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' I I: I v; I » III II '.' . 'I'II'IIII-h I 'I-"IIIIIII'IIIII' ‘IIIIIII ' . I I IIIII‘I'I ‘_IJ~ II I I. II II- I I I'.I.III I I I 'II'I I I 'I I' .III. ' II II‘I " II‘ II' II I I‘ ' '.I. I. 2.2... '.III- ".... ...‘III II'-’I III.. .III“ ..I. III... I .IHII.11KI.IIMM .. . mssv ‘ {I I L "A" it I“ w “" t 5" 4- ' I4... ¢¢-A.Ak ll Michigan Saw ‘2- if Irv-Irv- This is to certify that the thesis entitled AN INVESTIGATION AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE COMMUNITY ASCERTAINMENT PROCESS IN PUBLIC TELEVISION: TWO CASE STUDIES presented by John Edward Merrill, III has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for M.A. degree in Telecomunication Major professor Date 3 ‘ 011‘ Y0 0-7639 DEM M31 .,_L OVERDUE FINES: 25¢ per day per ite- RETURNING LIBRARY MATERIALS: Place in book return to muove charge from circulation records AN INVESTIGATION AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE COMMUNITY ASCERTAINMENT PROCESS IN PUBLIC TELEVISION: TWO CASE STUDIES By John Edward Merrill, III A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Telecommunication 1979 C7//<752cq/ ABSTRACT AN INVESTIGATION AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE COMMUNITY ASCERTAINMENT PROCESS IN PUBLIC TELEVISION: TWO CASE STUDIES By John Edward Merrill, III This research was undertaken to trace the history, identify the precise methods and critically analyze the process of ascertaining community needs and interests at two Michigan public television stations. The analysis contains the development of a systematic approach by which each station might more effectively determine and address the needs and interests of present and potential audiences. The two public stations that were a part of this research study were NKAR-TV, Channel 23, licensed to the Board of Trustees of Michigan State University, and WTVS-TV, Channel 56, licensed to the Detroit Educational Television Foundation. Data concerning station policy, management responsibility, signal coverage contours, audience demographics, conmunity leader checklists and questionnaires, general public survey results, master program lists, problems vs. programs aired and planned programs was obtained by examining public information files at the two stations. Ascertainment coordinators at each station outlined step-by- step procedures used in gathering and analyzing ascertainment data. Although special consideration was given to differences in market sizes, station licenses, audience demographics, staffing and management corrmitment to ascertainment, reconmendations were designed to meet the specialized needs and capabilities of both stations in this study. Input for these alternative approaches was provided by in-depth discus- sions with station management personnel, program production staff and some of those who have conducted ascertainment research at public tele- vision stations and universities in the United States. Among the proposals in this thesis are: (l) delegation of respon- sibility for planning, organizing and carrying out station ascertain- ment on a regular basis to a senior staff member; (2) a method for conducting the General Public Survey on the local level; (3) a more efficient design for the direct use of ascertainment results in fOrmulating programming to identifiable community groups; and (4) more effective identification of and responsiveness to specialized audiences that comprise "voiceless" groups in the community. Accepted by the faculty of the Department of Telecommunication, College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Michigan State University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree. Director of Thesis ii This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my parents, Mildred M. and John E. Merrill, Jr., who were, during their lifetimes, constant sources of love and encouragement. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Kent Creswell, Associate Director of Instructional and Public Television at Michigan State University, the entire management staff of WKAR-TV and Ms. Rosetta Gadson, Director of Community Relations at WTVS-TV, Detroit, for their assistance in this research. I also would like to thank Ms. Carol Keegan of the Office for Communications Research at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Dr. Mark Johnson, Chairperson of the Department of Communication at Mount Vernon College, Washington, D.C. for their valuable contributions. Special thanks are given to Dr. Lawrence N. Redd, my thesis advisor and friend, for providing his support and enthusiasm during my entire program. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ........................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ....................... viii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ................... l The Problem ................... 2 Methodology ................... 3 CHAPTER 11. PUBLIC TELEVISION COMMUNITY ASCERTAINMENT: A BACKGROUND’ ................. 4 The Community Leader Survey ........... 10 The General Public Survey ............ l7 Other Methods of Ascertainment .......... l8 Summary of PTV Ascertainment Background ..... 19 CHAPTER III. WKAR-TV COMMUNITY ASCERTAINMENT ......... 25 The Community Ascertainment Process at WKAR-TV ................. 27 General Public Survey Results .......... 32 Summary of WKAR-TV Ascertainment ......... 38 CHAPTER IV. WTVS-TV COMMUNITY ASCERTAINMENT ......... 42 The Community Ascertainment Process at WKAR-TV .................. 47 General Public Survey Results .......... 49 Summary of WTVS-TV Ascertainment ......... 51 CHAPTER V. RECOMMENDATIONS ................. 53 Delegation of Responsibility ........... 53 The General Public Survey ............ 53 Identification of Voiceless Community Groups . . . 6O Responsiveness to All Viewers .......... 66 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page CHAPTER VI. PERSONAL STATEMENT ................ 70 APPENDIX A ........................... 72 APPENDIX B ........................... 82 APPENDIX c ........................... 107 LIST OF REFERENCES ....................... 121 vi Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. LIST OF TABLES Suggested Number of Leader Interviews for Commercial Stations 1979 WKAR-TV Programming Budget . .......... Method of Random Selection, 1978 WKAR-TV General Public Survey WKAR-TV Ascertainment Demographics "Are You Satisfied Living in the Lansing Area?" . . . . "Do You Know of a Public or Educational Television Station in the Area?" I'Do You Know the Station Channel Number?" ...... "Do You Know the Station Call Letters?" "Have You Ever Watched Channel 23 WKAR-TV, Public Broadcasting?" (Entire Sample) "How Often Do You Watch Channel 23, WKAR-TV?" . . . . "Have You Ever Watched Channel 23, WKAR-TV?" "Would You Take a Course on WKAR-TV?" ........ "Would You Like to Take the Course for Credit?" . . . . "Would You Be Willing to Pay for the Course for Credit?" 1979 Operating Budget, WTVS-TV WTVS-TV Ascertainment Survey Demographics ...... vii Page 13 22 29 3O 31 32 32 32 32 33 33 33 34 48 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. FCC Community Leader Checklist Sample . . . . Figure 2. Sample Introduction ............. Figure 3. Suggested Leader Contact Form ........ Figure 4. Total Interviewer Selection Formula ..... Figure 5. Local Programming at WKAR-TV ........ Figure 6. "What Are the Problems/Concerns in Lansing?" Figure 7. WKAR-TV Community Problems and Concerns List Figure 8 WTVS-TV Community Problems and Concerns List Figure 9. WKAR-TV Programming for Voiceless Community Figure Groups, June 1, 1978 - June 1, 1979 . . . 10. Topical Outline Guide for Group Interviews: Ascertainment of Voiceless Community Groups viii Page ..... 12 ..... 15 ..... 16 ..... 18 I INTRODUCTION The process of identifying and responding to the needs and interests of the local community has been a problem that has vexed public television broadcasters for years. Unlike commercial television, which attempts to capture mass audiences, public television focuses its programming efforts on specialized groups in the community - those whose tastes are not regularly served by commercial television. Although public television stations provide alternative programming, they are nevertheless responsible for conducting regular ascertainment of the concerns of their audiences. The success of public television is dependent upon the proper identification of community concerns, and the development and airing of programming which deals with the issues and community relations that assures viewers that their interests are being heard and responded to by the local public station. Completion of the ascertainment process is among the requirements for station license renewal by the Federal Communications Commission. Formal ascertainment became a requirement of public television stations by the Commission in March of 1976.1 Prior to that time, procedures 1Report and Order, "Ascertainment of Community Problems by Noncommercial Educational Broadcast Applicants, Permittees and Licensees, Federal Register, Vol. 41, No. 59, March 26, 1976. for identifying important issues in the community by public television station management evolved entirely on an ad hoc basis. In order to address the subject of community ascertainment in this thesis, specific objectives were established. They were: to trace the history of the community ascertainment process in public television; examine the process as it is performed at WKAR-TV, licensed to the Board of Trustees of Michigan State University, and WTVS-TV, licensed to the Detroit Educational Television Foundation; analyze and compare the results of these findings, and; recommend ways in which each station might more efficiently and effectively determine and address community needs and interests. The Problem During the winter of l978-79, a preliminary investigation of the community ascertainment process utilized by WKAR-TV was conducted by the author. An analysis of the findings were submitted to Dr. Kent Creswell, Associate Director of Instructional and Public Television and a member of the Department of Telecommunication faculty at Michigan State University. Copies of the document were forwarded to Mr. Robert D. Page, General Manager, and Ms. Kay Ingram, Program Director, at WKAR-TV. It was clear to this writer that community ascertainment was an area of vital concern to the WKAR-TV management, and that further work in this area might provide alternative approaches for conducting more effective ascertainment efforts and evaluating the results. The problems identified by this author are: (l) the delegation of responsibility for organizing and carrying out community ascertain- ment; (2) a determination of who is best suited for conducting the station General Public Survey; (3) the determination of the design by which station management has responded to the recognized needs of specialized audiences and groups lacking an official spokesperson (hereinafter referred to as "voiceless" community groups); and (4) a determination of how management can utilize the ascertainment process to maximize station efficacy in meeting the needs of all its viewers. Methodology A two-case research study was initiated by this author in the spring of 1979 in order to examine the WKAR-TV ascertainment procedures in greater detail and compare those findings with the results of a similar investigation performed at WTVS-TV in Detroit. Personal visits were made by the author to both stations during the spring and summer of 1979. Contacts were established and interviews were conducted with individuals responsible for conducting station community ascertainment. The author obtained copies of documents in the two stations‘ public information files for examination and analysis. Among the documents were: station master problems lists, audience demographics, signal coverage contours, community leader checklists and questionnaires, and problems vs. programs aired lists. Following a literature search, authors of individual articles pertaining to non- commercial television ascertainment were contacted by personal letter for clarification and additional comments. Despite obvious differences in station licensing, market size, audience make-up and station staffing, the process of identifying conmunity interests posed many serious problems common to both stations and a few that were unique to each. II PUBLIC TELEVISION COMMUNITY ASCERTAINMENT: A BACKGROUND Part of the basis for community ascertainment was initially set forth in the Commission's "1960 Programming Policy Statement," requir- ing broadcasters to ...make a positive, diligent and continuing effort in good faith, to determine the needs, tastes and desires of the public in (their) communities."2 Two decades ago, several things happened which made the FCC focus its attention on the responsibility that a broadcaster had to the community. Among the concerns were: the emergence of dissatisfied minority groups who felt that their needs were being neglected; the increasing number of license renewal challenges throughout the country; and broadcasters' differing interpretations of the 1960 FCC Policy Statement.3 In the Camden decision of 1969, the FCC denied a license applica- tion to the McLendon Corporation when it was determined that the city of Camden's needs and interests were not sufficiently ascertained, and that the proposed programming could not be regarded as responsive 2Report and Statement of Policy re: Commission en banc Program- ming Inquiry, FCC 60-970, July 27, 1960. 3Anthony A. Adams, "Broadcasters' Attitude Toward Public Respon- sibility," Journal of Broadcasting, l6:l4 (Fall 1972), p. 407. to the prOperly determined needs.4 After Camden, the Broadcast Bar Association was instrumental in getting the Commission to clear up the issue of evaluating public interest service, a move which precipitated the 1971 Primer, amended several times until 1976. Although the Camden case precipitated the development of ascertainment policies and proced- ures in the 1971 Primgr_it should be pointed out that neither it nor the Alabama Educational Television Commission case (in which the state net- work lost its license in 1974) can be called "ascertainment cases."5 Community ascertainment for noncommercial broadcast licensees became a requirement in 1976. In 1971, the Federal Communications Commission introduced its Primer, delineating procedures for ascertaining community interests and needs for commercial broadcast licensees. The regulations were intended for new licensees, those proposing to serve significant new areas and renewal applicants on an interim basis only. Noncommercial6 broadcast applicants were exempt from performing formal ascertainment, however, because: "...given the reservation of channels for specialized kinds of programming, educational stations manifestly 7 must be treated differently than commercial stations." 4 Camden Decision, Report and Order, FCC 69-644, Docket No. 18303, June l3, 1969, p. 10. 5Personal telephone conversation with Dr. Robert Hilliard, Director of Educational Broadcasting, FCC, Washington, D.C., August 15, 1979. 6Hereinafter, "noncomnercial" and "public" broadcast licensees shall mean the same in reference to the Rules and Regulations of the Federal Communications Commission. 7"Primer on Ascertainment of Community Problems by Broadcast Applicants - Part I," Report and Order, 27 FCC 2nd; Docket #l8774; February 23, 1971, p. 65l. Responding to numerous requests by parties arguing that community ascertainment methods should be extended to include noncommercial broad- cast licensees, the Commission released a Notice of Inquirygand Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 42 FCC 2d at 690, on September 11, 1973. The petitioners claimed that because program material for noncommercial "public" broadcast licensees was not restricted to purely educational or inschool instruction, community needs and interests should be ascer- tained in the same manner as licensees of commercial broadcast stations. "Public" programming, the parties argued, would encompass the community at-large and would thereby be in competition with commercial licensees. The Commission responded on August 14, 1975, with its Further Notice of Inquiry and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, supra. Similar to the requirements of commercial licensees, the proposed regulations were extended to all noncommercial licensees and applicants. Exceptions to the intended regulation were made for low-power ten-watt stations and operations relying heavily upon volunteers. The contention of the Commission was that most ten-watt stations rarely placed a 1 mV/mile signal beyond five miles, since their general use is a train- ing ground for broadcast personnel. The proposed rules stated that applicants for noncommercial broad- cast licenses for existing, new or modified broadcast facilities would perform the following: "...interview leaders from categories set out in a Community Leader Checklist. Members of the general public would be interviewed through a random sampling of the community. The documentation requirements of ascertainment were to include: place— ment in the public file of a narrative statement describing the methods used to ascertain members of the general public and the results obtained; summaries of interviews with community leaders; and a problems-programs list - yearly and retrospective for existing licensees, fulg- term and prospective for new applicants." The Commission intended for the regulation to maintain relative flex- ibility with regard to the way in which general public surveys were conducted. It permitted the use of volunteers and statistical research firms as well as station employees, permitting up to fifty percent of the community leader interviews to be conducted by nonmanagement personnel or volunteers. The Commission also proposed a "small market" exemption for noncommercial licensees in communities with populations of less than 20,000 persons and outside any Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA). The exemption was established as a test of the hypothesis that a broadcaster in a small town understands thoroughly the needs and interests of his own community. This did not, however, preclude non- commercial licensees from maintaining a list of the ten most signifi- cant problems in the community and illustrative programs addressed to those needs. Statewide networks, the Commission determined, would be required to conduct ascertainment research in each community for which they held a license. The Further Notice underscored the fact that the role of non- commercial broadcasting had never been precisely defined, due to the highly flexible nature of the service. The Commission concluded that: '"In establishing an ascertainment process for noncommercial broadcasters, we shall not attempt to relate the purpose of the ascertainment to the Special "role" of the service as we might 8Federal Register, Vol. 41, No. 59, March 25, T976, p. l2424. view it. Whatever the distinct role of public broadcasting may be, it should evolve as the service matures, and n05 be defined and imposed by the government. Following several requests to consider the role of public tele- vision in relation to the interpretation of ascertainment regulations, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting stated that: "(the) primary concern deals with the "focus" of the ascertainment procedure. Any ascer- tainment process that is required of non- commercial broadcasters should not be restricted merely to the ascertainment of the "problems" of a community, or "needs" in a synonymous sense. The term "problems" should be interpreted broadly to include "interests and needs" in the sense of those enriching interests that are not served, or are not adequately served in the commercial broadcasting sector."10 A jointly filed NCCB-NBMC comment urged that public broadcasters be held to the stringent standards of the 1971 Primer, and that community advisory boards and other innovative ascertainment techniques be used. Section l.527 of the Rules and Regulations became effective on May 3, 1976, for all licensees whose authorizations expired on August 1, 1977, and thereafter. In support of the Commission's decision and the protection of minority interests were the National Citizens Committee for Broadcasters (NCCB) and the National Black Media Coalition (NBMC), TheCJaxk County School District, the University of Northern Colorado, and John H. Schmidt. The Commission further designed an outline of the 9Further Notice of Inquiry_and Further Notice of Proposed Rule- making, Docket No. 19816, 54 FCC 2d at 766 (1975). 