Public Television Hearings

CATV subscribers are now being brought to an increasingly broad range of cultural and educational programming. Both from local and more distant educational stations. The local nature of a CATV system. Together with its unique multi channel capabilities has lent itself remarkably to this diverse task. Our systems have assumed the responsibility of bringing educational TV to local residents who would otherwise be brought. The private benefits. We are introducing people to a TV for the first time. At no increased expense to the educational station. Perhaps a specific illustration of the capabilities to bring educational and diverse viewing to residents of the community where without such services would be helpful to the subcommittee. Our cable systems in central Illinois provide viewers with a diverse selection of several television St. Johns one of which is w t t w the VHF educational and Chicago Illinois which residence about

Illinois CATV communities cannot receive when their home in Tennessee. And there are nearly I'd say that these towns are some 90 to one hundred twenty miles away from Chicago and the signals are not otherwise receivable. Additionally we've provided the same communities with the signals of the Midwest program for airborne educational TV a Purdue University. Our systems routinely provide free connections to all schools in the communities so that these educational programs may be utilized for classroom instruction. The capacity of cables could carry an increasing number of communication services in the shoer. Cable equipment has been developed. And will be bringing shortly 20 or more channels. Of television capability to residents of many. Communities. Many of these additional uses will be other than broadcast television. But uses that to a significant degree will be for informational purposes beneficial to

the public. This multichannel capability should be utilized in far through local close circuit educational systems. And is entirely beyond the capacity of the broadcast spectrum. Cable technology is the most consistent way of bringing excellent quality to viewers with the added advantage of excellent cover reception since it is not affected like broadcast. By terrain weather. Or other interfering conditions. Surely that can mean the communications potential of coaxial cable is unlimited. And must be utilized in the development of nationwide public television. My company views the future of educational television. And this bill would bring that teacher into much clearer focus. We see our responsibility is an involvement with educational television increased in a number of ways. Various witnesses have projected the growth of broadcast TV. The Carnegie

Commission has projected a system of 240 stations within four years. And the National Association of educational broadcasters has stated that three hundred sixty four broadcast stations must be operating in five years. However it is apparent that even with stuff with such growth. Millions of American citizens will not have access to local educational stations due to their geographical location beyond the effective reception range. I believe in this greatly increased number of stations. It is these millions that CATV systems can and will serve in the public interest. Additionally. The broadcast stations will never be able to furnish the many varieties of specialized educational programmes. Which are multi faceted national culture will demand. The previous witness very effectively made that point. If one thing seems evident it is that CATV has a vital role to play in this

drama. Due to its character as a local service with so many different channel capabilities. In this respect we share the belief of the Carnegie Commission and I quote that systems in which television programmes are delivered to the user by coaxial cable rather than by broadcast are also of great potential significance. The cable systems has even a much broader role to play in public television than merely to fill in the gaps of underserved television areas. Interconnection of stations. In local regional or national networks has been advanced as mandatory free TV on a national basis. Satellites have been proposed to effect interconnection. Microwaving coaxial cable have been mentioned no one in tri state. Or regional levels. It is not unrealistic. To envision CATV systems operating as a local network with

extremely diverse channel capability and it is but one step further to link local networks. With regional and national educational networks. And all of which cable communications will play a vital role. For the forgoing in mind. It is our suggestion that subpart C-8 of title to. Be amended. So as to include within the definition of the term interconnection. The use of coaxial cable and community and elevation systems. Since they already serve as outlets for Educational Television. These concepts these are valid and specific. Recognition as a means of interconnection and erupt at this point. Is there anything in this section. That prohibits this. No sir but it is not spelled out to separate what I know. But the minute you begin to spell out something you might leave others out. What you think it is better to make it all inclusive and put it in the history. As

reported in the Bill's report. I'm afraid if we begin to designate this saw that then it might be construed that we're eliminating others that are not mentioned. When we say interconnection that means anything. That's the way I understand it. I realize your interest in spelling out your own particular function I don't blame you for that nor am I now nor am I critical but it's like saluting people at a banquet. You always run the risk. Of not saluting others and offend them as well. So if we get into this then we'll have other people coming in here telling us about polls and telling us about microwaves and by the time we get through in the lease something out I think interconnection is interconnection. And it means by any means whatsoever. I accept the senator's definition. I just didn't want us not to be saluted. It is and it is in an entirely different manner. The coaxial cable communications may well play its most important educational role. I think this is of

extreme interest here to the subcommittee. Although present communications of a CATV system or a cable system and I use those interchangeably as normally a one way street. The future for a two way cable communication is unlimited. That is from the programming source. To the home and from the home to the station or the closed circuit program source. This cable communications capability obviously has vast implications for Educational Television and goes far beyond broadcast television. To include a local closed circuit educational systems originating perhaps from the local college or high school. And vision for a moment. Every person and every home. Being able to initiate a response. To any TV program. A student an adult or a child taking

