Education by Radio (1932)

Pivotal Questions in Radio Service or Profits? — Are you inter¬ ested in curing disease or preventing it? The college of medicine of the Ohio State University under the supervision of Dean John J. Upham, is conducting an informative campaign on disease preven¬ tion over WEAO, the university radio station. The talks given furnish practi¬ cal means of preserving health. Alloted but 750 watts and one-third time by the Federal Radio Commission, this educational station is doing its bit in giving the public dependable information to combat the vicious drug advertising carried by chain broadcasters and com¬ mercial stations. The demands of various departments of the university to be given broadcast¬ ing time, which under the present ar¬ rangement was impossible, led officials of the university to apply to the Federal Radio Commission for additional hours. On November 24, 1931, representatives of the institution, at considerable ex¬ pense, presented their case before a commission examiner in Washington. They were of course opposed by repre¬ sentatives of the commercial station with which the university shared time. As was expected, the Federal Radio Commis¬ sion’s examiner decided against the educationaUstation. Other January programs from the forty departments of instruction in the university include such series as business conditions, economics, French, Spanish, Italian, debating, drama, international problems, art, and various agricultural topics. Thru the radio, the services of the one thousand faculty members and the facilities of a twenty million dollar plant are made available to its listeners. ORGANIZED TO PROTECT It Was the request of land-grant institutions for help in protecting their broadcasting stations against the alleged injustice of commercial broadcasters and the Federal Radio Commission that led to the or¬ ganization of the National Committee on Education by Radio. The Committee proposed the reserva¬ tion of a small proportion of the radio channels, primarily for the existing stateowned and state-authorized stations. The proposal was immediately at¬ tacked by commercial broadcasters. The attack was supported by members of the Federal Radio Commission. The Com¬ mission, as one of its first official acts, had summarily ordered some state-owned stations off the air during hours wanted by commercial broadcasters, according to statements from officials at these sta¬ tions. These acts appear to reveal strat¬ egy for placing all broadcasting channels in the hands of a commercial group domi¬ nated by a corporation which has been finally adjudged guilty of violation of national laws. Another element in the strategy, apparently, is the Federal Ra¬ dio Commission’s continuance and exten¬ sion of the privileges of a lawbreaking corporation, in spite of the radio law which two members of the Commission interpret as prohibiting violators from using radio channels. The states will make it clear to the Federal Radio Commission that they will continue to meet their responsibility for public education, even when that in¬ volves the use of radio. No other agency of the federal government ever has been permitted to interfere with the educa¬ tional functions of the states and the sov¬ ereign states will not submit to the dicta¬ tion of a little official group which some critics claim is disregarding the law itself and submitting to the domination of a corporation whose conviction for illegal practises has been confirmed by the Su¬ preme Court of the United States. Taxing Radios — The radio industry has done its best to make it appear that a tax on radio receivers would be impossible. In South Carolina commer¬ cial radio interests secured a decision from a federal court preventing the state from taxing radio receivers as in¬ struments used in interstate commerce. On the other hand the industry dodges all responsibilities as a common carrier. Now there is a proposition before Con¬ gress to tax all receivers and, in the opinion of one writer, “it seems definitely settled that purchasers of radio receiving sets will have to pay some tax and the only question remaining is how much.” Apparently the strategy of the indus¬ try is to break down the rights of the states in radio and, if there is to be any income from radio taxes, to have it go to the federal government. In the meantime, European govern¬ ments, by charging very moderate license fees for the use of radio receivers, are raising substantial sums which are used to assist in financing the governments on the one hand and, on the other hand, to provide radio programs such as the pub¬ lic wants, free from the advertising nui¬ sance. England Speaks — The whole system of American broadcasting, where it appears to us strange, is merely a reflec¬ tion of American life still outside our comprehension ; the public consciousness which, on the one hand, submits to what we in this country could only describe as the tyranny of commercial competition, and, on the other hand, solemnly declares that “the American sense of freedom would not permit of applying set licenses and license fees,” clearly springs from a specifically American conception of de¬ mocracy. — British Broadcasting Corpor¬ ation year-book, 1932, p47. Education by radio is published weekly by the National Committee on Education by Radio at 1201 Sixteenth Street, Northwest, Washington, D. C. The members of this Committee and the national groups with which they are associated are as follows: Arthur G Crane, president, the University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, National Association of State Universities. R C. Higgy, director, radio station WEAO of Ohio State Univ., Columbus, O., Association of College and Univ. Broadcasting Stations. J O Keller’ head of’ engineering extension, Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa., National University Extension Association. Charles N Lischka, 1312 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, D. C., National Catholic Educational Association. John Henry MacCracken, vicechairman, 744 Jackson Place, Washington, D. C„ American Council on Education. James N Rule state superintendent of public instruction, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, National Council of State Superintendents. Thurber M. Smith, S. J., St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, The Jesuit Educational Association. H. Umberger, Kansas State College of Agriculture, Manhattan, Kansas, Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities. Joy Elmer Morgan, chairman, 1201 Sixteenth Street, Northwest, Washington, D. C., National Education Association. Everyone who receives a copy of this bulletin is invited to send in suggestions and comments. Save the bulletins for reference or pass them on to your local library or to a friend. Education by radio is a pioneering movement. These bulletins are, therefore, valuable. Earlier numbers will be supplied free on request while the supply lasts. Radio is an extension of the home. Let’s keep it clean and free. [ 11 ]|