National Educational Television records, 1951-1970

Author / Creator

National Educational Television and Radio Center

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Physical

Summary

Records of a private organization underwritten by the Ford Foundation which provided programming for the nation's public broadcasting stations. Originally known as the National Educational Televisi...

Records of a private organization underwritten by the Ford Foundation which provided programming for the nation's public broadcasting stations. Originally known as the National Educational Television and Radio Center, NET's activities developed from program acquisition to production, station activation, and a wide variety of services until it functioned as a virtual fourth network. The collection includes correspondence, memoranda, scripts, reports, clippings, photographs, financial records, minutes, and publicity. There are, however, only a limited number of tapes and films.

Coverage is incomplete at the highest administrative level, but it is significant for station activation, affiliate relations, and programming. There is also information on NET's on-going self-evaluation and financial shortages; its relations with other organizations concerned with public broadcasting; and its public information, development, and research activities.

Programming (1953-1968, 252 boxes), the largest series, consists of a small file pertaining to the vice-president of that division; subject and title files on program acquisition during the pre-production era; and later production files for cultural, public affairs, and science programs. Many of the latter refer to the work of producer Jac Venza. Well documented programs include "The Creative Person," "Environmental Revolution," "History of the Negro People," "Magazine of the Arts," "NET Playhouse," "People and Politics," "Population," "Through the Eyes of ...," "U.S.A.: Arts, Music, and Poetry." There is also a file of programs produced in cooperation with Westinghouse Broadcasting Company for Interel, a script library, and program evaluations.

Network affairs (1951-1967, 240 boxes), the second largest series, contains an extensive file on the Joint Committee on Educational Broadcasting, the Joint Council on Educational Television, and the Fund for Adult Education, three groups whose records NET inherited. In the papers of the vice-president for network affairs are minutes of affiliate meetings, profiles of many stations, and an affiliate newsletter.

Somewhat smaller files relate to administration (1953-1969, 22 boxes), development (1957-1966, 15 boxes), business affairs (1964-1966, 19 boxes), public information (1954-1969, 44 boxes), research (1953-1968, 16 boxes), and international relations (1959-1968, 11 boxes). The administrative files concern meetings, conferences, and relations with the National Association of Educational Broadcasters and include some files of President John F. White. There is little financial material in the collection, but some information may be gleaned from business affairs division records which detail the accounts of several cultural and public affairs programs and from the files of the vice-president for development who was responsible for fund-raising and procuring research support.

The public information division prepared promotional material on specific programs for ETV affiliates, the press, and the public; its documentation includes newsletters, photographs, clippings, press releases, publicity packages, and award material. Charged with maximizing the impact of ETV, the research division studied audience behavior and station needs and worked with educators and publishers to broaden utilization of educational programs and develop instructional packages. Located here are studies by universities and other organizations with NET grant funds. In addition to the usual office files, there are also utilization materials on "Age of Kings," "Environmental Revolution," "History of the Negro People," and "Population." Eleven boxes record the efforts of the international division in securing foreign programming.

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