pro gramming. These facilities were also used to produce programs for the National Educational Television and Radio

Center. Local educational institutions and cultural agencies produced kinescope recordings of programs for later use on commercial stations in the area. Even during this period, before Channel 10 was on the 88 air, the policy of* serving various educational and cultural groups in Milwaukee through the television studios was established. In a policy manual Tor the use of the facil ities this was stated as follows: Who May Use the Facilities of the Television Center? All qualified educational agencies who are members of the Milwaukee Area Interim Committee on Educational Television,28 and other educational organizations which are affiliated with members of the Interim Committee. Every member agency will be afforded use of the studio facilities on an equal basis, with no organization enjoying exclusive production p r i v i l e g e s .29

Later when the station went on the air, newspapers carried the publicity stating the availability of the station's facilities to other educational and cultural groups, as follows:

Live programming on a local basis will be done through the cooperative efforts of Milwaukee Voca tional School, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Marquette University, Milwaukee Public Schools, Public Library, Museum, and other agencies and groups.30

Therefore, both before the station was in operation and when it went on the air, the concept of serving the

* A Committee of local educational organizations and community groups organized to support the establishment of the station. ^ A Policy Manual Governing the Production of Educa tional Television Programs at the Television Center of the Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools (Mimeographed, January, 1956J. -^The Milwaukee Sentinel, October 27> 1957. 39 educational needs of the community through cooperating with local organizations became established. The Vocational and Adult Schools considers itself the trustee of the station for the community and in turn local groups consider Channel

10 to be a "community" station.

Community Programming. The Station regularly provides time for a number of Milwaukee area groups in order to telecast to the community programs of special interest. In an average week WMVS-TV will have 15-20 spot announce ments about local groups or messages from them to the community. About seven different community organizations will have a program on Channel 10 in any given week.

Television on Channel 10 has been a new window for the citizens to learn about their city. For example, WMVS-TV has presented programs in cooperation with Milwau kee Fire Department showing their activities as well as fire safety programs. Likewise, the Police Department has utilized Channel 10 to present public education messages such a3 a program on purse snatching entitled "Watch Your

Handbag." The League of Women Voters has presented programs on school board candidates and the Milwaukee Citizenship Commission planned and presented a program on Channel 10 on getting residents to vote. MilwaukeeTs Town Hall Meeting, a public forum for many years, is now telecast 90 over Channel 10 providing a much larger audience for this public affairs group. A program "Golden Years" has wide acceptance by retired persons. Community theater groups are represented on WMVS-TV in a weekly half-hour telecast, "Way Off Broadway." Another regular half-hour program is called "Program Ten" and features interviews with civic leaders, information about special events in the city and visitors to Milwaukee. Musical groups and youth and welfare agencies also help in presenting programs of interest over Channel 10. In addition, through the Wisconsin Training Directors’ Association a series of programs for management viewers was developed and programmed. An important area for cooperation is with the Univer sity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee extension division located near Channel 10 studios. A special consultant on television on the staff of the extension division works closely with the staff of WMVS-TV. In 1960-61, they cooperated in producing a series of programs featuring the students and faculty of the University Music Department.

A significant way in which Channel 10 is able to con tribute to better community programming is through the annual Summer Television Workshop. This two weeks’ train ing period provides practical training and experience in the production of television programs. In addition to lectures and observations of educational television 91 production, actual experience is given in the planning and production of a short telecast by the workshop participants. Members or representatives of local educational and cultural groups are invited to participate in this training experience. Over a period of several years, a number of community organizations have obtained a better understand ing of the function of educational television and are thus able to make a more intelligent approach to community programming. With this broad background of service to the community, an observer easily gains the impression that WMSV-TV merits the identification symbol "Your Community Station."

Identification of Community Education Needs. There are several ways by which WMVS-TV attempts to be in touch with changing community conditions, especially those that should be considered in programming over Channel 10.

The built-in sensitivity to the community which is so much a part of the Vocational and Adult Schools is of benefit to WMVS-TV. Two major sources within the organized structure of the Schools provide valuable information to the station staff. 1. The faculty council of the Schools has as its primary interest the broad educational needs of the citi zens and of the city. Information obtained by the station manager through his participation in this council is 92 important in determining ways television can be of service to the residents of the area.

2. The Schools have related to them about thirty-five employer-employee advisory groups which evaluate the various curricula offered in the field of business, indus trial, and trade skills. These groups, by their very nature, bring educational concerns to the School, and thus indirectly to the television station.

Staff relationship to community groups is on an informal basis. Station staff maintain a close working relationship with the professional personnel and lay work ers of many educational and cultural groups, such as the staff of the extension division of the University of

Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The annual Summer Television Workshop, described earlier, is another method by which liaison with community groups is developed and maintained. Workshop participants represent another indirect contact with the area.

Consultation with coordinating groups is a periodic procedure of the station staff to keep informed about their coverage area. The Council for Adult Learning, an adult education coordinating group, and the Wisconsin Training Directors are examples of such contacts. These coordinating groups are a focal point for much knowledge about the city and its surrounding area, and can be a 93 valuable resource of information Tor station staff.

Solicitation of viewer response is a regular activity of Channel 10. Contact is maintained with a large number

of persons. A bi-monthly program bulletin, as well as

occasional special program notices, are mailed to viewers. Periodically in these publications, opportunity is given for viewers to respond to programs on WMVS-TV and to

indicate their interests for future ones. Unsolicited letters and telephone calls .from viewers

are studied and evaluated. They do have an influence on programming if the staff evaluation determines they are of

sufficient quality and quantity to do so. They do reflect,

to some degree, expressed community needs.

Mail surveys of interested viewers have been made

from time to time to obtain viewer evaluation of programs

and to solicit information as to viewer needs and recom mendations that might be considered in future station programming.

Staff research at Channel 10 is not an extensive activity, but does receive important attention. The staff attempts to keep informed personally on activities in their coverage area in order to evaluate possible services that might be given through Channel 10. The station manager holds a Ph. D. degree and is research oriented.

Combined with his academic training in adult education, a 94 minor field in his doctoral program, the station manager maintains a high interest in programming for the adult viewer and in determining needs. He has assumed continu ing responsibility for program and audience research, study of existing local and national research projects, and he cooperates with other research endeavors relating to community educational needs.

A community advisory group to WMVS-TV has been proposed in the past and has been evaluated and studied by

Channel 10 management. The possible details of organi

zation of such a group have not been formulated and no

decision concerning such a group has yet been made.

The Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools, a tax supported educational institution, has a long tradition of serving changing needs of its community. In WMVS-TV, the Schools provided still another service. This educa tional station telecasts many community programs and serves many groups, even providing a television workshop. Through the many community associations of the Vocational and Adult

Schools, WMVS-TV stays alert to changing community

conditions. 95 WFPK-TV, Louisville, Kentucky

Establishment of the station. The present service of an educational television station in the Louisville area is the result of combined efforts of two institutions, the Louisville Free Public Library and the Jefferson County School System.

In the early 1950fs, both institutions bacame interested in the potential of this educational medium and obtained data then available. Through their respec tive executives, C. R. Graham, Director of the Library, and Richard Van Hoose, Superintendent of the Jefferson

County Schools, these institutions assisted in the develop ment of public support for the allocation of reserved channels for educational use. Both men testified in the hearings conducted by the Federal Communications Com mission.

Both institutions had substantial reasons for suport- ing educational television. The Louisville Free Public Library has had an outstanding audio-visual department for some time. It has extensive equipment including nearly fifty professional tape recording consoles and two FM radio stations. Forty leased wires from the library to branch libraries, city hospitals, schools and the University of

Louisville brings the resources of a library of 16,000 pre-recorded tapes and about 15,000 long playing records 96 to a wide group of patrons.It was only natural, there fore, that the Library conceived of educational television as a further extension of its services to its many

constituents. Since World War II, Jefferson County has had a rapid industrial growth. Many corporations have invested in industrial plants in the Louisville area including the

General Electric Company which constructed a one thousand acre, three hundred million dollar complex called Applicance

Park on the city's outskirts.^ Population growth accom panies industrial expansion and the Jefferson County School

System found itself with an exploding school enrollment.

In examining means to service this enlarged pupil popu

lation, the Jefferson County Board of Education decided

that an educational television station with programming for

classroom instruction might assist in the achievement of

the following objectives:

1. To better utilize space.

2. To redeploy teachers in an effort to use them more advantageously.

3. To instruct as well as, or better, in big groups than had been done in small groups.

31 "Louisville’s Hi-Fi Library," Educational Screen and TV Guide, April, 1959, pp. 133-1&9.

^2William Manchester, "Louisville Cashs in on Culture," Harper’s Magazine, August, 1955, p. 77. 97 4. To gain insight into the use of television as a medium of education and to plan Jefferson County's building program accordingly. 5. To develop a facility that has almost unlimited possibilities in education both for the school and the community.33

In 1952, UHF Channel 15 was assigned to the Louisville area. No action to activate the channel was taken for several years because of (1) costs and lack of information as to costs, (2) inadequate knowledge on how best to pro ceed, and (3) a paucity of experimental research to point the way educationally. The Fund for the Advancement of Education became interested in experimental research involving the use of television instruction with large classes. The Fund agreed to assist in financing a three-year study in the Louisville area. Steps were soon taken to formulate definite plans to activate the assigned Channel 15.

After much discussion, study and negotiation by the

Louisville Free Public Library and the Jefferson County School System, a mutual agreement concerning the establish ment of an educational station was signed. A verbatim copy of this agreement follows:

■^Richard Van Hoose, ’’Faith in Educational Television Has Paid Off,” Your Jefferson County Schools, November, 1959, Vol. 3, No. 3, p. 2. 9$ Re: Television Station

This Policy Agreement jointly entered into this September 21+, 1957, by and between the BOARD OF TRUSTEES of the LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, hereinafter referred to as the "Library"; and the B O A R D OF EDUCATION OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY, hereinafter referred to as the "School Board." WITNESSETH THAT: Whereas it is deemed to be within the public interest for the school children and citizens of Louisville and Jefferson County, Kentucky that a Non-commercial Educa tional Television Broadcast Station be established in this community, and Whereas the Library and the School Board are now interested in setting up such a station on UHF Channel 15, NOW THEREFORE: It is mutually agreed by and between the Library and the School Board that the following general policies and procedures shall govern such undertaking: 1. The Library will apply in its name for an educational TV station permit from the Federal Communications Commission, provide reasonable space without charge w i t h i n the Main Library building or other buildings for the TV transmitter, studios and other necessary facilities, and permit alterations and additions to the present tower for installation of the TV antenna. 2. The School Board will p a y for the initial cost and installation of the TV transmitter, antenna, and other necessary equipment, including the equipment for such studios as may be later needed.

3. The School Board will have first priority in the selection and use of any six hours for broadcasting, either consecutive or not, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and noon and between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. each school day. 99

1+ . The School Board will pay the cost of producing and broadcasting county school programs, and for the expense of operating and maintaining the station when used for the county school system.

5. Other school systems, the Library and other educational agencies may use the program and facilities of the station at times mutually agreeable to the Director of the Library and the County School Superintendent, provided that sufficient payment is made by these other users to cover a fair share of the cost of producing and broadcasting programs, and the expense of operating and maintaining the station.

6 . The Library during the period of this Agreement shall have possession and control of the equipment paid for and installed by the School Board, but the ownership and title thereto remains vested in the School Board.

7 - Either party may terminate this Agreement by giving the other party 24 months written notice thereof. By agreement of both parties, this Agreement may be terminated at any time to be effective at a time mutually agreed upon. At the termination of this Agreement, the Library shall have the first option to purchase the School Board’s equipment at the Library at its fair market value or depreciated value whichever is higher. If the Library does not purchase same within 60 days after it is offered to it in writing, then the School Board may remove said equipment and sell it to some other buyer.

8 . The station shall be established and maintained in accordance with the general policies set out herein as executed and administered jointly by ■the Director of the Library and the County School Superintendent under the general supervision of the respective boards. 100

WITNESS THE SIGNATURES of the parties at Louisville, Kentucky, as of the date first appearing above.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY

By______fsignedj______C. R. Graham, Director of the Library

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY

By (signed) ____ kichard VanHoose, Superintendent and Executive Agent

With the completion of this agreement, the Library applied for the license for Channel 15. The construction permit was granted and immediate steps were taken to obtain the necessary equipment to operate the station.

Cooperation and prudent management enabled the basic facilities for the station to be acquired at minimum cost.

The existing tower owned by the Library for its FM

stations was modified for the TV antenna and the trans mitter was installed in a portable structure adjacent to the tower. Studios were constructed in one of the county

schools. In addition, a local commercial television

school which trains technicans offered the use of its well

equipped studios and the services of its staff for produc tion of WFPK-TV programs. Channel 15 was then able to 101 start operations September 8, 195&. The active management of the station has been delegated to the Kentuckiana Educational Television Council which formulates policy for programming. The staff includes a director and a producer-coordinator who plan and produce the many instructional telecasts to the classrooms through out the coverage area reaching both Kentucky and Indiana schools. Superintendents from the school systems serve to comprise the membership of the Council.

Station Relationships to Community and Community Groups. The community relationships of WFKP-TV have been severely restricted due to the limited audience for the UHF channel. The station management has encouraged the pur chase of the necessary equipment by parents so that families could view the programs telecast to the schools.

There has been no community-wide promotion, however.

Late in 1961, a new and third, commercial station went into operation. This commercial station with network affiliation is in the UHF frequency range. It has engaged in an extensive promotion campaign to urge the purchase of converters so that residents can tune in the third com mercial channel. As the UHF potential audience grows, Channel 15 will benefit because many more people will be able to receive the telecasts, and community programming

can be developed. 102

The present community programming of WFPK-TV is very limited. The station operates only in the daytime during school hours and has limited its programs to instructional needs. The community does not expect the station to provide community programs. A few programs related to the community have been produced. Special broadcasts for Parent Teacher Associ ation meetings have been aired over Channel 15, and in early 1962 a series of programs "Great Decisions” was produced in cooperation with the University of Louisville. A special effort was made to enroll high school "drop outs" and other adults in high school courses for credit over Channel 15, some of which would have been telecast in the evening. Because of lack of enrollment, the proposal was dropped. Facilities of the station are available to community groups for a very small fee ($15.00 per half-hour). The availability of these facilities have not been publicly announced, but this information has been informally given to several potentially interested groups. It can be assumed that as the potential audience for Channel 15 increases more community groups will be interested in the television opportunities of WFPK-TV. The broadcasting day currently ends at 3 05 P* m. on school days, so the evening hours and Saturday and Sunday would be free for community programming. 103

In February, 1961, WFPK-TV received a videotape machine and became affiliated with the National Educational

Television and Radio Center which arranged the gift. These two actions have broadened the potential for community programming. While the need for instructional television has required the full attention of the station staff, there is good motivation to provide more community programs.

Identification of Community Education Needs. No plan for identifying community education needs has been developed.