a test in his home. And furnishing the answers by pushing a button on his television receiver. A shot of him. Alleviating the long hours of disability or convalescence by broadening his cultural horizon. There were educational. Two way communications. These are not pipe dreams. There are now technically possible. And with a proper federal nationwide plan well within the grasp. Of many American citizens. This glimpse into the future warrants a comment on one of the proposed activities of the corporation as set forth in title to. The corporation is authorized to conduct research directly or through grants or contracts. And matters relating to noncommercial educational television. These studies shouldn't blued we strongly believe all of the alternative methods of bringing educational programming to the home not only from broadcast sources. But also from players their good programming centers as well. And the senator might make the same

remark that you made earlier. Thus we believe that CATV systems in view of their local offended age and technological characteristics and potential have a significant role to play. A role that need not be played on an already over crowded frequency spectrum stage. But which can effectively reach the eyes and ears of a vast audience to a table. As stated earlier CATV systems have been extending educational programming to Patmos viewers who have been denied a TV. Since a TV does not begin to reach its potential audience. The continued need an existence of cable systems as a potential carrier and outlet for public television is obvious. I might interject if I may hear that the great number of educational. Broadcasters will be in the UHF area and despite the passage of the all

channel law there is still a tremendous number of sets in the United States which are not capable of receiving UHF transmissions. We know that the range of the UHF transmission is much less than that of the vi. You must be equipped either with a converter or a special antenna to receive UHF. And in a cable system a UHF. Signal has exactly the same position and the same prominence on a dial as does of the age at which only one click away. It is with this thought in mind that I wrote President Johnson in early March and suggested that a representative or representatives of the cable television industry be included among the 15 members proposed in the board of directors of the Corporation for Public Television. I repeat that suggestion here. And would be hopeful that your committee would include such a recommendation in your report. Educational Television has the same natural affinity water that we don't.

I want to repeat here again. We will consider this recommendation. But if we don't it will be again for the reasons that I spelled out before because there's nothing in the law that precludes the president from choosing one from CATV running other hand if we begin to enumerate the categories. We may be limited by the 15 number. I could answer one of the things that concerns me and one of the reasons fire for my remarks along these lines. That were broadcast as mentioned many many times in the study of. Educational Television has the same natural affinity to the community as does the cable system. The basic focus must be on the local needs. And matters of interest. We're now WE TV station our allocation exists. And where reception off the air is poor. Cable systems are and will become an increasingly vital outlet for public television. We support public television because we are seeing the demand that exasperate TV. We know CATV can assist the Corporation

for Public Television in the pursuit of its goals by making the TV available wherever and whenever a CATV system is installed. We're somewhat disappointed to see instructional television get television again the subject of a study as outlined in type type type 3 of the. Journal has worked closely with educational interest in each community served by one of our systems. And as stated earlier it's a matter of policy. We have provided connections to schools for our introduction of educational television. We continually assist in designing instructional television facilities. If one thing is apparent with respect to instructional television it is that this technique is presently effective. And need not be constantly reexamined to determine whether it really works. I would hope that the study in quotes as proposed in Title 3 would be closely aligned and purpose to the report of the Carnegie

Commission. What we're saying here John. Is that we know the importance of studies. We also believe that more important on such an urgent matter of public television that we do get on with the show. This thing can be studied ad nauseum. And we can simply go and look at the kinds of systems that are extant in the United States today. The public television Act of 1967 does not authorize funds for the instructional television FX service that's the one I have KMC microwave. And in this respect we affirmed the earlier recommendation of arousal Haj chairman of the FCC that you give this service your definite consideration. More and more educational systems are incorporating eye to get passed in their schools and education appears committed to this concept. This valuable educational service needs assistance and we urge you to consider this now in conjunction with the funding provisions of Title 1 of

the present bill. In summary then we would specifically suggest. One that the strongest consideration should be given to funding. Instructional television fix service through the vehicle of Title 1. Particularly in view of the advice and state of the art. And the extensive present commitment there to buy educational systems. And the study of this area should be rapidly pursued. To. Title to be amended to include within the definition of interconnection. And piece of coaxial cable and community antenna television systems this was written before your remarks Mr. Senator. Three the provisions of Title 2 relating to the grants contracts and funding of research and educational television should focus on all possible technical methods of providing the same to the home. Including the institution of local closed circuit educational programming centers utilizing the existing cable for television facilities cable systems. Again.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to offer you our view. Of the depth of our commitment to educational television. And I want to size the vital need now. For action on the president's public television postals. I hope that I have communicated to you the enormous educational Gaudi's of cable communications technology. Particularly cable systems which we had Gerald call the video pipeline to the home. We have considered it a privilege to have assisted educational television to date and hope to make an even greater contribution in the future. I believe the future will reveal the value of this educational pipeline. I thank you. And we consider it a privilege to have had you this. This morning and will give you our position very serious consideration. And I want to congratulate you for what I consider to be an excellent statement.