10Federal RegiSter, Vol. 41, No. 59, March 25, 1976, p. 12425. documents to be maintained by noncommercial broadcast licensees for public inspection: (l) Materials to be placed in the stations' public file annually: A listing of the l0 most important problems and needs discerned in the previous 12-month period along with a listing of typical and illustrative programs broadcast during that l2-month period in response to those problems and needs. (Due on date of renewal application each year.) (2) Materials to be placed in the public file within 30-45 days of availability: The materials derived from the demographic study, the leadership survey, and the general public survey (excluding actual interview sheets of the general public). (3) Materials due in the public file at the time of filing the application for renewal of license: The FCC Community Leader Checklist with the number of leaders contacted under each element during the current license period. (4) Materials to be filed with the application for renewal of license; The demographic profile, the Leader Contact forms, the FCC Community Leader Checklist, and the problems and needs typical program listing for the entire license period. A narrative statement on the general public ascertainment findings must be included at this time also. Though not a part of the regular station public file, program logs are to be made available to the public, under Section 73.674. Station ownership reports, including all exhibits, letters and other documents tendered for filing with the Commission for license applica- tion or renewal must also be maintained in the public file. Maintenance of all ascertainment documents in the station public file is the responsiblity of the assignee of the license, in the event of a license transfer. The Commission emphasized that the 11An Ascertainment Handbook for Public Broadcasting Facilities, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, October, l976, p. 63. 10 public file applies only to information concerning the station for which the file was kept. The public information file was to be located at the main studio or at a place accessible to the general public within the community of license during normal business hours. License applica- tions and ascertainment materials placed in the public file were required to be on file for a period of seven years from the date the information was submitted to the Commission with only two exceptions: (1) Engineering material pertaining to a former mode of operation, and (2) Materials having a substantial bearing upon a matter which was the subject of a legal claim. Although it was ordered that all materials in the public file were to be made available upon request in person, the Commission stated that the licensee was not required to honor requests made by mail, but could do so if it chose.12 The Community Leader Survey In October, I976, the Office of Communication Research at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting prepared An Ascertainment HandbOOk for Public Broadcasting Facilities. Its purpose was to assist public broadcasters in meeting the requirements of the Commission for ascertain- ment of community needs. The Handbook outlined step-by-step procedures for the Community Leader Survey and the General Public Survey, and it suggested other methods by which stations could ascertain community problems and interests. 12Federal Register, Vol. 41, No. 59, March 25, 1975, p. 12433. 11 The primary objective of the Community Leader Survey was to obtain perceptions of community problems from a full range of leaders represent- 13 The ative of the significant groups and interests in the community. Corporation maintained that the major benefits of community leader ascertainment were the identification of community problem areas other- wise unknown to the station staff, and the establishment of a continuous community relations program that could provide management with infor- mation that might be matched against the priorities obtained from the general public. The Commission's Report and Order categorized the basic nineteen elements on the Community Leader Checklist which contained a list of the organizations and interests common to most communities. A sample FCC Community Leader Checklist is shown in Figure 1. Interviews with individuals in each of the categories establish the requisite "14 It is important to point coverage of significant community groups. out that every element on the checklist requires attention. If a community lacks representation in any element on the checklist, it is to be noted under the heading I'Not Applicable." Special efforts are to be made in order to determine the needs of voiceless groups in the 15 community, although the exact procedures for fulfilling this require- ment were not described. 13An Ascertainment Handbook for Public Broadcasting Facilities, Office of Communication Research, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, October, l976; p. 5. 14"Ascertainment of Community Problems by Broadcast Renewal Applicants - Primer," Federal Register, Vol. 4l, No. 4, January 7, T976, Appendix B, p. l38l. 15Orville C. Walker, Jr., and Wm. Rudelius, "Ascertaining Program- ming Needs of 'Voiceless“ Community Groups," Journal of Broadcasting, Winter, l976; p. 89. 12 Not Applicable Institution/Element Number (Explain) 1. Agriculture 2. Business 3. Charities 4. Civic, Neighborhood & Fraternal Organizations 5. Consumer Services 6. Culture 7. Education 8. Environment 9. Government (local, country, state, and federal) 10. Labor 11. Military 12. Minority and ethnic groups 13. Organizations of and for the Elderly 14. Organizations of and for Women 15. Organizations of anf for Youth (including children) and Students 16. Professions 17. Public Safety, Health and Welfare 18. Recreation 19. Religion 20. Other While the following are not regarded as separate community elements for purposes of this survey, indicate the number of leaders interviewed in all elements above who are: (a) Blacks (b) Hispanic, Spanish speaking or Spanish-surnamed Americans (c) American Indians (d) Orientals (e) Women Figure l. FCC Community Leader Checklist Sample16 16Report and Order, Federal Communications Commission, March 25, 1976, p. 12434. 13 The Corporation suggested several sources for locating community leader lists. Among them were the local Chamber of Commerce, United Way offices, mayor's office, and various city and county agencies. The CPB made it clear that statiOn management was responsible for determining if all organizations and interests were significantly represented on community leader checklists. Although the precise number was not spec- ified, the Commission noted that commercial broadcasters should engage in a "reasonable" number of community leader interviews over their license term. The Corporation suggested that the same rough guide, shown in Table l, be used by noncomnercial licensees. Table 1. Suggested Number of Leader Interviews for Commercial Stations Population of City of Licensee # of Consultations 10,001 to 25,000 60 25,001 to 50,000 100 50,001 to 200,000 140 200,001 to 500,000 180 Over 500,000 220 The Handbook outlined the basic methods for conducting community leader interviews, emphasizing that at least 50% of the leader contacts were to be made by management-level personnel. That included station managers, program directors and principals of the licensee corporation or institution. Although telephone interviews were permitted, it was suggested that this technique be left for special circumstances, when an interviewee might be unavailable otherwise or when requested by the 14 community leader. Other acceptable methods of conducting community leader interviews included group meetings and panel discussion, during which there exists the opportunity to fully ask questions and express Opinions; and chance encounters with leaders on the street. In all cases, the results of leader interviews were to be recorded in the station public file within a reasonable amount of time, normally fortyefive days.17 A sample introduction to the community leader inter- view is shown in Fugure 2. The sample was designed for use prior to calling on an appointment in person, and it was to be adapted to a conver- sational style comfortable to the interviewer. In order to record each interview, the Corporation suggested using the Leader Contact Form, illustrated in Figure 3. This form of recordkeeping was set up to avoid administrative problems and to prevent duplication of community leader interviews. In order to maintain a representative balance of community leaders, the Corporation recommended that substitutions for individuals originally selected for ascertainment interviews, unavailable for consul- tation, be made from a leader category similar to the one from which the original was drawn. Although its use is not a requirement by the Commission, the Master Problem List (MPL) was a device developed by the CPB in order to provide stations with a "snapshot" of community interests and problems. The MPL standardized community issue groups, facilitating general public recall of occasionally bothersome problems. The system was also seen as a useful clerical device since problem/filing listing could be conveniently built around elements on the MPL. 17An Ascertainment Handbook for Public Broadcasting Facilities, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, October, 1976, p. 11. 15 Hello, I am (name & title) of public broadcasting station . As part of our responsibility to serve the members of this community, we are attempting to identify the major issues and problems that face our community. We are asking the help of community leaders with special know- ledge of needs and problems of (city), to help us. I would like to talk to you, as one of the leaders of the community, sometime at your convenience. Your conments and suggestions can then be reflected in the programming decisions of the station. Could we arrange a time for about 30 minutes to discuss community needs and problems in your area of special interest? Figure 2. Sample Introduction18 181bid., p. 12. 16 Date: Name, Position, and Address of Person Contacted: Organization Represented by Person Contacted: Date and Time of Contact: Place of Contact: Method of Contact: Problems, Needs and Interests Identified by Person Contacted: Name of Interviewer: Reviewed by: Position: Date: Figure 3. Suggested Leader Contact Form19 '9Ibid., p. 13. 17 The General Public Survey Utilizing the questionnaire and sample developed by the Corporation in the Handbook, stations were then in a position to recruit, train, and supervise interviewers for the General Public Survey. Close super- vision of interviewers by management-level personnel was recommended by the CPB, unless a professional polling firm was hired to conduct the survey. The selection of interviewers was determined to be a critical element of the survey by the Corporation. Key decisions were essential to the choice of volunteers versus paid employee interviewers with regard to the time, cost and management involved in the General Public Survey. The Corporation recommended several procedures for the effective completion of the General Public Survey. Thorough training of inter- viewers was stressed,20 primarily to ensure uniformity. It was thought that changes in question format or phrasing might bias responses and make them less comparable. At the time of publication of the Handbook, the Corporation had planned to fund and produce an interviewer training video tape. In fact, the Corporation was unable to have the cassette produced, and the idea had to be abandoned.21 Interviewer supervision was seen as the most time-consuming task in the public survey by the CPB. To that extent, a series of recommenda- tions were developed in the Handbook to deal with the problem. Single- location monitoring of interviews from 7:00 p.m. to l0:00 p.m. on consecutive 201bid., p. 41. , 21Personal letter from Dr. Leon I. Rosenbluth, Director, COnmuni cation Research, Corporation for Public Broadcasting; July 25, T979. 18 evenings, conducting of interviews over the telephone, bookkeeping of the disposition of the calls, and the monitoring of two or three calls by each field supervisor were among the recommendations by the Corporation. Two procedures for tabulating the information obtained from the survey were suggested. One procedure was for hand-processing and the other for computer-assisted facilities. The Handbook recommended a general formula for the selection of interviewers. The assumption is that each interviewer could complete at least two interviews per hour. In order to determine the total number of interviewers needed to complete the survey, the Corporation recommended the use of the mathematical equation as seen in Figure 4. total number of interviews 2 interviews per hour Number of interviewers = Days of field work x 7 hrs/day Figure 4. Total Interviewer Selection Formula , Other Methods of Ascertainment The Commission, recognizing the fact that public broadcast licensees are manifestly different from their commercial counterparts, permitted public stations to ascertain the needs and interests of the community by alternative methods. The conducting of periodic call-in programs or public meetings (or a combination of both) were determined acceptable. However, since the Commission did not set down fixed guidelines for the conduct of such programs or meetings, the license was expected to" ... place the responses from the public in an overall ascertainment 19 context and to take any response bias into consideration in programming to meet the needs of the whole public."22 In utilizing alternative forms of ascertainment, the Handbook recommended the publicizing of the program or meeting in advance. By keeping careful records of what happens during the course of programs or meetings, the station is then able to provide information for the narrative summary of ascertainment findings to be sumitted to the Commission. One important note of caution was underscored by the Corporation with regard to the use of alternative techniques: the procedures may have distinct disadvantages and leave the station Open to challenges from segments of the community. Therefore, if it is felt that purposeful bias may exist, stations should employ the random-sample method of determining community needs and problems. Summary of PTV Ascertainment BaCkground Generally, the major concerns of broadcasters with regard to community ascertainment spring from issuance of the Federal Communications Commission's "1960 Programming Policy Statement." The l969 Camden decision, the l97l Primer and the l973 Notice were instrumental in the formulation of the 1976 Rules and Regulations (Section l.527), which outlined minimal ascertainment requirements for noncommercial broadcasters. .Ao Ascertainment Handbook for Public Broadcasting Facilities was published by the Corporation in October, l976, providing guidelines for stations in their ascertainment efforts. Since March of 1976 there have been no cases before the FCC that have been the result of a petition regarding 22Report and Order, Federal Communications Commission, March 25, 1976, p. 12429. 20 the ascertainment of community needs and interests by a public tele- vision station in this country.23 This study is, therefore, limited to the development of community ascertainment policy since 1976 and the way in which it is carried out by public television stations WKAR-TV and WTVS-TV. 23Personal telephone conversation with Dr. Robert Hilliard, Director of Educational Broadcasting, FCC, Washington, D.C., August 15. 1979. III WKAR-TV COMMUNITY ASCERTAINMENT WKAR-TV began broadcasting on a full-time basis on Ultra High Frequency Channel 23 at Michigan State University on September 10, 1972. Serving approximately two million people in the mid-Michigan area, the station operated on a 1979 budget of approximately two million dollars.24 Broadcasting approximately 109 hours per week, WKAR-TV offers what it has determined to be the best public television programming available in local and national public affairs, the performing arts, minority affairs, programs for children, and programs of special, top- ical and issue-oriented interest.25 In addition, WKAR-TV is affiliated with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the Central Educational Network (CEN). Local production comprises 10% of the station's total programming. WKAR-TV also obtains input from several other sources, including WNET-TV (formerly National Educational Television); WGHB-TV, Boston; The Maryland Center for Public Broadcasting; KQED-TV, San Francisco; and other public television stations. WKAR-TV presently has the capability of receiving two PBS programs simultaneously via the Western Union satellite, WESTAR: Efforts are 24Personal telephone conversation, Dr. Larry Swartz, Manager of Community Relations, WKAR-TV, December 12, 1979. 25Personal interview, Ms. Kay Ingram, Program Director, WKAR-TV, Michigan State University, January 15, 1979. 21 22 currently being made to receive programming from other PBS member stations from a third satellite transponder unit aboard WESTAR. The management of WKAR-TV has made a strong financial commitment to the production of local programming. A breakdown of the l979 WKAR-TV programming budget appears in Table 2. Programming decisions are made, ultimately, by Program Director Kay Ingram and are based upon input from a variety of sources. They include community ascertainment surveys, station staff meetings, proposals by local community organizations, feed- back from individuals in the community, and the projected needs Of the service area as perceived by the station management. There is, however, no formula or other formal system used to make program decisions. Decisions are made on the basis of objectivity and sound judgement on the part of the program director.26 Table 2. 1979 WKAR-TV Programming Budget Item Budget Station Program Cooperative (SPC) $ 209,000 Programming_0utside the SPC 38,000 TOTAL PROGRAM AQUISITION $ 247,000 LOCAL PRODUCTION & PROMOTION 55,000 26 Ibid. 23 As of November 1, 1979, nine full-time producers at WKAR-TV were responsible for the production of the local programs appearing in Figure 5. Program Title Producer Length Air Date Spartan Sportlight M. Calden 30:00 Monday, 7:00 p.m. Dialogue E. Welker 60:00 Monday, 10:00 p.m. High School Quiz Bowl J. Weaver 30:00 Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, 3:00 p.m. Sunday, 4:30 p.m. Tele Revista H. Gonzalez 30:00 Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. Friday, 3:00 p.m. Saturday, 11:00 p.m. Conversation R. Burke 30:00 Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, 11:30 a.m. Fine Arts 0. Pash Various Various T. Turk University-of-the-air P. Maloney Various Various SpeCials Various Various Various 1 M.S.U. Football Evening with the Governor Response to the "State of the State" Miscellaneous (Multiple listings indicate repeat programs) Figure 5. Local Programming at WKAR-TV27 27Ms. Kay Ingram (Program Director, WKAR-TV), Graduate Seminar, "The TV Producer," Department of Telecommunication, Michigan State University, November 6, 1979. 