1965 National Association of Educational Broadcasters Convention; Special Interest Session: Public Relations and Promotion

That one or. Bye. Friend. Died at its birth. Diamond relates to me the story of a man who was very fond of his pack. And who took a took a boat a long boat trip to Europe and after being at sea for 10 days he got very worried about his cat and called his brother and he said to his brother how's everything suppose everything's fine. He has my cat. Brother said you catch dad. He was you know very shocked by this and didn't know. Didn't know what to say. For a moment then he said you know you could have eased the blow you could have reduced the pain considerably. He thought about this a little bit. You could start out by saying well I can stuff on the roof but I'd call the fire department. And. I think we're going to get kept down all right he said. Then a few days later you're going to send me a postcard and say we got to camp down off the roof or I but he developed pneumonia and I don't know his condition serious and then he couldn't subsequently cable me and said I'm sorry to tell

you this but you can't die so that the brother would not have been so so there is both a GM sorry but I just you know I didn't think of it this way. I'll see in the future I'll be try to be more careful. So a few days later. He called his brother again in Rome and he said well how are things by the said Will. Things are all right he said. How's mother. He said Well mother is up on the roof. You know this is a matter of communication. And I think I would. I think I would have to say to you that. That. Public relations so far as as I see it is is total communication it's communications all the time and it's communication of facts. The good process of public relations is involves the communications of facts but it involves pretty thinking involves the genesis of ideas. Good publicity and good

public relations does not like many people seem to think a spring full blown from the from the forehead of public relations people it requires planning. Unfortunately people in the broadcasting field too often think that public relations is automatic publicity is automatic and that and that these things occur. Good publicity results and good public relations results from programs which are frequently ill conceived and ill financed. In the case for example of relating. Good financing to good public relations and I'm only going to touch on this as I pass over it. It is involved there is involved a good program a good programme of community relations and public relations and a good programme a publicist and in every case we find such a good programme and you find such good planning. You will in the in the end result find a well organized and and well financed radio or television station.

A great deal of what you have to be concerned with are successful ideas many people have ideas. Which are which are not feasible. Many people many people think that spot ideas or flash ideas. Are. Not a good thing to deal with. I personally feel that there is a great deal to be said for idea development and I think that the hours that we spend in my station in brainstorming ideas brings results somehow or other. When we get into radio and television and we think about production we think that only the production people. Have the ideas. You've got to have a public relations staff who has ideas they can convey him so that you have a two way chain of communication between management and public relations public relations maybe the most important thing that you do may very well be it may very well have an overwhelming effect because I recall very clearly when I first went to WPT Debbie I said

to Chalmers Marcus who was the then. Director of Programming for the station. Is it just fine if it's fine for you to do good presenters but if nobody out there knows you're doing them forget it. So this is this is the key no. It is important if you are in public relations that you make your manager work with you. If you are a manager it is important that you work with the public relations personnel. They frequently have ideas which don't necessarily shape your program's schedule but which are very vital to the end result. And that is obtaining an audience for what it is that you're trying to tell people. So I think that I think that these are the the cardinal principles of governess and I'm very happy that we have them been able to assemble here today a panel of people who can talk about the various phases of the work

of doing a good job in the public relations field. We will we hope to present our program in such a way so that when we finish there will be an opportunity to turn this into a real workshop session where we can answer questions from the floor and I might also say that I'm very pleased to see many strange faces in the room today. I think a lot of our confreres with whom we've met over the past few years in educational television at least have decided that they knew what I would say and what the other people here would say. And they didn't come. And people who are curious about public relations or who were concerned about it came and I think this is the optimal and I'm delighted to have you here in this in this way. And I would like to for those of you who have not had the joys of meeting him I would like to introduce our first speaker for this morning. To his friends he's known as an Armenian run salesman to others of his that he is known as the voice of a.. Unfortunately the voice of any he speaks in

many languages and Mr to Casey and speaks in New York keys. That's unfortunate for you. It's good for me I like to hear him talk this morning as is appropriate. He will speak to you about the topic of covering the national scene from a public relations standpoint and I'm very pleased to introduce Mr. That's Richard KZN director of public information for the National Educational Television. Thank you Ed it's always good to hear from the Second City. No. No we've got a Democratic here. You're on the sort of planning of this profit for those who had to leave on Election Day. We had it. In New York as someone who follows a very exciting election and got a real split fusion ticket. But that's mostly in the other side of the let's and really don't care but for those of us in New York City about an exciting election and PR played a

great plot in here that's the real image making of that and that and they really work with Mr. Lindsey This is like a build of. Unity. This man is the the new type of individual to help run New York City. But that's that's another story that's another. Very very briefly because as I understand it we have just some much time for each of us and for those of you who have heard me on this. Please bear with me but Ed suggested that I just picked up a minute or so that will explain what it is my plan does. I don't need to you and. I we operate on a national scene on a number of things. Very simply and a National Educational Television as all you know is in the business of producing programs. We the platen of public information or information services are one of the service arms. Going to simply lobby. Miss all the businesses the programs and my department in a

sense. If we were to liken it to a can of beans we have to provide the right before. I guess the best way to break it down simply is that we are involved in the program promotion the publicity and the advertising that gets involved with all of our program material. In a nutshell it is my department's responsibility to gather research right and put together the basic program information material that goes out to all of our affiliated stations. This is the backbone of the nation and every program and every series that anybody produces. The word very. Closely with our affiliate stations the packaging material that goes out generally has a background information sheet on the program supporting items such as suggestive news releases. Spot copy 35 millimeter slides for on the air promotion in some cases transcripts.