With exclusive attention being given to instructional tele vision, there has been no urgency to identify needs since there was little or no community programming.

There are several ways open to Channel 15 that can be utilized for such purposes:

1. The Kentuckiana Educational Television Council

could be a vehicle for providing an indirect contact with community needs in a number of counties in western Kentucky and southern Indiana. 2. The Parent Teacher Associations, which are organized throughout the Jefferson County School system and which utilize Channel 15 for telecasting programs to their meetings, is another possibility for a way that com munity needs could be expressed.

3. Considerable research has been conducted for evaluating the instructional telecasting on Channel 15. 104

The expansion of research to involve other aspects of the community could reveal useful information that would be helpful in determining the needs for community programming. The future plans of WFPK-TV include an expanded schedule of community programming. It is contemplated that the following chart of organization might evolve:34

Louisville Library Jefferson County Board of Education WFPK-TV I------1 Community Council Kentuckiana Council Station Manager Director I Administrative Administrative I I Program Promotion Program Instruction NET -Live Films

A community council would be organized to provide direction for television programming for the adult viewer and for community groups. It is assumed that such a community council would be representative of the coverage area and would be a significant method for the station to stay alert to changing community education needs.

The Louisville Free Public Library has the

^Educational Television - I960 (mimeographed report on W F P K ^ W n ------105 traditional interest and concern and the structure to be an effective means of identifying adult education interests. With its eleven full-time branches and nine part-time branches, it is in touch with a large number of the popu

lation each day. The development of adult programming at WFPK-TV will take continued thought and effort, but the potential for a valuable and important service is there.

The cooperative efforts of two institutions, the Louisville Free Public Library and the Jefferson County School System resulted in the establishment of a UHF educational television station, WFPK-TV. Licensed to the Library, the station is financed and programmed by the Kentuckiana Educational Television Council, composed of superintendents of the public school systems served by WFPK-TV. With instructional television for the schools the almost exclusive concern of the station, almost no community programming has been undertaken. However, with a growing potential audience, due to a commercial UHF television station in the area, and with the community outreach of the Library, the opportunity for a community educational service is there to be developed. 106

WTTW-TV, Chicago, Illinois

Establishment of the Station. The fact that WTTW-TV, Channel 11, is today a thriving institution, reaching the lives of most Chicagoans, is a living compliment to the small group of dedicated persons who persistently and energetically pursued a common goal of educational tele vision. These individuals were related to the educational and cultural institutions of Greater Chicago and shared a concern for the negative contribution television was making to their city. They visioned in educational television an extension of the aims of education to search out the truth without fear or favor and to present on an equal basis, all, even unpopular, points of view. On May 9, 1951 > these foresighted persons formed them selves into "The Working Committee to Establish an Educa tional Television Station on Channel 11 in Chicago." While having an unwieldly name, this small group wielded the necessary influence eventually to convince this large metropolis that Channel 11 was both important and necessary to the life of the citizens of Chicago. Early in the life of the Committee, key newspaper men, especially columnists with wide reputations, were involved in the deliberations of the group. An enlightened press was thus able to interpret the function of educational television to the community. The viewing 107 public had to be aroused to understand the critical need of reserving this last VHF television channel in the Chicago area for educational and cultural use. In addition, over worked educational administrators and doubtful faculty had to be convinced that Channel 11 would enable them to achieve their educational goals for the community more effectively. University presidents had to be persuaded to give time to another fund drive which would not benefit their institution in any way. Finally, serious opposition had to be overcome. A commercial network without a Chicago affiliation objected to channel 11Ts being reserved for educational use and challenged the ability of the educa tional groups either to finance or to program the station.

On April 149 1952, the FCC Sixth Order and Report reserved Channel 11 for educational use in the Chicago area and the first step toward the original goal of the

Working Committee was achieved. Continued effort by the Committee culminated in a meeting on June 9, 1952, to which the presidents of

Chicago area colleges and universities were invited. Five television receivers were arranged in the hall where the dinner was to be served. As the invited presidents entered the room they had a unique experience. As a member of the Committee describes it, "They were assaulted by the combined racket of four television sets, each tuned to a different Chicago station, each blaring forth its 108 competitive idiocy of westerns and commercials. Over the

dark screen of the fifth set, in dignified quiet in the

center, a small sign simply said--Channel 11. I think we

got our educational TV station in Chicago then and there."35 This important meeting was concluded with an agreement to organize as the Chicago Educational Television Associ ation and a decision to file an application for a license to operate an educational television service on Channel 11.

In February, 1953 > a non-profit Illinois corporation was organized with a board of trustees representing the com munity rather than any one institution, but which would be selected by the institutions involved.

A leading citizen of Chicago, Mr. Edward L. Ryerson agreed to serve as chairman of the new corporation and

continues in that position. Mr. Ryerson throughout his life has devoted much time and effort to the furtherance of cultural, educational and social welfare concerns in the Chicago area. He agreed to serve as chairman of the Chicago Educational Television Association because he foresaw in educational television a means to extend the

services of the social welfare organizations that have been his special interest for so many years.^

^^Interview with Robert Ahrens, Executive Director, Adult Education Council of Chicago, January 17, 1962.

^^Interview with Edward L. Ryerson, January 17, 1962. 109 In the spring of 1953, the Federal Communications Commission indicated that the channels reserved for educational use could be so reserved only until June 2,

1953, and that groups interested in the channels would have to prove their financial ability to operate a station by that time. Unfortunately, this required the new Chicago Educational Television Association to prematurely embark on a drive for funds. The drive was organized with Mr. Ryerson as chairman and with the full support of other civic leaders. A local advertising agency donated its services for the campaign and many community groups participated. By June 2, 1953, about $400,000 was in hand. While far from the announced goal of $1,100,000 it was enough to assure the station’s beginning. The finance drive was continued, however, and on November 5, 1953, the FCC issued a construction permit for Channel 11 to the Chicago Educational Television Association.

On September 13, 1954, Dr. John W. Taylor, with background in education, government, and television, was

selected by the trustees as executive director of WTTW-TV.

He began immediately to recruit the necessary personnel to staff the station, locate suitable facilities and

studios, and on September 19, 1955, about a year later, station WTTW-TV began operations.

The vision and dreams of a small number of persistent individuals on the ’’Working Committee to Establish an 110

Educational Television S t a t i o n o n Channel 11 in Chicago" were realized as WTTW-TV " b e g a n t o live up to the name chosen for it by the c i t i z e n s o f Chicago, Window to the World!

Station Relationships t o C o m m u n i t y and Community Groups. The Chicago E d u c a t i o n a l Television Association includes in its membership m o s t educational and cultural organizations in the city. T h e s e are divided into two classes of membership. T h e m e m b e r s of the Association are the educational, cultural, s c i e n t i f i c and historical institutions. Associate m e m b e r s are additional organi zations engaged in f u r t h e r i n g t h e cultural and educational life of the community. T o o b t a i n a perspective of the number and variety of i n s t i t u t i o n s , organizations and groups related to the C h i c a g o E d u c a t i o n a l Television Association one should r e v i e w t h e following list which gives evidence of the b r o a d c o m m u n i t y relationships of Channel 11. Members Art Institute of C h i c a g o Chicago Board of E d u c a t i o n Chicago Historical S o c i e t y Chicago Medical S c h o o l Chicago Natural H i s t o r y M u s e u m Chicago Public L i b r a r y Chicago Zoological S o c i e t y College of Jewish S t u d i e s College of St. F r a n c i s DePaul University Elmhurst College Forest Preserve D i s t r i c t of* Cook County Ill

George Williams College Illinois Institute of Technology Indiana University John Crerar Library Lake Forest College Library of International Relations Loyola University Mundelein College Museum of Science and Industry National College of Education Newberry Library Northern Illinois University Northwestern University Orchestral Association Purdue University Calumet Center Roosevelt University Rosary College Saint Xavier College University of Chicago University of Illinois Valpariso University Associate Members Adult Education Council of Greater Chicago American Association of University Women American Chemical Society, Chicago Section American Conservatory of Music American Institute of Architects American Legion, Cook County Council American Red Cross, Chicago Chapter American Society of Safety Engineers Association for Childhood Education Board of Jewish Education Catholic Interracial Council of Chicago Chicago Area Council of Liberal Churches Chicago Bar Association Chicago Committee for Great Books Chicago Council on Foreign Relations Chicago Dietetic Association Chicago Drama Festival, National Catholic Theater Chicago Engineering Societies Chicago Ethical Society Chicago Federation of Settlements Chicago Hospital Council Chicago Medical Society Chicago Parochial Schools Chicago Sunday Evening Club Chicago Technical Societies Council Church Federation of Greater Chicago Civil War Round Table 112

Cook County Public Schools First Federal Savings and Loan Association Home Economics in Business Illinois Children’s Home and Aid Society Illinois Congress of Parents and Teachers Illinois Federation of Women’s Clubs Illinois Psychological Association Illinois Society of Certified Public Accountants Illinois State Medical Society Educational Committee Institute for Psychoanalysis Institute of International Education Institute of Medicine of Chicago League of Women Voters of Chicago Lions International Lutheran High School Association Modern Poetry Association Mooseheart National Association of Accountants National Association of Evangelicals National Conference of Christians and Jews North Shore Forum St. Bendedict’s Seminary Women’s College Board Young Men’s Christian Association of Chicago

The objectives and purposes of these many organizations and institutions have been reflected in the Statement of Policy of the Chicago Educational Television Association issued when Channel 11 went on the air.

I The primary purpose of the Chicago Educational Television Association in the operation of WTTW is to encourage the intellectual, cultural and spiritual growth of the community. In furtherance of this objective WTTW will attempt to offer opportunities to educate in both a general and a specific sense; to draw forth from its viewers the highest intellectual and cultural response of which each is capable; to stimulate interest in the many diverse fields of human endeavor; to assist people to know themselves, to learn to work with others, to understand better a complex world; to 113 inform citizens fairly regarding important issues of the day; and to ’ ’ * ‘ " individuals to acquire better

This same Statement of Policy also indicates WTTWrs interest in and concern for religious and community groups.

IV It is the responsibility of WTTW to make available to the community, as part of a well-balanced program schedule, opportunity for religious presentations. Such religious programs should emphasize broad moral and religious beliefs and should be presented respect fully by responsible individuals, groups and organi z a t i o n s . V WTTW recognizes the importance of broadcasts on public affairs, current issues, and informing the public about voluntary agencies serving the community. In considering the scheduling of such programs the station management, when appropriate, will consult with responsible and representative groups in the community and will determine whether an issue is of sufficient importance to justify the use of television time .3°

The philosophy of this policy is carried out in the development of programming for WTTW. Channel 11 schedules programs from the National Educational Television Center, repeats outstanding programs originally produced on com mercial networks, and programs produced locally by the

production staff of WTTW.

^Statement of Policy (Chicago Educational Tele vision Association, October 24, 1955). Since 1955, Channel 11 has broadcast some 34,000 programs for its viewers.Of live programs on WTTW-TV, about three-fourths are produced in cooperation with community organizations. Approximately four hundred civic, educational and cultural groups have presented programs on Channel 11. The facilities of WTTW-TV are provided to community groups without charge except for incidental costs of special art or scenic work. (The actual costs to Channel 11 for live productions range from $300 to $400 per half hour.)^

Community programming. WTTW-TV, in consultation with many community organizations and groups has produced a great variety of local telecasts. Representative examples are given below:

Formal Education. Since 1956-57 about half of Channel 11 broadcast hours have been devoted to formal education.

Until September 1961 the formal education programs were credit courses at the junior college level. At that time, an additional sixteen hours weekly was scheduled for rebroadcast of the classroom programs from the Midwest

Program on Airborne Television Instruction. The latter program serves over one hundred school districts and

^Chalmer H. Marquis, Jr., WTTW Programming A Six Year Report (Chicago: 1961), p. T~. 40ibid. 115 120,000 pupils in suburban and city schools. The well known TV Junior College has had extensive attention during its five years of existence. Over 17,000 students have taken 40,000 credit courses over Channel 11.

The TV Junior College is administered by the Chicago City Junior College and financed by the Chicago Board of

Education.

Civic Progress. The Association of Community Councils cooperated in producing "Metropolitan Report" focusing attention on local community problems. The Chicago Jaycees assisted in the production of a series entitled "Get Into

Politics" giving information on how to take an active part in our political organizations. "Traffic Court" enlists the cooperation of the Chicago Police Department and dramatizes actual traffic court cases.

Recently WTTW-TV rendered important service to the

City of Chicago by assisting in the training of election officials. With thousands of persons employed to serve on election days, many new and inexperienced, it is extremely difficult to hold sufficient training sessions to adequately inform those hired. Through the facilities of Channel 11, election personnel are trained over the air more effectively.

Informal Education. Channel 11 has a number of programs in the area of informal education. The home craftsman can enjoy and benefit from a regular program 116

"Shop Talk!’ A series "Time for Living" was telecast to aid those in retirement or preparing for retirement. A local newspaper commented on this series:

A simple idea, one worth doing, the kind of thing that WTTW so often does.41 The physicians at the University of Illinois Research

Hospital provided the format for "Summer Emergencies" which gave health education on accidents and emergency treatment.

The Adult Education Council produces each year an informal education series for high school students and their parents. The program "College Days" gives infor mation about thirty colleges in the area including educational opportunities with the military services.

Religion. All major faiths cooperate in providing a regular series, "Time for Religion." The well known "Chicago Evening Club" is televised live every Sunday evening. Cultural Enrichment. "Festival" is a series that was created by a producer-director on the staff of WTTW-TV and uses local talent in the fine and popular arts. Local choral groups appear on "Choral Concert."

ChildrenTs Program. Two programs regularly scheduled for children involve local groups. "Totem Club" provides a

^ T h e Chicago Daily News, February 7> 1961. 117 variety of program content and includes activities of com munity groups or organizations of interest to young people. Another series "Just Imagine" is a story telling program for four to eight year olds. A staff member of the National College of Education is the story teller. WTTW-TV also originated a program for deaf children which evoked prompt community praise.

Other Community Activities. WTTW-TV makes a consist ent effort to interpret the philosophy, objectives, and programs of the station to the community. Professionally trained and experienced persons devote full-time to this task. Some of the activities are publishing a quarterly newsletter for 17,000 contributors, community groups, and others; issuing press releases weekly, sending the program schedules to 268 daily and weekly papers, scheduling speakers and organizing the annual fund drive. This consistent, professional attention to interpret ing Channel 11 has had significant results. WTTW-TV received a Chicago award in 1961 for the best public relations effort in the health, education and welfare category. Response from the viewers and the community is increasing: I960 1961 Audience 1 ,500,000 2 ,500,000 Viewer Mail 2,359 monthly 6,300 monthly 113 I960 1961

Funds Raised $242,000 $237,000

Another interesting program of contact with viewers is a "Report to the Stockholders” which WTTW-TV has tele cast on occasion, usually at the end of the calendar year and features the President of the Association and the

Executive Director.