24 The Community Ascertainment Process at WKAR-TV As a noncommercial television licensee, WKAR-TV is subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Federal Communications Commission regarding the ascertainment of community problems and interests. Ascertainment research at the station is divided into two areas suggested by the CPB's Ascertainment Handbook for Public Broadcasting Facilities: the Opinion Leader Survey and the General Public Survey.28 The surveycflicommunity opinion leaders is conducted by WKAR-TV personnel assigned by station General Manager, Robert D. Page. Leaders are selected from a composite list of individuals throughout the broad- cast area, provided by various agencies in the community. Periodically, the list of community leaders is checked to insure the accuracy of addresses and telephone numbers. During the period of this investigation, Ms. Ella Ruggles, a member of the WKAR-TV full-time staff, was responsible for the accomplish- ment of the community ascertainment process. Under the supervision of the Program Director and General Manager, Ms. Ruggles coordinated the assign- ment of station staff personnel to individual interviews as part of the Community Leader Survey. She was also responsible for selecting leaders for interviews, using United Way listings, public information from the mayor's office and station contacts with persons familiar with the community as sources. There is no specific formula for determining precisely who an Opinion Leader is during this selection process. An 28Personal Interview, Mr. Robert D. Page, General Manager, WKAR- TV, Michigan State University, March 3, 1979. 25 effort is made by the coordinator to include all identifiable groups, nonetheless. The procedure followed for leader contacts is outlined in a memo entitled: Research Procedures for Ascertainment at WKAR-TV. Following careful review by General Manager, Robert D. Page, the list of assignments are approved and letters to community leaders are distributed. The letters explain the process of community ascertainment and solicit the help of leaders in identifying problems or concerns in the viewing area. The interviewer from the WKAR-TV staff is then sent a copy of the letter to the community leader, a questionnaire, a copy of the instructions for completion of the interview, and a request to make five copies of the survey after the interview has been conducted. Since each noncommercial licensee is required to conduct interviews with community leaders from twenty different categories, each opinion leader is given a category number which is placed in the upper right hand corner of the survey. The FCC categories are shown in Appendix A. This tech- nique provides the ascertainment coordinator with information necessary to summarize the most frequent problem areas by community leader category at the end of each year. It is important to point out that the Commission's Report and Qrger outlines only minimum requirements for noncommercial television licensees in the area of community ascertainment. The Handbook was constructed with this in mind, suggesting methods of conducting commun- ity ascertainment which go beyond the legal requirements only to allow stations to obtain more in-depth information about their communities. There is no requirement by either the Commission or the Corporation to follow to the letter the additional suggestions contained in the Handbook. 26 At WKAR-TV, ten different leaders are interviewed each month during the entire year. Community Leader Checklists for the months of November and December 1978 and January 1979, appear' in Appendix B of this document. The names that appear on the Checklists during the two months illustrated were determined by references from other community agencies using similar data or ...Anyone whose professional or organ- izational affiliations or volunteer civic activities makes his/her "29 It must be noted that WKAR-TV reasonably visible in the community. does not make it mandatory that each of the ten monthly interviewees come from different occupational categories. In other words, two or more interviewees may be involved in entirely different activities although contained in the same general category. WKAR-TV offers no specialized training in the procedures for interviewing community opinion leaders. The station does comply with the use of open—ended questions. Toward the end of each month, a reminder slip is sent to those people on the station staff whose names are missing from the Public Opinion Leader Interviewed List, maintained by the ascertainment coor- dinator. Several days later, if the questionnaires have still not been returned in their completed form, a full-page memo is mailed to those who are delinquent. Although rarely necessary, a memo from the General Manager follows if any of the previous methods prove unsuccessful in obtaining the results of ascertainment interviews. As the data for the month is compiled, ten general problem areas are outlined in the Problems 29 Memo to staff from Robert D. Page, General Manager, WKAR-TV, February 11, 1967. 27 and Concerns List for the Month. Next to each concern is the specific problem determined by the survey research. These areas are accomplished by the total number of people who viewed the problem as significant during the survey period. The General Public Survey, required of noncommercial television licensees at least once during the three-year license period, is another method used by WKAR-TV to ascertain the needs and interests of the community. An Ascertainment Report for 1977-1978 was prepared for WKAR- TV by Ms. Nancy K. Baer. The study was a culmination of three independent studies: (1) Community Needs and Priorities, As Revealed by The Michigan Public Opinion Survey, Department of Resource Development C00perative Extension Service and Agriculture Station, Michigan State University; February 1977. (2) Telephone ascertainment survey; February 1978. (3) DIALOG (Call-In Program, WKAR-TV); ”What Does Your Community Need?” February 27, 1978. The report was the most recent document available in the WKAR-TV station public file for inspection. WKAR-TV attempts to keep track of periodic telephone calls and letters it receives concerning current programming or ideas for other programs which address community concerns. In June of each year, the data from all available input is summarized in the Annual Community Problems and Concerns List. Although no precise guidelines have been established by the Commission or by the station for the use of this information, it is hoped by the Corporation that the results from commun- ity ascertainment will sensitize the station management to the needs and priorities of its community and provide some kind of input for the potential development of subsequent local production. It was not the 28 intent of the Commission's Rules and Regulations to make community ascertainment the only vehicle by which stations plan and produce future programming. General Public Survey Results Between February 20 and 24, 1978, 400 telephone numbers were randomly selected from the Lansing area phone directory. Of the original 400 numbers, 330 were actually contacted. Of the 330 households contacted, 273 surveys were completed and 57 refused to answer the questions.30 The survey was designed to fulfill part of the ascertainment re- quirements within the license period by asking the respondent what he/she perceives to be the main problems and concerns of the greater Lansing area. This was accomplished with an open—ended question asking the respondent to name specific problems in the community. The survey was also designed to gather information on public awareness of Channel 23. Information was also obtained outlining the community's interest in receiving credit courses from WKAR-TV. The survey was conducted with the cooperation of Mr. Joey Reagan and Ms. Jane Zenaty of the Department of Telecommunication at Michigan State University. The method of random selection used in the survey is shown in Table 3. Responses to the questions outlined above are shown in tabulated form in Figure 6 and Table 5. Audience demographics are illustrated in Table 4. 30Baer, Nancy K., Ascertainment Report, 1977-1978, WKAR-TV. 29 Table 3. Method of Random Selection, 1978 WKAR-TV General Public Survey31 Number of pages for listings 280 Number of columns per page 4 Average number of names per column 80 Number of names selected 400 Skip intervals for names 224 Randomly selected page number at start 1 31 Ibid. 30 Table 4. WKAR-TV Ascertainment Demographics Sample32 Actual33 Race White 89.4% 95.6% Black 3.3 3.9 Spanish-American .4 1.7 American Indian .4 .2 Other 1.5 .4 .Ser Female 62.0 50.5 Male 37.0 49.5 Age 14-17 * 7.9 18-24 * 15.3 25-34 * 13.2 35-44 * 10.7 45-54 * 9.0 55-64 * 7.3 64+ * 7.6 * Average age of Sample = 40.2 years 32 33 Ibid. Urban Decision Systems, PBS Station Profile: WKAR-TV, June 19, 1978. 31 Table 5. "Are You Satisfied Living in the Lansing Area?"34 Very Satisfied 38% Satisfied 44% Not Satisfied 4% Not Very Satisfied At All % No Response .7% 1. Mass transportation/Condition of Grand River Avenue/ General condition of area roads 2. Schools/Quality of education/Lack of discipline on the part of high school students 3. Downtown area in Lansing/Urban renewal/Lack of business in the sh0pping area 4. Unemployment 5. Problems with youth/Lack of recreational facilities for young people Figure 6. "What Are The Problems & Concerns in Lansing?"35 34Ibid. 351bid. Table 6. 32 "Do You Know of a Public or Educational Television Station in the Area?" The following responses are from those'hithe sample who answered 'YES' to the preceeding question. Table 7. Table 8. Table 9 . "Do You Know the Station Channel Number?" Channel 23 ....... 80% Other . . ....... 5.6% Don't Know . . . . . . . 13.6% "Do You Know the Station Call Letters?" WKAR-TV ......... 48% Other . . . ....... 4% Don't Know ....... 48% "Have You Ever Watched Channel 23 WKAR-TV, Broadcasting?" (Entire Sample) Public 33 Table 10. "How Often Do you Watch Channel 23, WKAR-TV?' Viewers Total Sample Daily 15.9% 13.2% Weekly 44.1 36.6 Monthly 18.9 15.8 Less Than Monthly 21.1 17.6 Table 11. "Have You Ever Watched Channel 23, WKAR-TV?" Past Surveys 2/73 11/74 11/76 Every Day 7.4% 16% 18% 3 Times/Week 28.4% 35% 26% 1-2 Times/Week 24.8% 27% 34% 1 Time/Month 17.4% 18% 16% Table 12. "Would You Take a Course on WKAR-TV?" 34 Of those who responded 'YES' to the above question, a widely dispersed opinion of the type of material to be broadcast was obtained. Preference was indicated for evening broadcasts. Table 13. "Would You Like to Take the Course for Credit?" Credit ............ 68% Non-credit .......... 18% Table 14. "Would You Be Willing to Pay for the Course for Credit?" Summary of WKAR-TV Ascertainment Baer's research indicates that the major problem with the survey was in the question on the issues and concerns of the Lansing area. The respondents in East Lansing, Okemos, and Mason were quite vocal about the fact that they were not living in Lansing, and therefore lacked the background to answer the question, "What do you think are the most impor- tant problems or needs of the Lansing area?"36 A more suitable approach would have been to first ask in which area the respondent lived, ask the same question in relation to the community in which he/she lived, and then ask for a perception of the problems and needs facing the entire Capital area, including Lansing, East Lansing, 36Ibid. 35 Okemos and Mason. In order to make a more accurate reading of the problems and needs of the local community, the February 27, 1978, "Dialog" program, a sixty-minute call-in show on WKAR-TV, addressed the issue of Lansing area concerns. The program, hosted by Lin Mrachek of the WKAR-TV staff, featured three panelists: Mr. George Griffiths, Mayor of East Lansing; Mr. Fred Janke, Mayor of Jackson; and Mr. Orrin E. Sharp, Executive Assistant to the Mayor for Community Development at the Lansing City Hall. Ms. Mrachek questioned the panelists and calls were taken from the viewing public. Questions from the general viewing audience were asked in the studio by Ms. Mrachek. The following subjects were discussed during the program: 1) Housing and Housing Development 3 Traffic and Grand River Avenue ( (2) Downtown Lansing and Downtown Jackson ( ) (4) Taxes/Property and Revenue Sharing (5) The Dayton/Hudson Mall No data was available from WKAR-TV regarding the amount of time spent on each subject, number of phone calls concerning each issue, or the method by which the preceding concerns were selected for discussion on the program. A list of the ten most significant problems related to the WKAR-TV viewing area has, however, been compiled since the FCC made community ascertainment a requirement of noncommercial licensees in 1976. The station's List of Community Problems and Concerns is seen in Figure 7. When the annual list of community concerns is released, the station Problems/Programs Aired List is constructed in order to reflect the way in which the concerns in the annual Community Problems and Concerns List are being addressed. It is important to keep in mind that the annual Figure 7. Health Human Relationships Unemployment Education Crime Health/Medical Crime Drugs & Alcohol Housing Government Health/Medical Energy Minority Affairs Government Children/Youth 36 1976-1977 1977-1978 1978-1979 WKAR-TV Community Problems and Concerns List Alcohol & Drug Abuse Minority Affairs Economy Government Handicappers Schools Taxes Youth Problems Energy Unemployment Education Drugs & Alcohol Abuse Elderly Students Regional’Planning 37 37Public Information File, WKAR—TV, Michigan State University, November 1, 1979. 37 Community Problems and Concerns List is a composite of all inputs from the ascertainment process: the Opinion Leader Survey, the General Public Survey, and miscellaneous inputs from the community (phone calls, letters, chance meetings and call-in programs). An interesting comparison can be made with regard to the differences in the overall perception of community problems as shown in the 1977-78 WKAR-TV Community Problems and Concerns List as opposed to the results from the Baer survey of the general public in February 1978. Two of the five concerns outlined in the Baer survey are absent from the WKAR-TV Community Problems and Concerns List: Mass transportation and the concern over urban renewal. A more detailed explanation of these differences will be offered in Chapter V of this thesis. The process at WKAR-TV appears to serve more as a sensitizing mechanism for station management than it does as a vehicle for the dev- elopment of program ideas in the strictest sense. The precise degree to which the results of community ascertainment are used to aid in planning future station programming, either from local production or from the Public Broadcasting Service is difficult to scientifically measure. The approach used by the station has been to determine how the needs and interests of the community have been met by matching ascertainment results to programs aired during the previous year. For example, "Education" was identified as a major concern by WKAR-TV. Accordingly, it was matched against programs aired from June 1, 1978 to June 1, 1979 over WKAR-TV (see Appendix B): "Freestyle" on November 4, 1978; "Turnabout" on November 20, 1978. It was interpreted by this writer that this technique fulfilled the requirements of the Commission and provided WKAR-TV with an annual record of the way in which the station attempted to address community interests. IV WTVS-TV COMMUNITY ASCERTAINMENT WTVS-TV began broadcasting on UHF Channel 56 in Detroit on October 3, 1955. Licensed to the Detroit Educational Television Foundation, Channel 56 began primarily as an instructional service to the member institutions of the Foundation, which included the Detroit Public Schools, Wayne State University, and the University of Detroit. WTVS-TV repre- sents Detroit's sole public television station, reaching a potential audience of nearly six million people in the greater metropolitan Detroit and southeastern Michigan area. An average of 92% (or 400,000) of all households in the Channel 56 coverage area can receive the station's signal, transmitted omnidirectionally nearly fifty miles from the 1,040- foot antenna tower in Southfield, Michigan. Channel 56 attempts to speak to its audience as individuals, an approach management maintains adds richness and character to the program- ming schedule. The station staff seeks to provide a creative, innovative, specialized and intellectually stimulating service ina television to the people in the service area.38 WTVS-TV is a member of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the Central Educational Network (CEN), and the Public Television Library 38Personal Interview, Rosetta E. Gadson, Director of Community Relations,WTVS-TV, August 28, 1979. 38 39 (PTL). The station receives additional programming material from Time- Life Films, T.A. Distributors, and Gottlieb-Taffner Programs, Inc. The total operating budget at Channel 56 is presently about three million dollars annually. Forty thousand individuals comprise the station's contributing membership.39 The 1979 budget for WTVS-TV is shown in Table 15. With the help of a grant from the Kresge Foundation and a mortgage from the Ford Foundation in 1971, WTVS was able to move its administrative offices and main studio to the 40,000 square foot facility in mid-town Detroit. The purchase of color cameras, high band color videotape recorders, a film chain and other studio equipment was made possible by another HEW grant. Although most of the production work at Channel 56 has been focused upon the interests of the local community the station has also distributed some programming for national release, most notably the recent series on Beethoven.4O WTVS is currently in the midst of another HEW project and a capital campaign to replace antiquated equipment with the new one-inch format and improve its remote capability. The 38-member Board of Directors of the Detroit Educational Tele- vision Foundation is comprised of representatives of member institutions and community members-at-large from Detroit and its surrounding commun- ities. The entire Board meets on a quarterly basis and the various committees meet regularly throughout the year. 391bid. 4OIbid. 4O Table 15. 1979 Operating Budget, WTVS-TV 4' INCOME II§M_ AMOUNT Carryover (Auction) $ 510,000 Individual Contributions 1,465,000 Corporate Funding 190,000 Federal Grants 436,400 Underwriting 200,000 ITV Service 150,000 Rent 23,000 Miscellaneous 15,000 $2,898,900 EXPENSES 1]}31 grrrrrr Administration $ 921,350 Programming/Operations 402,850 Production 526,350 Development 435’400 Public Information 207,400 Community Relations 58,400 Technical 394,950 Non-Operational 68,650 $3,015,350 DEFICIT (25,450) 41 Public Information File, WTVS-TV, Detroit, August 28, 1979. 