In other cases a trail is all the necessary material to promote the programs we've made but the material together but it's really the stations in the sense that a front line troops they're the ones who carry this material on. I just want to take that minute to explain that phase which is an important phase for us. I think Ed wanted me to stay a bit more to what we do in public city and primarily on a on a national level. As a. Network headquarters and based in New York it is fairly obvious that. We deal primarily with national magazines wire services trade publications the syndicates in the light. It is primarily a function to get as many stories and ideas across to these various sources. I believe then we would try to operate this way that. The well written release is

a very good idea but quite often the well written releases most of you know ends up in the waste paper basket. So I believe firmly in the personal contact. And this is what we try to maintain at our office. We work very closely with the people in these various kinds of operations whether it's a magazine or syndicate or publication a trade publication. We call upon them we visit. We have them come by our offices. If it's possible and convenient for them. We keep the information flowing steadily. We try to find out. Frankly when is the best time to either visit or call some of these people not when they're on deadline not when they're in the midst of other stories that they're working on but to keep a rapport going that. That will feel most comfortable when they want to call us and ask for some of the nation even if it doesn't relate to the story we're working on at the moment. As a national organization obviously we

got to one. Game. With our programs that are going to play all over the country. As an example it took US Navy Julia West when she speaks and I speak to this. Quite a number of months for us to get to the visit position we have with TV Guide. Obviously those of us in television this is a big source for publicity. It took some time for them to understand exactly what and to use and those of you who are familiar with our distribution how do you know we are not a live interconnected network. This took some selling something in wells. All it really was it was kind of a patient in boring getting to know the people hiding the combine understand our problems so that they knew what we did what we were trying to do and how our programs are produced and how they're playing throughout the country because the important thing it's paid off to the degree that we have almost every week a TV guy pulls up and as you know that. That's at half age right. Free of the

city. You just can't buy that kind of space. But it took time. It takes it takes effect and the five anything to say I'm not what I would simply suggest and you get are that are involved in this work. You've got to take the time you have got to find the time to sit with people and explain exactly what it is you're doing how you are trading and don't expect anything happen overnight. Quite often it pays in many ways as another example. Life Magazine recently is a month ago ran an editorial and I thought they jetted Boyle on educational television. And in particular supporting National Educational Television. This is very frankly came about through friends. We have been working with life on other things. We in our office got wind that. The editors of life wanted to do they thought something in relation to television. This all stemmed from the fact that the commercial

networks had all come out with their programs they had been roundly criticized and frankly the life that it is told me that they were planning to do an editorial just in a general blast against commercial television on the wall or some kind of a federal network. Very frankly I hurried over to explain to them what we were all about. And after working on it two days and two nights with them the editorial came about more to our liking in that they understood what any tea was all about and they base the editorial on Anita in saying in effect there is such a network and all they really need is more support some more money. Be very honest with you this would not have come about if we had in months before been working with these people not people. Did the editor of The Editorial apparently written with other parts of the book. But only because of their knowledge of our operation. Word did get around that there is an article anybody see them and you might get information while of what well.

In the overall area of general program promotion I take another moment or so. We obviously work on long range commitments as well as the day to day kind of activities as one. One of the quick example let me just refer to how we try to work very closely with our stations. We generally have a meeting once a year with all the PR directors of the stations this past year was in Chicago. This gives us a very good opportunity to kick around a lot of ideas because it makes no sense at all for us in New York to sit down and plan ideas. Send down the journal and then have the entire thing fall flat at the station news. The best thing we like to do is to sit down with our stations get feedback and try to come up with a program that will satisfy all and written to all three maybe just one you Fielitz. And this is quite a problem as you can gather everybody has their own idea as to what should be done. But it's a great help and our

meeting in Chicago for instance we planned our fall and spring campaign are 65 66 season. And it's that kind of an operation working together that put together our special half hour program preview. Our. Press pack get the idea to have these special press functions of using the city's advertising campaign that was all worked out at this meeting. But is any ideas of what that obviously we have to go back in and put them into force. The results are coming in now. We've had tremendous news response all over the country. And. I'm frankly I'm just gratified that some which was done by the stations and the end results have really paid off. Next year when we meet again we'll we'll go over the campaign and find out where the the weak points were I'm sure there will be points and we'll hear about them. But it's the only way we've got to be criticize is the only way we know where we're falling down and try to shore up those general areas. Again I guess. And like one more moment. Operating