Identification of Community Education Needs. A metropolitan center of several millions population presents a complex problem when devising methods for identifying community education needs. WTTW-TV in attempting to discover ways in which television can serve the community in an effective manner has evolved various indirect ways of staying aware of changing needs.

The structure of the Chicago Educational Television Association is of itself a means of identifying needs and problems. There are thirty-three member groups and fifty- one associate member organizations, listed previously, that belong to the Association. Representing much of the educational and cultural life of Greater Chicago, these groups are in close touch with needs in this metropolis.

They are in a position to keep the station staff informed of ways educational television can contribute to the meeting of some of these needs. 119 However, these members meet only annually and there is no formal structure for regular consultation with them. The trustees of the Association also meet infrequently, usually quarterly, and are unable to devote time to serious discussion of community needs. The Adult Education Council of Greater Chicago is the central coordinating agency for much of the adult education activity in Chicago. Organized in 1924> the Council serves both the professional adult education leaders of many groups and organizations as well as the intellectually curious adult desirous of continuing to learn. With an outreach to most full time professional adult education leaders and with frequent contact with lay leaders of art and cultural groups, the Council is the central focus of adult education needs in the area. Liaison between the Council and WTTW-TV has been developed. The Executive Director of Channel 11 is a member of the Board of Directors of the Adult Education Council, and the Council is an associate member of the Association. The Council, as mentioned earlier, does help in producing programs over Channel 11. Through this liaison WTTW-TV has at its disposal an important method for learning about ways it can better serve the adult viewer. Viewer response to Channel 11 is extensive and frequent. With an average of 6,300 letters a month arriv ing at the studios, there seems to be evidence that 120 viewers have no hesitation about informing the station staff how they evaluate the services of Channel 11! These letters are tabulated each week and circulated to all key staff members. Further, each letter is answered in so far as possible, which indicates to the viewer that his con tact with the station is considered important. In addition to praise or criticism of WTTW-TVTs programs, many viewers suggest ideas for future programs, and identify personal or community interests. This rapport with viewers Is considered to be an important means of contact with the community in the judgment of the station staff. Liaison with city, county and state government has been an important source of programming ideas. When the official and departments in these three levels of govern ment believe that some community situation might be served by educational television, they bring it to the attention of Channel 11 personnel. The training of election workers, previously mentioned, is an example. Staff study and analysis is the primary method by which Channel 11 attempts to identify community education needs. While no member of the station staff has a continuing responsibility for research, available studies and surveys are evaluated by program personnel. The station has seldom conducted surveys of viewers or of residents in the 121 coverage area, but WTTW-TV has cooperated in a number of research projects engaged in by other organizations, and does study the conclusions of such research.

A few determined individuals related to some of the educational and cultural institutions of Chicago were able by persistent effort to convince this metropolitan complex of the importance of establishing an educational television station. The Chicago Educational Television Association was formed to own and operate the station. All major educational institutions and many community organizations are members of the Association.

WTTW-TV telecasts an extensive schedule of community programming and over four hundred groups have presented programs on Channel 11. The "TV Junior College" is telecast over WTTW-TV providing regular credit college courses for adults. Staff discussion and analysis and viewer response to programs are the primary methods employed to identify educational needs in the community.

Summary The study of educational television stations in six cities revealed that in each instance a few individuals, with foresight and perservance, gave leadership to the establishment of the station. The struggle was a little more intense in the case of WTTW-TV (Chicago) and WMVS-TV 122

(Milwaukee) because or the opposition of commercial interests desirous of the valuable VHF channels. The community was actively involved in financing WTTW-TV and

WCET-TV (Cincinnati) as public campaigns for station construction were conducted. WQED-TV (Pittsburgh) was made possible through several large foundations grants, and the other three, WFPK-TV (Louisville), WOSU-TV

(Columbus) and WMVS-TV were built and equipped primarily from tax funds. The Fund for Adult Education made

construction grants to all but WFPK-TV. Therefore, only two stations were constructed by voluntary contributions from the community and its residents. Further, only two

stations, WTTW-TV, and WQED-TV depend upon community voluntary contributions for current operating budgets.

Policy statements in regard to community programming have been formulated only by WTTW-TV and WCET-TV. The

community programming of the stations studied varies

considerably. Those stations in the VHF band, WTTW-TV,

WQED-TV and WMVS-TV, do extensive community programming

with local groups and have large potential audiences.

The three UHF stations, WFKP-TV, WCET-TV and WOSU-TV,

however, are limited in their community programming

because of the small number of receivers adapted to their

television signal.

WCET-TV is an example of the technical limitations

of the UHF educational station. Not only is WCET-TV telecasting in the UHF band, but is a low-power station too, which makes reception difficult even for those receivers properly adapted to the UHF band. Further, the UHF signal is less effective in hilly terrain which is typical of the Cincinnati area. Therefore, even though WCET-TV would like to provide a broad educational service for the community, it is unable to do so. The other two UHF stations face similar obstacles although not to the same degree. WFPK-TV makes no pretense of serving the community and telecasts only in the daytime hours exclusively for the elementary and secondary schools. Because WOSU-TV is a high power station in a relatively level area, its signal can be received well by receivers properly adapted to the UHF band. Since The Ohio State University has had a tradition of community programming' in radio for many years and WOSU-TV has a strong signal with a growing audience, it has provided more community programming than the other two UHF stations. All six stations have recognized their trusteeship of the reserved channel in behalf of the community and have made the telecast facilities available to community groups, although WFPK-TV has done so only in a very limited

sense. Further, while WCET-TV has been eager to serve community groups, its limited audience has deterred most groups from actively responding. 124 The VHF stations seem to have maintained closer liaison with community groups than the UHF stations. Even the press relations are partially affected by the respec tive VHF and UHF bands. The VHF stations generally receive fairly good attention in the local press. WTTW-TV with several full time staff interpreting the role of the station has the most extensive public relations program with corresponding results.

None of the stations have a community advisory council although WCET-TV indicated future plans for developing one. WQED-TV and WTTW-TV, as community stations, have controlling boards representative of the community but they do not perform the functions of an advisory council. These two boards meet too infrequently and usually consider only broad policy matters. WMVS-TV provides a unique service to its coverage area by offering an annual Summer Television Workshop which gives instruction in television production to community group leaders. The stations studied employ several different methods in identifying community educational needs, although none has a systematic, organized and continuous plan to do so. WMVS-TV and WOSU-TV, being organically related to educa tional institutions— -a vocational adult school and a university respectively--indirectly benefit from the 125 outreach of these institutions to the community in identi fying needs. In a like manner, the eighty-four educational, cultural and community groups related to WTTW-TV as members of the Chicago Educational Television Association serve as an indirect link to the community. However, WTTW-TV does not have an active organized method for consulting with these members about ways television can serve the residents of the city. Staff study and analysis is the most general method employed by the stations studied to learn about possible community needs. Liaison with community groups and with local and state governments is another way utilized as a means for staying alert to community conditions. WTTW-TV, WMVS-TV, and WOSU-TV have maintained a relationship to the adult education council in their cities. This has been of greater significance for WTTW-TV because of the history, scope and active program of the Adult Education Council of Greater Chicago. Viewer response is considered important by all the

stations except WFPK-TV as a contact with the community. WTTW-TV has been the most successful in encouraging viewer reaction to programming and gives serious consideration to such reaction as a source of program ideas and information about community needs. These findings must be further evaluated in terms of other phases of the study. A survey of community group leaders in the cities where these six stations are located, will be reported in the next part of this chapter. Such a survey was designed to provide additional data on the relationship of these stations to their communities. 127 Findings of1 Survey of Community Group Leaders

As indicated in the plan of this study, a survey of community group leaders was conducted. Surveyed were the leaders of community groups in the same six cities where the intensive study of educational television stations was made. Eight groups were surveyed in each of the six cities. They were: 1. The Central Labor Organization 2. The Church Federation or Council 3. The Health and Welfare Coordinating Council 4. The Jewish Community Center 5. The League of Women Voters 6. The Urban League 7. The Young Men’s Christian Association 8. The Young Women’s Christian Association The objective of the survey was to determine the relationship of these leaders and their groups, which provide informal adult education opportunities, to the station in their city. A total of thirty-two replies, or 67 per cent were returned. With only a few exceptions, those replying completed the ten questions on the survey form. A copy of the survey form is found in the Appendix. Since three of the cities are served by educational stations on VHF channels and three on UHF channels, the tabulation of the responses has been so divided when pertinent. There were seventeen replies from cities with VHF stations and fifteen from cities with UHF stations. 123

The compilation of the responses follows: 1. Is there an educational television station in your community? Yes No Since educational television, with its rapid growth may not be well known in some communities, the purpose of the question was to determine the elementary fact of the awareness of the existence of a station. The responses were all in the affirmative, indicating that irrespective of other relationships to the station, the leaders of the community surveyed had knowledge that there was an educational television service in their community.

2. What are the call letters? ____ channel number? ___ Of those replying to this related question, a high majority, twenty-eight out of thirty-two, could give the call letters of the station in their community and twenty-nine of thirty-two the channel number.

3. Do you personally view any of the educational television programs'? Daily One or more times per week One or more times per month ___ Special programs only ___ Not to date____ The purpose of this question was to gauge extent of the educational television viewing habits of the leaders of the community groups surveyed. The replies were: 129

Choices Res ses VHF Total

Daily 1 1 2 One or more times per week 7 1 8 One or more times per month 4 1 Special programs only 5 4 Not to date 8

The limitation of broadcasting on a UHF frequency

seems to have an effect on the viewing of educational programs by the leaders of the groups surveyed.

4. Have you ever visited the studios of the station? Yes ___ Mo

Community groups wishing to assist in educational

television production should have some contact with the

facilities of the station.

Choices Responses VHF UHF Total

Have visited studios 12 6 18 Have not visited studios 5 9 14

5. Are you personally acquainted with any member of the station staff? Yes No

In working with the community an educational station

can be more effective if there is communication between

the staff and community leaders. The survey revealed the

following: Choices Responses VHF IJh F Total

Know at least one station staff 11 7 18 Do not know station staff member 6 14 130 6. Do you consider the main purpose of the ETV station to serve? aT School children for classroom instruction ___ b. College students for classroom instruction ___ c . Informal and cultural education for adults ___ d. Other ______The replies to this question were inconclusive. Seven repli-ed by checking all three items as the main purpose of the station in their community. Five of the seven replied from cities with a VHF station and two with a UHF station.

Those checking a single purpose for the station are compiled as follows:

Choices Responses VHF UHF Total

School children instruction 3 5 8 College students instruction 1 1 2 Informal education for adults 7 7 14 Unclassified comments included "Homemaking education,"

"Entertainment" and a comment that there is a need for different instruction for children and adults.

It would seem that community group leaders may not have a clear cut conception of the emphasis or primary purpose of the education station in their community, although a greater number believe the emphasis should be on education for adults.

7. Have you as an individual, or has the organization to which you belong, ever been consulted by station manage ment on how the educational television station could serve the adult education needs of your community? Yes TTo ~ " 131 The consultation with community groups is indicated by the following replies:

Choices Responses VHF UHF Total Have been consulted by station £ 4 12 Have not been consulted by station 9 11 20 While no definite generalizations should be made, it is interesting to note that,according to these respond ents, a majority of the groups represented by the replies have not been consulted by the station management even though the stations in the six cities have been on the air for several years.

7* a . If YES, describe wav in which your guidance was solicite'cT: (i.e. telephone, questionnaire/meeting with station staff. etc.J

Of the twelve replying affirmatively to the previous question, one did not reply to this part. Of the remain ing eleven, the following methods were indicated:

Personal consultation on programs 3 Meetings with station staff 5 Telephone consultation 1

Station staff attending organization board meeting 1 Cooperative programs with adult education council 1 An added comment by one respondent was that the consultation was not of recent occurrence. Another said that the station in his city was eager to cooperate. There was no 132 indication in the responses that a systematic approach to the community groups had been established by station management.

7. b . If NO, would you welcome the opportunity to help the station to identify adult education needs In your community? Yes No As might be expected all, or 100 per cent of the community leaders who had not been consulted by the station did give an affirmative response to this question. If these responses can be accepted as being generally valid, one might assume that there is a reservoir of help that can be drawn on by station management.

S. Has your organization ever cooperated with the station staff in proaucing a local television program? Yes No The experience of the community groups in the survey is as follows: Choices Responses VHF trap Total

Have cooperated in programs 13 5 18 Have not cooperated in programs 4 10 14

8. a. If YES, did the initiative for the production of the program come from the station staff or from your organization ? A number of those replying gave equal weight to the two possibilities and so they are included in the tabula tion. 133 Choices Responses VHF uHP Total

Initiative from station staff 5 2 7 Initiative from organization 3 1 4 Initiative from both 5 2 7

9. What is the one most important adult education need in your community that you believe could be served by educational television? The responses to this open ended question gave some clues as to the judgments of the community leaders concerning needs and have been classified into four general groups as follows: Alternative television service. Two replies suggested than an important need is to give an alternate television choice for viewers. Specific comments were: "To pick up on the cultural void, largely ignored by commercial TV." "Programs with cultural and educational teaching content." Education for citizenship. There were three replies in this category: "Review of government functions and structure." "Good citizenship." "I would like to see more education for citizenship." Public affairs. This concern was suggested by the following eight responses: "More programming in public affairs and international relations." "Forums on contemporary issues, news interpretation." "Community affairs, problems, information, etc."

"Inter-group relations." "Visual and unbiased presentation of human and social need."

"Making intelligible the problems citizens must make decisions about in order to be informed participants in the community." "Clarifying local and national social issues." "Human relations understanding." Community education. Ten responses suggested needs about educating the community as a whole and the residents individually: "To stimulate interest in continuing informal and formal education." "Help the community become more fully aware of the educational opportunities in the whole community."

"Teaching homemaking skills at the level of those who must make do with what they have." "Stimulate the desire to learn, to go to night school.

"A 'How to T and 'Where to go’ program aimed at new citizens."

"Programs geared toward specific vocations and interests." "Educating public as to 'truthful' community needs, welfare education, etc." "To teach functional illiterates to read and write." "College preparatory and credit courses." "Training of lay workers for Christian education work in churches." 135 10. Please give your .judgment as to the most effec tive way the ETV station staff"might identify community education needs in your community and stay alert to changing conditions.

Some fairly specific and helpful suggestions were made by those replying to this question. They can be grouped into several general areas.

Advisory Group. Several recommended an advisory group of community leaders to be related to the ETV station.

The comments were:

"Establish an advisory council from leadership groups representing community-wide interests."

"Have a community TV education council."

"Educational advisory committee made up of community leaders."

"Establish a town-hall type advisory group broadly representative of all segments of the community for periodic reactions on programming."

"By establishing a working relationship with local colleges and universities, public library, city educational organizations, and local P.T.A.'s."

Consultation with Community Leaders. Related to the above suggestions are the following which recommend frequent consultation with community leaders.

