Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1952 [PAGE 1250]

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1952]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS R E P O R T O F T H E COMMITTEE ON TELEVISION

1347

Mr. Livingston, Chairman of the special Committee on Television, presented the following report:

On request of the President of the Illinois Broadcasters Association, the Board of Trustees Committee on Television met with a Committee of the IBA at 2:00 p.m., January 16, 1952, in the Electric Club of Chicago, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois. The following were present: University of Illinois representatives: President P a r k Livingston and Mr. Wirt Herrick of the Trustees Committee President George D. Stoddard Dean Wilbur Schramm Director R. B. Hudson Director J. F . Wright Mr. A. J. Janata, Secretary of the Board. Illinois Broadcasters Association representatives: Mr. Merrill Lindsay, Chairman, Station W S O Y , Decatur Past President, IBA Director, National Association of Radio & Television Broadcasters Mr. J. Ray Livesay, Station W L B H , Mattoon President, IBA Mr. Oliver J. Keller, Station W T A X , Springfield Vice-President, I B A Mr. Leslie C. Johnson, Station W H B F , Rock Island Past Vice-President, IBA Past Director, N A R T B Mr. Charles C. Caley, Station W M B D , Peoria Director, IBA Past Director, N A R T B The meeting was opened by Mr. P a r k Livingston, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Committee, who asked the Illinois Broadcasters Association Committee to present their views. At the request of Mr. Lindsay, Chairman of the IBA Committee, Mr. Livesay, President of the IBA, presented a prepared statement: Statement of the I L L I N O I S B R O A D C A S T E R S A S S O C I A T I O N in regard to the reservation of channels for educational institutions and the operation of television transmitters by tax-supported or nonprofit organizations. 1. The I L L I N O I S B R O A D C A S T E R S A S S O C I A T I O N is unalterably opposed to the University of Illinois, or any other tax-supported institution or nonprofit organization, engaging in competitive commercial enterprises, be they television or otherwise. 2. Further, the I L L I N O I S B R O A D C A S T E R S A S S O C I A T I O N is opposed to the University of Illinois, or any other tax-supported institution, committing enormous construction and operating funds for television transmitting stations without prior hearing and approval by the State Legislature; these costs would amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars for initial construction plus hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in perpetuity, for operation. 3- The I L L I N O I S B R O A D C A S T E R S A S S O C I A T I O N believes that educational programming has an important place in television; the broadcasters of the state have declared they would welcome meritorious T V programs produced by our state educational institutions. At the same time, the I B A is opposed to the control of adult education by any organized group. 4- The I L L I N O I S B R O A D C A S T E R S A S S O C I A T I O N opposes the operation of tax-supported radio and television stations except on a basis complementary to existing commercial station programming. 5- It appears obvious from the last minute efforts of the University of Illinois and the Joint Committee for Educational Television that their efforts of the past