Education by radio (1931-)

EDUCATION BY RADIO is published by THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BY RADIO Tracy F. Tvi.er. secretary 1201 Sixteenth Street, Northwest, Washington, D. C. Committee Members and Organizations They Represent Arthur G. Crane, acting chairman, president. University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, National Association oj State Universities. James E. Cummings, department of education. National Catholic Welfare Conference, 1312 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, D. C, National Catholic Educational Association. W. I. Griffith, director, radio station WOI, Iowa State College of Agri- culture and Mechanic Arts, Ames, Iowa, National Association oj Educational Broadcasters. J, 0. Keller, assistant to the president, in charge of extension, Pennsyl- vania State College, State College, Pennsylvania, National University ExtensiotP Association. Charles A. Robinson, S. J., St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, The trsiiit Educational Association. Agnes Samuelson, state superintendent of public instruction, Des Moines, Iowa, and president, National Education Association, National Council oj State Superintendents. Willis a. Suiion. superintendent of schools, Atlanta, Georgia, National Educatioti Association. H. Umbercer. Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science. Manhattan, Kansas, Association oj Land-Grant Colleges and Universities George F. Zook, president, American Council on Education, 744 Jackson Place. Washington, D. C. American Council on Education. MEMBER EDUCATIONAL PRESS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA an open cooperative arrangement, all legislators and state offi- cers are given free time. Political parties during election cam- paigns are allowed to present their own causes in their own way without any censorship or interference by the broadcasting authorities. Undoubtedly, free and open discussion of topics such as those in the Wisconsin program would be of great interest and value to these young citizens in the camps. Wis- consin programs discussed such current topics as conservation, legislation, constitutional government, the budget, the six-hour day, taxation, mortgage moratoriums, civil service changes, and pending legislation. Certainly these are vital issues, and the discussion of them by competent people would be of intense interest and value to all citizens as well as to those in the camps. During the last political campaign each party in Wisconsin was given free time and arranged its program and its speakers without suggestion or censorship by the broadcasting authori- ties. It is believed that this series of broadcasts increased public interest and understanding of vital public issues. The Wisconsin program also included fine broadcasts of current economic problems such as going off the gold standard, the program of the AAA, the objectives of the NRA, social in- surance, the TVA, and conservation. The series of broadcasts to the schools and to the general public included scientific topics, such as the geology and geography of the state, as well as its vegetation and animal life. Certainly such topics would be of interest to these young men, many of whom find them- selves in a new and unusual outdoor environment. Another very successful series of broadcasts was known by the title, "Journeys in Music Land," and was concluded by a splendid and very popular radio music festival. In this pro- gram emphasis was placed upon music of foreign lands, folk songs and folk music, and the interpretation and appreciation of the finest music. Incidentally, the entire annual cost of the Wisconsin state broadcasting system is less than one cent per person in the listening area. Can any method of adding to the value and enjoyment of young men in these camps be devised that will do so much at such a small expenditure? From these projects, it is evident that education by radio in these camps is a practicable project, but how can it be con- summated? Broadcasts will have to be presented at times when the young men are at leisure, at times that will be acceptable to them. This, in general, is likely to mean that the programs will have to be presented during the late afternoon and evening, at the hours most desired by commercial advertisers who now are supportingthe present profit-motivated radio system.Itdoes not seem probable that for advertising purposes programs de- signed for the benefit of CCC camps with their limited audience and small purchasing power would be attractive to advertisers. Consequently, it is improbable that any advertiser would be willing to pay the high rates during the hours that would fit in with CCC programs. The only way remaining that such programs could be put into effect under our present setup would be in a few regions where there happen to be college, university, or other local public welfare stations. Even in such areas the number of CCC camps is likely to be too small to justify the expense of preparing and broadcasting programs, particularly if it necessitated the supplanting of other programs now being presented to larger audiences. The possible service to these six hundred thousand young men, however, becomes entirely feasible if there were some means of supporting a nationwide broadcast at certain limited hours each day. For example, the radio could be used as a great educational agency for the benefit of CCC workers if a program could be presented each evening, including in an hour's time three twenty-minute broadcasts each on a different subject. This would give an opportunity for presenting eighteen broad- casts each week. Advance announcements of programs would enable those interested to avail themselves of the broadcast without undue expenditure of time or effort. Listening groups could follow each broadcast with a discussion session and with selective reading and study in the intervals between broadcasts. To be still more concrete, there might be a natural science series of twenty-minute broadcasts on three nights each week. Most of the CCC camps are working on outdoor projects, and large numbers of them on forest projects. Consequently, the young men would be interested in the natural life of the forest. Botany, zoology, forestry, geology, could all have a part in such a series of broadcasts. Reading courses could easily be arranged and books, if not provided in the camp library, could be procured readily from public libraries. Another series which undoubtedly would be very popular might be one of twenty- minute music broadcasts several times each week. Each pro- gram could include discussion and explanation, comparable to that of the famous Damrosch concerts which are so effective and popular in the public schools. A series of twenty-minute public forums several times each week would undoubtedly excite great interest and be of value to these young citizens. Altho in this plan I have anticipated that broadcasts would be selected to interest the young men in the camps, still it is en- tirely probable that the programs would interest others also. There are millions of young men and women not in camps whose tastes probably would be very similar to those of the CCC enrolees. How can such a program be conducted, maintained, and financed under our present system? Someone must pay for the broadcast time. This service to the CCC camps is an excellent illustration of the iype of service that should be presented in America to all the people—a public welfare program offering to American listeners the best that America produces of music, of entertainment, of science, of art, of interesting and entertain- ing instruction in any field of American culture. It is to make possible just such service that the National Committee on Edu- i cation by Radio has recommended to the American public the establishment of a governmental broadcasting system, supple- menting, but not supplanting, the present great chains. Such a program could be started readily without the necessity of the government expending any large amounts of money for new [42]