NAEB Newsletter (Mar 1948)

- 5 - As to radio's cultural value, only 20 percent of those questioned wished there were more serious programs on the air. Fifty-two percent said they liked both serious and entertainment programs—and are satisfied with their present radio diet. Twenty- six percent said they seldom listen to serious or educational programs. Dr. Lazarsfeld warned broadcasters against'.accepting these figures too complacently, stating that "the opinion survey is only one part of the picture." He noted the widest area of approval is in the lower educational and income groups. He pointed out "that higher—or so-called "expert" groups—were not nearly so laudatory." HONORARY DEGIJSES FPL COMMUNICATIONS REPRESENTATIVES AND WORKERS Boston University, in its fifth annual Founder's Day Institute Exercises, conferred honorary degrees on ten men, prominent in radio, motion pictures, news, public relations, and industry. An honorary doctor of law degree was awarded to Justin Mil3.er, president of the National Association of Broadcasters; a doctor of commercial science degree went to David Sarnoff, president of RCA, Honorary doctorates also went to Spryos P. Skoursas, President Twentieth Century Fox Films; Joseph Arthur Rank, British industrialist and motion picture producer; Grove Hiram Pattern, Toledo (Ohio) Blade editor; Glen Griswold, publisher, Publi c Relat ions N ews: George Horace Gallup, director of the "Gallup Poll”; and Earl Newsome, president, Nev/some Company; Raymond Rubican, director of Encyclopedia Brittanica Films and Paul Hoffman, Stude- baker Company president, were also awarded doctorate degrees. FRENCH-BROADCASTING COMPANY TWITES COMMERCIAL BROADCASTERS TO FRANCE The French government invited six prominent commercial broadcasters to visit France for the announced purpose of furthering the interchange of public service and edu¬ cational radio programs between France and the United States. No educational agencies or educational radio groups ?rere included in the invitation. Scheduled to leave March 20 and to return March 29 were Robert Swezey, general u " manager MBS; William Brooks, NBC public events director; William Fineshriber, Jr., CBS national program director; John S. Mayes, manager WINX, Washington) a repre¬ sentative for MarX Woods, ABC president; and A, D. Willard, Jr., vice-president National Association of Broadcasters. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA HOLDS "NEWS SHORT COURSE" A two-day session which covered problems ranging from community programming policy differentiations to radio's access to the news was held March 4 and 5 on the Minne¬ sota University Campus, Speakers highlighting the session included Larry LeSueur, United Nations correspondent for CBS; Dr, Kenneth Baker of the National Association of Broadcasters; Dr, Wilbur Schramm of the University of Illinois; and Soren Munkhoff, WOW (Omaha, Neb.) news director. The meeting closed with the annual business session of the Northwest Radio News Editors Association, headed by Orrin Melton, KS00 (Sioux Falls, S.Dak.) IARNE HOLDS SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING The Iowa Association of Radio News Editors meet March 27 in Des Moines. Professor Mitchell Charnley, University of Minnesota Journalism Department, will head a news clinic. H. R. Gross, KXEL, Waterloo, will report on the IARNE road and weather services while Richard B, Hull, W0I, Iowa State College, Ames, will moderate a panel on "editorializing in the news.'"