Thank you sir. Senator Dodd is now doing some notes on this our next witness is Mr. having become president of the teleprompter corporation. I merely want to make a suggestion that if it doesn't meet with the our approbation you just to disregard my suggestion. You will notice that I'm. Here this morning because of commitments. On the part of my colleagues that I'm here by myself. And I want you to read your statements if you feel it you should read your statement. But I want you to know as well that I'm a fast breeder too. So humans that step up at

Temple I will appreciate it because we do have a long list of witnesses. Yes sir. I don't I mean I don't direct this along to you Mr. Khan I mean everyone else is going to testify because I noticed that the statements are quite lengthy I suppose they have to be lengthy and. In as much as you. Showing your solicitude to this committee and this venture by coming here I don't want anyone to limit himself in any way. But merely to suggest that if you read a little faster or like it a little better and I think the people in this room will too. I have worked with you Mr. Chairman and I know you read fast. I'd like to Irving Kahn chairman of the board and President teleprompter corporation of New York City and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you and the committee for affording us the opportunity to present our point of view. Our company has been active in television and electronic communications of 1951 when we originated the speech from VICE which with many of you may be familiar. Prior to that I was

engaged for a number of years in another area of music a mass communication the motion picture industry. Talk about the corporation today is one of the largest operators of community antenna television or CATV systems holdings from New York City to Hawaii. We also are in the master antenna and close circuit television installation business and built all the TV reception facilities for the Roman Catholic dioxin system which serves over 200 schools in Brooklyn and Queens in New York. This was the first large system utilizing channels in the twenty five hundred megahertz range authorized by Congress for educational use for many years. TELEPROMPTER was the government contractor operating a very large television training facility at the ordnance guided missile school in Huntsville Alabama. And we have installed educational audiovisual facilities at such institutions as the University of Wisconsin the Chicago Teachers College University of Texas and University of Miami. I cite all this is general background concerning our qualifications in the field of audio visual education and electronic communications. I've asked to appear before

you today however primarily to speak about the proposed Corporation for Public Television in the first place I endorse most heartily the concept of public television subject to the safeguards and limitations specified NSA 11 60 and those which this committee in the Congress as a whole undoubtedly will devise to assure its proper functioning. Secondly I urge the committee not to underestimate indeed to encourage and take full advantage of the unusual ability of CATV to assist in the dissemination of the various types of public service programming and vision by the CATV already is engaged in providing many of these services to a significant segment of the populace. The proven success. It does this in three ways one by carrying educational television channels on its cable systems two by working with local school systems. Divide this vision facilities for both in school instruction and programs aimed at parents and adults in the community and by cable casting or originating public service and local interest material aimed directly at specific audience.

CATV stands in a position to perform a unique service and one which is of particular concern to you and considering this public television proposal. That is the service of providing a truly local service not only to each community but also to each neighborhood each ethnic social and civic segment within each community. We need community history in this regard. The FCC in its sixth report noir undertook to provide local service by establishing a priority of not just one but at least two stations in every community. But there but there are literally thousands and thousands of communities in the United States. According to the Bureau of Census. There and there are over eight thousand two hundred games of innocent things with populations of over a thousand and many of those depending on their size may truthfully be said to encompass dozens even hundreds of the spink communities within their boundaries. That there are only six hundred seventeen commercial in one

hundred fifty six noncommercial educational TV stations in our country today according to the 1967 broadcasting year but think of it fewer than 800 stations to cover nearly 55 million television networks and spreading it pretty thin. And since very few of those homes are served by only one television station that makes the odds on a Friday local programming even longer. Putting two or three or even as in the case of New York City nine channels of television over a community is not the same as giving it an outlet for its own self-expression. That New York City has nine channels did not mean the channel serves one ninth of the population it means that each of nine channels serve about 21 million persons not only in the city but also in New Jersey Pennsylvania Connecticut and even as far out as long as long. This gives the viewer a goodly choice of channels. But each of the programs with very little exception must be directed to the total population. It does not pertain to the viewer's own block his neighborhood his precinct or congressional

district. Nor does it always engage his own personal interests. And it's impossible for the TV stations to do very much about it on a single channel over which each has a brighter ship situation is true throughout the nation sation such as WMC TV in Memphis Tennessee for example served its viewers in five states. It's difficult to see how a viewer in Jackson Tennessee could be interested in the Proceedings of the city council of Caruthersville Missouri or conversely how the average resident of Caruthersville would be persuaded to tune in to a high school basketball game in Jackson and not continue in this vein for each of you is aware the same problem in your own home area. It is true with the teeming city in the local isolated small town and the thousands of intermediate communities too. The point is that commercial broadcasters for very practical reasons have not been able to fulfill the FCC these local priorities which reflect Incidentally the will of Congress by the Communications Act for over a period of 15 years

and if they could not neither can the Corporation for Public Television Without counting absolutely prohibitive costs. But I assure you cable TV CATV can help meet the local aspects of public telecasting if given the opportunity for CA TV puts 12 or more channels into the home and can devote one or more spare channels to matters which have only a limited audience or for public television as they may be as the case may be. Here's an example how a CATV system even now and rich is the educational and cultural resources of the community it serves as such a system works and close and fruitful harmony with the local school system. And what in some ways is almost a part of. One of the significant aspects of public television this example is contained in the article which I'm including as an exhibit with my testimony and it appeared last August in new magazine a publication widely circulated the electronic communications field and it describes how the school system in Elmira New York