from our end of that we have to operate very closely with the stations and very closely with the national organizations in New York City. We find very frankly not everything as you know is not in New York City so we have to work closely with say at Mars in Chicago or Julia Westwood in Washington. Our feeling for getting a story of trust of the country is to go to where the story will get the best plane let it go from there. It doesn't all come out of New York City. Some of the public affairs programs and the news beats we have we find do so much better. Is Julia here helps us in a break out of Washington or if there's a reason should break out of Chicago or San Francisco or whatever. Basically it's cooperation and frankly we had any two year place we said could not do the work without the people like Julian and the others along the line who really carry the message. I'd often force I just close with this because I can use both Julian and Ed and I say an example one of my pet little

things. I find that. Quite often either in dealing with the stations or in meetings of this sort with some of the people of the ME for the first time and I am really echoing I guess what Ed said earlier result in the remarks too often whether it's a TV station or radio or university. There's a break in the black in this area of the city and promotion and the neglect is not so much that the station or the university or the operation it's an illness doesn't have the relations that these are they put in the hands of the wrong person. We have to be professionals. We have to have some know how. You can't just turn it over to somebody who's doing six other jobs at the station and expect that person a decent job as Ed had said earlier in his remarks when he first got to the DTT w no matter how good the program is it does us no good at all. If nobody out there is

watching after all our business is to attract an audience as large an audience as possible. Of the money what I leave with you is that I strongly urge you. If you have anything to do with the station and are in any way responsible for the PR person get yourself a real professional want to at least knows what his local newspaper is if you are the one that's been involved in public relations and you've been saddled with the job. And you don't really like it. Get out of there. Even to her station. The only way you can help in furthering the image of educational television is by doing a good job getting the facts out. Don't do it if you don't know what it's all about. In a sense I guess what I'm saying when you have said let's get some more pros in the business. Thank you. Thank you very much chick. It's very it's a very interesting thing because completely independently while. Mr. Kaysing was speaking I wrote

down that PR of his work. You started like writing a philosophy theories of PR as work. Arbeit. And PR is for professionals. Now this doesn't mean that you can't become a professional but. I can't emphasize this too strongly. It is a professional job and it is work. And just one thing that relates to this and relates to the topic which was Mr education to speak on today is the fact that sometimes you know he says we bring people into the office and we sit down and we tell them what we're doing. And then something doesn't happen for a while. Thirteen months ago. I sat down with a correspondent from TIME magazine because we had made several abortive attempts to try and tell the Chicago story in TIME magazine. In the course of events this particular correspondent went out of the country for four months and my phone rang about three weeks ago

and. This person said. It's the last thing I do with TIME magazine and I'm much longer I want to stay time I'm going to do something about telling a Chicago story time. And this seems to be a good time to do it. So let's renew the Koori. They were in New York about a story. The Curry came back after 14 months of work apparently unless something goes wrong and there be a story about our station in Time magazine next week. This is not a this is not a plot for time it's not a plot for us simply to say to you. Fourteen months passed by for one story on the national scene. It's not unusual for this to happen. And it takes patience perseverance and work to get it across. So this is this is an overriding principle PR good public relations does not come easily does not happen because you want to happen. It's because you live it. I always tell the people who work for me that good public relations starts when whether you're making a call or you're answering one. And you know fans out from there. It's terribly

important to know that everything you do that has a public projection is is public relations and something that you have to be concerned about. This applies also to the matter of of your own your promotion your honor your promotion should be carefully coordinated with with what you do in the public press. Now there's another very important area of concern for those people who are professionals in radio and television and that concern relates to. How do you how do you most successfully tain placement in professional magazines and journals. This is important if you are whether you are a member of the staff of radio or television station which is. Owned by a state institution and university public school system or a community owned station and I thought that would be particularly appropriate to

have someone who is on the receiving end. I tell you how in her opinion you can most effectively do the job of reaching the journals in printed form and to do that. I'm very pleased to have with us this morning the editor of The National Association of educational broadcasters Journal is betting the Cannes betting. That by sliding back again making the fashion. You know I can say in eight words. That it. Has something to say say it. As that. So it isn't as easy as it sounds. As sounding to say first of all a good article is about one central idea it isn't a string of facts. Presented PR. To an editor and expect him to treat it as an article. He says this is a session of hundred Productions a motion and I pointed out that it is negative to approach a narrative from the bliss of the angle. All right are you saying I wonder where you

get all of the bliss of the homeless. Tell him if your article needs a letter of explanation and that's the whole story by itself. And how they feel about your article. Don't read your article to do for its readers. That's what he cares about. Not what it will do for you and your PR campaign. If you decide you know something to say get to know the federal general you had. Better make sure your article is several different issues. Possibly and columns already parked. At this point. Queried the editor if you're going to. Ask him whether he's interested in your article and your approach to the subject. Now when it's the hard part the say it step. One you have to write your article. These new plants may have. Avoided a long introduction to get to the point of the readers there is so many Education Writers and going to hell to write chronologically telling the entire back of the

