THE MICROWAVE YEARS

September, 1957 - August, 1963

The state of the nation during these years was one of relative tranquility, at least on the domestic front. But during the latter years of the fifties and into the sixties the University experienced troubled times. George Docking had been elected governor on a promise that he would reduce taxes, and his principal target for the cuts were the state colleges and universities. As Chancellor Murphy was to lament, "in the middle of the 20th century and the greatest scientific revolution the world has ever seen, one must still devote a substantial amount of time in defending the needs for the highest quality of education and research."1 It didn't help matters a bit that the Chancellor and the Governor detested each other and made no secret of that fact. They were at odds in personality, political preferences and educational philosophy. Griffin notes in his history of KU that "an unseemly public argument between the two men from 1957 to 1960 slowed the Universities growth and served as a reminder that Kansans were still uncertain and divided about the institutions proper character and work."2 Murphy finally had enough, and in 1960 he announced his resignation, to become effective July 1st, 1961. Clark Wescoe became the new Chancellor; he had succeeded Murphy as Dean of the medical school.

The annual budget battles in these years were intense, and remained so for the first years of the Wescoe chancellorship. Each year the governor's budget director would significantly cut the budget for higher education, with an especially sharp axe for KU. The Legislature usually replaced some of the money, but by 1960 only 53 percent of the operating budget came from state appropriations.3

The School of Journalism was under pressure in these years. Stuart Aubrey, a journalist and regent, believed that the J-School should be returned to department status in liberal arts, primarily to make certain that all majors had a strong background in liberal arts. The Dean and other members of central administration, in defending the program, noted that all students spent their first two years in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and were limited in the number of "professional" hours they could take after entering the School. They also pointed out that some of the science departments in the College required more so-called professional hours than was the case in Journalism. No changes were made, but the criticism did nothing to improve faculty morale alreading lowered by the combative atmosphere.

Surprisingly, during these years the RTV program experienced continued growth. The committee system was working, with few problems. Students were attracted in increasing numbers, despite a general stagnation in enrollment in Journalism. There were some faculty changes. New courses were added. Strenuous efforts were made in support of a state-wide ETV system. But perhaps the most exciting development was the production of live television programming, which was originated on the main stage of Hoch and microwaved to Topeka. Looking back, this was indeed a definitive period, deserving of special attention. Hence the chapter parameters and title.

A. Administration and Budget.

1. General RTV Committee Operations and Relationships.

The interdiscipline concept, with a committee in charge, was working quite well. Dean Marvin gave an enthusiastic endorsement in his annual report of 1957-58.4

In our opinion, the School of Journalism and the Department of Speech and Drama have real reason for pride over the solid and rapid growth of education for and about Radio and Television since its inauguration as a major.....(It) has added new resources and facilities that are of tremendous value to the University at large and are enriching the institution's program in many respects--education, research and service. The Committee on Radio and Television continued to experiment during 1957-58 with the Core type of curriculum constituting the academic program in radio and television.

In my own annual report, I noted that the complex interdiscipline program "seeks to carry on the proper function of teaching and research, while the broadcasting laboratories become, secondarily, a tremendous public relations voice of the University -- communicating the activities and spirit of the (University.")5

The success of any inter-discipline program is dependent on a positive relationship between the administrators and faculties of the involved units. Dean Marvin, of the School of Journalism, had a philosophy of leadership which would allow for the growth of a non-traditional program without envy. When he went on sabbatical, in 1961, Calder Pickett became Acting Dean. He, too, was supportive and helpful. The Department of Speech and Drama had four divisions, all in desperate need of greater support; yet Prof. Bill Conboy, the Chairman of the Department, and all of the other division heads found ways to work together and to prioritize budget requests without rancor. Radio and Television was able to continue to grow because these were people of integrity and good will.

By the time this period ended (1963) the RTV Committee was a relatively smooth running operation. It met as a committee of the whole every two weeks. In between, various subcommittees (such as curriculum, graduate studies, production) met to tackle any problems which might be before them and to prepare recommendations for consideration by the full committee. The RTV Committee had broad responsibilities, and the meeting agenda was always full.

All was not perfect in the operations of this fairly complex program, but luckily the problems were relatively minor. For example, on-campus mailmen sometimes were delivering the RTV mail to Speech, which was in another building across campus, resulting in delays in answering requests. And U. S. mail could go anywhere, especially when addressed to a faculty member with a joint appointment. In 1956 I wrote a somewhat petulant note to Prof. Conboy, complaining that U.S. mail which had been mistakenly delivered to Speech took days to finally reach my office in Flint Hall via campus mail.6 We were extremely fortunate that most problems relating to administrative relationships were of similar importance.!

In an annual report in 1964, it was satisfying to note some accomplishments of the Committee: With no increase in fulltime faculty a graduate degree had been added, eight new undergraduate courses had been installed, the number of majors had increased from twelve in 1955 to thirty-five at the end of 1963, and most of the 132 graduates were working in the field.7

The RTV Committee also engaged in peering into the crystal ball. In 1962, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences asked all departments to predict the status of their programs in 1970. In committee, we talked a lot, looked at some recent trends in commercial broadcasting and education, and came up with these guesses:8

As to curriculum -- the prediction was for general expansion. There would be more majors, especially in an extended graduate program. There would be many new internships available. And research efforts would be more significant.