uses the local cable system which is happens to be owned by Arkansas. The article was written by juror J. Gerald Lakhani director of audio visual instruction for the Elmira school system. And he says and I quote Unfortunately some school systems have purchased equipment without giving enough thought to the distribution of the educational programs which are to be produced. The result is that one of the best distribution systems as too often been overlooked. The community antenna system Mr. Laughlin goes on to tell how 20 schools in some 12000 homes in the community are reached by a CATV channels. He lists three reasons for selecting CATV for the pass for the pass. Better signal quality economy and freedom of program so scheduling. Users of the system or Vera or Mr. Laughlin States. The students know our schedules and if they're really at home with a non disabling illness they watch the program as they would in school. Matter of fact during the past winter our schools were forced to close for three days because of deep

snow. But all the television or televised lessons were carried as usual and hundreds of students watched them at home in the future when schools are closed we will expand our television programming for the duration of the emergency. What if students are held accountable by having watched that program during the snow. Interlude. Frankly I don't know Senator but the overall sick you know is what I'm asking was it a requirement. It has been on occasion or apartment. I don't know specifically whether it is here. You bring out another point though. We made a study not too recently. Rather recently Nomar and were amazed to find that mother is almost more interested in watching Junior learn new math and she is unsure of the soap operas that she's been getting. In fact the ratings on the educational change channel. For the

specific instruction in subjects like new math. Has gone up repeatedly and some of the daytime network commercial programming has gone down. I can absolutely tell you this is a significant trend but it's an interesting observation house he chairs mamma too. That's right and we shall certainly watch it and if it happens to be that way I think it will be well worth reporting on its own. It's quite interesting. I think it is significant that in addition to secure snowbound students well I don't want to repeat what I have been here many mothers have the habit of looking at school to watch with Junior snoring. Suddenly the local newspapers carry all the school systems programs in its regular daily television a lot. Oh Mara is only one relatively small city of about 45000 people. I think the point is significant because the entire public television project must be concerned with the sum total of all the communities in the United States. The on Mars as well as the MI York cities in the Chicago's and the local cable systems can do the job

more effectively than Could a more distant station. But the responsibility of satisfying the interests of many such communities. There are about four thousand seven hundred thirty five communities today large or small and in-between that have or expect to have CATV in the foreseeable future. As an example of CA TV's Urban Growth my company teleprompter corporation in conjunction with the Hughes Aircraft Company owned systems in both New York City and Los Angeles and others are being developed by other developed by other companies in and around Chicago Cleveland San Francisco Houston Bakley virtually all of the nation's largest cities. So CATV despite growing cranes and uncertainly of uncertainty over the ultimate shape of regulation copyright liability and other matters which you so. Clearly predicted several years ago. I sure wish we'd have followed your advice. Time making its impact felt more and more throughout the nation. And

advances in technology should widen that impact still more. For instance our company has asked the FCC to set aside frequencies in the now and use 18000 megahertz band of the spectrum for CATV type distribution. Should the commission act favorably. A short haul multichannel microwave transmission system with a teleprompter and Hughes Aircraft have developed and tested could facilitate service to the most isolated rural hamlets. Even solitary farmhouses as well as in congested urban areas where underground construction is quite difficult. The most important thing that CATV can offer to public television are things are first a ready made distribution system to a ever growing circle of viewers locality by and by locality and secondly a system that places absolutely no added burden on the broadcast spectrum. The problems of spectrum allocation as you gentlemen know are critical. In fact getting very much

more so quite rapidly. In fact the FCC in its 1966 annual report referred to these as among the thorniest issues confronting it public television as a testimony at these hearings clearly indicates can be expected to take many forms. Eventually it may merit the use of more than one of those hard to find channels and public television as envisioned by the bill is only one of the many communications services that can be provided to the home TV set in years to come. The Carnegie Commission report observed in its section on technical research that quote systems in which television programmes are delivered by the user of coaxial cable rather than by broadcast are of great potential significance. The reason the report stated is that with cables the problems of frequency allocations do not arise so that the only technological limitation on the number of programmes any set can receive are those of the set itself which at the present time means 82 channels. In time most of these channels may well be in use.

Not all for entertainment of course but also for many other purposes. Life magazine in an article on CATV last November listed some of these possibilities as house to house supermarket TV shopping in the house classrooms home burglar and fire alarm tie ins with police and fire stations. The banking and living rooms and even instantaneous homosex access to a master computer might even help to your income tax. I believe that your committee must consider the public television proposal in the few contacts in the full context not only of the various strains and stresses of the present day communication system but also in the light of the burgeoning Durgin and provide Tulloch technological advances of the months and years ahead. Precisely for this reason that this bill and the proposed Corporation want to take CATV fully into consideration in planning and carrying out this most desirable but highly complex and costly process CATV is practical. It is proven it exists today. Those of us in CATV

make our livelihoods by recognizing and catering to the very basic grassroots television needs of the public. We have the capability and certainly we have the desire to make a substantial contribution to the public television concept. Our company teleprompter corporation believes so strongly in the principle of public television and in the ability of CATV to assist in its success. That we are prepared. After consultation with our New York City CA TV partner Hughes Aircraft the place at the disposal of the public television agency a channel on our Manhattan system to be used for testing and evaluating programme approaches and materials. Excerpts. In order experts and warning intercepts tell us that a cable or close circuit system is a particularly good vehicle for achieving meaningful responses. We believe that such a cable channel could be an important contribution in behalf of the CATV industry to this new public television venture. As it stands poised to explore the virtually limitless horizons that lie before.

