Evening star., 1952-11-25
Educational ~
Farley Brings
Harmony Note
Cooperation Pledged
Other Institutions
By School Officers
By jones 6. Deune

BY jones 6. Dedne
Threats of battle between the
Districts Board of Education and
other institutions over the city's
educational television channel
appeared to have subsidized today.
Representatives of other insti-
tutions met with top school Off
cials yesterday. They won a
promise of cooperation and. in
turn, were asked to propose a set
of principles for the channels
use.
Next Monday the same group
will meet at 2 pm. in the Frank
lin Administration Building to
work on the project. It will re-
port to larger group and a plan
later will be submitted to the
school board.
Yesterdays session was re-
quested by the educators. It was
held in the Office of Supt. Hobart
M. Corning and attended by
Board President C. Melvin Sharpe
and other school officers.
Progress Seen.
Mrs. Louise S. Walker of the
Montgomery County schools,
chairman of the Educators Com
mittee, said afterwards she felt
great progress had been made.
The Board of Education re-
Gently applied to the Federal
Communications Commission for
control of the video channel,
which is the only one slated to
be assigned here. The board also
approved plans to ask Congress
for 100000 to build a station
and start it operating.
Yesterdays meeting followed
criticisms against the board for
seeking the station independently.
Supt. Corning assured the edu-
Gators the station will be run CO.
operatively and that school
authorities "had no idea of monop-
olizing the station for ourselves" :"
Welcomes Advisory Help.
He said advisory help will be
welcomed.
But the superintendent said
final authority for the stations
operation. in his opinion, must
rest with the Board of Educa-
ton. He also declared station
employees must be school employees.
DR. Corning also made it clear
he would be unwilling to have
the School Board withdraw it's
application for the channel, or
mold it up, in favor of control by
any other plan.
He was questioned on this point
by Arthur Fisher, official of the
Library of Congress and one of
the chief critics of the School
Board.
Mr.. Fisher said the School
Board itself would use only half
or less of the stations time. He
asked whether the board would
want the responsibility for CON
tentious subjects" which might be
involved in evening programs, such
as discussions of school segrega-
ton and home rule.
Isaac Franck of the Jewish
Community Council asked whether
a new joint application for the,
station by the School Board and
other groups would still be pos
Sible.
Doubts Right to Withdraw.
DR.. Corning said he does not
feel the School Board has any
right to withdraw or delay ac-
ton on its application. He also
said he does not think the public
schools would be able to partici-
pate legally. unless they had final
control.
Both Mr.. Fisher and Mr.. Franck
denied they were trying to per-
Suade school officials to withdraw
the application.
Msgr. John S. Spence, director
of education for the Catholic
archdiocese here. said the educa-
tors are concerned that there
should be democratic, not auto
cratic machinery which would
guarantee each institution fair
treatment in the stations opera
tion. The machinery, he said,
should leave Interpretation of
what is controversial open to
groups. not one agency, or one
man."
DR.. Corning pointed out that
FEC rules require full co-opera-
ton" He added:
''I think we would be very stupid
If we attempted to embark on an
undertaking like this without the
formation of advisory committees
or groups to participate"
Sees Delay of Year.
DR.. Corning said it would be a
SCd4 vi q yCcbA anu 41d14 d4GC1
the license is obtained before the
station is telecasting, assuming
Congress grants funds. He said
experts would be brought in to
help with plans.
Mr.. Sharpe said he favors Gre
alton of an advisory group. He
also said it would be necessary to
hire some one with know-how to
manage the station.
Il think programming will also
have to be done by a professional" !"
he declared, otherwise, we anna
teurs will make a ham out of it."
The school officials were ques-
toned by the Rev. Daniel E. Power
of Georgetown University on what
controversial issues would be al
lowed on programs. Mr.. Sharpe
said he is against acrimonious
discussion" adding:
II don't want controversial sub
jectS."