41 With the exception of the Secretary and Assistant Treasurer, who is the Executive Director/General Manager of the station and hired by the Board as chief executive officer, the Officers and Directors of Board are elected by the board itself. The station staff is made up of approximately one hundred employees, encompassing seven departments: Administration, Community Relations, Development, Engineering, Program- ming and Operations, Production, and Public Information. The senior staff reports directly to the General Manager. The station's Long-Range Planning Committee consists of several Directors on the Board and the station's senior staff. It is a standing committee which has developed a mission and objectives and has been the impetus for the current capital project. As stated by the management of WTVS-TV,iJw2primary goal of the station is to provide "a range of programming designed to meet the widely varying and specialized needs of the community with primary emphasis on those needs and interests that tend not to be met by commercial stations."42 While this study was being conducted, organizational changes took place at WTVS that will have an impact on the results of this author's findings, as well as the recommendations which follow. Among the major changes at WTVS-TV was the appointment of Mr. John T. Caldwell, Jr., as General Manager in August 1979. From the period June 1, 1978, to June 1, 1979, Channel 56 produced a variety of programs which, in the view of station management, addressed 42Personal Interview, Rosetta E. Gadson, Director of Community Relations, WTVS-TV, August 28, 1979 42 the concerns of the community. Among these programs were: "Detroit Black News," "Detroit Black Journal," "Para Mi Pueblo," "It's Your Turn," and the phone-in programs, "Ask the Lawyer," and "ASkthe'Vet."43 WTVS-TV in Detroit is faced with problems unique to its own locale. Viewership of Channel 56 represents a Black population of nearly 43% of the total population.44 The City of Detroit's Black population approaches 65%.45 In what was described by columnist Chris Stoehr in the September 6, 1979, Detroit Free Press as "one of the most decisive moves in the history of the station," the newly-appointed General Manager decided.to cut out all five of the WTVS-TV regularly produced local shows and begin producing three new programs, while providing programs on a yearly basis to the PBS distribution system. Public protest on the part of a group of local Black citizens was organized by the "Friends of Channel 56's Black Journal." Mr. Caldwell eventually capitulated, reinstating the locally produced program, "Detroit Black Journal," with the show's Assistant Producer, Deborah Ray, promoted to the full-time producer (former producer Ron Scott will produce the new public affairs show "56 Reports“).and.a budget 46 "comparable to that of the 1978-1979 season." The General Manager, whose decisions were final in the area of programming, stated: 43Stoehr, Chris, "Caldwell Axes Old Shows on New 56," DetrOit Free Press, September 6, 1979. 44Survey of the General Public:' DetroitMetropolitan Area, Tom Myers and Associates, October 1978. 45Personal Interview, Rosetta E. Gadson, Director of Community Relations, WTVS-TV, August 17, 1979. 46"Channel 56 Reinstates 'Black Journal,'" Detroit Free Press, September 27, 1979, p. 110. 43 "I'm a bit wiser ...I have a better understanding of our budget, of Detroit and of our ability to cope with the issue of how this station services the needs of this community." There is, at present, no programming intended specifically for Detroit's Spanish-speaking population. The complete Problems-Programs List for 1978-1979, prepared by WTVS-TV Community Relations Director, Rosetta E. Gadson, is displayed in Appendix C of this document. A demographic profile for WTVS-TV is shown in Table 16. The Community Ascertainment Process at WTVS-TV WVTS-TV is subject to the same Rules and Regulations of the Federal Communications Commission as public TV station WKAR-TV and all other noncommercial television licensees with regard to community ascertainment. Ascertainment research at Channel 56 has been divided into three general areas: the Opinion Leader Survey, the General Public Survey, and recommendations made by the Program Policy Committee. Responsibility for the ascertainment of community needs and inter- ests lies with Ms. Rosetta Gadson, Director of Community Relations and a member of the WTVS senior staff. The senior staff at WTVS-TV includes the station General Manager, Director of Programming and Operations, Director of Development, Director of Production, Director of Community Relations, Director of Public Information, and Director of Engineering. As the station ascertainment coordinator, Ms. Gadson writes to each community leader, explaining the nature of the ascertainment process and the importance of obtaining input from various individuals in the commun- ity. Interviews are assigned to the 14 members of the senior staff and assistant senior staff at Channel 56 by Ms. Gadson. Each community leader 44 is then contacted by the assigned staff member, and the interview is con- ducted. As is the case at WKAR-TV, there exists no formal guide nor any formal training at WTVS related to the conducting of community leader interviews other than those guidelines set forth in the CBP Handbook. The ascertainment coordinator reviews the results of all interviews, and an official letter of thanks is sent to each participant in the Opinion Leader Survey. A copy of the results of each interview is entered in the station public file, following which additional individuals are selected by Ms. Gadson for the next month's leader survey. Frequently, WTVS-TV relies upon the recommendations of interviewed leaders in order to select other individuals in the community perceived as legitimate spokespersons. The results of the monthly Opinion Leader Survey are discussed at a regular meeting of the Director of Community Relations (the station ascertainment coordinator), the Program Director, the Production Manager, and Producers (when available). Staff recommendations are made to the Program Policy Committee. The Program Policy Committee at Channel 56 was established by former station General Manager, James Christianson, and Dr. Reginald Wilson, President of the Board of Directors from 1975-1978. The purpose of the committee was to examine ways in which programming decisions are made at WTVS and make further recommendations in this area. The com- mittee is made up of board members and lay people from the community, representing a diversity of backgrounds.47 At the annual June meeting of the full governing Board of Channel 56, the completed Problems-Programs List and all information from the station public file are presented. At the regular senior staff meeting, all ascertainment input is discussed. The result is a Projected Programs 47Personal Interview, Rosetta E. Gadson, Director of Community Relations, WTVS-TV, August 19, 1979. 45 System, designed by Ms. Gadson for the Program Director and Production Manager. The System is then presented to a recently-formed Community Advisory Board, which reviews the package and makes its own recommen- dations. The Problems-Programs List identifies areas which the station has addressed during the previous year in its programming efforts, but does not identify the ways in which current needs will be met in the future. The General Public Survey Results In September of 1978, a General Public Ascertainment Survey was conducted for WTVS-TV by Tom Myers and Associates of Atlanta, Georgia. It was designed to provide the Detroit Metropolitan Area broadcasters and the City of Dearborn broadcasters with a representative survey of community problems and needs in compliance with the requirements of the Commission. The Detroit Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area included Wayne, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland and St. Clair Counties in Michigan. Demographic standards for the survey were based on the latest projections available from SRDS Consumer Market Data. In some cases where updated data were not available, demographic standards were based on the 1970 u.s. Census.48 One thousand two hundred telephone respondents were sampled by a team of professional interviewers in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Additional interviews were conducted with Black, Hispanic and Arab residents in the City of Detroit. One hundred telephone interviews were to 48T. Myers & Assoicates, Atlanta, Survey of the General Public: Detroit Metropolitan Area, October 1978. 46 be conducted within the City of Dearborn. A total of 1523 interviews were conducted, 1220 of which were completed by telephone, 303 by personal interview. Selection of the respondents followed systematic sampling tech- niques. Residential telephone numbers were randomly chosen from directories covering the City of Detroit and outlying counties, with each area assigned a quota of interviews based on its contribution to the total Detroit metropolitan population. In areas designated as having a high proportion of Black, Hispanic and Arab residents, personal inter- views were conducted with individual respondents randomly chosen at each sampling point. One interview per household was conducted and any individual 12 years of age or older was considered a valid respondent. Telephone inter- viewers were instructed to ask frequently to speak with the "man of the house" to gain a more representative male sample. Females, the research firm maintained, tend to answer most of the phone calls. The same questionnaire was used for both telephone and personal surveys. All interviews were completed between September 5, 1978 and September 20, 1978. Telephone interviews were conducted in the evening between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and on weekends to increase the probability of reaching males and working females. All of the personal interviews were conducted during daylight hours for reasons of personal safety. Interviewers were closely supervised and instructed orally and in writing to transcribe all responses verbatim, to probe all problems in depth, but not to lead the respondent or to interject suggestions. The questionnaire was designed by Tom Myers & Associates of Atlanta. 47 Several attempts to procure the results of the survey, in the way of personal letters and telephone calls to the offices of Community Relations and the General Manager at WTVS-TV, proved unsuccessful. Table 16 contains a brief demographic breakdown of the survey sample by race, sex and age. Summary of WTVS-TV Ascertainment From June 1, 1978 to June l, 1979, it would appear that WTVS-TV chose to make a major personnel and financial commitment to ascertaining the needs and concerns of its audiences. Station management elected to hire a professional research firm to conduct the General Public Survey, conducted at least once during each three-year licensing period. It (station management) has determined that the process can best be accomplished by assigning the responsibility for community ascertainment to one person on the station senior staff. As the station ascertainment coordinator, Ms. Rosetta Gadson has instituted some basic structural procedures for ensuring that ascertain- ment input is received from as many different sources as possible. She participates on the Program Policy Board by distributing a monthly analy- sis of viewer mail kept on file and by preparing the report indicating general responses to program areas. WTVS-TV receives 100-200 pieces of mail per month pertaining to station programming. Relying heavily upon her sixteen years of experience as a member of the Channel 56 staff, Ms. Gadson combines inputs from the three basic sources described pre- viously, supplemented by feedback from the members of the community during the WTVS-TV Open House, viewer mail, a speaker's bureau program and tele- phone calles to the station. Table 16. WTVS-TV Ascertainment Survey Demographics 48 Sample49 Actual50 Race White 60.1% 55.0% Black 36.1 43.0 Hispanic 1.6 1.5 Arab 2.2 .5 Ser_ Male 51.5 52.0 Female 48.5 48.0 Age Under 17 -- 32.7 12 - 17 6.5 - 18 - 24 13.8 55.7 25 - 34 16.9 35 - 49 23.5 50 - 64 24.5 65+ 14.8 11.6 49 Detroit Metropolitan Area, October 1978. 50 T. Myers & Associates, Atlanta, Survey of the General Public: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1970. 49 An annual List of Community Concerns is generated from a combin- ation of all ascertainment inputs, delineating the ten most significant problems related the the WTVS-TV viewing area. The Problems—Programs List is constructed around the List of Community Concerns. The Lists of Community Concerns for WTVS-TV are shown in Figure 8. 1977-1978 Education Housing Cost of Living Health Care/Medical Service Minority Problems Senior Citizens Problems of Youth Employment Crime Taxes 1978-1979 Taxes Youth/Family Relations Inflation/Economy Education Employment Senior Citizens Crime/Polic/Law Enforcement Poverty/Welfare/Health Housing/Neighborhoods Ethnicity/Race Relations Figure 8. WTVS-TV Community Problems and Concerns List51 51Public Information File, WTVS-TV, Detroit, August 28, 1979. V RECOMMENDATIONS During the period of this author's investigation, both WKAR-TV and WTVS-TV were found to be in apparent compliance with the Commission's policy regarding the ascertainment of community interests by noncommercial licensees, contained in the Report and Order of March 26, 1976. Both stations utilized procedural guidelines set forth by the Corporation in An Ascertainment Handbook for Public Broadcastinngacilities. The General Public Survey, Opinion Leader Survey and a combination of mis- cellaneous techniques (mail and telephone calls to stations, and call- in programs) were used in order to provide a more accurate determination of community needs and interests. Delegation of Responsibility The coordination of community ascertainment efforts at WKAR-TV has been the responsibility of a graduate student assistant, typically a Master of Arts candidate in the Department of Telecommunication at Michigan State University. Ascertainment of community concerns at WTVS-TV is the responsibility of the Director of Community Relations, a member of the station senior staff. It is the judgement of this author that the responsibility for coordinating community ascertainment should rest with a full-time member of the public television station senior staff. Advantages to this approach include the following: 50 51 (l) The opportunity for the station ascertainment coordinator to develop a thorough working knowledge of the Commission's policy, outlined in the March 25, 1976, Report and Order. (2) A longer period of time for the station ascertainment coordinator to develop and organize a system of identity- ing and selecting community opinion leaders who represent all areas of community concern or interests. (3) Greater opportunity for the station ascertainment coordinator to develop a system of continuous and direct communication with all members of the station management and program pro- duction staff. (4) Greater opportunity for the station ascertainment coordin- ator to develop supplemental methods of ascertaining community concerns, including those that recognize the needs and interests of voiceless community groups. This approach has its implications, specifically, for WKAR-TVaat Michigan State University. Marilyn L. Sieg, Manager of Broadcast Research and University Liaison at WHA-TV, Madison, Wisconsin, supports this approach:52 ”...the value (of the results) depends on the procedures incorporated in the ascertainment process. If you send someone out to ascertain without much thought being given to the selection of persons, you are already building problems for yourself. You need to have people who have a wide knowledge of the community." Rosetta Gadson, ascertainment coordinator at WTVS-TV, has been able to make reconmendations directly to station program management, as a result of ascertainment research. Her direct input as a member of the station staff has been instrumental in moving several programs broadcast by WTVS to time periods more appropriate to viewer needs. "Monty Python's Flying Circus," a half-hour comedy series produced 52Personal letter from Marilyn L. Sieg, WHA-TV, Madison, WISCONSIN, September 12, 1979. 52 by the BBC, is an example of one of these programming changes. Due to the direct results of viewer mail, the program's regular air time was changed from Sunday evening at 10:30 to Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. in order to meet the expressed needs of the "Monty Python" viewers. A direct channel of communication existed between community relations senior staff and program director in order for that and similar changes to take place. Other program changes that were a direct result of this form of ascertainment at Channel 56 included the establishment of a local news program at 10:00 p.m. for senior citizens, who found the regular 11:00 p.m. news programs too late during the day to meet their needs. Viewers of the "Dick Cavett Show," anxious to watch the local news pro- grams at 11:00 p.m., supported a change in the program schedule. Again, the efforts of the station ascertainment coordinator resulted in moving the "Cavett Show" to an earlier period. Afternoon programming at WTVS-TV has also received support in a 53 To that extent, Ms. Gadson variety of ways from viewers in Detroit. and the programming senior staff are in the process of developing suit- able programs to address the expressed needs of the viewership. A detailed description of these programs was not available at the time this thesis was prepared. An ongoing program of evaluating the selection process of community leaders is another area being developed by Ms. Gadson at Channel 56. Of great concern is the identification and selection of individuals represent- ing voiceless community groups - a concern that she would like to 53Personal Interview, Rosetta E. Gadson, Director of Community Relations, WTVS-TV, August 1979. 53 materialize into a regular part of the ascertainment program at Channel 56. The work of a senior staff member has its advantages in terms of coordinating station ascertainment of community needs. In view of the importance of this vital function, it is the recommendation of this author that the assignment of ascertainment responsibilities be made to a full- time member of the WKAR-TV senior staff. The General Public Survey Some academic researchers have supported the use of general public surveys in noncommercial television community ascertainment efforts. Baldwin and Surlin state: "While a noncommercial station may not;select the same needs to serve as a commercial station, they would profit equally by the concrete information that can be obtained through community studies."54 Baldwin, Gluck and Lackey suggest that: "Less serious ascertainment efforts on the part of stations are not as likely to be productive. Nonethe- less, the point is established that a complete study of community problems can produce new information. There may be differences among stations based on community size and other factors. This would suggest that stations should experiment with techniques of consultation and the degree of emphasis given to 55 the community leader and public canvass approaches." 54Baldwin, Thomas F., and Stuart H. Surlin. "A Study of Broadcast Station License Application Exhibits on Ascertainment of Community Needs," Journal of Broadcasting, Vol. XIV, No. 2, Spring 1970, p. 169. 55Baldwin, Thomas F., Jon K. Gluck, and Henry G. Lackey. "Community Leader Consultation and Public Canvass: Contributions to Station Knowledge of Community Problems." (Unpublished), Michigan State Univer- sity, 1972. 