"Close contact with all those engaged in adult education, schools, voluntary agencies and general community needs." "I think that they ought to get out to visit more schools and community groups to widen their perspective." "Through consultation with key community leaders in all types of organizations; churchs, schools, museums, clubs, fraternal organizations, civic and cultural organizations, etc." 136

"Meet with organizations like ours whose work brings them in contact with a different segment of the population than the regular vocational school." "Consult the superintendent of schools in each community." "Consultation with adult education leaders."

"Representatives to sit in on meetings and observe first-hand situations of importance to the community at large." "Consult regularly with the local boards of education, with the community health and welfare council, and with the welfare department. The management of a station needs to serve on boards and committees dealing with and discussing the problems and needs of the community."

"Invite community leaders to acquaint them with potential of educational TV. Visit community agencies and interpret need for educational TV."

Adult Educational Council. Two responses suggested relationships to an adult education council.

"Identify themselves with the local Adult Education Council and other representative groups."

"Through an active Adult Education Council which we used to have, but which disbanded for lack of active support."

Surveys. Three recommended surveying the community to learn how educational television might best serve it.

"Questionnaires— surveys." "Survey schools, universities, local community groups such as chamber of commerce, government agencies, service groups." "Surveys in close cooperation with public and private schools, planning with civic groups and specific interest groups." 137

Additional Comments. A few comments did not fit into any of the above classifications, but were very pertinent and are included here. One recommendation was to use social agencies as program resources for telecasts. Another interesting comment was "Watch commercial television locally, make assumptions, and then act upon these assumptions." And a final thought, which may show considerable in sight into the need of educational television serving the community:

The problem lies less in what the community needs to know than in awakening some hunger to know within.

Summary An awareness of an educational television service in

their city was evidenced by the responses of all of the community group leaders surveyed. However, over half of

the leaders replying from cities with UHF stations had not yet viewed a single program on the educational station. In contrast, the replies from VHF areas, indicated that all had viewed educational programs and two-thirds were regular viewers. This is still another example of the limitation of the UHF band in serving the community. About half of those surveyed had visited the studios and were acquainted with at least one member of the station 13 S staff. Their replies to a query about program emphasis, however, did not suggest a clear conception of the purpose of the educational station in their community.

About sixty per cent of the community group leaders replying said they had not been consulted by station management concerning community educational needs. How

ever, they expressed their willingness to assist in identifying such needs.

Those leaders who had been consulted were approached

either personally, by telephone, in meetings with station staff, through an adult education council, or when

cooperating in the production of an educational program. About half of the leaders responding stated their organization had cooperated in producing a program on the

educational station with the initiative for this cooper ation often being a mutual effort. The community group leaders suggested that educational television can best serve adult education in their com munity in several ways; to give an alternative television

service, to provide citizenship education, to educate

residents on public issues and to enable the community to meet specific needs. There was a consensus of those responding that

changing community educational needs could be identified most effectively by utilizing the resources of community 139 groups. An advisory group to the station was recommended as was frequent consultation with community leaders, including cooperation with an adult education council where the community had one. Surveys and studies of the community were also suggested. One respondent stated with insight that perhaps the primary need educational television could serve in the community would be to awaken "the hunger to know within."

Summary

An intensive study of educational television stations and representative community group leaders in six cities was conducted. The purpose of the study was to obtain information about the establishment of the educational stations, their relationships to their communities, and the methods employed to identify community education needs. Personal visits to each station waie made and interviews held with station personnel. To supplement these visits a mail survey of leaders of representative community groups, providing informal adult education opportunities in each of the six cities was made.

Establishment of the station. In each city a few individuals, with foresight and perservance, gave early and dedicated leadership to the establishment of the educational television stations. Favorable public opinion 140 was developed, although in Milwaukee and Chicago there was opposition from commercial interests desiring the reserved UHF channels. In only two cities, Chicago and Cincinnati, were the stations constructed with funds obtained by a public campaign for voluntary contributions. Foundation grants and tax revenue funds provided the necessary

construction funds for the other stations. Further only two of the stations, WTTW-TV and WQED-TV, depend upon

voluntary contributions for any part of their operating budgets. A question that needs to be studied is to what

extent educational television can depend upon voluntary community financial support for both current operations

and future expansion.

Station relationships to community and community

groups. This study revealed that the range in which an educational television station telecasts has an influence

on its community relations and its ability to provide an

educational service. Three of the stations studied telecast in the VHF range and have large potential audiences. The three in the UHF range, however, have limited audiences reaching only a small percentage of the population. Of the three, WCET-TV is a low power UHF station and has had great difficulty in building an

audience or serving community groups; WFPK-TV telecasts only to schools and does no community programming; and 141 WOSU-TV which is a high power UHF station has programmed many telecasts for the community, but still has a rela tively small audience. The survey of leaders of community groups revealed that over half of those responding from

UHF cities had not yet viewed a program on the educational station. In contrast, those in VHF cities were generally regular viewers. Further, while all six stations have offered their facilities to community groups, the survey of community leaders found that two-thirds of those replying from UHF cities had not cooperated in an educational program.

Because of the limited audiences of UHF stations, com munity groups are reluctant to produce programs.

There is indication that UHF stations are unable to provide as full an educational service to the community as

VHF stations and their community relationships are effected as well.

Another determinant in an educational station^ rela tionship to the community is the source of its support.

The Fund for Adult Education provided grants for the

construction of five of the six stations. These stations,

even the two in the UHF range, have attempted to provide

community programming for their viewers. The sixth

station, WFPK-TV was provided a grant by the Fund for the

Advancement of Education to do research in television for 142 schools--and this station has telecast almost no community programming. WCET-TV, another UHF station, receives most of its support from the secondary schools of its area for instructional television. Adult education groups either do not have funds for community programming or are not willing to pay the costs when the audience is so limited-- as in UHF stations. Therefore, there may be a relation ship between the program emphasis of an educational station and the source of its operating funds.

A statement of policy in regard to community pro gramming has been formulated by two stations, WTTW-TV and

WCET-TV. While WTTW-TV has been able to fulfill much of its policy, WCET-TV has not been able to do so. It was also found that controlling boards of educational stations seldom give consideration to community needs, but delegate this to program personnel. In two instances, WTTW-TV and WQED-TV, the board represents the community, but meets infrequently for short periods and considers only broad policy matters. Although the stations studied indicate they provide orientation tours to the studios and maintained liaison with community groups, the survey of community leaders found that nearly half of those replying had not visited the studio of the station in their city and about the same number did not personally know a member of the station staff. It would seem that a closer rapport should be 143 developed between the station and community groups. Community relationships are promoted by several stations with full time personnel assigned to this function. WTTW-TV has a special department and widely interprets the purpose and program of the station. Five of the stations attempt to maintain a relationship with viewers by mail ing program schedules and other promotional material and response from viewers is welcomed.

Identification of community education needs. In this study of six stations, it was found that none had a conscious, systematic, and continuous plan for identifying community education needs. Five of the six, however, had employed various methods for obtaining information about the community to aid in television programming. These included staff discussion and analysis, community contacts of related institutions (WMVS-TV and WOSU-TV); relation ships with community organizations holding membership in association owning station (WTTW-TV and WCET-TV); liaison with community groups and adult education councils; and viewer response to programming. Surveys of audiences have been made, to learn size and character of audiences, but no planned study of community needs was revealed. Although the stations reported these different methods of identifying needs, the survey of community leaders found that sixty percent of their organizations had not been 144 consulted by station management. While the stations may have liaison with some community groups a significant majority do not believe this liaison exists. These replies suggest that the station relationships to com munity groups may not be as extensive as the stations reported and further confirm the assumption that stations have no organized plan for consulting with community groups. The community leaders recommended that advisory councils to the stations be organized to provide a means of the station consulting with community groups. (None of the stations studied has such a group.) The leaders also suggested that station management consult regularly with community groups, attend their meetings when community problems are being discussed and so on.

Community surveys and cooperation with an adult education council were also stated as ways educational stations might stay alert to community educational needs. CHAPTER IV

FINDINGS OF SURVEY OF EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION STATIONS

Plan of Survey In addition to the intensive study of six educational television stations reported in the previous chapter, a survey questionnaire was mailed to the general managers of forty-eight other stations in operation as of August 1,

1961. The objective of the survey was to obtain informa tion as to the policies of the stations in regard to

community adult programming, their relationships to

community groups, station advisory groups, methods employed to identify community education needs, and

station finances as they are related to the community.

The survey form was accompanied by a covering letter interpreting the plan and purpose of the research study and a personal letter from Dr. I. Keith Tyler of The Ohio

State University endorsing the study. A follow-up letter from Mr. Richard Hull, Director of the Telecommunications

Center, The Ohio State University, and an additional

survey form were mailed to those not responding to the

first inquiry.

A total of forty-two replies, or S7-5 percent, was

returned. Since in a few cases more than one station is

145 146 licensed to the same organization, the forty-two replies actually represent forty-six stations.

Forty-three of the questionnaires were completed by general managers of educational stations, four by program directors, and one by a director of instructional broad casting .

In the process of the intensive study of the six educational stations, the questionnaire was used as the basis for interviews with station staff. The compilation of the data from the questionnaire, therefore, includes information from these six stations, making a total of forty-eight responses. Thirty-five responses are from stations operating in the VHF frequency range and thirteen on the UHF frequency range. Each item on the survey form is considered and reported separately and in chronological order. Since those replying did not in each instance complete all items, the total of the replies will not always be equal to the number of questionnaires returned. When pertinent, the data will be compiled separately for VHF and UHF stations respectively.

Analysis of Data Received

Policies. The first series of items was designed to obtain information regarding the policies of the con trolling board and staff concerning the adult viewer. 147 1. Does the controlling board (i.e. the board to whom the FCC operating license for the station is issued) have as its sole responsibility the ownership and operation of the station? Yes No The compilation of the responses is as follows: Choices Responses Yes, station only responsibility 21 No, board has other duties as well 27 Those replying negatively indicated in most instances the additional responsibility of the controlling board in responding to the conditional question following: 1. a . If MO, what other responsibilities does the board have? (i.e. board of education for a school system, trustees of a university, etc.) The division of the replies is as follows:

Trustees for a University 15 Board for school district 9 Library 1 Department of Education 1 State Board of Higher Education 1

1. b. If NO, does the board delegate the active responsibility for the operation of the station to another board, or committee or administrative staff? The responses to this question were not readily tabulated. The comments and replies did indicate that when a board has the legal authority for an educational station included in its duties, it usually delegates the day-to-day operation to an administrative staff for the station. This may be channeled through a department in a university or through an administrative official of the institution. 148 2. How many persons serve on the controlling board?

Only the replies from controlling boards whose sole responsibility was the operation of the educational station were tabulated. The size of a board is not uniform among educational stations. The eighteen replies ranged from seven to sixty with an average of twenty- seven .

3• Is the membership of the board consciously designed so as to Tbe representative of the community, including the various educational groups? Yes No___

All but two replying to this question indicated that the board is designed to be representative of the community. Of the two replying in the negative, one with a membership of nine is composed of the organizations that founded the station. A second is composed of representa tives of educational institutions only.

One affirmative reply was that the board was repre sentative of the "state."

4. How are the members of the controlling board selected? Elected by board itself Other

The tabulation of the methods employed is as follows:

Method Responses

Election by board 9 Elected or appointed by member institutions 3 Elected by members of Foundation owning station 2 149 Election by board or by virtue of position 1 Election by board or by member institution 1 Election governed by by-laws 1 Appointment by governor 1

5. How frequently does the board meet to establish policies for the operation of the station? Monthly Quarterly Other ~ The eighteen replies to this question were:

Frequency of Meetings Responses Monthly 6 Bi-monthly 2 Quarterly 6 Anually 2 On call 2 Some of those indicating that the board met quarterly added the comment that an executive committee meets monthly. Another board that meets quarterly convenes additional meetings as necessary. One station whose board meets anually, also, has an executive committee that has monthly meetings. It may be that other boards meeting only quarterly or annually have executive committees that convene more frequently, but the respondents did not indicate this.

6. Are there written objectives for station program ming including the educational needs of adults in the community? Yes No If YES, who formulated the objectives? Staff Other_____ .______

Have written objectives 27 Do not have written objectives 21 150 One station's written objectives are contained in the legislative act authorizing the state educational tele vision authority. The formulation of written objectives has usually been a staff function, although the board and advisory groups have also been involved. The responses for this part of the question were:

Objectives Formulated by Responses

Staff 11 Board 4 Both 3 Advisory group 3 Not replying 6

7. Does the agenda for board meetings include items concerned with the adult educational needs of your community and how educational television might aid in meeting these needs? Regularly teach meeting) ~ Irregularly 1 every 2-4 meetings) Seldom (once or twice a year) Not to date____ Only the replies of the stations with boards whose sole responsibility was the station were considered in this tabulation. Frequency Responses Regularly (each meeting) 2 Irregularly (every 2-4 meetings) 7 Seldom (once or twice a year) 6 Not to date 2 Not replying 1 One board, which is a state authority for television, meets quarterly and delegates all program matters to the director. Other comments on the infrequency of the consideration of adult programming by the boards stated 151 that the program committee of the board meets with the staff, or that program decisions are made by the staff.

In another response the comment was "staff initiative considered adequate." Another board which has not discussed to date the educational needs of adults has a program committee to do so.

3. Is programming for the adult viewer in your coverage area considered at program staff meetings? Regularly (each meetingj Irregularly (every 2-4 meetings) Seldom (once or twice a year) Not to date____

The consideration of programming needs for the adult viewer does receive attention in the program staff meetings of educational television stations.

Frequency Responses

Regularly (each meeting) 26 Irregularly (every 2-4 meetings) 13 Seldom (once or twice per year) 4 Not to date 1 Not replying 4

Of the four not replying, two stated that the program department has the responsibility for such decisions. One respondent said that classroom broadcasts were the primary activity of the station, while the fourth commented that their adult programming was too new for any pattern to form.

9. If any members of the station staff have had academic training and/or experience in adult education teaching or administration, please list station position and training or experience below: 152 While most of the educational television personnel have had some academic training, and many have college teaching or administrative backgrounds, it was surprising to learn that a good minority have had academic training and experience in adult education.

Nine of the general managers have had such training or experience. The variety of their backgrounds is revealed in the responses to this question. They are as follows:

Formerly principal of an adult school Instructor in adult education Formerly director of an adult education institution County director of vocational and adult education Associate director continuing education center Adult education teacher Adult education instructor Director of technical school Ph. D. minor field in adult education

In addition to the above, other station personnel such as program associates, producers, etc., have the following background in adult education: Principal of an adult evening school Ph. D. in adult education M. A. in adult education Instructor in adult education Director of local adult education school

It was not the intention of this question to infer that educational television staff should all have training and/or experience in adult education. It is encouraging, nevertheless, to have the professional concerns of adult education represented among the stations surveyed. 153

It would appear that programming for the adult viewer has not been a major concern of the management of many educational stations. Since over half of the controlling boards have other institutional responsibilities, and with the others meeting infrequently, and the concerns of the adult viewer seldom an agenda item, the community needs of the adult citizen have received inadequate attention.

