Sponsor (Apr-June 1959)

With the bars down on news commentary, SPONSOR ASKS: What are the fundamental considerations in editorializing? As more stations are sparked by FCC's sponsor encouragement of news opinon, station men tell why they are now editorializing Clark George, general manager. kXXT, CBS-TV o&o, Los Angeles There are several important reasons win we believe local television stations should editorialize. This statement is based on the assumption To fill a programing need in our area thai broadcast editorials incorporate i •sponsible thinking and presentation. First, a local station has a responsibility as a mass communication medium to make significant contributions In communih thought processes in matters ol vital importance to people in the station s area. Critics have accused stations of delinquency and hesitanc) in taking editorial position-. However, as the medium has matured, more and more stations arc exercising this important editorial function and accepting a responsibilit\ whirh ha long been recognized. \ second reason for editorializing stems from the continuing requests b) the FCC that tclc\ ision exercise il right to editorialize. We at KNXT acknowledge ibis righl for we believe thai editorials have a highl) significant influence on communit) thinking in action. We believe as a strong and influential membei ol out community, we musl make known out position on matters which will affecl 0U1 \ iewers now ami in \ cat to com,-. \ third reason for editorializing is based on a necessitj Foi balanced programing. I he editorial, along with public service, cultural, infor mational and entertainment programing, becomes an important program type. "Thou Shalt Not Kill." KNXTs first editorial venture, drew more than 3.000 letters and hundreds of phone calls within 72 hours of its airing. Such response indicates that a need for this type of programing exists in our community, a need we assume is present in other areas. Finally, responsible editorializing contributes to the identity and prestige of a station. A well-conceived and produced editorial creates a favorable station image regardless of the individual viewer's agreement or disagreement with the station s stand. KNXT will editorialize when we believe it is necessary, for in this way we feel we are contributing to the best interests of the communit) and the democratic institutions we are dedicated to serve. Donald H. McCannon, president o) the Westinghou.se Broadcasting Co., Inc. In today's complex and fast-moving world, the obligation of the television and radio station to broadcast "in the public interest, convenience and necessity" cannot be fully realized, in the opinion ol the Westinghouse Broadcasting do., without thoughtful use of the right to editorialize. There i an urgent need lor people to understand no| oiil\ the implicationof space satellites and ICBM s. To (ul /ill "in obligations us In oiiih astei s hni of communit) matters such as local school bond issues and urban renewal projects as well. To fulfill this need lot public understanding, and lo realize the potential of tele vision and radio as media for informing the people, it is not sufficient that we merely report events; we must interpret them, and in some cases stimulate constructive action. We consider the editorial as an expression of the stations views and according!) the WBC station has its editorials delivered by a management representative — the company's area vice president, or the station manager. Complete separation is maintained between news programs and editorial statements. The editorial is presented in prime time. WBC stations do not editorialize on an) regularly scheduled basis: rather, we schedule an editorial onl) when station management feels that a communit) situation is sufficiently important to demand discussion. Only communit) matters are taken up in WBC station editorials, and both the decision to editorialize and the editorial approach are decided completel\ within the individual station. Unlike newspapers, broadcasting has no long and honored editorial tradition to guide it. and must develop its definitive patterns through experience. Our awareness of the impact and influence of television and radio demands that we approach editorializing thoughtfully, and that we exercise our editorial function sparingly, judiciously, and onl) in support of worth) causes. We feel that to do less, or to abdicate entirel) our right and duty to editorialize, as some suggest, is to fall short of our obligations and our opportunit) as responsible broadcasters. Lyell Bremser, <" ■ /•" ^ "'"' •-'"• '"■-'•< Kl //>'. Omaha \\ h) does Kl \1'< editorialize'.' I | imagine the all-inclusive answer would be because we feel it is a serv|| ice a radio station owe il communit) . To u it is necessai) to fulfill our obligation to the public. Radio long ago matched, and in man) areas surpassed, the public 16 SI'ONSOK ') MAY 1959