NAEB Newsletter (Sept 1958)

NAEB FILES FOR TWO CLEAR CHANNELS The NAEB recently filed comments with the FCC in support of the need of educational broadcasting, requesting the reservation of two of the eleven clear channel frequencies which the Commission proposes to open for other AM station assignments. In appealing to the FCC at this time, the NAEB recognizes that this may be the last opportunity for those institutions not on the air to get an AM assign¬ ment. As the filed comments state, “It is clear, however, that if steps are not taken to set aside channels for the ultimate use of educational stations for non-commercial broadcasting, these new frequen¬ cies will be exhausted before the educators have had an opportunity to mobilize the specific resources necessary to apply for these new frequencies.” For this reason, it is important that additional prepara¬ tion time is made possible by the reservation of two of the clear channel frequencies for educational use. In addition to the comments in favor of this re¬ servation, a further suggestion was placed before the Commission in regard to the specific frequencies that might be set aside. In order to make possible the establishment of educational stations throughout the country, the FCC was asked to consider allocation of channels which would permit distribution of the channels through the entire country. NEW ENGLAND INITIATES ITS EDUCATIONAL RADIO NETWORK A live educational radio network in New England became a reality last month with the first regular broadcasts by WEDK, Springfield, Mass., of pro¬ grams from WGBH-FM, Boston. The Educational Radio Network, in effect, joins educational institutions at both ends of Massachusetts in cultural programming which can be received by FM listeners throughout Southern New England. It is expected that station WAMC, at the Albany (N. Y.) Medical College of Union University, will join the E.R.N. this year, thereby providing cover¬ age for upstate New York and Vermont. As a key affiliate of the E.R.N., station WEDK will broadcast many of WGBH-FM’s programs, as well as local programs some of which will be fed to the network. WEDK is licensed to the Springfield School Com¬ mittee and is operated with the cooperation of the Western Massachusetts Broadcasting Council, Inc. BOX SCORE The station, which has been conducting tests since early spring, successfully completed trial broadcasts from its Springfield transmitter before it was linked with WGBH-FM. VENEZUELA ADVANCES WITH ETV TEACHING Concentrated' application of educational TV is one of the most promising developments in the education¬ al system of Venezuela, according to a recently re¬ turned ETV consultant, John R. Winnie of the State University of Iowa. “In one sense,” Mr. Winnie reported, “Venezuela has made more progress on a national level in educa¬ tional TV than has the United States, where educa¬ tional television experiments are all locally-sponsored. Five months ago, in-class television did not exist in Venezuela; today, high schools in Caracas have been exposed to experimental telecasts in the sciences, ana the government has plans to institute educational TV nationally in all primary and secondary schools.” The quick acceptance of ETV by Venezuelan educators occurred after a five-month study carried out by the Venezuelan National Commission for Educational Television with the assistance of Mr. Winnie, who has been in Venezuela since February consulting on educational TV as a representative of the Broadcasting Foundation of America. Public reaction to a demonstration conducted in Caracas high schools was so overwhelmingly enthu¬ siastic that the country’s Ministry of Education ap¬ propriated funds for the continuance of the program during the coming school year. Mr. Winnie said that Venezuela’s project is attracting attention throughout Latin America as an example of friendly cooperation and good will between private U.S. organizations and other countries in the Western Hemisphere. BFA’s technical assistance to the project was made possible by a $30,000 grant from the Creole Foundation, established by a U.S. petroleum company operating in Venezuela. BFA will continue to supply assistance to the Commission with the help of a new $41,000 grant. SEPTEMBER, 1958 5