While it is somewhat encouraging to note that station program personnel discuss such needs regularly at about half the stations reporting, even at this level many stations apparently give scant attention to this need.

It must be further stated that a significant minority of the station managers have had academic background or training in adult education which should indicate a recognition of the importance of community programming at least at these stations.

Station Relationships to Community and Community

Groups. The second group of questions on the survey was planned to obtain responses giving information relative to the station and its contact with the community of its coverage area. The questions solicited responses concerning a variety of possible station relationships. 154 10. Has the station ever indicated in anyway to various educational and community groups that the facili ties or the station may be available to them under certain stipulated conditions? Yes Wo 11’ Ye s , in what way? Of the forty-eight responses, forty-six replied in the affirmative. Clarifying comments were added by two of those replying affirmatively. One stated that the station facilities had been offered only to groups related to state-wide organizations, and the other station only permits members of the foundation that organized the station to use the facilities. The methods given by which the station management has indicated to community groups the availability of broadcasting services were (1) personal contact, corres pondence, (2) meetings with and talks to community groups, (3) published policy of station and other publicity, (4) station publications, and (5) workshop for community groups. Special mention should be made of a booklet produced by WMSB-TV (Michigan State University) which carefully interprets the function of the station and gives guide lines to groups interested in educational broadcasting.

11. In news releases and other intrepretative material, does the station periodically indicate its interest in serving the various community groups and educational needs of your coverage area? Yes No Comment 155 The majority or stations do publicize their interest in serving the community. Of the forty-six responses to this question, thirty-eight replied affirmatively and eight negatively. One answering YES and one NO, both commented that this is implicit in everything the station does.

12. Do you provide orientation tours of the station studios by community groups? Yes No Apparently this is a service provided by stations to many groups. All forty-eight responses were in the affirmative. The studios of WTTW-TV, through viewing windows, are an exhibit of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry in whose building the station is located.

13. Are staff members encouraged to hold membership in civic and community groups? Yes No No present policy The replies were as follows:

Choices Responses

Yes 32 No 3 No present policy 13 One affirmative response emphasized that staff are

encouraged to participate in community groups and "to actively participate in their projects." Other affirma tive respondents modified their replies by stating there was "encouragement, but no requirement," while another stated that the station could not pay luncheon club dues 156 as did some commercial stations.

Two comments from those replying in the negative were terse statements opposed to staff participation in community groups as a policy. One expressed the view that station staff could be more objective in considering community needs if they were not members of groups. The other comment was "We attempt to employ those kinds of persons who are interested in community activities and don't need encouragement or an official station policy."

14. Do you maintain contact with your viewers and community leaders via station publications or mailed program schedules? Yes No Educational television stations, with few exceptions, maintain contact with at least a portion of the viewers. A nearly unanimous response, forty-six of forty-eight replies, checked YES. Two of the affirmative replies stated they maintained only limited contact with viewers or mailed instructional program schedules only.

14. a. If YES, describe ______. Schedules of station programming, special promotion of programs, and newsletters are mailed to viewers. In some cases the regular publications of the sponsoring institutions includeinformation about the station for the

community. 157 14. b . If YES, do you provide for a response to such publications (i.e. opinion poll on programs, etc.) Yes No

A slight majority of those replying do provide for some type of viewer response to mailed publications, with twenty-one answering YES and nineteen replying NO. Eight did not reply.

The question itself was a motivating factor for one manager replying. While the response to the question was negative, the comment was ’’But YES from now on as a result of this question.”

15. Does the station utilize community volunteers in the operation of the station I f . e. laymen devoting several nours per week to either technical or non-techni cal aspects of station operation and programming) Yes No Comment

Volunteers are being used to assist in the operation of the stations serving as engineers, announcers, floor directors, producers, resource persons, program talent, and as clerical help, fund raisers and public relations personnel. These are the responses:

Choices Responses VHF UhP Total

Use volunteers 22 4 26 Do not use volunteers 13 9 22

15. a. If YES, are these volunteers organized and/or trained by the station staff? Yes No ~ Comment - - — ______

The training of volunteers, of necessity, seems to to be a responsibility of station staff. For those 158 stations using volunteers and replying to this question, twenty-one said the staff organized and trained the volun teers and only one gave a negative answer. Four did not reply.

15. b. If YES, evaluate the assistance of volun teers to your station. The evaluation of volunteer assistance in the operation of educational stations seem to encompass all points of view. Favorable comments were made such as "extremely valuable," "very helpful," "very important," and "exceedingly high." Other comments were "As floor and stage crew absolutely essential," while another added "We couldn’t operate on our present budget without them." One manager considered volunteers as effective as paid help. Qualified approval was given by several managers with comments like "Good, but require persistent attention of staff," and "Good, but not as dependable as paid help." Disapproval was indicated by several responses. The evaluations given were "Wish we could get along without them" and "Would prefer paid help--in the time it takes to round up volunteers and show them how, the job could be done by staff." Another stated "Very questionable except for special projects, fund drives, etc." The use of volunteers at some stations is undergoing re-evaluation. 159 16. Give an estimate as to the number of community groups that are being served by your station during an average week. (Such as an announcement about the group, a program segment of program in which the group cooperated or helped produce.] Spots (£ minutes or lessj Program Segments Programs (15 min. or more) ~

Responses to this question were not uniform. A few merely checked a category or two without indicating an estimate of the groups involved, and others gave an estimate in only one or two categories. Seven stations did not reply to this question. The groups served per week, type of service, and the number of stations so doing is listed below:

Groups Served Per Week Stations Providing Spot's Segments Programs

None 27 31 13 Some: number not indicated 2 3 1 1 - 5 5 7 18 6 - 1 0 5 7 6 11 - 15 5 1 3 16 - 20 2 0 1 21 or more 1 1 0

Even though management gives inadequate attention to the needs of community programming at many stations, it is apparent that stations have contact with their coverage areas in various ways. As non-commercial television sta tions nearly all have offered their facilities to the community, provided orientation tours of the studios and encouraged their personnel to be active in community activities. It would seem that there is communication between many of the educational stations and their 160 communities which has resulted in a reasonable amount of programming. If the potential of this relationship can be more fully realized, perhaps educational television can make a more significant contribution to the community.

Station Advisory Groups. The series of items in this part of the questionnaire were designed to gather data concerning the extent of advisory groups, how they are organized, and an evaluation of their effectiveness.

17• Is there related to the station, any type of a community advisory council, viewers1 council, etc. ." that assists in providing guidance for the program needs and interests of your coverage area? Yes No Comment In evaluating the responses to this item care had to be taken to distinguish between a school advisory council composed of principals, teachers, etc., which plans the instructional telecasting, and a community advisory group which concerns itself with community needs. Only community advisory groups were tabulated. Community advisory groups are related to nine stations. Of these advisory groups one exists in name only and another is essentially a university faculty advisory group, but it does have two members to represent the public. All of the community advisory groups are related to VHF stations. No UHF station has such an advisory group as of this date, although two stations indicated they 161 are considering organizing them, and a third provides ofTice space and some service to an independent tele vision council interested in better television on all channels.

17. a. If NO, what is your attitude toward such advisory group's? favorable Neutral Unfavor- able Those replying to this question gave these responses:

Favorable 18 Neutral 7 Unfavorable & A few managers with unfavorable attitudes toward advisory groups gave clarifying comment. T,He who makes program decisions by committee is doomed to eternal blandness." "We tried it twice and it does not work. Ignorance of ETV is not a proper basis from which to profer advice." "I do not believe you can program with a committee." "Educational enrichment needs quite obvious."

(Note: Questions 18 to 24 inclusive were further solicitations of information about advisory groups. The responses from the nine stations with such groups are

included in these replies.)

18. How are the members of the advisory group selected? By station management Other ______The members of the comunity advisory groups are

selected in the following ways: 162 By station management and advisory group 1 By station management and controlling board 1 By station management and superintendent oT schools 1 By organization represented on council 1 By schools and colleges represented 1 By television foundation of station 2 By state authority for educational TV 1 By dean of extension and director, broadcasting 1

19. Does the station management provide leadership aid to the advisory group? Yes No All but one of the nine stations with advisory groups provide staff leadership and other assistance.

20. Is the advisory group formally organized? (i.e. officers , by-laws, regular meetings, etc.) Yes No Only four of the advisory groups are formally organ ized while one of the remaining groups does have a chairman.

21. How frequently does this advisory group meet? Monthly ~ Quarterly On call Other

The community advisory groups meet as follows: Frequency Responses Monthly 3 Quarterly 1 On call 3 Annually 1 Infrequently 1

22. Does the advisory group ever meet with the program staff of the station? Yes No The advisory groups of seven stations meet with the program staff periodically, while two do not. 163 23• What do you consider the purpose of this advisory group to be?

The following purposes were stated: "React to our programming— suggest ways we can serve them— provide program resources."

"To advise the station regarding programs, present programs, and aid in financial support."

"Brainstorm on program and promotion matters."

"Help management establish basic program policies." "Establishment of program policies, review programs for quality and effectiveness." "Suggesting areas of need for programming. Facili tating station-community relations." "An advisory group in helping to create an image of ETV over the state." "To react to program proposals, sample faculty attitudes, suggest programs, advise with the director."

24• What is your evaluation of this advisory group in terms of its usefulness_to the station in identifying and articulating community interests and needs? Very helpful Of some assistance More bother than worth____ Advisory groups were evaluated by the respondents as follows: Very helpful 5 Of some assistance 3 More bother than worth 0 Not replying 1 A comment from one station was to the effect that such a group should be a strong, continuing function of the station. 164 Communication between the educational stations and community groups does not seem to be organized or structured. At least there are only nine stations with community advisory groups, and only four of these are formally organized, and only three meet monthly, the remainder quarterly or even less frequently. Even so, such groups are evaluated favorably as making a contri bution to the station. Such groups may represent an important source of information about community needs.

While about half of those stations without such groups favor them, the other half are neutral or opposed. Since the success of such advisory groups depends upon the interest and leadership of station management, it is problematical as to how many other stations will organize such advisory councils.

Station Programming and the Identification of

Community Education Needs. The questions asked in this series were an attempt to obtain judgments as to program emphases and methods employed by educational stations in discovering educational and community needs.

25. Check below what you consider to be the "major" and one or more "minor" emphases of your stationTs programming. Some respondents checked more than one "major"

emphasis in both day and evening telecasting. The follow ing tabulation represents the total number of 165 times each category was checked.

Day Evening

Major lVIInor Major ^iinor Formal education for schools -elementary and secondary level 39 7 0 8 Formal education for schools -college and university level 13 7 9 15 Childrens’ programs 7 22 7 14

Formal education for adults 5 11 16 20 Informal and cultural educa tion for adults 5 17 43 3

One respondent objected to the rigid classifications and commented, TrHow about 'entertainment' rather than all

'education1 all day?"

26. Do you have estimated information as to the number of persons in the community that have equipment capable o± receiving the programs of your station? Yes m ------Many stations have an estimate of their potential audience according to the responses received. VHF UHF Total Have estimated information 30 7 37 Do not have estimated information 4 6 10 No reply 1

2 6 . a . If YES, what is this estimate? The replies to this question were in different con texts and could not be tabulated. The VHF stations 166 indicated that all sets could receive their programs and gave figures either in terms of a percentage of the population, or in number of sets. The UHF stations gave estimates of the number of sets converted, while one station merely said all schools were properly equipped to receive the station’s programs.

2 6 . b . If YES, what method do you employ to obtain this information? A survey was the usual method although the U. S. census Reports, and commercial television reports on set saturation were also given by VHF stations. The UHF stations check dealer sales and servicemen’s installations of converters as another indicator.

27. Does the community, in your .judgment, expect the station to provide programming for the adult viewer? Yes No The replies received were: Choices Responses VHF trHP Total Yes 33 6 l+l No 2 3 5 No reply 2 2 One of the VHF stations replying in the negative commented,

"Frankly, no. Although there is a growing sentiment in

that direction much to the disgust of the public school

people." 167

23. Is there an adult education council, or similar coordinating agency, in your community? Yes No The respondents gave a broad interpretation to this question and included university centers for continuing education, departments of vocational education, and public school departments of adult education. These inclusions are acceptable, however, since, in their respective communities these agencies may be the coordinating agency for adult education. There were twenty-seven affirmative replies and nineteen negative ones with two not replying.

23. a. If YES, is any member of the station staff, a member of, or related in anyway to the council? Yes N o ------There were eighteen affirmative and nine negative responses. The degree of relationship was not indicated, although one comment was "occasionally."

23. b. If YES, has the station management ever consulted this council, in regard to community needs~that might be served through educational television7 Yes No____ Where there are adult education coordinating groups, twenty have been consulted by educational stations in those communities, and five have not. A manager who had contacted the local adult education council in regard to community needs added this sharp comment, "Nothing happened." In another city, the public library has helped organize a special adult education council 168 expressly for the purpose of interpreting the adult needs of the community to the educational station.

29. Does the station maintain liaison with the local health and welfare planning and coordinating group? (i.e. community chest, united community council, welfare federation, etc.J Yes No

While the question referred to the coordinating and planning agency for health and welfare groups, the respondents included their contact with individual agencies when replying.

Maintain liaison 34 Do not maintain liaison 14

One negative reply commented that the commercial station maintains this liaison.

29- a. If YES, is any member of the station staff related in any way to this nealth ancTwelfare group? Yes fro

Of those responding to this part of the question fourteen stated a staff relationship did exist and fifteen replied negatively. Five did not answer this part of the question. The comments stated that some staff serve on committees of such groups and are active in their projects. The president of one community educational station is also president of the local united fund organization.

29• b . If YES, has the station ever consulted this health and welfare group in regard to community needs that might be served by educational television? Yes No 169 The replies were as follows: Twenty-five stations have consulted the health and welfare group, only two replying in the negative with seven not replying. The comments indicated that some stations do community pro gramming for health and welfare groups such as a weekly telecast and series of programs. A comment added to one of the two negative responses was, "We already are aware of so many community needs that we can’t satisfy because of limitation of air time, energy, manpower, etc., that we don’t have to consult anyone to learn about new needs. ’’

30. Does the station maintain liaison with such groups as labor unions, employer groups, or the state employment service in your coverage area so as to have up-dated information on the vocational and occuational training needs of your community? Yes PJo Only a slight majority of the forty-six stations replying maintain a liaison with such groups, with twenty- four checking YES and twenty-two checking NO. Two did not reply. The supportive comments of the affirmative responses stated that such groups were members of the advisory council or the station regularly received infor mation from such organizations. Others stated that telecasts had been produced in cooperation with these community groups. Three of the negative replies added comments, "Handled by other agencies," "But, is among our 170 intentions,” and "Labor unions are not a factor with which to be reckoned.”