54 WKAR-TV elected to employ the services of Nancy K. Baer, a candidate for the Master of Arts degree in Telecommunication at Michigan State University, to coordinate the station general public survey in February 1978. Tom Myers and Associates, a professional research organ- ization from Atlanta, was employed by the management of WTVS-TV to perform its General Public Survey in September 1978. The decision by the management of WKAR-TV to use a student research assistant underscores the value of utilizing a professional research firm, or an experienced professional research staff employed by the station on a regular basis. As Baer pointed out, the major difficulty with her survey instrument was in the question of what the community perceived to be the "most important problems or needs of the Lansing area."56 Respondents indicated that they were unable to answer the question, based upon what they perceived to be a lack of background information about Lansing's problems. These respondents were, typically, individuals who lived in East Lansing, Okemos and Mason, possessing a strong sense of community localism. The recommended approach for administering the survey, as pointed out earlier in this thesis, would have been to first identify the area in which the respondent lived, then pose the question pertaining to the problems of the individual's community, followedtn/the question on the perceived needs and interests of the entire area. Although it cannot be stated that this methodological error resulted in the 57 refusals out of 330 individuals contacted during the survey, it does point out the inexperience of the research. 56Baer, Nancy K., Ascertainment Report, 1977-1978, WKAR-TV, February 1978. 55 Considering that completion of the General Public Survey is a requirement only once during each license period (currently three years for noncommercial television stations), and in view of the commitment both stations have indicated regarding local production which addresses current community issues, it is this author's recommendation that a professional research organization be utilized to ascertain the needs and interests of the broadcast community. Although management's decision to use this approach is based, primarily, upon cost factors, it is generally understood that there is less likelihood for error when research is conducted by the professional research consultant. In the case of WKAR-TV, it is recommended, in view of potential prohibitive costs in hiring an organization from outside the university of license, that a full-time member of the Michigan State University faculty in the College of Comm- unication Arts & Sciences be employed on an on-going basis to coordinate the General Public Survey. This approach has several distinct advantages: (1) A member of the University community could establish a strong channel for communication between academic faculty and university broadcast licensee. (2) Cost savings could be realized by the station. (3) An on-going training program could be developed to teach highly motivated students at the University to conduct telephone interviews, while becoming a strong unit for their University broadcast licensee. (4) While the university-licensee stands to gain from an on-going and reliable research effort, the academic college is provided with a project it can be a regular part of, and for which it can receive recognition. Hartford Gunn, former Bresident of the Public Broadcasting Service supports this kind of approach, expressing a fundamental importance to: 56 "Develop a plan for improving research and evaluation operations at stations and national organizations. This will require personnel training as well as procedures for improving the administration and conduct of research on a large-scale basis ...(and) establish regular procedures by which major univer- sity communication research Operations can become a systematic and useful part of the research resource . for public broadcasting. This could also be an effective means of recruiting top research talent for public broadcasting and telecommunications."57 Considering the organizational structure at WTVS-TV, which lacks a full-time department for conducting audience research and general public surveys on a regular basis, the use of a professional research organization is unavoidable. However, in view of the fact that the station is licensed to the Detroit Educational Television Foundation, which includes the University of Detroit and Wayne State University, efforts to secure the services of an academic research department seem. quite appropriate. Although WTVS-TV is licensed as a community station, its relationship with both of the universities in its supporting founda- tion could provide the licensee with another important link to its community, while providing the opportunity for increased communication with academia. Identification of Voiceless Community Grogps Several existing studies have explored the problems of determining the needs and interests of a community through the Opinion Leader Survey, Walker, Goldstein and Rudelius point out some of the major areas identified by these studies: 57Guwn Hartford, "The Future of Public Telecommunication," Public Telecommunications Review, July/August 1978, p. 41. 57 (1) A lack of concensus concerning who the "community leaders“ are and how they should be identified to ensure a representative cross-section of community opinion. (2) A wide variety among license applicants concerning methods used for "consulting" with community leaders. Some applicants rely on informal personal contacts, others have formed "advisory panels" and still others have used formal surveys. (3) A question of whether the problems and needs identified by station-designated "leaders" are entirely consistent with the needs and problems perceived by members of the general public. (4) A question of whether the needs identified by the broadcaster have any subsequent imggct on the programming decisions made by the broadcaster. There exist many groups of people in American society whose problems have frequently been overlooked. Although the concerns of these indiv- iduals, who lack a recognizable spokesperson in the community, often go unnoticed, they are nevertheless just as important as those in the larger society. Among those who comprise voiceless groups in the community are: individuals who are hearing-impaired, mental health patients in rehabilitation programs, women prisoners, teenage expectant mothers, runaway teenagers, American Indians, Black teenage girls, Asian residents, the disabled, and Nuns.59 From June 1, 1978 to June 1, 1979, WKAR-TV responded to several voiceless community groups in the broadcast area. Figure 9 illustrates a sample of the programming. 58Walker, Orville C., Jr., Priscilla P. Goldstein, and William Rudelius. "'Voiceless' Groups in.the Twin Cities Community: ‘Programming Needs Of Some of PUblic Television'siNOn-Audiences, University of Minnesota, JUTy 1974, p. l. sglbid. 58 Group ProgramlSummary Air Date/Source Elderly people OVER EASY: LIFESTYLE: JERRY COASH 11/13/78 PBS COMMUNITY 23: HOUSING 12/28/79 WKAR OVER EASY: LIFESTYLE 1/16/79 PBS Mental patients OVER EASY 11/15/78 PBS DIALOG: THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN 2/12/79 WKAR WHO REMEMBERS MAMA? 4/18/79 PBS American Indians NOVA: THE LONG WALK OF FRED YOUNG '1/11/79 PBS Hearing Impaired THE ABC CAPTIONED NEWS Nightly ABC/PBS Figure 9. WKAR-TV Programming for Voiceless Community Groups, June 1, 1978 - June 1, 1979 It is the judgment of this author that WKAR-TV attempts to provide program- ming to as many voiceless groups in the community as possible. Through a combination of sources, Channel 23 is able to address a diversity of problems which effect small groups of viewers who make up the WKAR-TV audience. Programs such as "Dialog" and "Conversation," enable WKAR to cover a broad area of subjects. Since this thesis was prepared during a period of time in which the programming schedule and formats of existing locally produced programs were being realigned at WTVS-TV, it would be unfair to assess the way in which that station currently deals with voiceless community groups. 59 The recommendations which follow, however, are designed to outline ways in which both WTVS-TV and WKAR-TV can effectively identify, select, and interview voiceless groups in the community as part of the regular ascertainment process. These procedures are based largely upon the Walker, Goldstein and Rudelius framework, designed for the Association for Public Television by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs and the Graduate School of Business of the University of Minnesota in July of 1974. Many of the voiceless groups in our society are relatively small in number, and the General Public Survey may not adequately identify them or their unique concerns. Random sampling from a total population may include very few members of these groups. Even if these individuals are included in the random sample, the proportion refusing to be inter- viewed is disproportionately large.60 Due to the unusual nature of their problems, voiceless group members are unlikely to find questions on a general public survey that relate specifically to their concerns. Consultations with community leaders are also inadequate, since there generally are not any leaders to consult. Other community leaders are likely to be unaware or unconcerned with the interests of these indiv- iduals. Walker, Goldstein and Rudelius outlined several ways to identify voiceless groups in an effective manner. A screening procedure, involv- ing a variety of community leaders and persons familiar with the commun- ity, a review of published literature on community problems, and other sources provide information to generate a list of individuals for study. Each group can then be evaluated on the basis of how well-recognized it 6OIbid, p. 2. 60 is, or whether or not the group is already represented by a vocal spokesperson in the community. The Public TV Committee in the Twin Cities found that individual members of most voiceless groups were easily located with the help of social workers, community service organ- izations, halfway houses, counseling centers, clinics and local hospitals. All of the aforementioned were particularly helpful in getting the appropriate people in each group to contact a researcher on a voluntary basis. Group members, the Twin Cities report indicates, were also surprisingly cooperative: "In some cases this was because no one had evidenced much interest in their particular problems before."61 Although selection of the individuals in voiceless groups was not done on a random basis, a general consistency of the responses in the Twin Cities study along with an apparent concensus among the respondents interviewed within each group, leads to the belief that most members of the group share in their perception of the problems. The study cited, it must be pointed out, is representative of the Twin Cities. Caution should be exerted by the reader with regard to generalizations. Of those individuals from voiceless community groups selected for interviews, two major principles should be kept in mind by local stations. They are: the needs voiceless members of the community think public television should satisfy, and the nature and content of new programs 62 they would like initiated. It is important, as the Twin Cities research points out, to try to understand why these people are outside 61Ibid., p. 3. 62Ibid., p. 4. 6T society's mainstream, what they perceive as their chances for getting into the mainstream in the future, and what kind of programming public television could provide to help them achieve these objectives. A topical outline guide for group interviews was designed by the Twin Cities research group and is presented in Figure 10. 1. Needs of the Group and Changes it Seeks (a) What do you need to make it possible to live the way you would like to? (b) What conditions would you like to see changed? (c) What kinds of things do you need to know or wish you had known to make things better? 2. Relation of Grouppto Television (a) What do you like about TV? (b) What do you dislike about TV? If you could talk back to the TV, what would you say? 3. Relation of Group's Needs and Conditions to Television (a) If you had your own TV station, how would you use it to help? (b) When (days/time of day/how often)? What would you put in it? (c) Who would be in it? Would you watch yourself? Would others like you watch? (d) What could be done to make more people watch it? Figure 10. Topical Outline Guide for Group Interviews: Ascertainment of Voiceless Community Groups Using this basic foundation, it is the recommendation of this author that the public television broadcast stations that are a part of this two-case study expand ascertainment of community interests to encompass more effectively the concerns and specialized problems of the 62 community'svoiceless groups. As representatives of the "public," individuals in these groups deserve the recognition afforded substantially larger groups in our society. Public television is the very medium which can provide that recognition. . Responsiveness to All Viewers Acting in the public interest, WKAR-TV and WTVS-TV attempt to focus their programming efforts on specialized groups in the community, typically those whose tastes are not regularly served by commercial licensees. Developing a sensitivity to the needs and interests of these specialized groups, and responding to identified concerns is a complex process for stations. The Problems-Programs List is a requirement by the Commission of all noncommercial television licensees, aimed primarily at helping stations to match perceived problems in the community to programs aired during the previous year. The approach has been successful, in the judgement of this author, to an extent. Although both of the stations considered in this research have made significant efforts to respond to recognized community problems, more needs to be done by station to respond to the needs of the Black community. The Black community within the Grade B signal contour of WKAR-TV represents 91,749 people, or 6.4% of the total population.63 The group represents a population greater than the total of all other minorities for the same coverage area combined.64 During the period from 1976-1977 63Urban Decision Systems, Inc., PBS StatiOn Profile, WKAR-TV, June 19, 1978, p. 1. 64Ibid. 63 and from 1978-1979, the category "minority affairs" appeared on the WKAR-TV Community Problems and Concerns Lists. Programs addressing the concerns of the Black community are contained in this category. From June 1, 1978 to June 1, 1979, two programs broadcast by WKAR-TV dealt specifically with the Black community. "Community 23: Black Business in Lansing," a thirty-minute program aired at 7:00 p.m. on February 22, 1979, presented a discussion by "four prominent men" con- 65 The PBS program, "Bill Moyers cerning the Black business community. Journal," was aired at 10:00 p.m. on April 6, 1979. During the one-hour presentation, Andrew Young discussed his views on being a part of the ”inner circle."66 During the period between December 1978, and May 1979, WKAR-TV broadcast a locally produced series dealing with the Spanish-American community, entitled "Tele Revista." The thirty-minute weekly magazine program dealt with the special concerns of the Spanish-speaking audience, which made up 1.6% of the total population in the WKAR-TV Grade 8 signal coverage contour. On December 13, 1978, the PBS program, "Over Easy: Historical Perspective," was broadcast, in which the subject of Amish quilts was the main topic. Although the program was intended for a general audience, it is categorized under the heading "minority affairs" in the Problems-Programs List for 1978-1979. The concern of this author is not the fact that minority programming (other than those programs dealing specifically with the Black community) was presented regularly by WKAR-TV, but that programming concerning the 65Problems-Programs List, 1978-1979, WKAR-TV, June 1, 1979, P. 4 661bid. 64 Black community as its target audience was not at all proportional to that of all other minorities, combined. In response to the lack of a regular program addressing itself to the Black community in Lansing, WKAR-TV General Manager, Robert D. Page, pointed to a lack of program funding to provide the Black community with a regular, locally-produced series on Channel 23. Following what was described as a successful run, "Perspectives in Black," a program produced by WKAR-TV for thewlocal community, was removed from the program schedule due to the inadequacy of such funding.67 On the basis of this information, given the results of community ascertainment,the apparent successful production of "Perspectives in Black," and the population demographics of the WKAR-TV broadcast area, it is the judgement of this author that programming dealing directly with the Black community should be produced at WKAR-TV and presented on a regular basis in an effort to meet this need. It is apparent that this recognized community group has identifiable needs which could, but are at present not being translated into programs by Channel 23. While not passing judgement on the sequence of events which Mr. Caldwell and his management staff have faced since realigning the program schedule at Channel 56, it appearsix>this researcher that WTVS-TV needs to become more sensitive to the concerns of the minority community in Detroit. In the view of this author, management should have reflected a greater awareness of its community to the extent that the ascertainment 67Graduate Seminar in Public Broadcasting, Department of Telecom- munication, Michigan State University, February 18, 1979. 65 process can provide. It apparently did not convey that information to General Manager Caldwell. Channel 56's problems underscore the impor- tance of management and staff awareness of and sensitivity to the needs of the local community of license. It is imperative that programming reflect real concerns as identified by community ascertainment. If these concerns are not translated into recognizable efforts on the part of public television station management, then, the station is not operating in the public interest. It is the recommendation of this author that a conscious and deliberate effort be made on the part of both WKAR-TV and WTVS-TV to represent more programming reflective of the needs and concerns of their respective communities. In the case of WKAR-TV, it is recommended that a regular, weekly half-hour series be produced to meet this need, supplemented by special programming throughout the year from PBS. At WTVS-TV, it is recommended that management reassess the value of programming it has decided to replace which dealt with the minority community - specifically, news and public affairs programming, consistent with Mr. Caldwell's objectives for the station, should be produced locally. This includes shows directly focusing on the needs and interests of the Black community as identified in the 1978-1979 List of Problems and Concerns as "Ethnicity/Race Relations." VI PERSONAL STATEMENT Community ascertainment in public television is a vehicle which can provide broadcasters with the kinds of necessary information to make sensible decisions concerning how stations operate hithe public interest. Leon I. Rosenbluth, Director of Research at the4CPB wrote: "I am a staunch believer that every responsible public broadcasting station should conduct ascer- tainment studies within its community. It is absolutely necessary for a public broadcasting station to serve the community which it calls home. In order to serve that community properly, it must determine, on almost a continuing basis, the needs, interests, and problems which face the people in the community, and with which they must cope."6 The need for public broadcasters to provide that direct access to the public can be achieved, in part, by the community ascertainment process. It is believed, by this writer, that a commitment to community ascertainment is the first step toward providing the public with the service that accommodates their chief interests. It is the responsibility of the public broadcaster, in the judgement of this author, to translate those recognized needs into programming which addresses each concern on an individual basis. Community ascertainment at the two stations that were studied in 68Personal Letter from Dr. Leon I. Rosenbluth, Director of Research, CPB, July 25, 1979. 