1968 National Association of Educational Broadcasters convention; Frank Pace - Reel 2 of 2

But also at the top of the last of course is the field of progress. We are not going again unless our programs are challenging. And that's our program for meaningful. You know unless our programs are heard and listened to the early stages of the game. The very limited nature of our news going to mean that our contribution in terms of our original programming is going to be less than it will be at a later day. And on the last AM Briana clearly we must get ahead in this area and to a degree we must piggyback and make sure that every dollar is right too. I cannot emphasize the importance of programming and its concomitant requirement promo. You know that the old as you heard in your discussions here we have been giving serious thought to what

might be done in this field we have been out with the stations in the field and we hope that the steadily improving quality of programming comes to you. We provide you with an equivalent opportunity to cause not only our present public but an additional public to recognize its value and become part of your list. I think next in line although again I do not want to. One two three this for me is is people. I believe that this is essentially a young man's game young woman's game. Young people take to their ass and since it is new it can be their own and their creative capabilities can be unleashed here.

I believe that within our capacity to use it we have to get on with the business of developing the kind of managerial competent that will permit us to provide for the future of the kinds of managers that we've had in the past. I think that we must encourage the development of the imaginative and artistic people particularly young in our society to create a revolution. I think we also have to create a climate in which they are prepared or pag like it has to be something that excites moves them. And I think we have to almost for the first time give creative genius a chance that have the same arranging opportunities that the businesses and scientists have had in the fields of the physical science. And most of all it has to be a place both in which they are

comfortable and in which they think their. Creativity is broadly appreciated. And here of course is the all chicken and egg but to a degree they are attracted not only by the freedom and the opportunity and the challenge but in the end they will also be attracted by how many people have a chance to see what they have produced and more importantly how many people will understand and retain it to a certain degree. Beyond that I see the critical importance of interconnection and network. I'll say a word about interconnection because I know it has been broadly discussed here at the convention and I know it has caused considerable concern among your membership and I should say to you that what happened here and as you now know from your

discussions with our people who have been involved that there was an opportunity to serve and we reached Paul and if I may say so because I did not really participate so effective. One of the people who participated so persuasive were their way and so responsive. Why the AT&T that we came forward with results beyond our greatest expectations and more rack. Naturally we were unprepared for it. Our response was to undertake to help. I think that the road to doing this will be hard and I think that certain changes will be effected as a result of discussions here and subsequent discussions arranged that we will get on with it. We will do it in a little run I think will be a better way out of it and better malapit group to

carry out what we seek to carry out because we have this problem. Its only when you come up against the hard sharp problem of what is it do to me that you really get out of the problem of how do you work to get out. Its all very well to spin the great theories of what's going to happen and what you do but when you get there you come to the nitty gritty and when you get to the nitty gritty that's when you find out whether you're a team or whether you're us out of individual playing and individual gang response here has made clear to me that the former is the case and we're going to get on with this bit even if we were infinitely better organized than we are. We could never satisfy. All of the people involved. We have never come close if we had Solomon like wisdom. Inadequately prepared I will be other error. This is something that we've got to do together and you view it either it is something it is a

great opportunity that we reach for for a long time and I think it is and we get on whether than we take the knocks that go where that and hopefully we minimize laws or else you lose the opportunity that exist when you lose connection. My alsono saying I am heartened by. The future that lies before us in terms of the satellite. To be a long couple of days with your old cherry inquiring into exactly what this man have the greatest respect for his scientific judgment and I think that that day is no more than two three years away when great opportunities again open up for us. What we're doing now in the interconnection with the old will prepare us I think the fact they've laid for the opportunities that arise in that.

Remember to tell where your connection is concerned we are not undertaking here we all were trying to find out what works and what doesn't work. And let me also say that while I have had delegations meet telegram sent to me this I appreciate because we was beautifully ill that this is not only your privilege but your right. And if public broadcasting is to realize its potential it will only do so because its people have the courage to state their conviction so long as those convictions are within a constructive framework in their car. We welcome them. We will not be able to answer some of them. We will not be able to evolve. But when we come out with it at least we will know what is the thinking of the people who have to make it work. Fire away I think that there are great things to be done in the field of

research and develop. We have a remarkable opportunity here because of the flexibility of our system our associates in the commercial field are locked in by very substantial economic commit their ability to undertake real state of the art. Developments and advances are at Bethlem. I think we must remain ventures wisely venturesome. I hope we can task before we venture walk lightly on the ice before we go out too far. But I hope we will always remain ventures. I hope we will accept the fact that the road to progress is paved with limited fate. We will be prepared to fail as little as we can but still will be prepared. And now let me

