Broadcasting (Jan - June 1936)

Joint Committee to Lay Plans For Educational Cooperation Committee of 40 to Be Called for an Early Meeting ; Dr. Studebaker Directs Preliminary Work Dr. Studebaker tive program FORMATION of the Federal Radio Education Committee, comprising 40 representatives of broadcasting, educational, r e 1 i g ious, welfare and other groups interested in fostering cooperaarrangements between educators and broadcasters, was formally announced Dec. 18 by the FCC Broadcast Division. The cooperative committee, membership of which is said to be fully representative of all groups interested in its work, was named by the Broadcast Division. Dr. John W. Studebaker, U. S. Commissioner of Education, had been named chairman of the Committee last May 15, following a general conference, held pursuant to the FCC report to Congress on the question of educational use of radio facilities. The first meeting of the new committee, the FCC announced, probably will be called by Chairman Studebaker during the middle or latter part of January. Actions of the Committee will be subject to supervision of the FCC Broadcast Division. The FCC announcement brought out that a budget for the expenses of the committee had been pledged, half by the National Advisory Council on Radio in Education, and half by the NAB on behalf broadcasting stations. This fund, it is understood, totals $27,000. Preliminary organization work for the Committee has been conducted by Chairman Studebaker with the aid of representatives of the educational organizations, FCC and the NAB. Committee Personnel MEMBERS of the Committee, in addition to Chairman Studebaker, are: "Waldo Abbott, University of Michigan ; Merlin H. Aylesworth, president, NBC ; James W. Baldwin, managing director, NAB; Edgar BUI. WMBD, Peoria; Dr. S. Parks Cadman, Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America ; Dr. Morse A. Cartwright, director. American Association for Adult Education ; Dr. W. W. Charters, director, Bureau of Educational Research, Ohio State University ; Dr. Harry W. Chase, chancellor, New York University ; Gardner Cowles Jr., Iowa Broadcasting Co. ; Lester E. Cox. KWTO. Springfield, Mo. ; Edwin Craig, WSM, Nashville; Dr. A. G. Crane, president. University of Wyoming ; Dr. Walter Damrosch, NBC ; Milton S. Eisenhower, Department of Agriculture ; John Elmer, WCBM, Baltimore; O. D. Fisher, KOMO, Seattle ; Leo .J. Fitzpatrick, president, NAB ; Willard Givens, secretary. National Educational Association ; Tom C. Gooch. KRLD, Dallas; William Green, president, American Federation of Labor ; Mrs. Rose Jacobs, president, Hadassah Womens Zionist Organization ;; Father Geo. W. Johnson, Catholic Universitv ; Dr. C. B. Jolliffe, RCA; Lambdin Kav, WSB, Atlanta; John F. Killeen, FCC; Dr. Cline M. Koon, Officer of Education, Department of Interior ; Mrs. B. F. Langworthy. president. National Con gress of Parents and Teachers ; Miss Luella S. Laudin. Womens National Radio Committee ; H. B. McCarty, president. National Association of Educational Broadcasters. University of Wisconsin; A. J. McCosker, president. WOR, Newark ; Mrs. Harold V. Milligan, president, Womens National Radio Committee : Dr. Robert A. Millikan, president, California Institute of Technology ; William S. Paley, president, CBS; A. D. Ring, FCC; John Shepard 3d, president, Shepard Broadcasting Co. ; Dr. Levering Tyson, director, National Advisory Council on Radio in Education ; Miss Judith C. Waller. Mid-West Educational Director, NBC ; Frederick A. Willis, CBS ; Geo. F. Zook, president, American Council on Education. The text of the FCC announcement follows: The Commission, Broadcast Division, desires to announce that in compliance with the statements made by the Commission in its Report to Congress pursuant to Section 307 (c) of the Communications Act of 1934. a committee to be known as the Federal Radio Education Committee has been organized. Dr. John W. Studebaker, United States Commissioner of Education has accepted the chairmanship of the committee. Invitations for membership on the committee were sent to eminent persons in the fields of education and broadcasting. The letter extending invitations is quoted as follows : "Section 307 (c) of the Communications Act of 1934 provides as follows : 'The Commission shall study the proposal that Congress by statute allocate fixed percentages of radio broadcasting facilities to particular types or kinds of non-profit radio programs, or to persons identified with particular types or kinds of non-profit activities, and shall report to Congress, not later than Feb. 1, 1935 its recommendations together with the reasons for the same.' "As a means of carrying out the wishes of Congress the Broadcast Division, by direction of the Commission, held public hearings from Oct. 1-20 and from Nov. 7-12, 1934. A total of 1.53-5 notices of the hearing were sent to all parties of record at the Commission and wide publicity was given the matter so that anyone interested might be informed of the hearing. A total of 135 witnesses appeared and 14.000 pages of testimony were presented for the Commission's consideration in addition to several thousand pages of exhibits. "As a result of these hearings, the Commission on Jan. 22, 1935 submitted to the Congress a report which contained the following recommendation : 'The FCC respectfully recommends that at this time no fixed percentages of radio broadcast facilities be allocated by statute to particular types or kinds of non-profit radio programs or to persons identified with particular types or kinds of non-profit activities.' "And assigned the following reasons : 'There is no need for a change in the existing law to accomplish the helpful purposes of the proposal. " 'Flexibility in the provisions of the law is essential to regulation if growth and development in the art of broadcasting is to be encouraged and regulated for the best interest of the public as a whole. " 'There are insufficient broadcast facilities available in the present development of the art to provide for specialized broadcast service consistent with a fair and equitable distribution of facilities and services throughout the country. " 'No feasible plan for a definite