NAEB Newsletter (Sept 1958)

ETRC SURVEY INDICATES SCIENTIFIC TREND IN ETV Reflecting the increased concern over science educa¬ tion everywhere since the development of Jupiter and Sputnik, the country’s ETV stations have nearly doubled production of programs in science and tech¬ nology, according to a survey made by the ETRC. During a recent sample week, the 27 stations surveyed broadcast a total of about 89 hours of programs on scientific subjects, ranging from tele¬ courses in mathematics to discussions of nuclear energy and to consideration of the International Geo¬ physical Year study. This compares with 47 hours for a similar period during 1957. The Center also found that the stations had increased programming by about 100 hours this year over last, which may be accounted for in part by the establishment of six new stations since the spring of 1958. Still, the survey indicated that a majority of the stations are now broadcasting for longer daily periods. According to the survey, the most outstanding change in ETV programming this year is reflected in the large increase in programs designed to teach course material to classroom students; in-school pro¬ gramming amounted to 18.8 per cent of total program hours as compared to 5.3 per cent last year. Seven¬ teen stations, as compared to ten last year, offered telecourses for credit. The summer, 1958 issue of Wisconsin’s Magazine of History is devoted entirely to mass communica¬ tions with outstanding communications experts con¬ tributing their articles. Well worth your reading, it may be obtained for $1.25 from the Mass Communi¬ cations History Center, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 816 State Street, Madison 6, Wis. IN-SCHOOL TV PROGRESSES: REPORTS FROM PA. AND S. C. According to the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, the first year of that city’s public school system experi¬ ment of teaching-by-TV evidently achieved its ob¬ jective: proving that classroom groups four and five times standard 30-to-40 can be successfully taught by television. A definite plus was reported’ in releasing teachers for sorely-needed special instruction for slow and ad¬ vanced pupils. In the nine schools participating, the equivalent of 12 extra full-time teachers was made available for this special work as a direct result of the televised lessons. In addition to the special work they were freed to supervise, the average pupil load per regular class was reduced. As a result, six more schools are to be added to the experiment this month. The project, assisted by funds from the Fund for the Advancement of Education, was supervised by Miss Martha A. Gable in co-operation with WHYY- TV, Philadelphia. —N A E B— The South Carolina Experiment in Closed-Circuit Educational Television, starts on a two-year project this month, with installation of equipment at Col¬ umbia’s Dreher High School. With funds from an appropriation by the state’s General Assembly, a television studio within the school will provide courses in Plane Geometry and French to the 300 students who will take part in the initial experiment. The project is a direct result of the recommenda¬ tions of a special legislative-governor’s committee under the chairmanship of Sen. James P. Mozingo, III. The program is under the direction of C. Dewey Gentry, Jr., co-ordinator. —N A E B— NEWS OF MEMBERS GENERAL The Broadcasters Club, with 250 members from radio and TV, recently opened its new headquarters at 1737 ae Sales St., in Washington, D. C., according to the July 21 Washington Post. NAEB’s legal counsel, Leonard Marks, is president and founder of the club. ^ Foundation of a World Literacy Center was started last month in Memphis, Tenn. with the unanimous backing of 250 delegates to the World Literacy Conference. Named as chairman of a board of 100 trustees for the center was Dr. Frank C. Lau- bach, who inspired the institution. Dr. Laubach was also instrumental in suggesting a plan to combat illiteracy which has been used ex¬ tensively by station WKNO-TV in Memphis. The station was cited at the conference for demonstra¬ ting “that television is a potent weapon to combat illiteracy.” ^ Educational TV received another gift from com¬ mercial TV last month when WBRC-TV presented the Alabama ETV Commission with technical produc¬ tion equipment valued at $2,000. The commercial station donated a rear screen motion picture projector and studio backdrop screen. Earlier this year, WABT presented the ETV network a 16mm motion picture 6 NEWSLETTER