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72-4421 BENNETT, Sandra Williams, 1942- ASCERTAINMENT OF COMMUNITY NEEDS BY PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS: A STUDY OF KPBS, WOSU, WVIZ, WETA, AND THE ALABAMA EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION COMMISSION. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1971 Mass Communications University Microfilms, A XEROK Company. Ann Arbor, Michigan <§> Copyright by Sandra Williams Bennett 1971 THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED ASCERTAINMENT OF COMMUNITY NEEDS BY PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS: A STUDY OF KPBS, WOSU, WVIZ, WETA, AND THE ALABAMA EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION COMMISSION DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Sandra Williams Bennett, B.S. in Ed., M.A. * * * * * The Ohio State University 1971 Approved by Department of Speech Communications PLEASE NOTE: Some papes have small and indistinct print. Filmed as received. UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The successful completion of this study was to­ tally dependent upon cooperation, encouragement, assis­ tance, time and devotion--of others. For their coopera­ tion in freely and openly talking with me, I thank the men and women at each of the stations I visited. For their encouragement and assistance, I thank my graduate professors, and especially my committee members and ad­ viser. A special note of thanks for their continued en­ couragement and assistance throughout my graduate studies goes to Dr. Robert Hilliard and Allen Myers at the Federal Communications Commission. And especially to my husband Dick, and son, Richard Daniel, who cooperated, encouraged, assisted, gave of their time, but most especially remained devoted— I thank you. Sandra Jean Williams Bennett ii VITA May 27, 194 2 ...... Born - Norwalk, Ohio 1964 .............. B.S. in Education, With Distinction Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio 1964 - 1967....... Teacher of Speech and English Reynoldsburg High School, Reynoldsburg, Ohio 1968 - 1971 ...... NDEA Title IV Fellow, Department of Speech, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1969 ............... M. A., The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Mass Communication Studies in Broadcasting. Professors Walter B. Emery, Joseph M. Foley, and James E. Lynch Studies in Education. Professors I. Keith Tyler, John C. Be Hand, and Jack E. Douglas Studies in Communication Theory. Professors Galen R. Rarick, Robert R. Monaghan, and Franklin H. Knower iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................... ii VITA .............................. ..................... iii LIST OF TABLES......................................... vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS................... viii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION............................... 1 Purpose of the Study Significance of the Problem Delimitations of the Study Materials and Methodology Review of the Research Pertinent to This Study Organization of the Remainder of Study II. REGULATORY HISTORY........................ 31 Federal Radio Commission Decisions A Decade of Decisions in the Public Interest Report on en banc Programming Inquiry Fairness Doctrine Primer on Ascertainment of Community Problems Policies for Renewal Applicants III. KPBS-TV — SAN DIEGO..................... 78 The Station License Statements of Purpose Ascertainment of Community Needs Barriers to Ascertainment Page IV. WOSU-TV — COLUMBUS, OHIO............. 100 The Station License Statements of Purpose Ascertainment of Community Needs Barriers to Ascertainment V. WVIZ-TV — CLEVELAND, OHIO............ 169 The Station License Statements of Purpose Ascertainment of Community Needs Barriers to Ascertainment VI. WETA-TV — WASHINGTON, D.C............ 202 The Station License Statements of Purpose Ascertainment of Community Needs Barriers to Ascertainment VII. ALABAMA EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION COMMISSION............................. 242 The Stations Statements of Purpose Ascertainment of Community Needs Barriers to Ascertainment VIII. THE STATUS OF COMMUNITY NEEDS ASCERTAINMENT................... 29 7 Summary and Interpretation Conclusions Suggested by Research Recommendations for Further Research Recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission For Licensees to Consider APPENDIX A. MINORITY EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES OF EDUCATIONAL BROADCASTING STATIONS.... 345 B. FCC FORMS 301 AND 340, SECTION IV.... 348 C. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION "PRIMER’'................................ 351 V Page D. INTERVIEW SCHEDULE 36 4 E. U.S. COURT OF APPEALS DECISION, JUNE 11, 1971........................... 365 BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................... 396 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. WOSU-TV— TYPICAL W E E K , 1 9 7 0 ............... 