project day by day. True our reader doesn't care. Is usually hitting the 20 something that tells you what you're writing about and why. They share facts. Many professional journals have to rely on their offers for accuracy. Few of us there are as fortunate as the NEA in general which has the staff to check every fact that goes into the location. Please note that I said any age or that anything. Accuracy includes the spelling of names when the editor sees and Miss Bellamy and makes you uneasy about your other than. To say nothing of their investment which may be yours if the editor doesn't catch it. By the way are you that in your article a garment very well from the body is not an initial and therefore does not carry a period or a jar without the age already spelled area plays marked visibly mired in some parts of the editor will be tempted to change it.

It says something about my favorite subject. The bad writing that haunts professional journals. Education journals in particular this is so universal that the educational presence those years in office and definitions to guide them rare trees when they're reading married Spears. Says their prayers quote. Extensive research has shown quote refers to one or two abstracts of doctoral theses the writer happened to come across. Quote enthusiastic support by listeners and I will suggest that one mother told the superintendent she liked the speech on the radio. Well the most pressing problem in education and Will is always the subject of the article. Quote experiments done experimental studies on this question are being conducted across the land. Means that there is more going on for my main one is UCLA. You can enjoy these particular pitfalls in your writing your life that's. A lot

about a quote polis a lot of the profundity of as Ed and rebel calls it. Which of Latin mixes home education journals. Perhaps that too is a matter of honesty. As Mr Dell Those are the say quote There is no need to present the obvious in the finery of the atmosphere. The way around a lot of this is to dot point these plain language avoided high sounding words. You can communicate a lot in words of few syllables. Example. We should go on to the end. We shot fired rockets which will fire on the seas and oceans. Which a virus going Kyra that is are going straight in the air. Which other than their island whatever the cost May 3. We shall fight on the beaches we shall fight on the landing. Which a fighter feels in industries we ship by their heels we shall never surrender. That is 64 words of one syllable words of doom and two words it's very. Tough to your leaders don't like to you to use examples to replace generalities.

Action photos can help. Write in first person when it seems natural. Remember the nouns and verbs communicate better than too many adjectives and adverbs. Try to use the active voice instead of the patsy. The lazy author revels in the passive voice because he doesn't have to have as much specific information. It doesn't matter you know who did what to whom but merely to whom. What was that. If you do all these things you will communicate. Your own net experience at the Bureau of Standards here in Washington when a New York plumber Elder he's hired to work as a foreigner you brings him was it. Watching generated by a glow. The efficacy of higher for gas it is indisputable but the chlorine residues at comparable as metallic prints. Are older news but their neighborhood is low normal army theory people.

Will not assume responsibility for the production of toxic and noxious residues like acid and suggest using alternate procedure. Foamers areas now where they still are very wary. Work on rushing to an exploded use hired for it as if it is hell out of it. For some people my last thing is the hardest to stop. When you fence and watching to say start your story. If you don't know enough material for an article. Give up the idea or go out and dig up enough material. But don't run in circles. If you have had something to say. Don't worry because your article is short. This fire alone often gives you a better chance of being set. If I did my own advice I'd start here. And oppose it. If after all your work and editor rejects your article exempted graciously. It will do your public relations no good to argue or to imply that the editor is a schmuck because he didn't like your area.

Or those of you like a little hollow more about how we should not sit beneath the journalistic articles I've left a few copies of the earlier talk on a chair back to. Me. Thank you who's McKenzie. Through. How about if we could drill and that. Mother is not on the roof. I was glad to hear Mrs. Mackenzie. Make the statement that she did about the people who call our editors of journals and and say I hope we can get some publicity on this because I think this is one of the greatest offenses by people who think that that pressure is the best way to get public relations results. And obviously it is not. And I'm happy to have such good senses spoken here. Now are. We really. We get down to. We get down to the

really. Basic work of the local public relations person with our next speaker. Just as they just as the some of the generals are fond of saying that the backbone of the Army's success in battle was the infantry soldiers. So is the person whose responsibility is a local responsibility. The backbone. Of the work is being done for broadcast radio and television station and her name does not appear in your program and I think it's because they had trouble seeing her because she's so small but she's very big in Washington. And b c you know she is the director of public relations for a goody two year year channel 26 here in Washington which enjoys excellent public relations and I hope that she's going to tell us why and Joyce's excellent public relations from her own point of view and I think she's going to speak particularly on their care and feeding of the press and I'm

happy interviews you know. This is do you work so you know who is the director of public relations that need to get to you you know. Well I guess it came from the analysts session here where investor Harlan Cleveland made a major address tonight is very impressed by his opening remarks which he said that this was what a moment this is to live and very opportunely he quoted from an educational television production. Christopher fries the prisoners in which he is the quote wise that. I fear there are now souls out. And I think this is true of educational television that I only speak that television because we don't need you guys in but I believe it's true also of radio that this is really an exciting time to be an educational television and I believe it is my job. In Washington which is an exciting place anyway to convey this excitement. To the public through our TV critics of mine we have two very