66 67 this research project reflect a basic fulfillment of the Commission's policy. Management's leadership appears to be receptive to new ways of ascertaining audiences, both current and potential. However, it must continue to keep in mind the underlying purposes for determining community needs, and make concerted efforts to find new systems for identifying all audiences. This will, in this author's judgement, benefit WKAR-TV and WTVS-TV in the future development of better community relations and in their continuing attempts to serve in their public's interest. APPENDIX A 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 68 FCC COMMUNITY LEADER CHECKLIST WITH REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLES OF GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS Agriculture --- local Department of Agriculture office, the Grange, county agent. Business --- Chamber of Commerce, officers of industrial and business coprorations, local merchants. Charities-uu-United Fund, Community Chest, Heart Fund, local charity drive representatives. Civic, neighborhood, and fraternal organizations --- Junior Chamber of Commerce, Elks, Lions, Toastmasters and Toastmisstresses. Consumer services --- Better Business Bureau, state or local consumer agencies. Culture --- art galleries, opera societies, libraries, theatrical and little theatre groups. Education --- colleges and universities, high schools, elementary schools, adult education programs, state and local educational and school board officials. Environment --- federal state, and local environmental offices, Audubon Society, Sierra Club, local planning departments. Government (local, state, and federal) --- mayor, councilpersons, members of the judiciary, governor, governmental agency heads. Labor --- officials of labor unions. Military --- local base commanders, recruiting officers.. Minority and ethnic groups --- NAACP, any group or organization of minorities that have significant representation in the community, e.g., native American, Black, Hispanic, Asian- Pacific, Italian-American, etc. Organizations of and for the elderly --- American Association of Retired People, Social Security Administrator. Organizations of and for women --- NOW, DAR, League of Women Voters. Organizations of and for children, youth, and students --- YMCA, YWCA, 4H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, student government leaders. 69 FCC Community Leader Checklist (continued) 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Professions --- lawyers, doctors, dentists. Public safety, health, and welfare --- Police Department, Fire Department, Department of Health and Welfare offices, social services, public welfare clinics. Recreation --- Department of Recreation, Boys' Clubs, Park Service. Religion --- ministers, pastors, rabbis, and priests from all religions significant in the community. Other --- leaders of any significant group or organization that is represented in the community and not otherwise included in any of the above elements. 7O CPB ASCERTAINMENT QUESTIONNAIRE Phone # Interviewer: Call 1 Call 2 Call 3 Completed Busy No Answer Disconnected or business phone Foreign language (state language) Refused HELLO, MY NAME IS . -I'M CALLING FOR A LOCAL TELEVISION STATION HERE IN . WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE THINK ARE THE MAJOR NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF THE COMMUNITY. ARE YOU THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD? (If yes, continue the interview. If no, ask to speak to the head of the household. If head is not available, interview the person answering the phone if he or she is over 16 and a member of the family. No babysitters!) (If the respondent wants to talk to someone in charge, have them call at . 1. FIRST OF ALL, HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN THIS COMMUNITY? 2. OVERALL, HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY. WOULD YOU SAY: very satisfied somewhat satisfied not very satisfied not satisfied at all 7T 3. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THEMOST IMPORTANT PROBLEMS NOW FACING THIS COMMUNITY? (Probez) ANY OTHERS? NOW, I'D LIKE TO REVIEW SOME POTENTIAL PROBLEM AREAS AND ASK IF YOU CONSIDER THEM TO BE PROBLEMS IN THE COMMUNITY? 4. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN THE COMMUNITY? __ yes __ 5. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH POLLUTION IN THE COMMUNITY? __ yes __ 6. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH ILLEGAL DRUGS? __ yes __ 7. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH HOUSING? __ yes __ 8. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH CRIME? __ yes __ 9. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH MEDICAL SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY? _____ yes ______ 10. IS THERE A SENIOR CITIZENS' PROBLEM? __ yes ______ 11. ARE THERE PROBLEMS WITH LOCAL TAXES? + yes __ 12. ARE THERE WELFARE PROBLEMS? __ yes __ 13. ARE THERE MINORITY GROUP PROBLEMS? __ yes __ 14. ARE LABOR RELATIONS A PROBLEM? __ yes __ 15. ARE THERE UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEMS? _' yes __ 16. IS THERE AN ENERGY PROBLEM? __ yes ______ 17. IS THERE A POPULATION PROBLEM? __ yes __ 18. ARE THERE PROBLEMS WITH THE LOCAL SCHOOLS? __ yes __ 19. ARE THERE TRAFFIC OR PARKING PROBLEMS? __ yes __ 20. IS THERE AN INFLATION PROBLEM? yes 21. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH PARKS OR RECREATIONAL FACILITIES? yes 22. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH POLICE OR FIRE PROTECTION? yes 110 110 T10 no no no no 1'10 110 no no no T10 no 1'10 T10 T10 110 no 23. 24. 25. NOW 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 72 IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH STREET AND HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE? yes no IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH OBSCENITY IN THE MEDIA? yes no IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH GAS, ELECTRIC, ,. AND UTILITY SERVICES? ' yes no —.—-————-———— * * * OPTIONAL QUESTIONS * * * I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT LOCAL TELEVISION. ON YOUR TV SET, CAN YOU RECEIVE ANY CHANNEL WHICH IS A "PUBLIC BROADCASTING" OR "EDUCATIONAL" CHANNEL? yes I'm not sure no (If yes, ask these questions.) WHAT CHANNEL IS THAT? Gives correct number/call letters _______ incorrect IN THE LAST WEEK, HAVE rgg_SEEN ANY SHOWS ON THAT CHANNEL? eyes I'm not sure no WHAT SHOW WAS THAT? IN THE LAST WEEK, HAS ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY SEEN ANY SHOWS ON THAT CHANNEL? (If yes:) WHO? (Check all that apply) Children yes no Spouse yes no Others yes no GENERALLY, HOW GOOD OR HOW BAD A PICTURE DO YOU GET ON THAT CHANNEL? good fair poor ARE THERE ANY KINDS OF SHOWS YOU WISH THIS CHANNEL WOULD HAVE MORE OF? (list) (Probe) ANYTHING ELSE? 73 NOW, JUST A FEW FINAL QUESTIONS. 33. HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN THIS HOUSEHOLD? 34. ARE THERE ANY PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE HOME? yes 35. ARE THERE ANY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE HOME? yes 36. ARE THERE ANY TEENAGERS IN THE HOME? yes no —— 37. HOW FAR DID YOU GO IN SCHOOL? less than high school high school some college college degree refused 38. HOW OLD ARE YOU? under 18 years 18-15 years 26-35 years 51-65 years over 65 years refused 39. WHAT IS YOUR RACE? white Black Asian American Indian Hispanic other refused 40. WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHICH OF THESE CATEGORIES REPRESENTS THE TOTAL FAMILY INCOME? under $10,000 $10,000 to $15,000 $15,000 to $20,000 more than $20,000 refused 41. MAY I HAVE YOUR NAME? refused 42. INTERVIEWER SHOULD RECORD SEX 0F RESPONDENT. male female THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING US! 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 74 MASTER PROBLEM LIST (MPL) City size, zoning, districting (over-populated or under-populated). Community decay or renovation (beautification). Consumer issues (protection, education, quality of goods, services). Crime. 4a. Adult crime 4b. Juvenile crime 4c. Law enforcement (court leniency, policy brutality, size of policy force) Ecological issues. 5a. Pollution 5b. Energy crises, effects. solutions, scarcities Government (local agencies, officials, credibility, leadership). 6a. Politics, campaigns Housing. Inflation. Labor unions, strikes. Legal and civil rights (awareness of them, access to legal aid or protection). Leisure activities (indoor and outdoor, recreation, parks). Mass media (availability, quality, content). Medical care (hospitals, doctors). Problems of minority groups. 14a. Racial or ethic minorities 14b. Sexist behavior 14c. Sexual deviates Morality issues (pornography, abortion). Schools, formal educational institutions. 16a. Bussing,integration, desegregation 75 MASTER PROBLEM LIST (continued) 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. Senior citizen problems.' Substance abuse (drugs, alcohol). Taxes. Transportation problems. 20a. Public transportation (busses, mass transit, railroads) 20b. Traffic problems (cars, roads, parking, drivers, bicycles) Unemployment, job training. Welfare. Othergpossibilities Agriculture (farms, farm products). Campus-community problems. 76 PARTIAL EXAMPLE OF MPL QUESTION FORMAT Now, I'm going to ask you about things that are problems in some communities and not in others. I'd like you to tell me whether these things are, or are not, problems in your community, in your opinion. Is there a problem with pollution in your community? Yes No Is there a problem with public transportation in the community? Yes No Is there a problem with illegal drugs in the community? Yes No Is there a problem with housing? Yes No Is there a problem with crime? Yes No 77 STATION AUDIENCE INFORMATION I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT LOCAL TELEVISION. ON YOUR TV SET, CAN YOU RECEIVE ANY CHANNEL WHICH IS A "PUBLIC BROADCASTING" OR "EDUCATIONAL" CHANNEL? yes I'm not sure 1 no (If yes, ask these questions.) WHAT CHANNEL IS THAT? gives correct number/call letters incorrect IN THE LAST WEEK, HAVE rep PERSONALLY SEEN ANY SHOWS ON THAT CHANNEL? yes I'm not sure no WHAT SHOW WAS THAT? IN THE LAST WEEK, HAS ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY SEEN ANY SHOWS ON THAT CHANNEL? (If yes:) WHO? (Check all that apply) Children yes no Spouse yes no Other yes no GENERALLY, HOW GOOD OR HOW BAD A PICTURE DO YOU GET ON THAT CHANNEL? good fair poor ARE THERE ANY KINDS OF SHOWS YOU WISH THIS CHANNEL WOULD HAVE MORE OF? (List) (Probe) ANYTHING ELSE? APPENDIX B 78 POLICY OF THE RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTING SERVICES OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY "ADMINISTRATION The radio and television broadcasting services of Michigan State Univer- sity (WKAR-AM-FM-TV) are departments with the Instructional Development and Telecommunication Services. Responsibility and authority for administration of each station progresses from the manager of each station to the Director of Instructional Development and Telecommunication Services, to the Provost, which holds the broadcasting licenses granted by the Federal Communications Commission. PURPOSES The purposes of the radio and television broadcasting services are to serve the interests and needs of the people of Michigan, and to contribute, on behalf of said people, to the welfare of the nation and world at large, thrOugh the educational resources of Michigan State University. These purposes shall be achieved through the following means: The preparation and broadcast of programs which extend the resources and activities of the University. The broadcast of programs, produced locally or elsewhere, which employ resources other than those of the University, provided that these are consistent with University standards and policies. The development of public service programs for use by other stations, public service organizations, and educational institutions; and the cooperative extension of time, facilities, and services to these same agencies for their own development of programs in the public interest. The support of training, instruction, and research in broadcasting for the staff and students of the University. PROGRAMMING OBJECTIVES To help people to develop morally, culturally, physically, and intellect- ually so as to lead more satisfying and productive lives as individuals and as members of society. 79 To serve minority as well as majority needs and interests. To motivate those who are capable of education as well as to serve those who already desire to further their education. To minimize merely passive experiences in favorcnithose which stimulate audience members to cultivate and derive satisfaction from their own capacities. To evince actively in the problems and opportunities of current living, as well as presenting existing and codified knowledge. To broaden the public's understanding and enjoyment of the fine arts. To win and maintain the involvement of intended audiences by the effective selection, preparation, and presentation of subject matter - relying on methods which will point up the relevance of the subject matter to their needs, stimulate thinking, sharpen perception, and provide inspiration, without violating: Respect for the subject matter, protecting it from distortion through exaggeration, oversimplication, and sensationalism; Respect for the presenter of the subject matter, his authority, dignity, and professional methods of communication; Respect for the audience member, protecting him from harrassment and insults to his powers of intelligence and discrimination. SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING REGULATIONS All broadcasts will necessarily conform to governmental rules, regula- tions, and laws, including those specifically applicable to broadcasting stations and those which protect the rights of people to their property and reputation. All programs shall exhibit the highest standards of good taste. All programs shall uphold the reputation and integrity of the University, defending it from misuse, misrepresentation, and exploitation. No broadcast shall place the University in the position of: Editorializing on one side of a controversial public issue. Endorsing or opposing any candidate for political Office, the platform and objectives of any political party, or the beliefs of any religious organization. Endorsing or advocating the use of any specific commercial product, method or device. 80 In the case of religious programs, time shall be apportioned fairly among the representative faith groups of the stations' coverage areas. To qualify, therprograms must emphasize broad religious principles and include narrowly controversial or partisian views, including those not directly or necessarily related to religion or morality. BROADCASTING OF UNIVERSITY-ORIGINATED PROGRAMSBY OTHER STATIONS Programs originated by the university broadcasting stations may be broad- cast or rebroadcast by other stations on the following conditions: Rebroadcast of a University station's air signal requires written permission in advance from the manager of the applicable station. Broadcast under any other circumstances also requires written permission in advance from the manager of the applicable University station, unless the program has been offered by the University station to the other station. Each program unit must be broadcast in its entirety in a continuous, uninterrupted performance. Proper identification of the source, and credit for the University, must immediately precede and follow the program.. December 20, 1967 Revised July 1, 1974 81 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY \l'KAR-'l\ ' MK) KAIAMAZUU SIRI'I'I I'IAS'I LANSING ' MICHIGAN ' 4882-1 WKAR-TV, as you probably know, is the public broadcasting station owned and Operated by Michigan State University. We are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, and are required under that license to serve this area in the public interest. We feel that we can better serve the public interest by taking an active role in attempting to identify the important needs and problems of the people in our service area. Our hope is that an affirmative effort in this regard will enable us to present better and more relevant programming in relation to these needs and problems. In this effort, we are asking your help and the help of many other leaders in the Lansing-East Lansing area who might have some special knowledge of the kinds of problems our community faces. We urge you to give this matter serious consideration, as the success of this effort depends on the sincerity and thought behind the answers we receive. A member of WKAR's staff will be in touch with you soon to arrange an interview for purposes of discussing these needs and problems. Knowing the demands on your time, we assure you that this meeting will be as brief and direct as possible. Thank you very much. Your comments will be seriously considered, and ultimately reflected in the programming efforts of WKAR—TV. Sincerely, Robert D. Page General Manager WKAR-TV 82 IPTV MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: Bob Page SUBJECT: Ascertainment Interview DATE: 1. A general letter informing community leaders of the WKAR-TV ascertainment survey has been sent. Please arrange a personal interview with the person assigned to you (letter enclosed) as soon as possible. The primary purpose of the interview is to identify community problems as perceived by community leaders. It is not to identify programming problems and suggestions. Please fill out all information at the top of the form. Type or print clearly interview responses and return in four weeks. People out of Lansing - East Lansing area can be contacted by phone. After completing the interview return form to Katie Paullin. Category No. 6 83 COMMUNITY LEADERS TO BE SURVEYED - NOVEMBER 1978 WKAR-TV, Channel 23 Michigan State University Rollin H. Baker Director, The Museum Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 Phone: 355-2370 Dates Interviewed. Jane Smith Director, Volunteer Programs 27 Student Services Building, MSU East Lansing, MI 48824 Phone: 353-4400 Dates Interviewed: George H. Swanson Chief Executive, Relatives Inc. 1562 Greencrest East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 337-0984 Dates Interviewed: Mrs. Jacqueline Garno President, United Cerebral Palsy Assoc. of Lansing 142 Bessemaur East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 372-1508 Dates Interviewed: Bradfort Pryce Dept. of Planning, Housing & Community Development 410 Abbott Road East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 337-1731, Ext. 321 Dates Interviewed: Frank Warden Treasurer 410 Abbott Road East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 337-1731, Ext. 321 Dates Interviewed: Category No. 2 16 10. 