The history of non-commercial, not-for-profit radio broadcasting in the United States in practical terms goes back only some forty years, with the signing of the Public Broadcasting Act in 1967. Before that discussion had taken place in government and educational circles about the worth of “excellence of broadcasting,” over commercial concerns, but with little concrete results in mass broadcasting.
The BBC Blueprint for Public Service Broadcasting
In the United Kingdom, the British Broadcasting Corporation,the BBC or “Auntie” or “The Beeb” as she is sometime, often affectionately or otherwise called, laid the foundations and the blue print for public service broadcasting. The Corporation’s formation by Royal Charter in 1927 and its subsequent development famously under its first Director General Lord Reith established a BBC model which was followed to a large extent over the ensuing years throughout Europe and beyond.
Chicago’s Museum of Broadcast Communications suggests the following developments:
- In Denmark – the Danish Broadcasting Corporation;
- In Italy – Radio Telvisione Italiana;
- In France – Radio diffusion Television Francaise;
- In Sweden – the Swedish Television Company;
- In Australia – the Australian Broadcasting Corporation;
- In Canada – with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation;
- but not in the US.
In the United States from the 1920’s, the market and commercial concerns controlled and dominated the operations of radio and subsequently television. The United States Radio Act of 1927 established the format for advertiser and commercial-funded-only radio and television, and shaped the major part of broadcasting psyche overall for the first part and much of the 20th century.
The Importance of Public Service Broadcasting.
In practical terms it was not until President Lyndon B Johnson announced the outline of what he called, “a network for knowledge,” that the USA could move some way towards an alternative to the market for the communication of ideas, information and programming. The worth of electronic communication as an educational tool had long been recognised in academic circles, but this thinking had yet to transfer to the marketplace.
In 1966 The Carnegie Commission on Educational Television released a Public Television: A Program for Action. A current local station KETC Channel 9 in St.Louis Missouri says on its website that it, “laid the foundation for federal assistance for public television programming and local support.”
Current, the newspaper about public TV and radio, reports that EB White, a major contributor to the New Yorker Magazine and author of the childrens’ novels Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web wrote a letter to Stephen White, the assistant to the Commission Chairman James R Killian in support of public service broadcasting generally and the establishment of government action to set-up a framework to facilitate its organisation.
In the letter he said:”Non-commercial TV … should be our Lyceum, our Chautauqua, our Minsky's, and our Camelot. It should restate and clarify the social dilemma and the political pickle. Once in a while it does, and you get a quick glimpse of its potential.”
The full letter is here.
The Signing of the Public Broadcasting Act.
In November 1967, President Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act and as well as setting out the necessary framework and funding for the eventual establishment of organisations like the US Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio, Congress declared its intention that “in the public interest,” the stated aims of the act were:
- To encourage the growth and development of public radio and television broadcasting
- The expansion and development of public telecommunications and of the diversity of its programming
- To address the needs of unserved and underserved audiences and particularly children and minorities
- To make public services available to all citizens of the United States
The wording of the act was quite careful to ensure that the use of such media should be for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes.
Editorial Independence in Public Broadcasting
Experience from other countries had shown the legislators how a public service broadcaster without proper safeguards could easily become, and had in other countries, the mouth piece of the government or the political party currently in power. This necessitated establishing both editorial and as much as possible financial independence, with suitable fiscal controls.
Furthermore, the Public Broadcasting Act therefore set-out a framework for the establishment of a private corporation to,”facilitate the development of public telecommunications and to afford maximum protection from extraneous interference and control.”
The 1967 Act and has led to the establishment and development of organisations for Public Broadcasting like the US Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio (NPR). On its website NPR now cites that its member organizations operate 784 radio stations, and another 117 public radio stations also presenting NPR programmes, a total of 900 nationwide, and as an organisation it:”produces and distributes programming,” reaching a combined weekly audience of 27.1 million.
Dan McCurdy - Dan McCurdy is a freelance writer producer creative and lecturer. Dan is one of the UK's most experienced radio writers and producers. ...