exceptional ones Larry Arend who you all know who wrote a book with. FCC chairman minnow on television. And Ernie Harrison of the star. And. It's exciting because the industry is burgeoning and you can feel it in the programs that come through for Manti and in the programs that you see other TV stations producing on their own. And I believe as you say that it's my job and I think it's the job of every. Educational Television. Promotion person to convey this exciting and the best way to do it of course is to have a personal relationship with a lot of your critics. And to be sensitive to their requirements and to be able to provide whatever information you know that they want. I have professional basis. And they have told me

repeatedly that the important thing. In informational material to that is that we should think of ourselves as professionals. We should act as professionals and that this is really the most important thing you have to remember. What they want. And when they don't have to happen and has nothing to do with your own deadlines. And this is something that any T has to remember sometimes that in their. Public information programs that it doesn't help to have the information a day ahead or you know sometimes a day after. But. You cannot get it in the papers and in the papers. Three days after it told me. You cannot. Get your audience if it isn't in the paper and you can't get it in the paper. If you know it just before the program's going to be on the air and I don't care whether the president of the United States is going to be on the air you've missed a deadline it's not going be in the paper.

And I think that is also something that we fail to realize pretty generally in the industry is that we have not. And it is an industry we've now got. Come to be big lead. We're no longer those little DTV stations that are struggling to get on the air that is struggling to make a mark for themselves in the community. We're big league and we have to think of ourselves as big league. We have to act as if we're basically which means that if we have a program. So I just came to my attention just a couple of days ago. Mike the irregular verb to love. And the festival of the Arts Series I'm sure you all have had a lot of publicity from any Tionne it sounds like a fascinating play as can you Otis Skinner in it and it has zero which I. Had a call from the TV department of the

star the other day and they want to make it a lead in their Sunday column. And they wanted some information which I didn't have. And I referred to all the information that had come out. Information that they wanted. Was a who what when and where. And while I write. About a dramatic production. It wasn't really enough to have these big names. It had to have. Some professional the magic information. That we didn't have. And I'm still not saying this is incomplete. You know I never complained and I know you get it. But I think it's symptomatic of the fact that we have not yet in all phases of our operation realized that we're big league and I'm not operating in all phases of operations as if we were basically.

And also the TV editors tell us that it's important. Not only to be professional in the production of the programs. But also in the handling of programs from an information standpoint. And that. We have to realize that we are in a stage in the business now where the TV critics and the editors are not going to lean over backwards anymore to help us out because we're a struggling child in the industry. They want to feel that we're big Lee and they want us to act like the big league and that's the way they're going to treat us. They want us to notify the well in advance of a

big show. And don't apologize. We should apologize for what we have. Some of the staff maybe requires apology from time to time. But. But we that we we don't need to apologize anymore. And. They also want to. Have screenings ahead of time and this is something that I suppose a smaller stations might find hard to do but is very important in getting a preview in the paper at that time or a review after the fact. In either case it's good just so they mention your name even if even if they say something that critical of your program I think it's worthwhile to have shown it and have been named in paper. And you hope they spell it. Right. I think that we. Also have to be prepared since we're in basically now to be treated on an equal basis with the other stations that we

shouldn't expect. That the critics are going to treat us with kid gloves and they're going to say well you know. They're having a hard time and they don't have the money and. They don't have the equipment or one thing or another. We have to expect to be treated on an equal basis and if we're criticize we have to be and stand up and take it. And see when Alex O and Chick mention about TV Guide I think this is very important because there are a lot of. Communities that are not listed in TV Guide yet and I'd like to tell you our experience with that. We've been on the air now for four years and we didn't get into TV Guide until about half a year ago. It was all a long long struggle of constantly talking to these people here in Washington. Reaching behind the scenes in New York. And wherever else Radnor.

And. We treated them as if. We really were in TV. We kept on sending them our our materials. We invited them to screenings constantly talk to them. Not cajoling but. We let them know that it was important. We finally made it. And again. What Ed said about. Having worked for 14 months with Life magazine I can top that one. I've been working to get in the local Sunday magazine since we went on the air four years ago. We finally made it about six weeks ago. We got in the Post magazine section with an article which had a beautiful typo in it but we hope that nobody got down in the last paragraph so the typo. But this was a a constant job. Talking to all different kinds of people.