As to staff -- there would be new positions in news, film production and educational television.

There were optimistic predictions about facilities, lab operations and programming. Thus, there would be an ETV station on campus with strong connections to our program. There would be a new Center for Closed Circuit Television, with special emphasis on telecasts between the two campuses. There would be a video tape center for student production and an expansion of film production.

It was also predicted that KANU-FM would be broadcasting in the morning hours, and there would be many new programs of news, news analysis and other informational talks.

The extent to which the crystal ball was clear will be noted later, in Chapter IV.

2. The Budget.

Until 1961 the separate RTV budget (2353) was used for all RTV maintenance and any expenses related to the production of program material. With every type of expense thrown together it was not possible to plan and budget for a television or film program, nor was it possible to do any post-production analysis of expenses.9 Recognizing this, Raymond Nichols directed that a budget be created solely for television and film production. There were now three budget lines for RTV, all a part of the budget of the School of Journalism:

1. Radio-TV #2353: (operations, maintenance, parttime payroll)

2. Radio-TV Production #1640: (production expenses, parttime payroll)

3. KANU/KANU #2672: (operations, maintenance, payroll)

In the summer of 1960, a severe thunderstorm blew down the KANU tower, taking it off the air. This could hardly have come at a worse time. Chancellor Murphy had resigned and relations were not the best between KU and Topeka. The future of the station was in doubt. Some members of the Legislature were critical of the broadcasting service. Some were not sure that the broadcasting of serious music was a legitimate use of taxpayer dollars. (The Chancellor told me of one phone call from a member of the Ways and Means Committee, who asked "why do we support a classical music jukebox--can't people buy their own records?") They also wondered why the station cost so much to operate, and they compared it to K-State, which was operating KSAC at practically no expense to the state. Unfortunately for us, they always overlooked the fact -- or simply didn't understand it --that almost all of the KSAC budget was funded by Uncle Sam; K-State was the "landgrant" college in Kansas and the KSAC budget was carried under "agricultural extension." In contrast, all of the expenses of the KU stations were paid by the State of Kansas.10 In spite of the criticism, the Chancellor asked for a special appropriation for the purchase and erection of a new tower, and it was approved.

However, there would be some significant changes in the budget of the stations, most of which had been decided upon before the tower fell. In 1959, the Chancellor had asked the RTV Committee to look closely at the operation of KANU and KFKU and make recommendations which might result in more efficient operations. Meetings were held with Ed Browne and staff members, and in March, 1960, a report was forwarded to the Chancellor.11 There were several important changes, agreed to by the majority of the Committee.

First, the KFKU-AM programming, which was broadcast over the facilities of station WREN in Topeka for one hour per day would now be "simulcast." That is, the program on the air on KANU at that time would also be broadcast on KFKU. Second, the audio tape service to the grade schools in Kansas, called "School of the Air," would be terminated, a decision much regretted by the KANU staff. This long-standing series of programs of music and art --complete with a printed handbook for teacher utilization -- had been offered for many years. Audio tapes were produced at the station and mailed to the schools. But by 1959 it was evident that only a handful of schools actually used the tapes. Terminating the service resulted in significant savings.

The station staff also decided that it was time to make some changes in program production. First, more music programs would be "ad-libbed" instead of being written out and announced, making the "sound" of the station more contemporary as well as resulting in better use of the staff. Also, announcers of music programs would "spin" their own records, eliminating the need for an engineer.

KU was forced to prioritize its requests in the late fifties, and of course the budgeted divisions had to do likewise. Fortunately the Legislature made a special appropriation to put the KANU tower back up. But sometimes the station had to take a back seat when it came time for RTV to submit a prioritized budget. For example, on one occasion Ed Browne had made a request for $8,000 in order to expand airtime to include morning hours. I strongly supported the request provided it would be separately funded; otherwise it would be at the bottom of our requests. The separate funds were not forthcoming. (Somewhat later, Browne decided that he could go to morning hours by making more use of students and achieving other savings through his own prioritizing.)

B. Faculty and Staff.

During this period one faculty position seemed to resemble a revolving door; people came and then departed rather swiftly. The trend started with the departure of Wilson B. Key in 1956, after only nine months of service. He left teaching to join a professional broadcasting operation. Vic Hyden, who had arrived in the fall of 1955, resigned in the middle of the school year of 1959-60 in order to join the staff of a new ETV operation in the southwest. Fortunately, a former student, William Harmon, agreed to cover the spring semester before assuming new responsibilities with an advertising agency in Kansas City. In September, Kenneth Kiley joined the faculty as an Instructor. He had a Master's degree from Stanford and professional experience at the A. C. Nielsen company, which specialized in audience research. Kiley stayed for two years before resigning to pursue a doctorate at another university. We were able to hire Donald Hansen, who also had previous professional experience. The same faculty "line" and salary level. (The level was so low that it was almost impossible to attract a PhD with professional experience, which was the real goal.) Predictably (so it would seem) Hansen stayed one year before moving on to a better position at another university.