31. Do unsolicited letters and telephone calls from viewers have any influence on programming for the adult viewer? Yes No

It is apparent that educational television personnel like to receive letters and calls from viewers, and further they give them serious consideration.

Have influence on programming 39 Have no influence on programming 7

Intelligent reactions from viewers in sufficient quantity do influence programming. Viewers have made important program suggestions according to one respondent.

32. Do you study the ratings of television programs as provided bv commercial rating firms? Yes No T T T E 5 ,describe any influence tney have on programming for the adult viewerJ

Slightly less than half of the stations, twenty-three do study the ratings of television programs and twenty- five do not. From the comments added, however, the ratings have little or no influence on programming. The ratings provide some guidance or establish audience targets, but one statement was that they were "useless” for educational stations.

3 3 . Does any station staff member have a continuing responsibility to carry on research to aid in determining community needs and interests? 'Yes No 171 Only nineteen stations have assigned a continuing responsibility Tor research to a staff member, while the other twenty-nine have not done so. Most stated that this is considered part of the portfolio of the program director or the station manager. Three apparently have a staff position with primary responsibility for research.

Some stations are related to educational institutions which provide research services for them.

34 * Has the station ever conducted formal surveys of community needs and viewer interests? Yes No If frESj describe type of survey (i.e. telephone, mail. Interviews, etc.)

About half of the forty-eight stations surveyed have made some type of survey in their coverage area. Affirma tive replies numbered twenty-three. A variety of methods have been employed with a telephone survey being indicated eight times and mail and interviews being checked eleven times.

35• Have any community groups made studies or surveys of educational needs that might be served by television arid reported the findings to the station? Yes No If YES. describe.

Twelve stations reported they had received information from studies conducted by community groups. In one community employers administered a depth survey to five thousand employees concerning television and the findings were made available to the station. 172 36, Has the station management examined any other studies of the community that might provide insight into educational needs? Yes No

Nearly three fourths of the stations, thirty-four,

stated they do attempt to examine studies concerning educational needs of their coverage area.

37. Please rank below (1, 2, 3» etc.) those sources of information that have the greatest Influence in the creation and production of local community programming.

The replies were slightly varied in that some

checked only the first and second rank while others

checked through five. The following tabulation gives the total of the number of times a rank was indicated.

Suggestions from 1 2 3 k $ Business and Professional Groups 2 5 13 4 6 Community and Civic groups 4 21 1 5 1 School and College personnel 21 6 8 1 - Viewers 1 5 9 14 3 Community Surveys 3 1 1 5 11 It would seem that most stations depend upon school

and college personnel for information about local

community programming. This may be attributed in part

to the fact that so many stations are operated by

educational institutions. Surveys of the community have the least impact on community programming.

It is the judgment of a substantial number, forty-one,

of the station managers surveyed that the community expects

programming for the adult viewer. While day time hours 173 are devoted primarily to instructional television, it would seem that many stations attempt to meet this expectation by programming informal and cultural education for adults as a major emphasis in the evening hours. To determine the needs of adult viewers, however, the stations rely primarily on viewer reaction, suggestions from school and college personnel, and study of available reports on the community. Consultation with community groups is not extensive with only about half of the stations replying

indicating they consult with adult education groups, health and welfare agencies, or labor and management groups. Further, community surveys are not conducted regularly and they are rated as having the least impact

on community programming. While nineteen have assigned a continuing responsi

bility for research to a staff member, this is a primary staff duty in only three instances. It might be assumed, on the basis of the replies to this series, that while many stations do attempt to identify community educa

tional needs, they have not developed any logical or

consistent plan to do so.

Station Finances and the Community. If an educa

tional television station is to provide an effective

communicative service for the community, it must have

the resources to do so. The community, therefore, has 174 an obligation to provide the financial resources to enable

the management of the station to fulfill the objectives of

educational television. This series of questions was

planned to obtain data concerning the financial relation

ship of the station to the community.

3$. What was the source of funds for the construction of the station enabling it to go on the air? (Give estimated percentages If more than one source.) Public tax revenues Business and Educational institutions Industry_____ Foundations Individuals_____

The construction of educational television stations was made possible by funds received from several different

sources. The sources and the number of stations receiving

funds from these sources are given below:

Sources Number of Stations

Public tax revenues 27 Educational institutions 16 Foundations 31 Business and industry 22 Individuals 15 Few stations had public campaigns to raise funds for

original construction. The construction of approximately

twenty stations was financed fifty percent or more from

public tax revenues with eleven receiving all of the

construction costs from this source. The Fund for Adult

Education, as well as other local foundations, was also

important in providing construction funds. 175 39. If part, or all, of the construction cost of the station was provided' I1Z contributions received from a public campaign for funds, what was the primary selling point on the purpose of the station? The responses were as follows: "Better programs for children and adult education." "To meet educational and cultural needs of the area." "Adult Education" "Value of an ETV service in the community." "Education (in-school) for children." "No commercials— better programs." "To satisfy unsatisfied needs in cultural, public affairs, children’s and adult education programs." "Need for educational station for public school instruction and adult education!’ "Serve state educational needs." "Important new aid for teaching." "To provide better TV service for community." The rationale given to the communities for establish ing the stations falls into no particular pattern, al though a general theme of providing an alternative television service runs through several of the responses.

40. What part of the current budget is received from viewers and other interested individuals and groups through a public campaign for funds^ None ~~ Less than one-fourth Less than one-half ~ More than one-half Morethan three-fourths____ The annual support of educational television stations apparently does not come in any substantial amounts from voluntary contributions from the community. Of the 176 forty-eight replies, thirty-three stated that no part of their current budget is obtained from an annual public

campaign for funds. The responses were as follows:

Amount Number None 33 Less than one fourth 7 Less than one half 5 More than one half 2 More than three fourths 1

41. When community groups use the facilities of the station for programming to the community and/or to their own clientele, does the station have a policy for charging for overhead costs? Yes No If YES, what is this policy? The responses were twenty-three answering YES, twenty-

two NO and three not replying to this question. The

question may not have been clear, since it is not known

whether the twenty-two negative responses do not have a

policy at all, or just do not make any charges to what are

considered to be community groups. The twenty-three stations with a policy vary in their

practice. A majority make a charge for basic production

costs, usually on an hourly rate. Only three quoted

hourly costs. One was $150 per half hour, another charges

between $140-200 per half hour, while the third makes only

a small charge of $15.00 per half hour of air time.

Two other stations stated they had a policy and "get

money when we cah." Five stations which have a stated

policy indicated they make no charge to community groups. 177 42. Does the station have a membership organization of viewers and interested individuals Which helps provide the annual budget of the station? Yes No If YES, what services ao such members receive from the station? The responses indicate that eleven stations have a financial relationship with viewers who aid in the support of the station. However, the services rendered are usually the mailing of program guides and schedules. One

station does have a formal organization of 15,000 viewers who pay $10 per year each to help finance the station. These viewer-members have voting privileges in the station organization.

The financing of the construction of educational television stations apparently did not actively involve most communities. Public tax funds and foundations were the primary source of funds with only a few community campaigns. Even for current operations stations are generally financed entirely from tax revenues. Our traditional philosophy of financing public education with

tax dollars may be carrying over to educational television

as w e l l . Community programming is not often financed by the

groups involved even though about half of the stations have a policy for charging for some of the costs. Xt is doubtful if this will be an important source of funds, 17$ but may aid in increasing the quality of community pro gramming .

Viewers have been solicited to support the station in

some instances, but only one station has had consistent

success. Properly organized and motivated viewers might represent a source of financial support, but experience

to date would not indicate this to be true.

Summary

The findings of a questionnaire mailed to forty-

eight educational stations are reported in this chapter.

Forty-two responses were received for an $7*5 percent

return. The data from the six stations visited were

also included making the total number of responses

forty-eight.

Policies. A majority of the controlling boards of

educational television stations have other responsi

bilities as well, usually a public school system or a

university. They delegate the operation of the station

to administrative staff in most cases.

The controlling boards whose sole responsibility is

the ownership and operation of the educational station

vary in size from seven to sixty members with an average

of twenty-seven. The membership is planned to be some

what representative of the community, and the board itself 179 usually selects the members. The meetings of the boards are held infrequently with about one third of those responding meeting monthly, another third only quarterly, and the other third annually or on call. The agendas for the board meetings seldom, or at best irregularly, consider program needs for the adult viewer.

A majority of the forty-eight stations replying, twenty-seven, have written program objectives, and they have usually been formulated by staff. The staff gives fairly regular consideration to the needs of the adult viewer with twenty-six stations indicating it is a matter of discussion at each program staff meeting with an additional thirteen stations giving it consideration every few meetings.

Nine station managers have had academic training and/or experience in the adult education field and five other station personnel have had similar training or experience.

Station Relationships to Community and Community

Groups. All but two of the forty-eight stations have indi cated to community groups in their coverage area that the station facilities are available for service, and in news releases most continue to express their interest in serving the community. Orientation tours of the station for community groups is a standard practice with all ISO

replies to this question in the affirmative. Staff members are also encouraged to be active in community

groups and activities although thirteen stations do not have a policy on this matter.

Forty-six of the forty-eight stations replying maintain contact with viewers through program schedules and other bulletins, and a slight majority provide for a response to such bulletins. Volunteers are used to some degree in the operation of twenty-six stations, and are trained by station staff.

The evaluation of the use of volunteers was mixed with

some high in their praise and others critical of their value to a station.

The number of community groups served by stations in

a given week varies considerably, but there is a reason able amount of community programming.

Station Advisory Groups. Only nine stations, all in

the VHF range, have community advisory groups. The

attitude of those managers without advisory groups is

generally favorable although a few are strongly opposed to them.

The members of advisory groups are usually selected by station management. The staff provides leadership aid to the groups, and only four of the groups are formally organized. They meet infrequently usually with the 181 program staff. Those stations with advisory groups consider them to be of value in the identification of needs in the community.

Station Programming and the Identification of Community Education Needs. The major emphasis of day telecasting is in-school instructional television with the evening emphasis being informal and cultural education for adults. Most stations have some estimate of their potential audience and all but seven stations believe the public expects the station to provide programming for the adult viewer. Over half of the stations are in communities with adult education councils or similar coordinating groups, and most maintain liaison with them. Nearly three fourths of the stations responding maintain liaison with the health and welfare groups in their coverage area and many consult them concerning needs and cooperate in producing programs to meet such

needs. About half of the stations maintain liaison with labor and business groups and receive information about

economic matters of the community. Most stations study viewer response to programs and

it has an influence on programming if of sufficient quantity. Commercial ratings have little influence, however. 182 Nineteen stations have assigned the responsibility for research to a staff member, usually the program director or station manager. Three apparently have a staff position with primary duties in this field. Only half of the stations have ever conducted a community survey, although nearly three fourths of the managers attempt to study other pertinent studies of their com munity. School and college personnel are the most frequent sources for program ideas for community pro gramming .

Station Finances and the Community. Few stations obtained construction funds from public campaigns, but foundations played an important role. Most stations in the survey, thirty-three, receive no part of their current budget from public contributions. About half of the responses indicated that they have a policy for charging community groups for certain costs for community programming. The others either do not have a policy or make no charge. Eleven stations stated they had a viewer organization to help support the station, but provide only program schedules as a service to them. One station does have a more formal organization with annual dues of $10.00 and with voting privileges in the affairs of the station. CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary

Purpose and Plan of Study The principle that has been firmly established by Rule No. 3.621 of the Federal Communications Commission is that licensees of reserved educational television channels must serve the broad educational needs of the community. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent educational television stations were meeting this require ment of serving the community education needs and what methods, if any, they employed to identify these needs. The plan of the study was to review the related literature in the field, to study representative educa tional television stations and community groups in six cities, and to survey by a mailed questionnaire the remaining educational stations in operation as of August 1, 1961.

Review of Related Literature The concept of life-long education has been gaining greater acceptance. There is an expanding need for adult education because of a rapidly changing culture, the

183 184 development of a democratic society requiring an informed

citizenry and the necessity for the individual to

continuously adjust to a growing, interdependent, complex

society.

The foresight of dedicated individuals brought educa tional television into being, creating a new opportunity for implementing these educational imperatives. The

changing needs of the community must be identified,

however, if this function is to be performed effectively.

Report of the Study of Educational

Television Stations and Community Groups in Six Cities

The establishment of each educational station was a

difficult task and the result of the efforts of dedicated

individuals. The stations varied in the amount of

community programming scheduled. It was found that stations

in the UHF range have serious technical obstacles which

prevent them from providing a full educational service to

the community. Liaison with community groups, viewer

response, staff analysis, study of existing community

reports, and contact with educational institutions were

found to be methods employed by various stations to attempt

to identify community educational needs. However, no

station studied had an organized, and continuous plan for

identifying community needs. 185 A survey of forty-eight community leaders revealed that the leaders knew of the educational stations in their communities, although most of them had not been consulted by station management concerning community needs. The leaders expressed the view that community groups should be utilized as means of discovering educational opportuni ties and recommended that community advisory councils be organized to assist in continuously evaluating comihunity needs.

Findings of Survey of Educational Television Stations

A questionnaire was mailed to forty-eight stations with forty-two, or 87.5 percent, returned. The findings revealed that a majority of the controlling boards of educational stations have other responsibilities usually as boards of public school systems or universities. Those boards whose sole responsibility is an educational station vary in size with an average of twenty-seven members.

They are designed to be representative of the community and usually select their own members.

A majority of the stations have written program objectives and these are usually formulated by staff.

Boards seldom consider needs of the adult viewer although the program personnel do so. Fourteen managers and

program personnel have had either academic training or

experience in adult education. 136

Most stations indicated their interest in serving community groups, provided orientation tours of the studios, and encouraged personnel to be active in community affairs. Volunteers assist in some stations, but a request for evaluation showed mixed results. Only nine stations have community advisory groups. Most stations maintain some liaison with community groups in the areas of adult education, health and wel fare, labor and management, although personnel in these organizations are not consulted frequently concerning community needs. Most stations study viewer response to programs, but commercial ratings have little influence. Nineteen stations have assigned responsibility for research to a

staff member, usually the program director. Three

stations have a staff position with primary responsibility for research. Only half of the stations have conducted

surveys in their coverage areas, although many have studied existing community reports. School and college

personnel are a primary source for suggestions for

community programming. The financial support of educational television stations comes primarily from tax revenues. Few stations depend on public voluntary contributions for current operating funds. About half of those surveyed have a policy for charging community groups for overhead costs 137 when they use station facilities for community pro

gramming . While some stated they had a viewers’ organization which helps support the station, only one had a formal organization in which viewers pay a minimum fee for the support of the station and have voting privileges in the affairs of the station.

Conclusions

1. Only a few educational television stations have devised a conscious, systematic and continuous plan for identifying community educational needs, especially those of the adult viewer. This study has revealed that most stations do not have an organized plan to obtain information about their

coverage area. There seems to be a lack of clarity as to the kinds of community information which would be helpful in programming for the adult viewer. Further, while many stations have attempted bo gain some knowledge of their communities, it has been on an informal, intermittent and somewhat haphazard basis.