And find the story that they wrote had nothing to do with what we thought they were the right. But when they finally did it it was a good story and. Although they had told us that we had so much publicity in the daily papers and in the TV columns that really there wasn't anything that they can write about us. Finally when we got our mobile unit it is a series of things for what's new. He went down on the Potomac River with as good a story to the Bardsley. And. Really the only thing you have to save a big league unless I. Think it's. A. Big big thing going to act like it is very important. My boss yesterday said we're. Educational characters exactly like you said his friend. We are a big believer in the things that she said are very true. Your information theory that the magazine is car and love life. You know I'm

sorry and we're going to be in the archives next Sunday too so you can stop now yeah. But that's beside the point. The fact is the fact is if we go back to the the same fundamental. Protection. For I forget for anybody who is a muscle their little blue car here please everybody put your name and station and job. On those cards and turn them into me at the end of the program. Because the NE he s wants it and and we're very interested. So please do that will you. But this is this is a professional job. It's work. I'll go a step further. Julie was talking about this point. About. Newspapers calling her up and wanting some information for a lead that she didn't hand. Our instantaneous response and I've drilled this into the people who work for me time and time again and I don't care what they ask me at least I make the initial attempt. I'll get it for them and and if it means that

I have to spend two or three bucks. For a telephone call of New York to get it I'll do it. You've got to have the desire you got it. It's like I hate to liken it to an athletic kind as all there are days when there are certain aspects of football that I feel like it. I've been through. But you absolutely gotta get what they want and you've got to have the desire. To do the desire to have good public relations is as much a requisite as a professional with. With that comment. I will now throw the floor for questions because I'm sure there are things that you'd like to ask about address your question any member of the panel and I will try to answer it. You know we don't know the answer yet for. Any question. We're not permitting speeches all. Yet.

That's bad that's bad PR. Your speech writer should know you do not. I make I mean that seriously. Yes or.

You know what. Do you want to know how I know that I'm like a man that if we had something coming in today would you go on the air today. I recommend that we don't use it until we can get the news that the papers that we hold. Well I think that what I think what you're talking about though is you're talking about a fairly short notice. You get a public affairs program that you get words coming through and you're going to have to use it and you have a say a maximum a week. What are you talking about something it's instantaneous that comes the same day as. Well. Op What what do we do in a case like that we had a

bio on the fare on Churchill when he died. And. What we did. And what we have done consistently where we have a case like this is in least in Chicago. We call the city gas of newspapers. We call the city Desa newspapers and they either do a round up. On some of the events of this kind where they carry a little column say TV coverage of this sort of thing or they carry it as a box inside of another story. But this is always for city desk consumption and we deal with it in a city guest news fashion. We will also call the TV hiring editors because with four views papers in Chicago and I don't know where you're from but with four newspapers in Chicago we have two coming out the morning two coming out evening and we will arbitrarily go after the highlights in those papers say that we're going to carry an obit or a bio on somebody who's just died or a sudden news event but we'd like Julia on anything that we can

delay on and see if giving us sufficient time to get into at least the weekly books and we leave the books in Chicago in the lock up. Six or seven days in advance usually get into the highlights section of a book or something like this. Another good technique if you have. You should excuse the expression gossip columnist in your town you can usually get an overnight drop in the gossip if you're really tired really was. So these are possibilities. This is one of the one of the uses of thinking on food. Really do you want to say yeah I'd like to make you know an actor mention that I think that we must remember that we should not only deal with the TV editors or the city das that there are many other sources of. News coverage in your paper as. We send out information to the music and it is a grind my head it is the heart he added carries the. Ballet. We get a big play on ballet.

And the women's feature and he's glad. Of the jersey child Well I think this is one of the challenges for good public relations person is finding ways to get the stuff off the TV and the public relations person who does this is the one who's doing total job. Good PR and good fund raising and I link the two together is like total warfare. And and and in the in the era in which the TV is entering now. The era which we're entering now Julia is so right. We've got to be big league we've got to compete and you think that you don't have to compete and you're going to go there would you have. For somebody to drop a quarter and forget it was ill poor pour the dregs of their coffee in your hand. Forget it there there no longer there's no longer this era where just automatically because your educational television you're going to give you a break because they're getting pressure they're getting pressure from the commercial people who say you know how come you give them such a

break and you know give it to us. They don't send you Christmas presents and I sure don't. Next question. Yes it would please. Right. I have to say to you that in the public relations business when the newspapers go on strike everybody in the PR business what's a bit a little bit. But the answer is we would not be. I said something in my opening remarks if you recall that that there is a direct link between what you do on the air and what you do walk in here and you know in the in the print media. We haven't talked very much about on your promotion but I can tell you that the WPT Debbi in Chicago and I was to a WTA and we have a regular promotion program calling attention of what it is it was carrying. It's done on a long range bases. It's very carefully thought out. It's very carefully desecrated and we make every effort to

see to it that our audience knows what we're doing. And as an example of this I'll take a a non-cultural area of our programming and show you what it means. The officials of the TV college series in Chicago will report to us. That the largest single source of registration for TV is there on the air. Promotion for and that includes special previews and we do a few college courses every year. So the answer is you cannot neglect. What you do with your own air. It's very important what you do. And if you're not getting the proper. Of on your promotion you've got to go and pound on the table in front of your program manager and say I've got to have scheduled time for promotion. If you're not giving it to me if you're not giving it to the public relations department or you're not getting it then there's something wrong with your program. Yes your area you got a raise to bring

