Proposal for Implementation of Office of Educational Radio Services. INSTITUTION Auburn Univ., Ala, PUB DATE 17 Feb 77 NOTE 39P.; Best Copy Available
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 136 793 IR 004 583 AUTHOR Petrizzi, David M.; Wright, A. J. TITLE Proposal for Implementation of Office of Educational Radio Services. INSTITUTION Auburn Univ., Ala, PUB DATE 17 Feb 77 NOTE 39p.; Best Copy Available EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 HC-$2.06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Administrative Policy; Broadcast Industry; *Educational Radio; *Federal legislation; *Needs Assessment; Programing (Broadcast); Sctkool Organization; *State legislation; *University Administration ABSTRACT Auburn University's radio station is being faced with providing quality public radio programing with inadequateresources, including money, personnel, and university support. This proposal is directed to the university community and discusses the university radio station's problems at three levels. At the federal level, concerns relate to demonstrating community service, paying for frequency changes as a Class D station when higher, classes begin local operations, adhering to minimum operating hours when averaged over a whole year, and mandatory time sharing for less than 72 operating hours per week. On the state level, the primary concern is with crowding of the frequency bank in Llabama, while being locked into a fixed power output. Problems at the local level deal with organization and management difficulties. The proposal describes the needs and goals Of public radio in general and offers recommendations and objectives toward improving Auburn's public radio station. (DAG) *********************************************************************** Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished * * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort * * to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal * reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality * * of the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available * * via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDES). EDRS is not * responsible for the quality of the original document. Reproductions * * supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original. * *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEENREPRO- OUCEO EXACTLY ASRECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATIONORIGIN- ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OROPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILYREPRE SENT OFFICIAL NATIONALINSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION ORPOLICY PROPOSAL FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF: OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RADIO SERVICES Presented to the Communications Board at the meeting of February 17, 1977 by DAVID M. PETRIZZI A. J. WRIGHT EDITED BY DAVID M. PETRIZZ/ With special contributions by SCOTT HANSON AND DAVID R. PAULSON non-commercial radio station,is now at the WEGL-FM, Auburn University's funded by college students,WEGL is judged crossroads. Managed and primarily the same criteria as aprofession- by the FederalCommunications Commission on Current activity within ally managed and fundednon-commercial radio station. stiffen substantiallyin the future. the FCC indicates thatthese criteria will staff of WEGL have beenslowly Over the past two yearsthe management and beyond. The concept of PublicRadio. developing something newfor Lee county and in Alabama.offers awide.variety of The First Station ofits kind on the air commercial stations in this area. Yet the programming not available on any sustained by students who mustalso obvious complexity ofWEGL's programming is well. This programming isprovided attend classes and oftenhave to work as SGA. with a meager 22,000budget provided by the "Public Radio" is supportedby full- In other areas of thestate and nation in the $150,000 to$200,000 range. time employees andyearly operating budgets state revenue fundsand active commit- The funds art providedby Federal agencies, institution to which thesestations are licensed. ment on the part ofthe education WEGL is attempting toprovide What is evident fromthis dichotomy is that quality resources. The time quality Public radioprogramming with much less than level of programming, willin the and effort needed toperpetuate WEGL's current in that programming. Unless steps are taken near future leadto the collapse of inadequacies of the currentorganizational the proper places toprovide for the the university, thereis danger of and management structurewith the station and accelerate public service. If the current trends a completeloss of this vital as projectedthen change isindicated. level of programming in thenext few Will the stationprovide a consistent formats of competitionand duplication of years or willit revert to past 3 commercial programming in thisarea? The authors of this proposalsubmit that this choice can bereduced to of the something much more basic andurgent. Will Auburn UniversitY make use potential of a Public Radio Station orwill it not?Will Auburn University accept benefit the the advantages of a publicrelations aspect that can do nothing but Board of Trustees, the Presidentand the Administration?Will Auburn University 1920's rekindle the Public Radio Servicesthat were present on campus in the that were provided for almost theentire state? WEGL's license comes up for renewal onApril 24, 1978. The FCC is now that license then considering rules that couldhave a bearing on whether or not This and other problem will beoutlined in and in subsequent yearsis renewed. the following pages. Problems facing WEGL can be dividedinto the following: (1) those affecting (3) local level. the station on a federallevel, (2) state level and, Docket; (I) On the federal level, the itemof primary concern is Rulemaking Among these are: 20735 which poses theseconsiderations that affect WEGL. primarily for *All non-commercial FMstations must demonstrate service "Community needs"... of an educational,informational, and cultural nature" at renewal time. *Class 0 stations (10 watts orless) are required to accept interference, change frequency, or go off theair, entirely in congested spectrum areas (as t'js one is becoming-see attachedlist). If class A, B, or C stations channels, in that want to ovrate on thecollege stations, or adjacent the bill for any frequency vicinity. Class 0 stations would have to foot change. *Mininum operating hours for allnon-commercial educational broadcasters with of 36 or more hours per week,when averaged over a 52 week year, a five hour/dayminimum except on Sunday. less *Share time arrangement would berequired for any station operating than 72 hours a week. The validity of these problem areaseliminates any option for a power Also indic ated decrease to evade respormihilitiescf a Public Radio Station. 4 -3- Full time managementstaff receiving ad- here are reasonsfor providing a and,carry out a complexityof respon- equate financialincentive to oversee for a power increaseto provide current sibilities. Stimulus is provided by Public Radio. programming to those areasnot yet serviced of consternation for . Another problem area thatcould become a source original programming isthe WEGL in its efforts toprovide new innovative, effect January, 1978. This change will new copyrightlaw which goes into to enter intonegotiations necessitate personnelwith adequate training and see to properhandling of expenses. concern' is with the rapiddevelop- (2) On the state level. The primary crowding of the frequencyband in Ala- ment of Publicradio stations and Planned Public radioin Alabama.) bama. (see attachedlist of New and of thefrequenCy band make it impera- This growth andsubsequent crowding increase be taken as soon aspossible. tive that steps toprovide a power actualize a power increasenegotiations With the length oftime it takes to conceivably be lockedinto a 380 watt should be entered now. WEGL could and commitment is notvoiced now. power foreverif determination boondoggle of organiza- (3) On the local level. WEGL is faced with a coml-inue difficulties that hinderits growth and will tional and management are madeotherwise. to hinder itsgrowth unless provisions the present managmentsituation. First and foremostof these problems is and responsibilities,students 'just With the increasedcomplexity of programming to provide effectiveguidance. do not have thetime and expertise necessary of the possi- changes every yearis of concern because The fact that management of programming, i.e. yearlyfluctuation on the basis bilities of non-consistent As years continue -this in itselfcould personal bias of themanagement staff. deny renewal ofWEGL's license. provide the FCC withsufficient cause to -4- the univer- Other areas of consideration arethe placement of WEGL within The very nature of sity superstructure and theinadequacies of this placement. Potentials will neveraCtualized this organization providesfor suffocation. administrative offices with noknowledge as long asstudents, departments and and the awareness of poten- of broadcasting trends,effective management methods control or influence over tialities inherent within apublic radio station have board, the the future and developmentof WEGL. At this-time-the communications concessions board, the speech department, the StudentGovernment Association, the auxilliary enterprises, and school of arts and sciences,the board of trustees, WEGL. There are too many student managers all haveinfluence and/or control over hands in the pie at thistime. routes of expaniion for It is urgent that AuburnUniversity consider various various routes to effect this Auburn public radio. This project will outline available to those that