Evening star., 1934-10-14
RADIO EDUCATION
STRONGLY URGED
Communications Commits.
sion Is Given Views of
Many Organizations.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

n GTd1 LI1cSlo LI1dL Vic IA CcCAAO oJoSOA1A
of broadcasting has many fiagrant
shortcomings, and that something
should be done for education by
radio, spokesmen for elementary and
higher learning and for religious in
stitutions and a variety of other in
terests this week about completed pre-
senting their formal cases before the
broadcast division of the Federal
Communications Commission.
What has been heard up to this
writing emphasizes several conclu-
sions, which may be summarized thus:
/. Among the educators, whether
friendly disposed or unfriendly toward
the present system of private enter
prise, disgust is freely expressed with
the blatant types of commercialism
still rampant on the air-regarded as
unjustified even on the plea Of need
for supporting revenues; or on the
plea expected to be presented by the
broadcasters during their day in
court" that symphonic, dramatic and
even more educational programs are
gaining more prominence in radio
schedules.
2. Although foreign broadcasting
under governmental auspices, partic-
ularly Of the type Of the government
owned British Broadcasting Corp,
has frequently been pointed out as
exemplar of how the better things"
are better presented to the radio
audiences, most of the educational
groups are now apparently Of one
accord in their expressions that they
do not favor government ownership
and operation of American radio.
3. Granted that something should
be done for education by radio, the
question of how it shall be done and
who shall do it remains unanswered.
Here we find the educators split,
apparently hopelessly, into variety
of groups and interests, as pointed out
in this column before. Their position
is further complicated by the demands
from certain religious institutions and
groups, likewise divided among them
selves.
Federal Part Question.
Shall Uncle Sam, himself, through
his office of education, undertake
Nationwide program of education
by radio? Many educators balk at
the idea with the surrender Of State
and local autonomy implied in such
Capitalization of activity.
Shall the primary school interests,
through their national association, do
the job? The adult education groups
frown on such a suggestion. So far
the definite national programs for
the regular use Of radio for elementary
education in the class rooms and the
homes, aside from the many purely
local station arrangements, have
largely been undertaken by the net
works rather than the educators
Examples are the Walter Damrosch
musical appreciation series and the
Columbia School of the Air.
Shall the thousand or more Amer
ican colleges and universities operate
their own stations? Thirty-nine of
them now do, as against more than
100 that had radio stations at one
time Those that operate stations
want their rights on the air properly
safeguarded without constant re-
course to expensive defensive litiga-
ton. Some sell time" exactly like
any other commercially sta
tions as a means of supporting their
operations.
Whereas there has been steady de-
crease in the number of college-owned
radio stations, largely because they
were sold to commercial interests after
failure to secure budgetary support or
by reason of lucrative offers, very few
institutions of learning not now in
radio have made any demand for new
stations even when new bands of wave
lengths were opened up. Moreover. If
each and every educational institu-
ton, State and local, sectarian and
non-sectarian, demands its own sta
ton, to say nothing Of the religious
groups, there would manifeStly be no
room" left on the limited number of
wave lengths for them all or for any
other broadcasting services.
Clearing Air Desired.
As for purging the ;.ir Of the blatant
and distasteful, there is little argument
that the sooner this is done the better
for all concerned. The broadcasters,
knowing that they are "on trial. be-
fore an influential segment of Amer
ican opinion, have had this fact