rest either all round or like I said I thought you we're raising her about with it. Well. I happen to agree with your point of view. I i i i i. We have a we have a an ongoing campaign and some things or other that goes on all year round. However. There is only one time in the year that we really raise money on television and that is during our community campaign when we are actually making solicitation house to house. We dont do it during our mail campaign. We got our letters and our literature speak for themselves. We do approximately three to four only what I call used to show fundraising promotions a day and sometimes less sometimes as only as little as a couple a day. And strategic

times would say the community programming and you are seeing is made possible by the support of the community representation and we hope that you're enjoying the program and if you are not a supporter of our station that you will make a contribution. Very soft and very little key. I do not believe in making the case with the performers that follow every program and say I'm not going to be here next week if you don't support this and so forth. I don't believe this. I believe that the majority of the time. The majority of the time should be devoted to program promotion and I'll say further to you that if you're programming that raises money for you Do you have to let people know when you're raising money and you can let a lot of Raju away but you should not saturate your air continuously with with fundraising promotion because people in desperation will turn away. Lisah waited 10 only for her I think this is a DO YOU WANT TO ME AT A TIME.

When we only have about three or four in the area but we also have very frequent comments and the like sang when I need money. So. And your audience is not with you all the time. You've got to hit them at one time the air and the time do exactly to you child actor David sass kind of summer night family going to be really got your audience. But. You have to bear in mind that people are not with you all the time. And if you've got it here I think we do need the money. I think I think this is true I you know but I still think that we should err on the on the on the side of not doing too much rather than to overdo it and offend people. Yes you were there. The. Way he said. He

will check he was coming. And you know that yes I'd like to talk about this but I thought maybe he shook my head so not really and you're talking about a community where there is no. Station at all where you live where you. Are. Why. Well I have to ask you someplace does this. They should do anything for the community and with the community. Or is it just day and not blowing up programs that come from various sources. Is it involved in a community in this. One.

Oh I think it's an overall program really. I think several things. I think you I think that this is a matter of the image that you that you project in the community. Now. We need your very careful attention to the outside producer who represents a community agency in Chicago. But we don't we don't go overboard about it. We don't everybody that comes along. We were just out like an old dog rolls over to have his belly scratching turned to give it up program time. But we try to be good citizens. We try to project the image that we supply needs in Chicago. Version of almost every general feature that we that we sell to the to the newspapers puts across this idea and I think I think this is something frankly that comes naturally if you're doing a balanced schedule and you are servicing your community you can't do it you can't handle this in your publicity. And you know this this can be handled as a

part of your privacy. I don't. I don't see this as a problem is. It not I don't see it as a separate record it's our part I think as chick says of an integrated approach to public relations and your station. And I think it it comes naturally. Yes I knew that you were going to do. You know Miles you know you're. Going to have to. That is why I asked your to be on the panel when. I asked to be on a pair of because what she said was very pertinent to the point and needed to be said. But we hope she'll do something about it. Yes. You're the one who can answer that with where you probs are. Way We Are.

We. Live. There you live your. Life with. The words. You are. We while. I am not you. Know you're. Right in. This room using this. With. Me. While I was there you know. There's this community. It's clear you read said cut out here comes out of recognition like

that or if you see an educational television station fly over you're supposed to recognize the site. I notice Mr. Jackson toured three ranches yesterday to. Kill. For the way in Texas. Yes or something like that Hazaras general's request here what do you do when your newspapers close down. I'm going to be a sex deviant and staying where Bill had but I wonder if perhaps there. Was something I did as most people. When I started out. I said to set up. My. Place. Brett. And I started loving her regular debt. Personal letters to each of the commercial radio station managers for my release less. And send them spy hopping. And. Well and one particular program began promoting us. However raised by Wednesday. So if you're not using commercial radio you have it

right there. There are exactly my soul among the only service. Good point. Lie. Lie lie lie lie. Lie. With Again where are you working. Where he refers to these university releases. Throwing. In something you know he's the right man. This is all like me this morning. How you basically were about me was about a guy. I felt he was lying on. My integrity and he and I using it really well. I acted without being argumentative here the only thing I can say to you is that in a panel of this kind you can't possibly cover every aspect of effect the PR of what we can do is talk us out of bed and get to the question but I

would have to respond to you by saying that. As long as as long as you don't overdo it then all is always you don't overdo it you can get a great deal of help from commercial radio and television station. You might very well consider you might very well consider the billboard route to you know I mean that hasn't been mentioned faster quieter which is a which is a division of Metromedia group Gration said to us all you got to do is find the money to print one hundred twenty four sheets and we'll give you 100 billboards all over this plan. That say anything you want to say. There are you know untapped resources every place that you have to go to. We could recite a whole compendium of things if you could. This gentleman says it for him. Commercial radio has been a bonanza. We ran into a situation where we were off the air for three weeks while we were moving into our new Educational Television

Center. We went to we went to the commercial stations and said look we're trying to promote TV college registration and we can't do it because we're not on the air will you help us. And all of the news commentators said something about this question of when TV college registration was going to be they actually recorded programs or preview programs for free especially promotion programs and ran on the commercial channels. And NBC which you at that time was making a big thing out of being in D.C. the color map were. Before CBS and ABC chimed in. Actually asked us to provide color slides form so that it promoted and and and and this this this work as well. So if we had not mentioned the you know the possibilities are the items it doesn't mean it doesn't mean we don't expect to be able to give you all the answers. Thank you.

