NAEB Newsletter (July 1952)

- 8 - Commissioner Rose! H* Hyde explained the principle of the educational, reservations on the ’’Georgetown University Forum,” broadcast last April* "We refer to the channel allocation as providing some 2,000 station assignments*. Of that nunber 2k2 have been classified for use by non-commercial, educational institu¬ tions* On an average, there are five such assignments to a state.** "These channels, which have been allocated to be operated as non-commercial stations by educational institutions, are available on applications by applicants eligible under,this classification without conpetition from other applicants* In other words, you would not expect to find yourself in a competitive hearing with an applicant who wishes to establish a commercial station* However, that is not to say that these reservations are made in perpetuity* They are allocations made for service purposes and if they are to be used it will be because applicants take advantage of the oppor¬ tunity to apply and construct and operate stations*" Commissioner George E* Sterling defended the principle of educational reserations before the Mary Ian d-Dis trie t of Columbia Radio-Television Broadcasting Association at Ocean City, Maryland, last month* "During the course of the hearing, the educators of America established by an over¬ whelming preponderance of the evidence, that a certain number of television channels should be set aside for non-commercial educational television exclusively. You will remember that originally I dissented from the proposed establishment of educational reservations in the VHF with the thought that the educators were looking more toward future use of television for educational purposesthan immediate use* On the basis of the record I found that the educators could not be denied the use of VHF fre¬ quencies for the purposes they desired*" Commissioner Edward M* Webster reviewed his official stand-regarding educational reservations when he spoke at the Institute for Educational Radio-Television, Colum¬ bus, Ohio, last April. "After the publication of ny separate opinion accompanying the March, 195>1, Third Notice of Further Proposed Rule-Making concerning the Television Broadcast Service, wherein I stated that, on the basis of the record then made, I did not agree that a reservation of channels for non-commercial educational purposes should be made, I heard some rumors to the effect that some educators were shocked at my apparent antipathy toward the use of television as an aid to education. Of course, I was not and am not against the use of television for this purpose. I favor placing non¬ commercial educational television stations on the air at the earliest possible date and my statement so indicates..*. "Everyone here has of course seen or heard about the Commission’s recently published final report* on the Television Broadcast Service. Despite the fact that I concurred with the majority in reserving channels for future use for educational purposes, seme of you may feel that ny comments attached to t hat report are less than flattering to educators. Well, Imnt to say at this point that nothing in ny concurring remarks should be construed as an attack upon you, because I think educators are engaged in the most important work anyone can undertake." EVER BEEN TO A CONVENTION THAT WASN'T PERFECT? NEITHER HAVE WEI LET'S EXCHANGE IDEAS SEE PAGE 21 FOR YOUR INVITATION TO COMMENT