2. The advent of educational television represents a special opportunity for adult education to meet com munity educational needs more effectively in a rapidly changing society. One of the main tasks in adult education is to pro vide the adult population the opportunity to continue to learn which is so essential in a complex, interdependent culture. 183

Television is a means of communication available in nearly all dwelling units and represents an important method on contact with adult citizens. Television is also adaptable both as to content and method for adult educa tion. It can be used for formal and informal situations; it can be used to transmit a lecture, a forum, a panel discussion, a film or an actual event; and it can be utilized in conjunction with conferences, institutes and

discussion groups. By the use of video tape, television

can be adapted to the time schedule of the adult learner. With this availability and adaptability, television

over reserved educational channels could enable adult education to extend the opportunities for life-long

learning to a majority of the population.

3. The original aspirations of the Federal Communi cations Commission in reserving television channels for educational use to provide greater opportunities for continued learning by adults have not yet been fully realized, as the greater emphasis to date has been on in-school, instructional television. As the literature revealed, the continued education of adults was a primary goal of the FCC, the Fund for Adult Education, and others active in the effort to

obtain reserved channels for educational use. While early construction funds were made available to many stations on the agreement that programs for the adult

viewer be telecast, the recent trend has been toward formal, in-school, instructional television. This has

been the result of the technically limited audiences of

UHF stations and the operation of many stations by

educational institutions. Another factor has been that

most research funds have been granted to stations for

experimentation in in-school, instructional television.

4. While most educational television stations studied professed a desire to serve the community and recognized their obligation to program for the broad educational needs of their coverage area, further study revealed that many have failed to fully implement this profession. Nearly all of the stations studied have indicated

their interest in serving the community by offering the

facilities of the station to organizations in their

coverage area. Closer study, however, found that many

stations have not fulfilled their stated objective in

serving the community.

5. The technical limitations of educational sta tions in the UHF range, which restricts their potential audience, will continue to be an obstacle for some time to the provision of a full educational service to the community.

Even though many UHF educational stations attempt

to promote the viewer purchase of UHF converters, the

actual audience of such stations remains a small per

centage of the total number of receivers. Recently

enacted federal legislation will in the future require

manufacturers to produce all-channel television receivers, 190 but it will be some time before all sets in use will be able to receive the programs of both VHF and UHF tele vision programs.

6. The development of state networks of educational television stations under a central authority has broadened the concept of community to include entire states.

While state networks bring many advantages to educational television such as sharing high quality pro grams and their production costs, there is a serious disadvantage. When programming must be evaluated in terms of the broad needs of an entire state, it may be that specific needs of local coverage areas will not be served as adequately.

7. The future expansion of educational television stations probably rests with educational institutions. Community sponsored stations, publicly supported, are likely to increase in number only slightly.

A finding of this study was that a great majority, thirty-three, of the stations surveyed are financed entirely by tax revenues. Then too, some community stations are operated solely in behalf of educational institutions. Of the eleven stations that began oper ations in 1961, only one was a community sponsored station. The others were licensed to educational institu tions . 191 &. The controlling boards of many community stations have not realized their full potential as trustees of the educational channel in behalf of the community.

While it was found that the controlling boards of

community stations are designed to be representative of

various segments of the community, they meet too infre

quently and for too brief periods to give the strong

leadership necessary. Such boards should be the primary

liaison between the community and the educational

stations, but the study found community needs are seldom

considered.

9. Community advi-sory councils, organized by a small number of stations, can be a vital means of identifying community educational needs.

Close liaison with the community is important to

the process of identifying needs. When effectively

organized and given adequate leadership, community

advisory groups have given important assistance to educa

tional stations. Although this study revealed only nine

such groups, the evaluation of their assistance to

stations was favorable. Further, community group leaders

recommended the organization of community advisory groups

as an important method for identifying needs in the

community.

10. Adult education councils, where they exist in cities with an educational television station, can be a valuable resource of knowledge about the community and its needs. *

192 Organized, professionally staffed adult education councils are not active in many cities, but where they exist they represent a reservoir of information about the residents and their needs. Close liaison with these adult education councils, or similar coordinating agencies, can provide the station with an outreach it could not other wise obtain.

11. Systematic research to discover the most effective ways to serve the community is carried on by only a few educational television stations.

Only three stations stated they had a staff position with research as a primary responsibility. While about half of the stations indicated they had made a survey in their communities, such effort was often an examination of the size of audience, types of programs viewed, and little on community needs.

12. The utilization of volunteers in station oper ation is of value for certain tasks. While a majority of the stations use volunteers in various ways, there is no general agreement that they are valuable in the technical operations. For special projects, such as community relations and fund raising, they have been of assistance.

13. Viewer reaction has an influence on programming, although viewers have not been organized to support the objectives of educational television. They remain a virtually untapped resource for identification of com munity educational needs. 193 Station personnel welcome viewer response to pro gramming and when such response is serious and thoughtful, it does have an impact on programming. Viewers of educa tional television stations are usually more loyal than those of commercial stations. Admittedly difficult to organize, viewers could be an effective method of contact with the community and a source of moral and financial

support as well.

14. Educational television stations, especially those operated by tax supported educational institutions, seem to be more reluctant than commercial stations in presenting controversial issues. An impression gained from this study was that controversial issues on local, state, and national levels are not programmed as frequently on educational stations

as on commercial stations. While this assumption needs further study, information gained from interviews and

examination of program schedules suggests that educa tional institutions are reluctant to deal with problems

and concerns that face a community which are of a

controversial nature. 194

Recommendations

For Educational Television Stations

1. It is recommended that managers of all educa tional television stations establish a systematic and continuous plan for identifying educational needs in their communities. Such a plan must be developed to meet the needs of each local situation, but should meet the following basic criteria: (a) the kinds of information about the com munity essential to programming for the adult viewer should be determined, (b) the most effective and efficient methods to obtain this information should be established, (c) a continuing responsibility for the direction of the plan should be vested in a staff member as a primary duty.

2. It is recommended that adult residents of the community be invited by station management to participate in the procedures established for identifying community educational needs.

3. It is recommended that station management con stantly review available information about tne community in existing reports, such as those of the U. S. Census, city and county health reports, welfare reports, to obtain clues to community needs.

4. It is recommended that station management develop wide personal acquaintance with the most knowledgeable leaders of the community. 195 The character of a community is often reflected through its leaders. If station management can develop and maintain rapport with a cross-section of civic and educational leaders, a concept of the community and its needs can be obtained.

5. It is recommended that station management take the initiative in organizing advisory councils to assist the station in serving the community. Even though advisory councils have been organized by only a few educational television stations, such groups do represent an effective and meaningful method to learn how the community can best be served. While some station managers are strongly opposed to such advisory groups, there is evidence that such opposition is due to a lack of understanding of their function. Community advisory councils should involve repre sentatives of community groups in the early stages of the organization of the group in order for the structure and objectives to reflect the views of those to be related to the council. The councils should be formally organized, meet frequently enough to have self-identity, and should consider issues of substance about programming and community needs. In the course of this study, it was learned that a commercial radio and television corporation with opera tions in several cities— Peoples Broadcasting Corporation, 196 Columbus, Ohio— has advisory councils for its radio stations and evaluates them favorably.

6. It is recommended that station management explore the feasibility of developing a viewers1 organization to provide a means of interaction between the station and its audience. Viewers represent an untapped resource and initiative should be taken by station management to devise the most realistic method for relating them to the station. For example, Nationwide Insurance Companies, Columbus, Ohio, have organized policyholders in a program that could be adapted for a viewers’ organization of an educational television station.

7. It is recommended that managers of UHF educational stations experiment with new ways to promote the purchase" of converters for television receivers in their coverage"" area. The interpretation to the community of the value of educational television and the desirability of obtaining the necessary receiving equipment for UHF reception is a project that a community advisory council or viewers’ organization could readily assume. One UHF station in this study showed films of programs available on the educational channel to various neighborhood groups to orient them to the quality of offerings and to stimulate the desire to view the programs regularly in their own homes. Another UHF station scheduled an extensive program of university 197 sports to encourage the purchase of converters for receivers.

3. It is recommended that station management periodically conduct systematic surveys of community needs and individual interests throughout the coverage area.

9. It is recommended that station management take positive steps to educate community groups and adult education leaders about the potential and limitations of educational television. Community group leaders should understand how to utilize educational television and its functions if an adequate service is to be provided. Therefore, the station management should take the initiative to interpret this resource to the community. Printed bulletins, expressly for community groups, such as WMSB-TV (Michigan State University) has distributed are helpful. One day seminars for community leaders offer possibilities. A commercial television station (WFBM-TV, Indianapolis, Indiana) has had success with such seminars. WMVS-TV (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) has conducted summer work shops on educational television for community group leaders.

10. It is recommended that each educational station establish a staff position of director of research to gni de an overall systematic and continuous plan to identify community educational needs and to evaluate program objectives. 193 The identification of community needs is rightfully the responsibility of‘the educational television station.

It is not a one-time effort, but must be a continuous process since needs are constantly changing. It is imperative, therefore, that this be a primary responsi bility of a member of the station staff.

While a research position may seem to be a rather specialized position in a time of restricted, inadequate operating budgets, it could be one of the most important uses of available resources. With annual budgets of many stations reaching several hundred thousands of dollars, the expenditure of a few thousands to ascertain if the budget is being wisely expended to accomplish the objectives of the stations can be justified.

For Community Organizations

1. Adult education councils, or similar coordinating groups, should assume the responsibility of cooperating with tne educational station in determining the~ various adult education needs that could be served by this me'cUum.

Adult education councils represent an outreach to the community and should share the initiative in working out a plan to assist the educational station in identifying community needs. 199

2. Community organizations should accept the responsibility for obtaining adequate information about educational television in tneir communities. They should evaluate the potential of this medium as an aid in the solution of community problems.

Community groups should gain knowledge as to the opportunities for utilization of educational television for various educational needs in the community. Such groups should obtain information about the programming criteria of the educational television station and evaluate community needs in view of such criteria to determine the extent to which educational television can be of service.

3. Community organizations should recognize their financial responsibility to the educational television station when community programming is proposed.

Most community groups should budget annually an amount for educational television and have such funds available when community programming is produced in cooperation with the educational station.

For Further Research

This study is an initial endeavor and further research is needed. The following areas are suggestions:

1. Longitudinal research on the efficacy of various methods for identifying community educational needs.

2. Evaluative research on the quality of community programming on educational television stations. 200

3. Comparative research of community programming on educational stations versus that on commercial stations.

4. Comparative research of community programming on educational stations in the Unltecl States and on state owned television stations in other countries. APPENDIX EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION STATIONS PARTICIPATING IN STUDY

Location Call Letters Range

Alabama, Auburn WAIQ VHF Birmingham WBIQ VHF University WCIQ VHF Arizona, Tuscon KUAT VHF Tempe KAET VHF California, San Francisco KQED VHF Sacramento KVIE VHF Colorado, Denver KRMA VHF Florida, Miami WTHS VHF Jacksonville WJCT VHF Tampa WEDU VHF Gainesville WUFT VHF Tallahassee WFSU VHF

Georgia, Atlanta WETA UHF Athens WGTVVHF

Illinois, Champaign-Urbana WILL VHF Chicago WTTWVHF Carbondale WSIU VHF

Iowa, Des Moines KDPS VHF Kentucky, Louisville WFPK UHF Louisiana, New Orleans WYES VHF

Massachusetts, Boston WGBH VHF Michigan, Detroit WTVS UHF East Lansing WMSB VHF Minnesota, St. Paul KTCA VHF Missouri, Kansas City KCSD UHF St. Loui s KETC VHF Nebraska, Lincoln KUON VHF New Hampshire, Durham WENH VHF 203

New Mexico, Albuquerque KNME VHF New York, Buffalo WNED UHF Ohio, Cincinnati WCET UHF Columbus WOSU UHF Oxford WMUB UHF Toledo WGTE UHF

Oklahoma, Norman KETA VHF Oregon, Corvallis KOAC VHF Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh WQED VHF Philadelphia WHYY UHF Puerto Rico, San Juan WIPR VHF South Dakota, Vermillion KUSD VHF

Tennessee, Memphis WKNO VHF Texas, Houston KUHT VHF Richardson KRET UHF

Utah, Ogden KWCS UHF Washington, Seattle KCTS VHF Tacoma KPEC UHF

Wisconsin, Milwaukee WMVS VHF 204 EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION SURVEY Of ADULT EDUCATION LEADEES

Organisation

Position Bold

1. Is tlnrt An educational ttUviiion station In your coaaunity? Yss ___ No ___

If YES, please rsply to ths following questions.

2. What ars tha call letters? ______Cbsnnsl nuuber .

3. Do you personally view any of ths educational television progress? Daily One or sore tines per w e e k one or sore tines per nonth Special program only _ _ _ Not to date _ _ _

4. Have you ever visited the studios of the station? Yes ___ No _ _

5. Are you personally acquainted with any neaber of the station staff? Yes _ _ No ___ Consent ^

6. Do you consider the nain purpose of the ETV station to serve:

a. School children for classroon instruction _____ b. College Students for classroon Instruction _ _ _ c. Inforaal end cultural education for adults _ _ _ d . Other

7. Have you as an individual, or has the organisation to which you belong, ever been consulted by station aanagenent on how the educational television station could serve the adult education needs of your coaaunity? Yes _ _ No _ _

e. If YES, describe way in which your guidance was solicited: (I.e. telephone, questionnaire, aeetlng with station staff, etc.)

b. If NO, would you velcone the opportunity to help the station to Identify adult education needs In your coasunlty? Yes ___ No ,

8. Has your organisation ever cooperated with the station staff in producing a local television prograa? Yes ___ No ___

a. If YES, did the initiative for the production of the prograa cone froa the station staff ____ or froa your organisation ?