Explain a little bit of the system that you have installed in New York for diocesan purposes. The existing system in German is a twenty five hundred. Educational microwave system. But we have wired up over 5000 classrooms and I think the very significant thing that's already coming to light while it has built into it a three or four channel capacity at the moment that is already in less than its first year proving to be totally obsolete and its requirement it's going to need many many many more channels when it does the program itself originally originates at a central point in the in one of the schools for more of the schools or it alternates but basically they have a central studio from which they transmit their various pieces of educational material either live or on film. I think here too though. For channels which with which everyone was

worrying about how are they possibly going to program for channels. Where are they going to get all this level of capability to do all this which I've been hearing from several sources. This is a different kind of television. A competent instructor today is a competent television performer with the class material that he's now using and he doesn't need the big props to the average major television show has on a commercial base it's an entirely different thing. I think it's not unlikely that there will be a requirement. For 20 30 channels per school and I'm not talking about 10 years hence the very basic system that we're installing in New York today. Very frankly has built into it with very little change a capability for thirty six channels right now. We have the box of which there are 18 channels in it and if someone were to take the back off the box and look at it. So I would think we were rather silly to to leave a blank space

equal to the size of that which is in there well it's not an accident. My jewel fits in there which doubles the capacity rather than go through and try to explain what you plan to do with thirty six channels to a body politic at this point. We thought it wise to just let the need arise but to build the basic capacity further. We have done a great deal of experimentation into a usage fact. We project that we have a university had a University of Wisconsin was either under a Ford Foundation grant or we were studying responses. It's not impossible. That you may someday and technologically you can do it now because we have done it. Have a student sit at home answer questions and respond and write with visual material from his home. And this may well come to be a partial solution to the space classroom Sardi's which is highly critical it's not just instructors that are short it's the high cost of building facilities. But how do you monitor this I mean if a student can talk back don't you get yourself into confusion

and overlap Not necessarily. We have been able to buy a very simple electronic process literally on a random basis. In fact we've developed this offense still to this extent. We have been able to teach. Very close to a thousand students simultaneously with one instructor and then by rotating the classroom schedule on a pre-planned minute bass students and each one of the classes can ask specific questions of the one instructor. It's electronically channeled into him. The answer is fed back and although it may sound you need it you mean the time is modeled off precisely. Then you have the ability to get the best possible instructor to answer the question. It's hard to get that good instructor this works now. It's been in some of this is a secured material I can't want to detail on but this has been working for several years. Now interesting. Thank you very much McConnell It's a pleasure to have you. Thank you.

I'm next witnesses a doc to see Ray carpenter. I think he'll be accompanied by others. Dr. Carpenter is a research professor at the Department of Psychology at Pennsylvania State University. He's being accompanied by Dr. Harold the when you were in the National Education Association for the NEA and Dr. Carpenter the professor of psychology and anthropology of Penn State University and we would like to do a duet here. I'd be the lead off man if with your permission because our statements dovetail in addition to being the educational television consultant for NASA. I happen to be the president of the Joint Council on educational telecommunications. For whom Dr. Carpenter will be speaking today and I will be speaking for the and with your permission. All right and in the interest of time I would like to request that my statement be

filed. And I will only. Mention some of the high points of what we would like to say. We'd appreciate that very very much because you may rest assured that the members of the committee will read all of these statements which will be in the record. So without objection each of the two statements will be inserted in the record. And I appeared today on behalf of the National Education Association. The largest professional organization in America. Consisting of one million two hundred thousand members and representing a broad spectrum of American education. I want to say make it crystal clear at the outset of my statement Mr. Chairman. That the the National Education Association wishes to go on record. As strongly supporting Senate Bill Levin 60. And we would like to make certain comments in regard to each of the three titles and briefly. Tatooine. The NEA applauds the Congress for making provision in this title for the extension of the program of grants for construction of noncommercial educational TV

broadcasting facilities. This extension is not only advisable but it is essential in my opinion in order to build an effective national educational television system. Consisting of vigorous and independent local schools. An increasing number of the TV stations are required to encompass the many diversified program needs of all of our citizens. Preschoolers through adult. Secondly we welcome the extension of the Act to include the territory coverage. Of the Virgin Islands American Samoa and the trust territories of the Pacific. This is long overdue and will enable East territories to share in the same benefits of educational television as do the mainland. American States. Three hours on station is highly pleased to note also. That the bill will authorize grants for construction of noncommercial educational radio

stations as well as educational television facilities educational radio has been an almost forgotten area of broadcast service which needs encouragement and support in order to reach its potential. The NEA applauds the Congress for expanding the Communications Act in 1904 to include educational radio because this move gives recognition to the fact. That the whole matter is one of educational telecommunications. Rather than just educational television. This therefore is definitely a step in the right direction. Forth. In this connection the NEA would call attention of the Congress to another important television need which is not provided for in this act. But which has become an urgent problem for school districts throughout our nation. And with the NEA have particular interest in closed circuit. And also instructional television fix service which has been mentioned before and this is why I refer to. We think that it is necessary to

