Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

HoWAKDESTARK s ^r,tr«-T EL 5-0405 50 EAST 58th STREET NSW YORK 22, N. *• ^AlllnquiriesConfidential E 66 The American Story" "The American Story" is another important BMI Program Series which joins such features as Meet the Artist series, the Book Parade, Milestones and the other continuities used by hundreds of broadcasters regularly. The staff of BMI can think of no more satisfying work, in the midst of a troubled world, than to play a part in the restatement, in words and music, of the fascinating story of our country's origin and growth. Now in book form "THE AMERICAN STORY Published by CHANNEL PRESS BROADCAST MUSIC, INC. /589 FIFTH AVE , NEW YORK 17, N.Y. ,NEW YORK ■ CHICAGO ./HOLLYWOOD • TORONTO • MONTREAL EDUCATION Mass Media Can Help In Education — Hayes TEACHERS have failed to make the most complete and effective use of the various mass media of communication, Arthur Hull Hayes, president of CBS Radio, told' 7,000 Catholic educators last week. Mr. Hayes made the principal address at the closing session of the National Catholic Educational Assn. convention in Milwaukee. "Particularly in a time of critical need, such as the present teacher shortage," Mr. Hayes stated, "mass media such as the press and radio can be of enormous help to the educator. I am not suggesting that these are to be substitutes for the able and dedicated teacher, but I do believe that they can provide an effective bridge in times of need, and a very useful supplement at all times. A radio broadcast of a talk by a distinguished personality, a forum, or a broadcast of a symphony program reaches millions of students simultaneously, whereas even the most brilliant of classroom teachers can reach only a limited number." The educators, Mr. Hayes told the convention audience, are the true directors of the content of mass media. "You, the public, are the true program directors. In your hands rests the ultimate power either to listen or to turn the dial." Mr. Hayes stated that educators have failed to exercise their unique franchise as the real program directors. "As program directors, have you done anything positive about improving your program control?" he asked them. "You must exercise this responsibility to yourselves, to your students and to the genera] public. The educator has as much responsibility to the mass media as the purveyors of mass communications have to you." Programming Not Used Mr. Hayes charged that educators have not taken full advantage of the considerable amount of educational and informational programming which is available. "Do you j listen to symphonies? Do you discuss them in the classroom? If the New York PhilI harmonic Symphony came to your city, certainly you would urge your students to attend the concert. Yet, your students — all of them — can hear the Philharmonic every week over the radio. "If you were teaching modern poetry, would you not welcome the opportunity to hear John Mason Brown as a guest lecturer? Well, your students could have heard him discuss modern poetry on the air. Do you have difficulty in teaching the difference between 'who' and 'whom' to your students? You could have heard this distinction made clear by listening to a program called The Last Word which is concerned with the use of the English language. "In the field of drama" Mr. Hayes emphasized, "your students would have had an opportunity to hear a performance, for example, of the first Passion Play ever created for network radio. In civics and current events, they could have heard a discussion of the Middle East situation and other crises in world affairs over our program series entitled The World at Large." Driving home his point of broadcasters' public service programming that is available and too frequently unused, Mr. Hayes pointed out "it's not possible for your students to attend the Presidential press conference, but you can hear it at regular intervals on the radio. You can also study it in the press. Yet how many of you are encouraging this kind of activity on the part of your students? These programs are offered to you at great cost and at considerable effort. But, if you and your students do not listen, they must inevitably go off the air." One of the basic reasons for continuing this kind of programming, Mr. Hayes said, "is our sense of responsibility, because we put these programs on the air even when many of you do not listen." Mr. Hayes urged the assembled teachers, supervisors and other administrators in the field of Catholic education to take advantage of the mass media so they would continue to remain free and competitive. "The best encouragement you can give us is to listen," he concluded. "What will be on the air or in the press four or five years from now depends in large measure on you and the students whom you are training." Use of C-C Tv Planned In Education Experiment EXPERIMENTAL use of closed-circuit television is planned by a group of welfare and educational organizations which will use a 608-family public housing project in the Chelsea section of Manhattan as the pilot study unit. The project, disclosed last week, will enable parents to receive educational programming in their own living rooms through closed-circuit tv or tune in nearby classrooms and watch their children being educated. Tentative plans call for daily programming covering lessons in English, Spanish and science; instruction for homebound children; feature programs on neighborhood personalities, and school announcements. The Chelsea district was chosen for the experiment, according to the sponsoring groups, because it is largely a low-income area, has a large Spanish-speaking population and many of its inhabitants have "adjustment problems that require professional counseling." The project was made possible by a $200,000 grant from the Fund for the Advancement of Education, a Ford Foundation unit. The sponsors are the Hudson lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll CLEAR CHANNEL BOX No. 8 N. LAREDO, TAMPS. MEX iiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiniiiiiiuiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ALL-AMERICAN VOICE GREATER CLEVELAND'S NUMBER 1 STATION SRS "Radio-Active" MBS Page 112 • April 29, 1957 Broadcasting • Telecasting