84 Robert Wilcox Jacobson's 333 E. Grand River East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 351-2550 Dates Interviewed: Stuart Bartlett East Lansing State Bank 100 W. Grand River East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 351-5959, Ext 292 Dates Interviewed: John Hoffman Division of Engineering Research Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 Phone: 355-5103 Dates Interviewed: Harry R. Ball Executive Director Michigan Society of Professional Engineers East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 487-9488 Dates Interviewed: Category No. 7 17 10 17 17 85 COMMUNITY LEADERS TO BE SURVEYED - DECEMBER 1978 WKAR-TV, Channel 23 Michigan State University Keith Geiger President Michigan Education Association East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 332-6551 Dates Interviewed: Karen Pyle Executive Director, American Cancer Society Ingham County Unit 919 E. Grand River East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 351-0430 Dates Interviewed: John A. Doherty Executive Vice President, Michigan Health Council 712 Abbott Road, P.O. Box 1010 East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 337-1615 Dates Interviewed: Deke Watters . President, AFSCME, AFL-CIO Local 999 927 E. Grand River Avenue East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 351-1772 Dates Interviewed: Catherine Hatle Director, Drug Education Center 405 Grove Street East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 351-4001 Dates Interviewed: Peter Arena Staff Coordinator, Listening Ear of East Lansing 547% E. Grand River Avenue East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 337-1717 Dates Interviewed: Category No. 11 11 12 10. 86 Doug Douglas Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 701 123 N. Rosemary Lansing, MI 48917 Phone: '485-1656 Dates Interviewed: Steven Repichowski Major, US Army Reserve, 4/20 Artillery qutrs. 810 Marshall Lansing, MI 48912 Phone: 489-7571 Dates Interviewed: Larry Owen East Lansing City Council 410 Abbott Road East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 337-1731 Dates Interviewed: Harold Watkins Director, Human Relations 410 Abbott Road East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 337-1731 Dates Interviewed: 87 W K A R ASCERTAINMENT COMMUNITY LEADER QUESTIONAIRE CHECKLIST CATEGORY Name: Organization: Position/Title: Address: Phone: Interviewer: Date Assigned: Reviewer: Location: CONFIDENTIAL? YES NO (If yes, record response on separate sheet) 1. What do you feel is this community's most important problem? 2. Why has this become a problem in this community? 3. What action would you suggest in dealing with this problem? 4. Are there any other important problems in this community which you think deserve attention? Thank you very much. NOTE SEX: MALE' FEMALE 88 PUBLIC OPINION LEADER INTERVIEWED LIST INTERVIEWEE ADDRESS D/A D/R CATEGORY 89 THE GENERAL PUBLIC SURVEY. WKAR-TV February 1978 Col. TELEPHONE (1-7) ID NUMBER (1-10) CALL BACKS 1 2 3 4 5 6 STATUS OF INTERVIEW ______COMPLETED (ll) ______ REFUSED ______ DISCONNECTED BAER WKAR-TV 355-2300 UNION 353-3288 INTRODUCTION: Hello, I'm from Michigan State University. We're doing a study of how people feel about the Lansing community and I have a few questions I'd like to ask you. 1. First, how long have you lived in the Lansing area? ( ) (RECORD ACTUAL NUMBER OF YEARS. ROUND TO THE (12-13) 2. NEAREST YEAR) Overall, how satisfied are you with living in this area. Would you say you are very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, not very satisfied, or not satisfied at all? (_ 1 ) VERY SATISFIED (14) (_ 2 ) SOMEWHAT SATISFIED (_ 3 ) NOT VERY SATISFIED (_ 4 ) NOT SATISFIED AT ALL 90 What do you think are the most important problems or needs of the Lansing community? (PROBE: What do you feel are the problems of the Lansing area?) (15-16) Who are the people you usually go to when you need advice on a community problem? (PROBE: Could you please tell me their name?) (17) Do you know of a public or educational television station in the area? L__1__) YES (18) ( 2 ) NO (GO TO QUESTION #8) Do you recall its channel number? ( 1 ) 23 (19) ( 2 ) OTHER THAN 23 ————— ( 3 ) DK Can you tell me the call letters? (__1__) WKAR-TV (20) (__g__) OTHER THAN WKAR-TV (__3_)DK Haveymnlever watched WKAR-TV Public Broadcasting, Channel 23? ( 1 ) YES (21) ( 2 «) NO (GO TO QUESTION 10) 10. 11. 12. 91 How often would you say you watch channel 23? Would you Say you watch daily, weekly, monthly or less than once a month? _)1 DAILY (22) ( ( 2 m) WEEKLY (____ 3 )MONTHLY (_ 4 ) LESS THAN ONCE A MONTH Would you be interested in taking college courses from Michigan State University through WKAR-TV Channel 23? (___;___) YES (23) (__j;__) NO (GO TO QUESTION 16) Would you want to take courses at the undergraduate or graduate level? (__l__) UNDERGRADUATE (24) (_ 2 ) GRADUATE (_ 3 ) BOTH (fl 4 ) DK What subject areas would you be interested in? Would you say: Business, Humanities, Education, Social Studies or Science? (__J__) BUSINESS (25) (__z__) HUMANITIES (__3__) EDUCATION (_J¢__) SOCIAL SCIENCE (__§__) SCIENCE 92 13. Would you want the course for credit or non-credit? (__l__) CREDIT. (26) (__g__) NON-CREDIT (__3__)m< 14. Would you be willing to pay for the credit received for this course? (__1 ) YES (27) (___2 ) NO 15. Would you prefer the material to be broadcast in morning, afternoon, evening or weekends? I MORNING (28) 2 AFTERNOON ( ) (____) (_§___) EVENING ( ) 4 WEEKENDS 16. How many people including children live in your home? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9+ (29) 17. Do you have any children living at home? ( 1 ) YES (30) ( 2 ) NO (GO TO QUESTION 19) 18. Would you please tell me the ages of the children? (ROUND TO NEAREST YEAR) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (31) 93 19. How much education have you completed? (* (_ (fi ( 1 2 ) THRU 8TH ( 5 ) COLLEGE DEGREE (32) ) 9th - 12th (‘ 6 ) GRADUATE WORK 3 ) H. S. DEGREE ( 7 ) GRADUATE DEGREE 4 *1 SOME COLLEGE ( 8 ) REFUSED 20. May I ask your age? (ROUND TO NEAREST YEAR) ( ) (33-34) 21. Would you please tell me if your household income is more or less than $10,000? ( __;L__ ( ) LESS THAN $10,000 ) MORE THAN $10,000 21a. Is it more than $20,000 (35) (_2__)~o r_____) YES 21b. And finally, is it more than $30,000? L_;1__) N0 (__3;_) YES 22. May I ask your race? ( ( ( ( (_ ( 1 2 3 4 5 6 fl) WHITE (36) _) BLACK ) SPANISH/MEXICAN ) AMERICAN INDIAN ) OTHER ) REFUSED 94 Thank you very much for your cooperation 23. RECORD SEX ( 1 ) FEMALE ( 2 ) MALE 95 PROBLEMS/PROGRAMS LIST, WKAR-TV Programs concerning the problems presented in the ascertainment surveys. Programs were aired between June 1, 1978 and June I, 1979. Those marked PBS are from the network and those marked WKAR were produced at WKAR-TV, East Lansing, Michigan. PROBLEMZTOPIC: Alcohol and Drug Abuse PROGRAM: Community 23: Alcoholism SOURCE: WKAR AIR DATE: October 26, 1978 - 7:00 p.m. DURATION: 30 minutes TYPE: PA . DESCRIPTION: Women and alcoholism is discussed. PROGRAM: Turnabout SOURCE: PBS AIR DATE: December 11, 1978 - 10:30 p.m. DURATION: 30 minutes TYPE: 0 DESCRIPTION: Three recovered women drinkers talk about their experiences. ' PROGRAM: Visions SOURCE: PBS AIR DATE: January 5, 1979 - 9:30 p.m. DURATION: 90 minutes TYPE: A 'DESCRIPTION: To escape living with her alcoholic mother, a teenager plans marriage. PROBLEM/TOPIC: Children and Youth PROGRAM: Turnabout SOURCE: PBS AIR DATE: November 20, 1978 - 10:30 p.m. DURATION: 30 minutes TYPE: A DESCRIPTION: Demonstrated the "Do's'l of non-sexist child-rearing and the "Don'ts" of sex role stereotyping. PROGRAM: Raised in Anger SOURCE? PBS AIR DATE: January 11, 1979 - 9:00 p.m. DURATION: 120 minutes IYPE: . PA DESCRIPTION: Looked at the emotional & physical mistreatment of children by parents who lose control. PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: OWTION: TY E: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DES RIPTION: 96 Dialog WKAR January 15, 1979 - 8:00 p.m. 60 minutes PA Phoned-in questions discussed regarding child care and day care centers. Dialog: The Forgotten Children WKAR February 12, 1979 - 8:00 p.m. 60 minutes PA Mentally handicapped children discussed. Footsteps: Spare the Rod PBS February 24, 1979 - 8:00 p.m. 30 minutes GEN Dealt with child abuse. Dialog: Winning Isn't Everything WKAR , April 9, 1979 - 8:00 p.m. 60 minutes PA Dealt with psychological and health concerns of competition for children. Education Freestyle PBS November 4, 1978 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN A classroom project of "the changing roles of women and men in society" serves as the subject chosen for their newspaper's feature story. Turnabout PBS November 20, 1978 - 10:30 p.m. 30 minutes 0 Grammer school pupils Show paintings of what they want to be when they grow up. PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: ET“: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: 97 Conversation: What Makes an Educated Person WKAR February 7, 1978 - 8:30 p.m. 30 minutes 0 Discussion on education in general. Elderly Over Easy: Lifestyle: PBS- November 13, 1978 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN An interview with Jerry Coash on the elderly. Jerry Coash Community 23: WKAR December 28, 1978 - 7:00 p.m. 30 minutes PA Discussion on housing for the elderly by three community leaders. ‘ Housing Over Easy: Lifestyle PBS January 16, 1979 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN An interview with Senator Pete Dominici. Energy Congressional Outlook PBS November 10, 1978 - 9:00 p.m. 30 minutes PA Should government be spending more money to develop new energy sources as alternatives to coal and nuclear power. Dialog: Alternate Energy Sources WKAR January 29, 1979 - 8:00 p.m. 60 minutes PA Phoned-in questions and discussion on possible alternative energy sources. PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DES RIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AER—DATE: DURATION: TYPE7___ DE‘CS RIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: 98 Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang PBS February 25, 1979 - 8:00 p.m. 30 minutes ' PA A look at nuclear power. Nova: The End of the Rainbow PBS , March 1, 1979 - 8:00 p.m. 30 minutes GEN Discusses the promise of controlled nuclear fusion energy to serve people's needs. Government and City Government If I Am Elected: of Trustees WKAR October 23, 1978 - 9:00 p.m. 60 minutes PA Interviews with the Wayne State University Board of Trustees. Wayne State University Board If I Am Elected: of Trustees WKAR October 23, 1978 - 10:00 p.m. 60 minutes PA Interviews with the University of Michigan Board of Trustees. University of Michigan Board If I Am Elected: Board of Trustees WKAR October 24, 1978 - 8:30 p.m. 60 minutes PA Interviews with the Michigan State University Board of Trustees. The Michigan State University Evening With the Governor WKAR January 4, 1979 - 10:00 p.m. 60 minutes PA An hour long conversation with Governor Milliken on ,government of Michigan PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: .99 Medical and Health Eternal Frontier PBS November 6, 1978 - 8:00 p.m. 60 minutes 0 Documents the day-to-day research efforts of the Minningner Foundation. Nova PBS November 9, 1978 - 8:00 p.m. 60 minutes GEN Implant of an artifical heart in a human for the first time. Over Easy PBS November 14, 1978 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN Dr. John Farquar speaks on medical cures. Ask The Doctor WKAR November 16, 1978 - 7:00 p.m{ 30 minutes- GEN Phoned-in questions to a panel of local area doctors from viewing audience. Over Easy PBS November 16, 1978 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN Dr. Bruck Spivey talks about medical care. Over Easy PBS November 21, 1978 — 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN Dr. James Fries speaks about medical care. PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION} TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION} TYPE: DESCRIPTION:‘ 100' Over Easy PBS November 22, 1978 — 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN Over Easy PBS November 24, 1978 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN Program deals with strokes. Over Easy PBS December 1, 1978 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN Dr. Harold Schnaper speaks on health. Turnabout: Handle With Care PBS December 18, 1978 - 10:30 p.m. 30 minutes 0 Exploration of new medical roles. Over Easy PBS January 1, 1979 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN Deals with arthritis. Over Easy PBS January 3, 1979 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN Pat Schoeni Speaks on health. Minorities Tele-Revista WKAR November 1978 through May 1979 - 7:00 p.m. 30 minutes 0 Weekly magazine format dealing with concerns of interest to the Spanish speaking audience. PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTIONz' PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION:~ PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATFNT: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATTON} TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE? AIR—DATE: DURATION} TYPE: DESCRIPTION: 101 Over Easy: Historical Perspective PBS December 13, 1978 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN Program on Amish Quilts Nova: The Long Walk of Fred Young PBS January 11, 1979 - 8:00 p.m. 60 minutes GEN A story of a Navajo Indian. Community 23: Black Business in Lansing WKAR . February 22, 1979 - 7:00 p.m. 30 minutes PA Four prominent men discuss the Black business community. Turnabout: Where We Are Now PBS . March 30, 1979 - 9:30 p.m. 30 minutes 0 Maya Angelow talks aboUt the changing women's movement. Bill Moyer's Journal PBS April 6, 1979 - 10:00 p.m. 60 minutes PA Andrew Young talks about what it was like to be a part of the "inner circle." Who Remembers Mama? PBS April 18, 1979 - 10:00 p.m. 60 minutes 0 A look at the economic and emotional devastation experienced by millions of middle-aged women. Dialog: Divorce: Michigan Style WKAR _ . April 30, 1979 - 8:00 p.m. 60 minutes PA Panel discussion resUlting from phoned-in questions on divorce in Michigan. 10. PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE:* DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATI N: TYPE: . DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR—DATE; ’ DURATION: TYPE: DESCRIPTION: PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DESCRIPTION: 102 Students Who Makes Decisions in East Lansing? WKAR . , February 1, 1979 - 7:00 p.m. 30 minutes PA The impact of Michigan State University students vote on local East Lansing elections.‘ Over Easy PBS . February 5, 1979 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes GEN Ralph Nader discusses local politics. High School Quiz Bowl WKAR Series - 7:00 p.m. 30 minutes GEN A weekly program conducted with students from surrounding local communities. Regional Planning Problems Special WKAR June Planned for this spring on Community 23 APPENDIX C 103 WTVS-TV, CHANNEL 56, DETROIT LEADER CONTACT FORM Date: NAME AND ADDRESS OF PERSON CONTACTED: ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED BY PERSON CONTACTED: DATE, TIME AND PLACE OF CONTACT: METHOD OF CONTACT: PROBLEMS, NEEDS AND INTERESTS IDENTIFIED BY PERSON CONTACTED: NAME OF INTERVIEWER: POSITION OF INTERVIEWER: REVIEWED BY: POSITION: DATE FORM WAS REVIEWED: 104 WTVS-TV, CHANNEL 56, DETROIT PLEASE RECOMMEND COMMUNITY LEADERS ON THIS FORM AND IN THIS FORMAT. INTERVIEWER NAME INTERVIEWEE NAME NAME POSITION HELD ORGANIZATION(S) OR GROUP(S) REPRESENTED ADDRESS PHONE NAME . POSTIION HELD ORGANIZATION(S) OR GROUP(S) REPRESENTED ADDRESS PHONE NAME POSITION HELD ORGANIZATION(S) OR GROUP(S) REPRESENTED ADDRESS PHONE NAME POSITION HELD ORGANIZATION(S) OR GROUP(S) REPRESENTED ADDRESS PHONE 105 WTVS-TV Channel 56 Detroit COMMUNITY LEADER CHECKLIST 1978-79 NOT APPLICABLE INSTITUTION/ELEMENT NUMBER (EXPLAIN BRIEFLY) 1. Agriculture 3 2. Business 20 3. Charities 17 4. Civic, Neighborhood and Fraternal Organizations 55 5. Consumer Services 19 6. Culture 9 7. Education 28 8. Environment 10 9. Government (local, county, state and federal ~19 10. Labor 3 11. Military 2 12. Minority and ethnic groups 22 13. Organizations of and for the Elderly 15 14. Organizations of and for Women 17 15. Organizations of and for Youth (including Children and Students 30 16. Professions 13 17. Public Safety, Health and Welfare 25 18. Recreation 10 19. Religion 14 20. Other: Such as: Poverty 5 Unemployment 1 Transportation 6 Handicapped 2 Motorcyclists, etc. 1 While the following are not regarded as separate community elements for purposes of this survey, indicate the numbers of leaders interviewed in all elements whogare: 106 COMMUNITY LEADER CHECKLIST (continued) NOT APPLICABLE INSTITUTION/ELEMENT NUMBER _(EXPLAIN BRIEFLY A. Blacks 20 B. Hispanic, Spanish speaking or Spanish surnamed Americans 4 C. American Indians 2 D. Orientals l E. Women 34 F. Arabic 3 G. Youth 1 H. Chaldean l I. Canadian 1 107 WTVS-TV PROGRAMS/PROBLEMS LIST June 1, 1978 - June 1, 1979 Prepared by Rosetta E. Gadson Director, Community Relations Department PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: Taxes CPA - DIRECT LINE PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: Locally Produced Each Fourth Monday in Month - 7:30 p.m. 30 minutes each Phone-in shows with accountants. THE ADVOCATES: "SHOULD THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REDUCE EVERYBODY'S INCOME TAX BY 30% OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS?" PBS (Producer: WGBH) July 20, 1978 - 9:00 p.m. One Hour MarilynBergernmderated this debate on whether the federal government should reduce everybody's income tax by 30% over the next three years. F.Y.I.: TAX REFORM PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: Locally produced October 29, 1978 - 8:00 p.m. One hour This monthly affairs series reports on this revolt of American middle class, manifested in the various tax initiatives that will be on the ballots of key state elections this fall. The program will assess the effect and fallout of California's Proposition 13. TAX TIME Locally Produced February 20, 1979 - 7:30 p.m. 60 minutes Discussion by Accountants of new tax laws TAX CLINIC WNET/IRS March 25, 1979 at 3:00 p.m. Three hours National program broadcast in 34 states, including Michigan, designed to guide viewers, step by step, through the completion of tax forms 1040 and 1040A, as well as schedules A and B. PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE(S): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: 108 INFLATION/ECONOMY WALL STREET WEEK #801 "The Troubles are Coming" MCPB July 7, 1978 at 8:30 p.m. 30 minutes Host Louis Rikeyser and guests discussed the past week's stock. market events, unemployment, and ' an economic forecast. FIRING LINE #802 "The Sinking Dollar" SECA July 7, 1978 at 9:00 p.m. One hour Host William Buckley and guests discussed British economy and the sinking value of the dollar in England, the attitude of the British on Proposition 13 and its effects on Europe, and British vs. the U.S. form of government. MACNEILlLEHRER REPORT: "GOLD" PBS (Broducer: WETA/WNET) July 18, 1978 - 7:30 p.m. July 19, 1978 - 8:00 a.m. 30 minutes Lehrer and Hunter-Gault hosted this discussion on gold, noting the several monthly gold auctions the government is holding this year, designed to support the dollar and to put a damper on the Speculation in gold that is presently running rampant. Guests gave a history of gold mining and gold myths; analyzed the past and present worth of gold, discussed the buying and selling of gold by Americans, which was just declared legal three years ago; and analyzed the future of gold and its effect on the financial world. BLACK PERSPECTIVE ON THE NEWS #605 PBS (Producer: WHYY) November 4, 1978 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes Host Chuck Stone