have grants for construction grants for instructional television installations. Both IATA FS and close circuit cable. The FCC aside aside I TFSA microwave channels primarily for instructional purposes. To augment and to supplement the services for schools which TV broadcast stations are in a position to offer. A closed circuit although unlike Ikea FS which itself is a public resource regulated by the FCC. Close circuit nevertheless offers promising alternatives to Ikea Bess and maybe even more suitable for schools and some instructional situations. Particularly when communication is needed within a building or between schools in certain geographical areas. In fact in some metropolitan areas. The frequencies available for IP FS are already exhausted and closed circuit installations are the only route which a school district may take in order to gain needed flexibility. Yet at the present

time. In the elementary and secondary school federal monies can be obtained only incidentally for close circuit and for Iraqi affair services. And these have to be part of other projects. No funds have actually been earmarked by the Congress to be used primarily or exclusively for funding these necessary facilities directly. Now let me maintain and I make it clear here that the NEA does not propose that S. 1 1 6 0 be expanded to include construction grants for IPF and same closed circuit. But we do wish to emphasize the need for new legislation. To provide adequate financing of such with felonies. Should the Congress deem it wise to include such grants under the level of clicks They however. Our association would recommend a substantial increase in the authorization for Title 1 to avoid undesirable dilution of its benefits. Now title to in regard to the.

Educational Broadcasting Corporation. We commend Congress for establishing a nonprofit non-government public corporation. To facilitate the full development of educational broadcasting. We feel this is definitely in the public interest to do this. Number two. It is gratifying to note that the bill provides that members of the board of directors of the corporation quote shall be selected from among citizens of the United States who are eminent in such fields as education I underline. Cultural and civic affairs the arts including radio or television. Appropriately the field of education is listed first. And this is particularly important if the corporation is to assume any responsibility for the development of ITV and instructional radio in addition to its responsibilities for the maximum development of public television. Next we heartily concur with the provision in Title 2 regarding service which is on page

17. Which would encourage common carriers to give preferential rates. To educational television and radio stations for interconnection services. Educational Television and radio are natural resources which are to be developed. For the public's benefit and not for commercial profit. In the same manner as our public libraries the national parks. And therefore we feel EEs are entitled to special recognition in the law. Now. Title 3. The study of instructional television. While concurring with the Congress that would be beneficial to have a study dealing with instructional television broadcasting. The NEA supports the position of the Joint Council on educational telecommunications JACT. In recommending that the study be more broadly based and retitled In fact as follows. The study of instructional television and radio in relation to other educational media.

Back to Carpenter will delineate the study in a few minutes. For you. And we concur in this. The specific recommendation of the J.C. T. Which is attached the testimony here with. I might say that really we have several reasons for recommending this first chairman and these are as follows. First. That I pd as a part of a larger instructional learning system. And should be viewed in relation to education itself and to other media which are also components of that system. To. Know one medium can or should be studied in isolation of the overall complex in which it is the function. Because no medium exists in a vacuum. Three the study should point up the specific instructional or educational functions which I PV should be expected to carry out in the total curriculum in which it is a major resource. In order to do this it is necessary to define the educational problems which can best be met. Which can only

be met. Through educational technology. And then in this framework focus upon the particular role and function of instructional television and radio. That we think the study should be made about TV and radio but we feel that we should in doing so doing consider the larger function as well in which it is top rate. Title 3 delineates the study we feel too narrowly. And in our opinion fails to ask the right questions. The question is not whether instructional television should be used. Instead the study should be focused on delineating the educational problems which ITV and other educational technology can best meet. And in so doing determine the unique contributions which I TV and radio make to the realisation of specific teaching and learning objectives and to educational goals. In other words you would change the word whether to what. Yes I would. And while you would agree that the quality and content of existing programs are spotty.

And in many instances leaves something to be desired. Every effort should be made to improve the quality of instructional TV programs through a concentrated research and development program. To experiment with new ideas and formats. The field test and to validate instructional programs as learning instruments. And to improve the utilization of these programs in the classroom through in-service education opportunities for teachers. Without this and I want to emphasize this with the chairman. Instructional television well in our opinion become the poor relation. Of a TV just as educational television has in the past been the poor relation of commercial broadcasting help that doesn't happen. I hope it won't too and we look to you for help in that. Our concern is that Title 3 is stated negatively rather than positively and it seems to imply that research is necessary to prove that I TV can be effective. And I would point out that IPB is one of the most research

subjects of educational literature today. In fact the U.S. Office of Education through its title 7 and DEA funds. Has already on hand a massive file of research data. On the use of instructional television in various types of learning situations. We think that the committee studying this should should look into these research studies. Well as a matter of fact that responsibility is given to that very development fine under this title. Oh you want a very health education and we don't have arised to condemn us or we just want to emphasize the fact that we don't have to start from scratch on this because there has been a great deal of research you see today. And the objectives of the study we feel should be to assess the knowledge we now hear of it and make recommendations for future development. We concur hardly with the previous witness this morning he said. Let's get on with the shell and regard to instructional television. It's our proposal I have for that section 3 0 1 be rewarded. And the three all