9. Whet is the one aost important adult education need in your coaaunity that you believe could be served by educational television? ______

10. Please give your judgaent as to the aost effective way the ETV station staff alght Identify coaaunity education needs In your coaaunity and stay alert to changing conditions. ______

Return to: JOSEPH S. BLAIR, 41 West 11th Avenue, Colind>us 1, Ohio 2 0S Please return t> Joseph S. Blair 41 West 11th Ave. ' * Columbus 1, Ohio Survey of Educational Television Stations and Adult Education Needs Station______VHF______UHF------Began operation------(Date)

Your position—------— ------Most of the following questions can be answered by checking the appropriate blank. If you wish to clarify your response or add information, please do so. Some questions are self-eliminating. Policies 1. Does the controlling hoard (i.e. the board to whom the FCC operating license for the station is issued) have as its sole responsibility the ownership and operation of the station? Yes No Comment — _

a. If NO, what other responsibilities does the board have? (i.e. board of education for a school system, trustees of a university, etc.)------b. If NO, does the board delegate the active responsibility for the operation of the station to another board, or committee, or administrative staff? Yes No If so, to whom? ------

2. How many persons serve on the controlling ------board? 3. Is the membership of the board consciously designed so as to be representative of the community, including the various educational groups? Yes No Comment------■ 4. How are the members of the controlling board selected? Elected by board itself ______Other 5. How frequently does the board meet to establish policies for the operation of the station? Monthly_____ Quarterly Other Comment- - ... ------6. Are there written objectives for station programming including the educational needs of adults in the community? Yes No If YES, who formulated the objectives? Board Staff Other______Comment _—----- — ------(If YES, please enclose a copy if possible.) 7. Does the agenda for board meetings include items concerned with the adult educational needs of your community and how educational television might aid in meeting these needs? Regularly (each meeting) Irregularly (every 2-4 meet ings) Seldom (once or twice per year) Not to date Comment______8. Is programming for the adult viewer in your coverage area considered at program staff meetings? Regularly (each meeting) Irregularly (every 2-4 meetings) Seldom (once or twice a year) Not _____to date Comment------—------9. If any members of the station staff have had academic training and/or experience in adult education teaching or admin istration, please list station position and training or experience below:

Station Position Training or Experiences

Station Relationships to Community and Community Groups 10. Has the station ever indicated in anyway to various educational and community groups that the facilities of the statior may be available to them under certain stipulated conditions? Yes No If YES, in what______way. 206 11. In new* releases end other interpretative materiel, doe* the Motion periodically indicate it* interest in serving the various community group* and educational needs in your coverage area? Yes No ______Comment

12. Do you provide for orientation tours of the station studios by community groups?_____ Yes No Comment - —- 13. Are staff members encouraged to hold membership in civic and community groups? Yes No No present policy Comment______——-— -— -

14. Do you maintain contact with your viewers and community leaders via station publications or mailed program sched ules? Yea No_____ a. If YES,______

b. If YES, do you provide for a response to such publications (i.e. opinion poll on programs, etc.) ? Yea No — 15. Does the station utilize community volunteers in the operation of the station (i.e. laymen devoting several hours per week to either technical or non-technica) aspects of station operation and progamming)? _____ Yea No Com m ent______-______a. If YES, are these volunteers organized and/or trained by the station staff? Yes_____ No Comment ______- _ b. If YES, evaluate the assistance of volunteers to your station? - -—.

16. Cive an estimate as to the number of community groups that are being served by your station during an average week. (Such as an announcement about the group, a program segment or program in which the group cooperated or helped produce.) Spots (2 minutes or less) Program segments Programs (15 min, or _____more) Station Advisory Groups 17. Is there related to the station, any type of a community advisory council, viewers’ council, etc. that assists in providing guidance for the program needs and interests of your coverage area? Yes No Comment,. - .. .

a. If NO, what is your attitude toward such advisory groups? Favorable Neutral Unfavorable____ Com m ent------(If response to No. 17 is YES, please complete questions Nos. 18 to 24.) 18. How are the members of the advisory group selected? By station management Ortn»r

19. Does the station management provide leadership and aid to the advisory group? Yes__ If YES, No_ in what way? __ . ■ , — - ... - — , — — ■■ , — ... — - - ______20. Is the advisory group formally organized? (i.e. officers, by-laws, regular meetings, etc.) Yes No (If YES, please enclose a copy of organization procedures.) 21. How frequently does this advisory group meet? Monthly Quarterly On call______Other., 22. Does the advisory group ever meet with the program staff of the station? Yes No If YES,_____ how often?

23. What do you consider the purpose of this advisory group______to be? ______

24. What is your evaluation of this advisory group in terms of its usefulness to the station in identifying and articulating community interests and needs? Very helpful Of some assistance More bother _____than worth Comment — . - ■■ - - — - ■—— . Station Programming and the Identification of Community Education Needs 25. Check below what you consider to be the “major" and one or more “minor” emphases of your station's programming. Day Telecasting Evening Telecasting (Before 6 P.M.) (After 6 P.M.) Major Minor Major Minor Formal education for schools —elementary and secondary level ______Formal education for schools —college and university level ______Children’s programs______Formal education for adults ___------Informal and cultural education ior adults ------, ------Comment______-

26. Do you have estimated information as to the number of persons in the community that have equipment capable of receiving the programs of your station? Yes _____ Xo a. If YES, what is this estimate______b. If YES, what method do you employ to obtain this information?------■ 27. Does the community, in your judgment, expect the station to provide programming for the ------adult viewer? Yes No Comment______

28. Is there an adult education council or similar coordinating agency for adult education, in your community?------Yes No Comment______._____ —______a. If YES, is any member of the station staff a member of, or related in anyway to this council? Yes------No Comment______—______

b. If YES, has the station management ever consulted this council in regard to community needs that might be served through educational television? Yes No If YES, describe______

29. Does the station maintain liaison with the local health and welfare planning and coordinating group? (i.e. community chest, united community council, welfare federation, etc.) Yes No Comment______

a. If YES, is any member of the station staff related in any way to this health and welfare group? Yes No. Comment______—______

b. If YES, has the station management ever consulted this health and welfare group in regard to community needs that might be served by educational television? Yes No If YES, describe______

30. Does the station maintain liaison with such groups as labor unions, employer groups, or the state employment service in your coverage area so as to have updated information on the vocational and occupational training needs of your community? Yes No Comment______- . . .

31. Do unsolicited letters and telephone calls from viewers have any influence on programming for the adult viewer? Yes. No If YES, 206 32. Do you study the ratings of television programs as provided by commercial rating firms? Yes No If YES, describe any influence they have on programming for the adult viewer .... —-----P

33. Does any station staff member have a continuing responsibility to carry on research to aid in determining community needs and interests? Yes No Comment ■ , ------... — ------—

34. Has the station ever conducted formal surveys of community needs and viewer interests? Yes No If YES, describe type of survey. (i.e. telephone, mail, interviews,______etc.) ___

35. Have any community groups made studies or surveys of educational needs that might be served by television and reported the findings to the station? Yes No If YES, describe______

36. Has the station management examined any other studies of the community that might provide insight into educational needs? Yes No Comment______

37. Please rank below (1, 2, 3, etc.) those sources and information that have the greatest influence in the creation and pro* Auction of local community programming. Suggestions from business and professional groups______Suggestions from community & civic groups (PTA, ______etc.) Suggestions from school and college personnel ______Suggestions from viewers ______Data from community surveys ______Other______Station Finances and the Community 38. What was the source of funds for the construction of the station enabling it to go on the air? (Give estimated percent ages if more than one source.) Public tax revenues Business & industry ______Educational institutions Individuals ______Foundations ______(Foundation name______) 39. If part, or all, of the construction cost of the station was provided by contributions received from a public campaign for funds, what was the primary selling point on the purpose of ______the station? :______

40. What part of thecurrent budget is received from viewers and other interested individuals and groups through a public campaign for funds? None Less than Vi Less Ythan i More thanV i More thanVa _____ Comment______41. When community groups use the facilities of the station for programming to the community and/or to their own clientele, does the station have a policy for charging for overhead costs? Yes No If YES, what is______this policy?

42. Does the station have a membership organization of viewers and interested individuals and groups which helps provide the annual budget of the station? Yes No If YES, what services do such members receive from _____the station?

Please add any ideas you wish to express concerning educational television for the adult viewer, and your most useful experiences in identifying adult education needs in your community. BIBLIOGRAPHY

209 BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Adams, John C. (ed.) College Teaching by Television. Washington: American Council on Education, 1958. Blakely, Robert J. Adult Education in a Free Society. Toronto: Guardian Bird Publications, 1958- Bryson, Lyman Adult Education. New York: American Book Company, 1936- Carle, Wayne M. Education on the Air. Yearbook of the 1959 Institute for Education by” Radio-Television Columbus: The Ohio State University, 1959* Cooley, Hazel Vision ^-n Television. New York: Channel Press, 195^ Elliott, W. Y. (ed.) Television^ Impact on American Culture. East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan_ State University Press, 195o. Harris, Chester W. Encyclopedia of Educational Research. Third Edition. New York: The Macmillan Company, I960. Henry, Nelson B. (ed.) Mass Media and Education. Fifty- Third Yearbook of t¥e National Society for Study of Education, Part II. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1954* Kempfer, Homer Adult Education. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company,1955. Knowles, Malcolm S. (ed.) Handbook of Adult Education. Chicago: Adult Education Association of the U.S.A., I960. Informal Adult Education. New York: Association Press”! 1950. Kotinsky, Ruth Adult Education and the Social Scene. New York: D . Appleton-Century Company, 1933•

210 211 Lewis, Philip Educational Television Guidebook. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1961. Lindeman, Eduard C. The Meaning of Adult Education. New York: New Republic, Inc., ±926. Newsom, Carroll V. (ed.) A Television Policy For Education. Washington: American Council on Education, 1$52. Olson, 0. Joe (ed.) Education on the Air. Twenty-third Yearbook of the Institute for Education by Radio and Television. Columbus: The Ohio State University, 1953. Powell, John W. Channels of Learning. Washington: Public Affairs Pres"sl 1962. Schram, Wilbur The Impact of Educational Television. Urbana, IllTl The University of Illinois Press, I960. Sheats, Paul H., Jayne, Clarence D., and Spence, Ralph B. Adult Education. New York: The Dryden Press, 1953. Sielars, Robertson (ed.) Seeking Common Ground in Adult Education. Chicago: Adult Education Association oi1 the iJ.S . A. Tarbell, Robert W. A History of the Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools from 1912-1953. Milwaukee: fo.V.A.S. Press", 1958.------

Willis, Benjamin C., Masiko, Peter, Jr., Erickson, Clifford. ChicagoTs TV College. Chicago: Board of Education, i960.

ARTICLES AND PERIODICALS

Alter, Henry C. "Television in the Community," Adult Leadership, Vol. 10, No. 4 (October 1961), pi 106. Breitenfeld, Frederick, Jr. "The Pedant and the Clown-- How ETV Can Educate and Entertain Adults," The NAEB Journal, Vol. 20, No. 4 (July-August, 1961), P • 13 • Chapman, Charles E. "Some Characteristics of Adult Part- Times Students," Adult Education, Vol. X, No. 1 (Autumn, 1959)» pi 2?. 212

Chicago Daily News. February 7, 1961. Cincinnati Enquirer. April 14, 1951; September 19, 1952; June l6 , 1955• Cincinnati Post. March 16, 1953. Cincinnati Times-Star. April 14, 1951. Faculty Review. Vol. 14, April 1953, No. 6 (Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio), p. 1. Kennedy, John F. Letter to National Association of Educa tional Broadcasters, The NAEB Journal, Vol. 21, No. 1 (January-February, 1 9 6 2 ), p. 2 3 . Leonard, George B., Jr. "TV KQED, No Sponsors, No Censors, No Scandals," LOOK Magazine. Vol. 24, No. 4, February 16, I960, pp. 31-3^- "LouisvilleTs Hi-Fi Library, " Educational Screen and AV Guide, (April, 1959), pp. 188-189. Manchester, William. "Louisville Cashs In On Culture," HarperTs Magazine, (August, 1955) p. 77.

Milwaukee Journal. October 25, 1957.

Milwaukee Sentinel. October 27, 1957. Ohio State University Monthly Vol. 47, No. 5 (February 15, 1956),'"p. 44; Vol. 4 7 , No. 6, (March 15, 1956) p. 4 S. ✓ Papworth, Bernice H. "Parent Education Via TV," American Vocational Journal, Vol. 33, No. 8 (November, 1953). Sworder, Stanley. "What is Adult Education— A Symposium," Adult Education, Vol. V, No. 3 (Spring 1955), p. 135- Van Hoose, Richard. "Faith in Educational Television Has Paid Off," Your Jefferson County Schools. (Louisville, Kentucky, November 1959), Vol. 3, No. 3, p. 2. Weiss, John K. "Opportunities ETV Offers," The NAEB Journal, Vol. 17, No. 5 (February, 195&), p. 10. 213

REPORTS

Commission of the Professors of Adult Education. Adult Education, A New Imperative for Our Times (Chicago: The Adult Education Association of the U.S.A., 1961), p. 4. Ford Foundation. ETV— A Ford Foundation Pictorial Report (New York, 1961). Fund for Adult Education. Continuing Liberal Education: Report of the Fund for Adult Education 1957-5$ (White Plains, New York). Joint Council on Educational Television. Four Years of Progress in Educational Television. (Washington, 1956).

Metropolitan Pittsburgh Educational Television. 1960-61 Annual Report.

National Educational Television and Radio Center. Current Developments in Educational Television (Washington, D.C., February, 1961).

UNPUBLISHED MATERIAL

Bevis, Howard L. "The Stake of State Universities and Lane-Grant Colleges in Radio Broadcasting", Testimony at allocation hearings, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C., September 8, 1944 (mimeographed). Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Foundation, (undated, mimeographed report).

Marquis, Chalmers H. "WTTW Programming A Six Year Report," (Chicago, 1961). Morehead, Hubert P. "The Educational Television Station in Higher Education." Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, The Ohio State University, 1957. Organizational Manual for Ohio State University Radio Station WOSU (Columbus, Ohio, 1940) (mimeographed).

Packer, Roddy E. "An Analysis of the Degree of Integration of Existing Educational Television Stations with 214

their Particular Communities.” Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, University of Minnesota, i9 6 0 . Pilot Conference on the Dissemination of the Principles and Practices in the Uses of Television in Education, (mimeographed report, I960) Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Policy Manual Governing the Production of Educational Television Programs at the Television Center of the Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools, (mimeographed, January 1956). "Report of the Committee on Radio Broadcasting.” National Association of State Universities, (mimeographed, 194S) . "Report of Committee on Radio," Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities (mimeographed, November 1943). Sarnoff, Robert. News release to TV-Radio Editors. September 29, 1961. National Broadcasting Company. Vidnovic, Nicholas. "Educational Television— Its Present Status and Recommendations for Its Future Development." Unpublished Master’s thesis, The Ohio State University, 1951. WCET-TV, Program Report for i9 6 0 . (mimeographed)

WFPK-TV, Education Television— i960. (mimeographed) Zaitz, Anthony W. "The History of Educational Television, 1932-1953." Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, University of Wisconsin, i9 6 0 .

OTHER SOURCES

U . S . Federal Register of the National Archives Federal Communications Commission Sixth Order andReport, Part II, Vol. XVII, No. 37, p. 4039. AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I, Joseph Skiles Blair, Jr., was born in Niles, Ohio

December 16, 1919. I received my secondary education in the public schools of Windham, Ohio, and attended Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, which granted me the Bachelor of Science degree in 1942. I attended Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University, New York City, graduating with an A. M. degree in 194S. After twelve years of professional experience with the College Young Men's Christian Association Movement, I enrolled at The Ohio State University in September, 1959 to begin my residence for the Doctor of Philosophy degree. I served as a graduate assistant in the School of Social Work for one year and later as a part-time assistant to Dr. Andrew Hendrickson during this period of completing my degree requirements.

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