and journalists Koho Nhambi (WHUR Radio-Washington, D.C.), Bill Eaton (Los Angeles Times) and Rudolph Pyatt (Washington Star) inter- viewed Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall about Carter Administration policies for dealing with the growing hopelessness among blacks and other minorities over joblessness and inflation. The group discussed Carter's recent anti-inflation plan, noting that the Administration's goal is to control inflation and work on unemployment at the same time, since the two are inter-related; that the ultimate aim is the incorpor- ation of the newly employed in private industry; and that the success of the fight on inflation and unemployment depends on the level of cooperation by labor and management. PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE(S): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROBLEM/TOPIC: 109 INFLATION/ECONOMY (cont.) GLOBAL PAPER: THE FIGHT FOR FOOD PART 1 PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE(S): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: TProducer: WQED) November 12, 1978 - 8:00 p.m. November 13, 1978 - 8:00 p.m. November 14, 1978 - 8:00 p.m. One hour This was the first of a three-part probe of the world food crisis. The programs took a compre- hensive look at one of the world's most urgent problems - the scarcity of food and the mal- nutrition and starvation that it causes, and demonstrated the political, social and economic choices that must be made before that situation _ can every change. EMPLOYMENT YOUTH EMPLOYMENT: A QUESTION OF SURVIVAL Locally Produced June 19, 1978 - 5:30 p.m. One hour This documentary, produced in cooperation with the Detroit Public Schools Job Placement Service, examines the crisis of jobless young people. TARGET: YOUTH EMPLOYMENT Locally Produced June 19, 20, 21, 1978 - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes each These programs are designed to five Detroit-area employers an opportunity to fill their entry-level jobs with graduates from Detroit's public high schools; a phone-in format, whereby employers call 872-7500 for job orders. PARA MI PUEBLO Locally Produced Mondays at 10:30 p.m. 30 minutes This is a weekly employment analysis by the producer for the Latin community. PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: "‘AIR‘_DA‘TE(S ) : 110 EMPLOYMENT (cont.) TURNABOUT: HARD HATTED WOMEN PBS (Producer: KWED) November 13, 1978 at 10:30 p.m. November 15, 1978 at 2:30 p.m. CONSUMER SURVIVAL KIT: "HOME SECURITY/BANKRUPTCY/ July 29, 1978 - 2:00 p.m., July 31, 1978 - 12:30 p.m. Program offered advice on buying burglar alarms and advantages of buying hard or soft contact lenses. DURATION: 30 minutes DESCRIPTION: Gerri Lange and Felicia Lowe hosted this program which discussed the nearly 5 1/2 million women who are now in blue-collar jobs, focusing on the problems which these women face in overcoming prejudice and harassment despite fast-growing opportunities and protective laws. PROBLEM/TOPIC: CRIME, POLICE, LAW ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM: , CONTRACTS" SOURCE: PBS Producer: MCPB) AIR DATE(§): DURATION: 30 minutes DESCRIPTION: locks; provided information about filing for bankruptcy; and compared the advantages and dis- PROGRAM: NEWSMAKERS SOURCE: Locally Produced AIR DATE: February 2, 1978 - 10:30 p.m. DURATION: 30 minutes DESCRIPTION: Moderator/host Lois Pincus and guest journalists interviewed Mrs. Susan Mills Peek, member of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners. PROGRAM: NEWSMAKERS SOURCE: Locally Produced AIR DATE: April 27, 1979 - 9:00 p.m. DURATION: 30 minutes DESCRIPTION: Moderator/host Lois Pincus and guest journalists interviewed Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, who discussed the threat of a police strike just prior to the 1980 Republican National Convention in the city, public housing, development of Detroit, and the matter of budget deficits and proposed cuts. PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE(S): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE(S): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROBLEM/TOPIC: 111 HOUSING, NEIGHBORHOOD REVITILIZATION OVER EASY PBS Producer: KQED) July 14, 1978 - 7:00 p.m. July 17, 1978 - 7:30 p.m. 30 minutes Host Hugh Downs interviewed Patricia Roberts Harris, Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development, who focused upon federal action in the area of housing for the elderly, and government subsidized insurance programs. DESIGNING HOME INTERIORS Locally Produced TProducer: Wayne State University) Monday through Friday, beginning September 18, 1978 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. 30 minutes A course on Interior Decorating and Hbme Maintenance produced in conjunction with Wayne State University's College of Lifelong Learning, as a credit course. IT'S YOUR TURN PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: Locally Produced April 28, 1979 - 4:00 p.m. 20 minutes Public access program provided opportunity for Friends of Belle Isle to discuss their efforts for revitilizing and cleaning up the historic landmark in Detroit, which is used by everyone in the Detroit metropolitan area; celebration of Belle Isle's 100th birthday. YOUTH, FAMILY RELATIONS INNER-CITY FREEWAY Locally Produced (Producer: Wayne State University) Mondays at 7:30 p.m. 30 minutes Young people produced this program which included interviews with community leaders highlighting issues concerning youth; presented positive role models for youth in featured segments. PARENT EFFECTIVENESS PBS Fridays at 1:00 p.m. 30 minutes Series offered insights into the relationships between parents and children. PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE(S): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE(S): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: 112 EDUCATION CONSUMER SURVIVAL KIT: EDUCATION, AND HOMES" PBS (Producer: MCPB) June 13, 1978 - 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. 30 minutes The pros and cons of vocational education were explored. l'VITAMINS, VOCATIONAL AFTER BAKKEz' PBS June 28, 1978 - 8:00 p.m. One Hour Special examination of the decision of the Supreme Court in the Bakke case. WHO GETS AHEAp? PARA MI PUEBLO: Locally Produced November 1, 1978 - 7:30 p.m. 30 minutes Host Cecilia Garcia interviewed George Bell, president of the Detroit Central School Board, who discussed the future of bi-lingual education in Detroit in light of recent rulings on busing. "BI-LINGUAL EDUCATION UPDATE" COLLEGE CAN BE KILLING PBS September 11, 12, and 13, 1978 - 8:00 p.m. One Hour each Programs were investigative reports on the way colleges deal with stress, anxiety and potential suicide among their student population; compared the type of univer- sity which puts considerable emphasis on the emotional well-being of its students with universities which have other priorities. SENIOR CITIZENS OVER EASY PBS Producer: KQED) Monday through Friday at 7:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. 30 minutes Major series specifically intended for people over the age of 55; hosted by Hugh Downs with guests. PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE(S): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROBLEM/TOPIC: 113 SENIOR CITIZENS (cont.) IT'S YOUR TURN Locally Produced January 13, 1979 - 4:00 p.m. 30 minutes The Grey Panthers, Detroit chapter, the national organization for senior citizens' concerns, discussed its function and programs. CONSUMER SURVIVAL KIT: "FRANCHISES/PENSIONS/SMOKE" PBS (Producer: MCPB) July 22, 1978 - 2:00 p.m. July 25, 1978 - 12:30 p.m. 30 minutes This program included hints about buying into a franchise operation; took a look at home smoke detectors; and offered advice by actor Forrest Tucker on retirement planning. IT'S YOUR TURN PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE(S): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: Locally Produced December 16, 1978 - 4:00 p.m. 20 minutes Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), an organization which uses the expertise of retired executives as business consultants, was interviewed by moderator Ulysses Newkirk, and guests. POVERTY, WELFARE, HEALTH DANIEL FOSTER, M.D. PBS (Producer: KERA) Fridays at 12:30 p.m. 30 minutes Series deals with all aspects of health for all ages -- youth, adults, senior citizens, women; includes infor- mation about preventative medicine, basic medical disorders, etc. MACNEIL/LEHRER REPORT: "THE COST OF BEING A KID" PBS (Producer: WETZ/WNET) July 3, 1978 - 7:30 p.m., July 4, 1978 - 8:00 a.m. 30 minutes MacNeil and Lehrer hosted this discussion on how inflation is affecting children and how parents deal with it. PROBLEMZTOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE(S): 114 POVERTY, WELFARE, HEALTH (cont.) F.Y.I.: DRUGS IN AMERICA PBS (Producer: WETAT November 29, 1978 - 8:00 p.m. One Hour Tony Batten hosted this program which examined the extent of the drug problem in this country, including both legal and illegal drugs, and how the federal government contributes to that problem; focused on the debate over the medical uses of marijuana. DIAL THE DENTISTS DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: ATR'DATE(§): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: Locally Produced Fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. 30 minutes Medical series offers viewers the opportunity to ask medical questions of a panel of dental experts, through the phone-in method. HOUSE CALL PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: Locally Produced Second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. 30 minutes Medical series offers viewers the opportunity to ask medical questions of panel of medical experts, through the phone-in method. A POUND OF CURE PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE(S): DESCRIPTION: PBS September 25, 1978 - 7:30 p.m. 30 minutes Documentary examined the controversial safety and health regulations surrounding one of the most hazardOus jobs (foundry workers) in the country, with an eye toward how the industry and federal government will choose to solve these problems. NACNEIL/LEHRER REPORT: NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE PBS (Producer: WETA.WNET) July 31, 1978 - 7:30 p.m., August 1, 1978 0 8:00 a.m. Macneil and Lehrer hosted this discussion on national health insurance and President Carter's recent proposals for national health insurance. With guests, including Senator Edward Kennedy, the group offered an historical analysis of the idea of a national system of health insurance; outlined Carter's guidelines for a national health insurance plan; and analyzed reactions to the Carter approach. TO. PROBLEM/TOPIC: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: 115 ETHNICITY/RACE RELATIONS DETROIT BLACK NEWS PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: BROGRAM; SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR'DATE(S): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE: DURATI N: DESCRIPTION: Locally Produced Fridays at 7:30 p.m. 30 minutes Series presents news and issues which affect the total community, but most especially the Black community; includes information about employment, community events, international news events which affect the Black community, etc. DETROIT BLACK JOURNAL Locally Produced Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. 30 minutes Magazine formatted series which presents cultural and informative views of life in the Black community, with guest interviews, etc. PARA MI PUEBLO Locally Produced Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 30 minutes Magazine formatted series which presents news, issues, cultural, community information for the Latino community, with guests, etc. CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND IDENTITY Locally Produced Monday through Friday at 6:00 a.m., repeated Sundays, 7-9 a.m. 30 minutes Series devoted to the examination and identification of different cultures. MEET THE BLACK CAUCUS PBS (Producer: WETA) October 3, 1978 - 10:30 p.m. 30 minutes Program examined the Congressional Black Caucus annual meeting in Washington, D.C. POLAND: THE WILL TO BE PBS November 26, 1978 - 8:00 p.m. 90 minutes James Michener's World presented this documentary, a portrait of modern Poland as seen through life there today, and through the country's history; including an interview with then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, who is now Pope John Paul II. PROBLEM/TOPIC: 116 ETHNICITY/RACE RELATIONS (cont.) PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR DATE(S): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM: SOURCE: AIR'DATE(S): DURATION: DESCRIPTION: ETHNIC AMERICA Locally Produced Monday through Friday at 7:00 a.m. Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. 30 minutes Produced in conjunction with the Michigan Ethnic Heritage Center, this series, also offered for college credit, is designed to create a greater awareness of the many different ethnic groups' contributions to American life, both historical and contemporary. PALESTINE PBS January 18, 1979 - 9:00 p.m. January 25, 1979 - 9:00 p.m. February l, 1979 - 9:00 p m. 90 minutes A three-part history of Palestine, which traces the emergence of the Jewish state over three decades from 1918-1948. LIST OF REFERENCES LIST OF REFERENCES Adams, Anthony A. "Broadcasters Attitudes Toward Public Responsibility: An Ohio Case Study," Journal of Broadcasting_(Fall 1972), pp. 407- 420. Anderson, Dr. James. Department of Communication, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah; personal telephone interv1ew, June 27, 1979. Baldwin, Thomas F. and Stuart H. Surlin. "A Study of Broadcast Station" License Application Exhibits on Ascertainment of CommunTty Needs, Journal of Broadcasting(Spring 1970), pp. 157-170. Beatty, Rick and Dale Rhodes. "Community Involvement in SPC-III,” Public Telecommunications Review (September/October 1976), pp. 38-40. Braune, Judith. Public Information Office, Public Broadcasting Service, Washington, D.C.; personal letter, August 20, 1979. Brown, Donald R. "Citizen Involvement in Broadcasting: Some European Experiences," Public Telecommunications Review (October 1973), pp. 16-28. Clark, Burnill and Patricia Harris. "The Viewers Choose: Community Participation in Programming Decisions," Public Telecommunications Review (September/October 1976), pp. 32-35. Creswell, Dr. Kent, Associate Director of Instructional and Public Tele- vision, WKAR-TV, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; personal interview, February 10, 1979. Crock, Stan. "Public TV Seeks to Expand its Audiences by Adding Programs with Wider Appeal," The Wall Street Journal (June 13, 1979), p. 40. DeMott, Benjamin. "The Trouble with Public Television," The Atlantic Monthlr (February 1979), pp. 42-47. Foley, Joseph. "Ascertaining Ascertainment: Impact of the FCC Primer on TV Renewal Applications," Journal of Broadcasting (Fall 1972), pp. 387-405. Gadson, Ms. Rosetta E., Community Relations Manager, WTVS-TV, Channel 56, Detroit, Michigan; personal interview, August 28, 1979. 117 118 Goldstein, Martin M., "The Dark Side of Public Television," Public Telecommunications Review (January/February 1979), pp. 4-18. "Grossman Attacks PBS' 'Dirty Dozen'," Fine Tuning (May 1979), p. 15. Grover, J.Z. with Lawrence K. Grossman. "Two Views from the Top,” Fine Tuning (May 1979), pp. 13-14. Gunn, Hartford. "The Future of Public Telecommunications," Public Telecommunications Review (July/August 1978), pp. 40-41. Heller, Mary Ann. "Problems in Ascertainment Procedures," Journal of Broadcasting (Fall 1977), pp. 427-433. Hilliard, Dr. Robert, Chief of Educational Broadcasting, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C.; personal telephone interview, June 25, 1979. Ingram, Kay, Program Director, WKAR-TV, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; personal interview, January 21, 1979. Johnson, Dr. Mark, Chairperson, Department of Communication, Mount Vernon College, Washington, D.C.; personal letters, July 20, 1979 and August 28, 1979. Johnson, Mark. "The Quest Goes On: The National Search for Localness," Public Telecommunications Review (November/December 1978), pp. 50-53. Keegan, Carol, Office of Communication Research, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Washington, D.C.; personal letter, July 25, 1979. Litman, Julius, Manager of Marketing Research, QUBE, Columbus, Ohio; personal letter, July 30, 1979. "New Season Series Bought at SPC," Fine Tuning(May 1979), pp. 10-12. Page, Robert D., General Manager, WKAR-TV, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; personal interview, February 15, 1979. Rice, Michael. "The Fight Over Public TV's Purpose," Access (February 26, 1979). pp. 1-4. _.____. Robinson, Richard K. "Survey Research: A Basic Production TOol," Public Telecommunications Review (November/December 1978), pp. 54-59. Rosenbluth, Dr. Leon 1., Director of Communication Research, Corporation fOr Public Broadcasting, Washington, D.C.; personal letter, July 25, 1979. 119 Ruggles, Ella, Community Ascertainment Coordinator, WKAR-TV, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; personal interview, January 15, 1979. Shosteck, Herschel. "Dangers of Mail Surveys in Ascertainment Proceedings," Journal of Broadcasting (Fall 1972), pp. 431-439. Sieg, Marilyn L., Manager of Broadcast Research and University Liaison, WHA-TV, Madison, Wisconsin; personal letter, September 12, 1979. Surlin, Stuart H. and Les Bradley. "Ascertainment Through Community Leaders," Journal of Broadcasting (Winter l973-74), pp. 97-107. Walker, Dr. Orville C., Jr., Professor of Marketing, University of Minnesota, Graduate School of Business Administration, Minneapolis, Minnesota; personal letter, August 7, 1979. GENERAL REFERENCES A Public Trust: The Landmark Report of the Carnegie Commission on the Future of Public BroadcastingCTNew York: Bantam, April 1979). Baldwin, Thomas F., Testimony Before the Communications Subcommittee of the 0.3. Senate Commerce Committee (Washington, D.C., November 6, 1975 . Baldwin, Thomas F., Jon K. Gluck, and Henry G. Lackey. "Community Leader Consultation and Public Canvass: Contributions to Station Knowledge of Community Problems" Unpublished report (Michigan State University): 1972. Blakely, Robert J. Educational Broadcasting in the United States: To Serve the Public Interest (Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1979)?— Blakely, Robert J. The People's Instrument: A Philosophy of Program- ming for Public Television (Washington, D.C.: Public Affairs Press, 1971): Cater, Douglass and Michael J. Nyhan (eds.) The Future of Public Broadcasting (New York: Praeger Publishers, 1976). Corporation for Public Broadcasting, An Ascertainment Handbook for Public Broadcasting Facilities (Washington, D.C.: Office of Communications Research, 1976). Emery, Walter B. Broadcasting_and Government: Responsibilities and Regplations (Michigan State University Press, 1971). 120 Federal Communications Commission, Memorandum Opinion and Order in the re-application of the Alabama Educational Television Commission for renewal of licenses: Dockets no. 19422, 19423, 19424, 19425, 19426, 19427, 19428, 19429 and 19430. (Washington, D.C.: May 11, 1972). Jones, William K. Cases and Materials on Electronic Mass Media, Radio, Telegision and Cable (Mineola, New York: The Foundation Press, 1976 . Litman, Julium. "The Electronic Town-Meeting: Participation Democracy and Television - A Case Study," (Columbus, Ohio: September 1978). Public Television: A Program for Action: The Report of the Carnegie Commission on Educational Television (New York: Bantam, 1967). 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