allocation of broadcast facilities to non The Prisoners' Song CONVICTS at the Joliet Penitentiary in Illinois, conducting their own amateur hour on Monday and Wednesday nights, have voted The Prisoners' Song as the signature theme of their prison band. The show is carried by remote control over WCLS, Joliet. The warden regards it as diversion for his charges, and believes that the talent discovered may be better fitted for resuming their places in society. profit organizations has been presented. " 'The hearings developed no evidence of a real demand on the part of the great body of non-profit organizations or on the part of the general public for the proposed allocation of definite percentages of broadcast facilities to particular types or kinds of non-profit activities. " 'It would appear that the interests of the non-profit organizations may be better served by the use of the existing facilities, thus giving them access to costly and efficient equipment and to established audiences, than by the establishment of new stations for their peculiar needs. In order for non-profit organizations to obtain the maximum service possible, cooperation in good faith by the broadcasters is required. Such cooperation should, therefore, be under the direction and supervision of the Commission.' "A copy of the report to Congress is enclosed. Report to Congress "IN ITS REPORT to the Congress the Commission proposed to hold an educational conference at which time plans for mutual cooperation between broadcasters and educational organizations could be made. That conference was held on May 15, 1935. It is the sincere belief of the Commission that the hearings, conferences, and constructive thought and experience given to this subject have produced a situation whereby within the present broadcast structure the educators on the one hand, and the broadcasters on the other can combine forces which will : 1. Eliminate controversy and misunderstanding between groups of educators and between the industry and educators ; 2. promote actual cooperative arrangements between educators aud broadcasters on national, regional and local bases. "The Broadcast Division of the Commission is setting up a committee to carry on this work and Dr. .John W. Studebaker. United States Commissioner of Education, has accepted the Chairmanship of the Committee. We desire that you accept membership on this Committee. "A sufficient budget for expenses of the committee has been pledged, half of it by the National Advisory Council on Radio in Education on behalf of educational interests and half by the NAB on behalf of broadcast stations. It is expected that a small planning committee will be organized for the purpose of collecting and correlating data on which the main committee may base its deliberations, thus reducing to a minimum the amount of time the full committee will have to give, consistent with a fair and impartial consideration of the subject. This small committee may also undertake certain definite projects in keeping with the general purposes of the committee. "The Commission is too familiar with the whole scope of educational broadcasting, its limitations and its possibilities, to expect any panacea, but we do believe that coordination and cooperation at this time will give results to the end that radio broad U. S. Office of Education Plans Radio Workshop Staffed by Relief Groups AN EDUCATIONAL radio project, entailing an expenditure of approximately $75,000 for the establishment in or near Washington of an "educational radio workshop staffed by talented workers from such relief groups as the CCG Camps and the WPA professional projects," was announced Dec. 23 by Dr. John W. Studebaker, Commissioner of Education. The undertaking, he said, will be one of five projects for the advancement of education in the United States financed through emergency relief funds to give employment to more than 3,400, unemployed "white collar" workers. "The project, he declared, will provide one of the first major attempts to develop the potentialities which radio holds for education. It has been approved, along with the others, by President Roosevelt, the Bureau of the Budget and the Comptroller General. It will employ 70 to 80 workers, mostly writers, actors and musicians recruited according to their talent. Tentative plans call for establishing studios in one of the American University buildings in downtown Washington. "This workshop," said the announcement, "will prepare and present educational radio programs, such as vocational guidance programs. Mr. William Dow Boutwell, editor of the Office of Education, and for the last year and a half director of the regular Education in the News coast-to-coast broadcast, has been appointed director of the emergency educational radio project." The networks, it was said, have given assui-ance they will carry the programs if they are sufficiently interesting. It is also planned to produce some transcriptions. Columbia U. Buys Time THE Home Study Bureau of Columbia University will sponsor a short story writing course over WOR, Newark, beginning Jan. 11, Saturdays, 5:15-5:30 p. m. for 13 weeks, the first time a home study division of a university has purchased radio time for this type of course. The program will be titled Columbia Short Story Seminar, and will be conducted by Dr. Hodnett of the home study bureau. Prominent writers and editors will appear on the program as guest speakers. It was the intention of the sponsors to invite listeners to send in short story manuscripts for criticism, but this plan has been abandoned, it is understood, the bureau fearing it would be snowed under with requests for criticism. casting can be further utilized as an effective medium for education. "We sincerely hope that you will accept membership on this committee." Agenda are being prepared for the first meeting which will be called by Chairman Studebaker. It is expected this meeting will be called during the middle or latter part of January. Any member of the committee desiring a copy of the report to Congress as mentioned in the letter above, may obtain same by addressing a request to the Communications Commission. Page 22 BROADCASTING • January 1, 1936