Work work well. Parker Parker and on this last comment I think part of it is you had you should call your shots till now to say if you have a newsmaking program I think that immediately goes to commercial radio and TV people as well and information is coming out and you don't send them your AS IS that says everything that you do not a statement if you have a newsmaking kind of a program. You should treat your newsdesk of your commercial radio and commercial television the same way you treat a news desk on whether it's a magazine or a newspaper or a wire service or they get the same information. I'm glad you mentioned that Jake because we here in Washington D.C. They do a program called foreign affairs. And we get it by four or five days in advance. We know what we're going to get about four five days in advance and we usually get it on a Friday and run it on a Monday and then on the first program that we were to receive we received it on Friday and we had to schedule the run on Monday and I was sitting before my television

set on Sunday night. And. Found an excerpt of the program on NBC News whereupon I called the station and cancelled the program. Because I don't believe that I don't believe that you should second guess other stations with a program like this so you can do it right. Going into Iraq if it's going to be a program is going to be aired on the educational stations it shouldn't be fed as news yet of the breaking point to other television space time matter. And since I'm. Talking about I'm from a foreign policy success white for me is bad boy in one sense the out if it if it's recorded for use of is recorded for use by educational stations. It should not be turned loose as TV material for other TV stations even a news program. Before you run it all tonight will tell you because we ran it before. But I know but you are on it you are in the program and if you release it if you give you right here in Washington you can write it with the understanding that

nobody else can pick it up and use it before using your other station. Well that's a that's a side issue and we'll let Tom talk about that privately very interesting letters how to kind of provide one more question. Yes where. Would you like to come in the future. I didn't you know your the question is do do you feel that citizens groups can help you in promoting programs. Yes I think that's the understanding. And if so how. Oh well we have quite a campaign and. A program and that is if we have programs of special interest to a. Group. We promote very widely with that group. We work with the United Nations

Association on fine fine kind of grants and the PTA zine as bands of interest to parents and teachers which are very general. But. We work very closely with the sunlight groups for select programs. And I asked him to put it in their bulletins or make announcements. I pressed step. Oh I'd go a step for you but you want to suggest just a common joke just saying I think that's a good point you brought up I think that's a valuable tool in which all it cost you is a few phone calls an additional and some work and frankly just having a mimeograph machine run some more copies or whatever the junior sending out because many of these organizations whether they're national or local are good for this they've got chapters all over that black mailing list they get either a weekly bulletin or they post material and they in effect already do your legwork and those of you have whatever it is the American Association of University Women League of Women Voters the

and it's as a group for any any any kind of day a subject area there you can spot your programs and just. Let me say disto ideally series something that has a content. New link is the best in the world with groups like this something that they can point out that's going to six weeks eight weeks or three months or whatever because of their pollsters and bulletins and the like but I think that's a valuable tool and you can get them to mail out Joy notices dry our members with their postage. We got a great deal. We've got a great deal of that and we also went through the length of having our own satellite proof this is not their sole responsibility the we have a Citizens Council which is separate from our board which functions as our goodwill ambassadors and I are interpreters of the community and we can pick these people because they represented various other organizations. But they do exist as a wing of our operation and they do a job of

interpretation for us in the community and we conduct at least two special effects for them a year in which time we preview programs for them so they can go out and tell other people what's going on on the BPP Debbie. So this is something we do. I'm afraid we do have to stop. Lestrange Did you have something you want to say. I'm just wondering. That is why serving very modest 96 inspired little yard pick to feed anything will you. He our earth and is doing a wonderful job with the finest The sea has a vast 6 other program going at the same time the press did go on strike tomorrow and NRA public relations would go online with anything anything make arrangements with a little lighter for the back billboard with their five. We are ranking where it is. Well I had my wife get like any other you know living card so. We have a wonderful new lives that are very full

manhood and a program guy having this very sort of programs will be a week. We have 12 hours of publicizing it. We can still do that I mean to our managers and we can all these smaller of the faith we have versus we hear you. Are very cooperative there. For us or give us a good list of. The state of higher. Paid his wife in engineering or the university when we have anything here you know there are. Three more everything will work for you you were here praying. For our. Program. Thank you very much. I think we'll have to close the session now I want to thank the members of the panel for their remarks this morning. Thank you all for being so patient. Thank you very much.

When we had our own session.