138 2. WETA-TV— TYPICAL WEEK, 1969.............. 221 3. STATIONS OF THE ALABAMA ETV NETWORK 251 4. AETN— TYPICAL WEEK, 1970.................. 2 80 vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AETC . Alabama Educational Television Commission AETN . Alabama Educational Television Network APBE . Association for Professional Broadcasting Education BEST . Black Efforts for Soul in Television CCC . Citizens Communications Center COE TV . Central Ohio Educational Television CPB . Corporation for Public Broadcasting ETAMC . Educational Television Association of Metropolitan Cleveland ETV . educational television FCBA . Federal Communications Bar Association FCC . Federal Communications Commission GWETA . Greater Washington Educational Television Association, Inc. NAB . National Association of Broadcasters NAEB . National Association of Educational Broad­ casters NET . National Educational Television PBS . Public Broadcasting Service RTNDA . Radio-Television News Directors Association STA . Special Temporary Authority TTI . Television Training Institute (WVIZ) UHF . ultra high frequency WEST . Western Educational Society for Telecominunica­ tions CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The regulators of broadcasting in the United States have set out to expand freedom by re­ strictions and guidelines. The result is a tangle of contradictions George Orwell would appreciate. Restriction is freedom. Stepping back is going forward.^ 1. Julian Goodman, quoted by Stephen Grover, "Running Scared," The Wall Street Journal, April 28, 1971, p. 17. That statement by Julian Goodman, President of the National Broadcasting Company, seems to exemplify the atti­ tude of many broadcasters. There has been a great deal of concern about the way in which the Federal Communications Commission has attempted to make the air-waves truly public domain. The following pages report an investigation which focused on one segment of the broadcasting industry and one fundamental concept. The investigator studied non-commer­ cial educational television and its responsibility to assess the needs, problems, and interests of its various communi­ ties. 1 Purpose of the Study On February 23, 1971, the Federal Communications Commission released two important statements. The Report and Order on Docket No. 18774 gave broadcast applicants a "Primer on Ascertainment of Community Needs" which had been under study at the Commission for more than a year. The Commission also issued a Notice of Inquiry and Notice of Proposed Rule Making on the formulation of rules and poli­ cies relating to the renewal of broadcast licenses, speci­ fically to "...promote the fulfillment of public interest obligations by the licensee."2 Educational broadcasters 2. U.S., Federal Communications Commission, Notice of In­ quiry and Notice of Proposed Rule Making, FCC 71-156. In the Renewal of Broadcast Licenses, Docket No. 19153, Feb­ ruary 23, 1971, p. 1. were excluded from both of these discussions, but they were assured that they had not been forgotten. in the course of commenting on the proposed Primer, several parties sug­ gested "...that all new applicants, including educators, should be required to ascertain community problems in the 3 manner described in the Primer." The FCC maintained, 3. U.S., Federal Communications Commission, Report and Or­ der , FCC 71-176. In the Matter of Primer on Ascertainment of Community Problems by Broadcast Applicants, Part I, Section IV-A and IV-B of FCC Forms, Docket No. 18774, Feb­ ruary 23, 1971, p. 3. however, that "...given the reservation of channels for 3 specialized kinds of programming, educational stations manifestly must be treated differently than commercial stations"4 and indicated that "...proposals regarding 4. I b i d . revised requirements for educational broadcasters will be forthcoming shortly." 5. FCC 71-156, February 23, 1971, p. 1. While the Commission defers action on proposals for educational broadcasting, the public broadcasters them­ selves are attempting to anticipate their obligations. During the spring of 1971, for example, The Office of Minority Affairs of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters surveyed its membership to determine what was being done for ethnic minority communities in terms of £ local minority programming. The results (see Chapter VIII) 6. Lionel Monagas, Private interview. National Association of Educational Broadcasters, Washington, D.C., March 22, 1971. seem to indicate that very little has_been accomplished in this area. This investigator undertook an independent study 4 of ascertainment policies and procedures of public broad­ casters. An historical-descriptive-analytical study was conducted, using four public television stations and one state educational television commission, to answer the question: What are the procedures being utilized by non­ commercial educational television

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