Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-19
EDUCATION EXPERT
ON RADIO IS NAMED
Wilbur Appoints C. N. Koon
as Rival Groups Continue
Fight Over Air Time.
BY ROBERT MACK.

Filling an intermediate position be.
tween the group OF educators seeking
an allotment Of Is per cent of the
broadcasting wave lengths and the riva
educational group willing to cooperate
with existing broadcasters, Secretary Of
the Interior Wilbur has appointed Cline
M. Koon, assistant director of the
famous Ohio School Of the Air. to fl
the newly created post of specialist ir
education in the United States Once
OF Education.
The Federal Government thus steps
into the gap between the two partisan
groups into which the educators are
forming. One, the National Com
mittee on Education by Radio, wants
actual wave lengths allotted to colleges
and universities and regulated by the
States: the other. the National Advisory
Council on Radio in Education. IS seek
ing to find a means whereby organized
education can make the best use of the
limited radio facilities already available
Politics Big in Issues.
Politics enters into the rivalry be-
tween these two groups In no small
degree. To meet the demands OF the
national committee, which Is under the
craftsmanship of Joy Elmer Morgan OF
the National Education Association.
would mean that many existing broad
casters must go of the air to make way
for radio stations operated by educa-
tional institutions. Recognizing the
dificulty facing such move, the Ma
tional Advisory Council is essentially a
research agency trying to find out how
educators can best use radio without
disrupting the present American system
Whereas the former group IS highly
critical of commercial broadcasting and
wants it subdued. to say the least, the
latter group takes no stand against
radio by the American plan, but evinces
its willingness to cooperate with exist
ing networks and stations, which have
offered generous blocks of hours to the
educators If they can get together for
an organized program OF broadcasttng
to the schools and homes.
Both organizations are strong finan-
cially and politically. The Morgan
group is conducting its campaign for
is per cent Of the wave lengths, or
I3.5 channels, under an endowment
said to amount to S250000 from the
Payne fund Senator Fess Of Ohio,
chairman of the Republican National
Committee, introduced legislation in
the last Congress to provide the chan
neIs sought. The Tyson organization
Is backed by Carnegie Rockefeller gifts
and numbers the leading broadcasters
and many outstanding educators among
those friendly to its aims.
KoOn to Start Research.
Although Secretary Wilbur himself
was first instrumental In organizing
the National Committee on Education
by Radio, he has since taken a middle
ground on the matter of depriving
existing broadcasters Of their facilities
in order to turn them over to that
educational group. In appointing Mr..
Koon. he selected a man whose ex-
perience consists Of both operating q
university radio station and cooper
ating with an existing commercial
broadcasting station.
The Ohio School of the Air broad
casts over the radio station of Ohio
State University, but enjoys its greatest
audience when It utilizes hours allotted
TO 1t by WLW of Cincinnati, one Of the
most widely heard stations on the con-
tinent The latter time is given the
Ohio school free Of cost in order to
carry special programs into the schools
OF Ohio and nearby States.
Koon Is 1915 graduate Of West
Virginia University and secured his
masters degree from Columbia Uni
VekSlLyt a1SeK WHICH ne served IOr nine
years as principal Of various high
schools In West Virginia. In his new
post he VIII initiate and conduct re-
search into radio as a medium Of edlca-
ton, organize and maintain an In
formation and Advisory Bureau for
schools and others interested in using
radio, study radios place in college and
university extension courses, ana pre-
pare material for publication on various
phases Of education by radio.
(Ccpyright 1912