Student Scholarship

Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

This thesis, submitted in 1954, explores the emergence and development of educational television in the United States following the Federal Communications Commission's decision to reserve specific channels for noncommercial use. The author begins by tracing the technical history of television from its debut at the 1939 World's Fair through the postwar "freeze" on licensing, which eventually led to the 1952 Sixth Report and Order that allocated 242 channels for education. A significant portion of the work is dedicated to defining educational television, emphasizing that it must be serious, systematic, and sustained to distinguish it from the episodic educational efforts found on commercial stations. 

The document analyzes the intense debate between commercial broadcasters and educators regarding these allocations. Commercial interests argued that they could provide sufficient educational content through voluntary cooperation, while educators and the FCC maintained that dedicated noncommercial stations were necessary to ensure that educational needs were prioritized over advertising revenue. To support this transition, organizations like the Ford Foundation and the Joint Committee on Educational Television provided essential financial grants and legal assistance. 

A detailed case study of KETC in St. Louis illustrates the practical challenges of establishing such a station, including community fundraising, equipment procurement, and curriculum integration. The author identifies programming as the most critical hurdle, noting that educational stations must serve both in-school supplementary needs and adult home-education. Ultimately, the paper characterizes television as the most significant teaching tool since the printing press, arguing that its future success depends on the American public's willingness to support it as a permanent pillar of community life.

Research Highlights

The Problem: Defining the nature, necessity, and financial viability of educational television (ETV) while securing and protecting 245 noncommercial channel allocations against commercial interests. 

The Method: Analysis of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) hearings, the "Sixth Report and Order," interviews with government officials and educators, and a case study of the development and financing of St. Louis station KETC. 

Quantitative Finding: The FCC allocated 242 channels (later 245) for noncommercial use; by early 1954, 46 applications were filed, resulting in 29 construction permits (13 VHF; 16 UHF); the St. Louis Educational Television Commission secured $773,226 in total pledges and assets for KETC; television history includes 17 experimental stations operating by 1937 and a commercial authorization date of July 1, 1941. 

Qualitative Finding: Educational television is distinguished by its "sequential nature" and continuity of presentation rather than scattered information; commercial broadcasters argued that voluntary cooperation on existing facilities was sufficient, while educators cited frequent shifts in broadcast times as a primary hindrance; major financial and organizational support originated from the Ford Foundation through the Fund for Adult Education and the establishment of a program exchange center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

Publication Date

1-1957

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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