to be eliminated completely. And the objectives of the study as listed in the bill. Be. I mean as listed by JCP be adopted in lieu of the content of the study as listed in the bell. Now in conclusion let me say that the associate station feels that this bill is sound legislation which will have a beneficial impact on all of our citizens in the years ahead. Providing in the short run urgently needed improvement and expansion of existing programs. And promising in the long run the development of a total telecommunication system to American education. Now Mr. Chairman with your permission I'd like to have just a couple more minutes to. Make a supplementary statement which I have filed with your council. On the basis of some of the observations which I have simply had. And one point. During all of these. These hearings is continue for another couple of minutes if you may. Consistently during the years

Educational Television has served well. The cultural and underlying cultural needs of a sophisticated intellectual minority. Its audiences have been and still are predominantly the same persons. As those who attend cultural events in the community. Concerts operas plays. And those who subscribe to the largest number of periodicals and by the greatest proportion of books. We should not want to lessen this service. But. At the same time. The TV we feel has not scratched the surface in reaching the under educated adults in our communities. Between the two extremes of public television on the one end of the of the continuum. And instructional television on the other end of the continuum there is a middle ground area which a TV should be serving if it is to reach its maximum potential as an educative instrument. We might appropriately call this middle area. Community Television

or community service television. And this would take two forms one. Using television to communicate directly with people who are in need of such services. And to. Using television to upgrade and improve the ongoing programmes of community service agencies. Presenting cultural programmes and documentaries is of course a very valuable service. But a TV should go beyond this and offer programmes of value for all of our citizens. Minority groups at whatever level they happen to be on. A TV should reach those in the marketplace. As well as those in the concert hall. We should harness it to make a frontal attack on the problems facing us. In our urban center centers and in our ghettos. It should become a means of improving community living. And giving our citizens necessary information for decision making. It should not remain aloof. And untouchable. It should rather descend to the

valley. To become a participant in a community of players. Become centrally involved in the teaching of illiterates. Or in the retraining of workers in an age of automation. It should offer extension courses for adults with limited schooling. Provide a means of sharing essential health and consumer information nationwide. And serve as a stimulator of community action on the important problems of our day. To do this however. ATV must get its feet wet. It need not lower its standards in the process in order to do this. It can do these things and still maintain its devotion to high quality. Now in these hearings not enough has been said in my judgement about the role of ATV as an instrument for community development. Mr. Hurlbert mentioned it this morning and I was pleased to hear this. ATV has within it the potential of restoring to American life. The town meeting which was so much a part of the life of

our forefathers. Our big opportunity is to make the TV functional and integral. Where at present it is only marginal. In harnessing it to help solve some of the basic problems of our time. We should make a major effort to work with the Office of Economic Opportunity. The Job Corps. Urban redevelopment organizations vocational technical training groups and other such groups. In our society in order to disseminate needed information and to develop active participation in community affairs by all of our citizens. We're not talking here about blue sky. Because some of these things are presently happening in this in this area and the TV is doing them. I'm attaching to this statement a list of some selected examples of projects which have already been funded which are currently exploring the use of television in this area but there are far too few you can count them almost than the two hands and I feel that they should become

greatly extended. We've made a beginning but we should consider we should enlarge considerably our uses of Television and Radio in this respect. Why not easy TV to improve public services and agriculture of nursing. Professional Training of doctors consumer education health services programs for the aged. Why not enlist the TV and bring in an in-depth understanding of such problems as smog in our large urban centers. Automation water shortages river pollution farm surpluses race relations crime labor management school dropouts and even unemployment. Solution of these problems depends upon technical skill upon the coordinated efforts of many organizations and upon the moral political and financial support of an informed and educated populace. Too often we've attempted to treat these problems on TV only superficially and if at all. And then only with a one shot treatment. There is little indication from want of what I have been able to read about the proposed new Corporation for Public Television.

And even the Carnegie report itself. That that much attention is given to this type of programming in fact the Carnegie report. Only one place as I recall one paragraph in the whole two hundred fifty four pages and it is an historical document historic document which we are grateful for. But only one paragraph really came to grips with this problem. And in this paragraph the commission recognized. That these programs really are not public television and they're not instructional last somewhere in between. And that's the reason I caught your attention. Now it may be that the cooperation for public TV is not the appropriate organization to undertake the type of programming that I'm mentioning here. And that it should be done more at the grassroots level and hollers grassroots television if you wish. But some mechanism somewhere must be developed to encourage experimentation and using television for these purposes. Locally TV and radio stations working with community service agencies need to serve as a catalyst and the initiator for programs

designed to improve the quality of community life. Television and Radio in isolation and as passive vehicles are relatively ineffective. They must involve people. They must motivate people to do something about a given problem. And as such they must be part of the total educated process. Probably among the most effective means of involvement. Have been taken place in other countries on our own. For example a radio farm forms in Canada and in India. And the tele clubs in France and in Japan I have visited many of these and seen first hand what these organizations are doing. The participants in these forums and these tele clubs evidence the sense of neighborliness and community spirit quite apart from the learning experience itself. Community Organisation specialist and social psychologist are in agreement. That the individual must have a sense of identity with a small and usually neighborhood group. For this reason the great urban development programs across