admiring passed through the priority list. As I see them in our operation passing on to another area that is separate and yet quite compelling importance in our home operation and that is the field of radio I think I was in radio need have no concern that this will go unnoticed in this corporation because if we haven't a grassy Committee and the corporation is the radio command. I hear from them as I hear from anybody on this board. And that's because they think it's important and they believe it because of the pressures that they developed. We have with their work which they have undertaken and the independent lay developed with the four day a meeting and a series of studies that we

hope will provide us with a basis for moving forward in the field of radio. If I have retain my sanity if not my health in this pursuit of your cause it's because of the really remarkable. Document generated by the kids commission but nothing else that is written really to refer to. This is proven to me and my confreres to be a god in the field of radio we had no direction and we were not required to go off in all directions it was them so we are organizing ourselves I hope. Affective way to ensure our That Public Radio will well join staff quick and take advantage of the great leverage that exists there too to move forward

down the road. And since I mention the Ford Foundation I should say to you that there pro-Mac down we've had absolutely the finest cooperation. They who have carried the burden for so long in this area realize that the torch must be passed all of Motley to this corporation and so and I hope ultimately the way we have worked. We are out of work hand in glove with complete understanding and I think you should draw satisfaction from the fact that our thinking and as it coincided in those areas in which. We have tended to operate in the three final thing I have noticed as I've traveled around and talked individually and collectively that one of the spring there is public

broadcasting system is the basic independent. The man who had the local stations and their entire stay. Enormously bright dedicated group of people with a real concern that the corporation Magro into a centralized operation that they feel is an addict. Add to that equal to the best interests of public broadcasting. I think I should reassure you and I know in the US that I speak for my board because it follows the precepts of the Kadian Commission report that nothing of this nature is intended and in fact I actually think that while I am over crass because of the smallest of the staff and the care with which it has been selected this should serve as ultimate reassurance to you. I think also I should say to you that while we are not seized with the responsibility. Of the area of

facilities report support we are fully aware of the fact that. It takes these two sides to make up a single cause. A marvelously supported and financed corporation is meaningless without the facilities to move forward in the area in which we have a contribution to mak. And while we are not seeing is that this problem where fully aware or. To the degree that we can be helpful. It is our intention so to do. Because these two should never in any mind be regarded as compatible. This would be the worst of all possible war in every mind it must be understood that these have to walk down the road together sometime one a few steps ahead of the other and sometimes the other a few steps ahead but always together. And finally I would guess that you would wonder what I would think about public broadcasting under a new

administration. And I would say to you that obviously in the early stages because there are other great priorities this will not be understood as fully are as well as it was in an administration that had been going for some time. But in the period of time that I've been associated with this and believe me I have been seen as deeply of the problem. I have become completely convinced that this is the most important affirmative social instrument of our time in times that are troubled as these are where an instrument lands itself to the great deals of education primarily at a preschool of community relations and of the opportunity for South matrimony. It's too important not to be seized on by any administration. And I have every confidence that this new

administration once it understands what is involved will be as aggressively supporting this operation and as it sees it grow more aggressively supporting than the present administration has been. So I want to say it's on behalf of the board. I have given you a report on these brief six months of stewardship. My own board feels that in many instances they are not as well informed of what we are doing as they would like to be. I know that each of you to whom public broadcasting is more than just a profession but has become a way of life are deeply fascinated and sometimes deeply disturbed because you do not know exactly what is being done. And as we grow our capacity to communicate will grow. As of the present time it is

enormously limited and therefore it's a very valuable and a very useful level for me to have a chance to appear before you today and give you this six months account of our stewardship. I hope that this occasion will arise again and in different form because I believe I'm all the way in the long run that is essential if this is to succeed. It is that you must know what we are about and that we must know what you think about what we are about. That does not mean that what you think that we are about will always be what we all the motley decide because of all the privilege and problem of leadership is the ultimate decision for what is deemed to be the ultimate rot. I think there is one promise that I can give you and that is that

we will organize slowly and hopefully wisely and what we will never look well all the all the hype to watch this remarkable public broadcasting instrument should reach our vision will remain high. While our progress will be originally slow. And if I were to gag it would be my guess that when this five six seven years back. This will be one of the most critical flexible invaluable instruments in this nation. Thank. You. Perhaps it has. Ragab.

You have heard Frank Pace chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting speaking at the 1968 convention of the National Association of educational broadcasters held in Washington D.C. in November. Highlights from the n. A B convention were recorded by WMUR FM the American University in Washington D.C. for presentation on any are the national educational radio network.