our country are now developing black programs and neighborhood associations as rapidly as possible. Community service television requires a build up of experience achieved by experimentation demonstration and increased use. I am concerned that ATV reached their here to fore on reached Mr. Chairman. And thereby add a new dimension to our use of television in American life. Now admittedly one of the problems we face in doing this. Is research on how to get audiences to view such programmes. We need research money in order to do this and it's a problem we should devote much much time to. How can we reach these who normally would not watch educational television. Now it seems strange that we accept without question the idea of using television for entertainment and for profit making and at the same time evidence reluctance and gaining acceptance for its use as a community as a part of community action programs. Television is a natural resource which

should be nurtured. And used for the benefit of the public. A TV can become the adult educator of tomorrow as well as a cultural ambassador to the nation's homes. It would be unfortunate to lock the future of educational television and radio. Into a permanent dichotomy between cultural television on the one hand instructional television on the other. Certainly educational TV will not remain static. It should constantly respond to the needs of society. And quite possibly other needs will develop as time goes on and other categories of programme services will also emerge. I would hope that we could foster this emerging quality and make educational television a dynamic instrument in meeting. The needs of all of our people. Thank you Mr. Chairman and if you do see anything in the bill that limits or inhibits or prohibit. MR. There's a diversity that you talked about. I see nothing that does prohibit but I only make a very

strong statement as to the policy pleading that we not overlook this area. Because I do think as much as I feel the Carnegie report was a masterful document. That it is limited in this regard I think they have not spent enough time in the report. On this area I think in fact that all of this area is buried in the report and it takes some some digging to get it out. And I would hope. That we will not overlook this essential ingredient. Of educational television you see in my in my books educational television can almost be reduced to a formula. I would say that ATV equals pay TV plus CBS TV plus side TV that is educational television equals public television plus community service television plus instructional television. Unless you want to say that public television can be broadened sufficiently to include more than cultural programs to include this whole great area of community service

television which we haven't even. Scratched the surface on it until the present but I quite agree with you I would hope that this would not be initiated as an instrumentality solely to satisfy the tastes of people who already have tastes of high quality. If you can call it that what you are trying to do is to lift everybody up to that level if we can possibly do it better and that it. Yes right I once had a professor in architecture and a history of art that said that if he had his way there would be no such thing as a Museum of Fine Arts in a community. He would have those that museum blown up in a sense so that all the pieces and works of art. That were in that museum would fly and land anyplace in the community they chose to my own be it a subway or a supermarket or wherever. This was one way of getting art to the people because the people may not come to the museum. And I think I am presenting in effect the same kind of concern here.

Well sometimes we're surprised to learn how many taxi cab drivers really whistle an area of little travel Tory. He was having courage now coming back to Title 3 where you have raised some very cogent points. I was wondering if we change the word whether to what. On line 20 do you have a copy of the bill and I don't have it with me. Whether that would try to carry out your idea and then of course. Well you have suggested that we expunged from the bill. All of section 3 O'Toole's. Which raises a little bit of a dilemma for the committee I was wondering this. Do you have the bill and I haven't I missed it you haven't May I suggest an answer to that. Mr Karpen not covered and I. Have worked on this together and I think we'd like a little broader than is and would you mind if he would.

Let me make a suggestion first and then he can direct I think not since dovetail in other words we would retain Section 3 0 2 but we would reword it in this way such study. Shall be comprehensive in nature. And. I shall include such items in other words the emphasis would be on a comprehensive. Rather than the. Particular item stated below but would leave those items in. So I make my point clear. Yes how does that strike you. I have a counter suggestion that if we have time to present you'll have time to present it all right. We I personally have very much in favor of the word comprehensive I think definite should be because this is what I'm pleading for and that's where I would put the emphasis in other words instead of having it read such studies shall be comprehensive in nature and shall cover particularly. You know I would leave that particularly

out of it I would put the emphasis on comprehensive such study shall be comprehensive in nature and shall include such items. Except that we do in other words we would be broadening out this rather than limiting it. You see we would we would concur with this but I do think that we are right even suggesting a little more rewarding if we might and 3 of 2. All right let's hear what you have to say. In other words I what I'm trying to avoid if I may be a little more explicit about it is that. When you have 20 pages of legislative proposals. And unless there's a reason for changing words that will lead to a more meaningful determination sometimes we get ourselves into semantics that only cause more confusion and we destroy the very purpose that we're trying to achieve and that is to pass a bill. Well our organization then the J.C. t would be suggesting actually that the words

content of the study be changed the objectives of the study because we think the objectives would one know more clearly delineated would more or less take care of the content of what I write what I want instead of genitives and content of study. Yeah so what if we said both objective and content of study. I would go along with this. Yes. Certainly. All right that was chairman I am so much uncertain as to how much time I should take jolly time in the water all the time you want.