During these years Dean Marvin and I had made numerous requests to central administration -- not only to upgrade this position but to seek an additional faculty line. With the support of Deans Marvin and Waggoner, a letter was written directly to the Chancellor, asking that some means be found to provide for our needs in RTV. This was, of course, right at the climax of his feud with the Governor, and so it is not surprising that no reply was forthcoming.12

Even so, we pressed on. In his report of the same year, Dean Marvin noted that "the one challenge that is uppermost now is that of adding to the radio and television faculty...a teacher of strong professional and academic background."13 The Dean also reminded central administration that in its final accrediting report of the School the ACEJ had recommended that a new position be assigned to RTV.

The Hansen resignation provided an opportunity either to try for two positions or at least upgrade the existing vacancy. The RTV Committee favored the former but, given the general fiscal malaise at the University, we settled for the latter. A strong "pitch" was made to Provost James Surface, to hire a person to teach management -- one with both higher degree and professional experience. Without a higher rank and salary level to offer, we could not hope to find such a person. I trotted out all of the ammunition -- the low salary, resulting in the "revolving door" trend, current faculty loads and outside responsibilities, such as supervision of CCTV to KUMC, and the accrediting report -- hoping that Surface, as a former Dean of the School of Business, would appreciate our situation.

There was an ulterior motive in stressing management skills; that area needed support, and a man was coming "on the market" who happened to have had ten years of management and ownership experience in radio, and who was now finishing a doctorate from the School of Speech at Northwestern University. I had known him years before when we both were masters candidates there. The Provost listened and then approved an upgrade in the line to Assistant Professor and a more realistic salary. As a result, Darrel Holt joined the faculty in January, 1963.

During this period there were other staff changes. Gale Adkins achieved tenure in 1962 along with promotion to Associate Professor. I had been promoted to full Professor in 1960.

To re-cap, the following faculty members had fulltime responsibility for the RTVF courses and were members of the RTV Committee: (An asterisk indicates that the person was no longer with the program by August, 1963.)

Gale Adkins, Asst. Prof. Journalism and Speech.
     Donald Hansen,* Instructor, Journalism and Speech.
     Darrel Holt, Asst. Prof. Journalism and Speech.
     Victor Hyden,* Instructor, Journalism and Speech.
     Kenneth Kiley,* Instructor, Journalism and Speech.
     Bruce Linton, Prof. Journalism and Speech.

In addition, the following faculty or staff members taught RTVF courses or labs and were members of the committee. However, they had major responsibilities elsewhere:

Bob Brooks, Asst. Inst. Speech and Drama.
     R. Edwin Browne, Asst. Prof. Journ and Speech & Director, KFKU, KANU
     William Conboy, Assoc. Prof. and Chairman, Speech and Drama.
     James Dykes, Asst. Prof. Journalism (Advertising).
     William Harmon,*Inst. Journalism.
     Tom Hedrick, Inst. Journalism and Director, KU Sports Network.
     Monte Moore,* Inst. Journalism and Director, KU Sports Network.
     Glenn Price, Asst. Prof. Journalism and Speech.
     Tom Rea, Asst. Prof. Speech and Drama.

C. Curriculum.

There were several changes and additions to the curriculum and major requirements during this period. In 1957, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty voted to begin a system of "principal courses." Each major in this college would have to have a certain number of hours toward graduation consisting of such courses. The RTV Committee was pleased to find out in February, 1958, that Speech 37, Introduction to Radio and Television, had been designated as a principal course. The implication to us was that more students would choose this course as an elective, and perhaps some of them would be attracted to the field and would decide to make RTV their major program. Whether or not this happened, enrollment definitely increased.

There was similar good fortune in the journalistic aspects of our program. The academic programs of the School were reviewed by a national accrediting body every few years. If any of the programs were not approved it would be a black mark, and an embarrassment to the faculty of the program in question. In 1959, Radio-TV was up for its first review since the program had been re-vamped in 1955. It passed the test handily. Moreover, some recommendations were made which proved to be of value in the struggle for greater support. These will be discussed in the several sections which follow.

In 1959-60, a new course was added to reflect the expertise of Gale Adkins. It was Jo 136 (3) Radio and Television Program Building, a follow-up course to Jo 135, Radio and Television Programming. Course 135 also became part of the core curriculum replacing Sp 175, Radio Production, which had been dropped from the curriculum.

After several weeks of discussion, the Committee voted to add a senior seminar -- Sp-Jo 270, Current Trends in Programming and Management Policies of Broadcasting. A one hour course, it was cross-listed in both Journalism and Speech in 1961 and became part of the core curriculum. In that same year the Committee added a new course, Sp 73 (3) History and Significance of the Motion Pictures. It was taught by a new addition to the theatre faculty, Gordon Beck. His graduate program minor had been in the relatively new academic field of theater history. This became the first non-production course in film.

Students who majored in RTV had to complete the core curriculum and then take additional course work. In 1959 the RTV Committee decided to create "special interest areas" which would follow the core, and which would have a list of courses -- some required, some elective --which could be counted in a given area. There were four areas: News and Sales and Management were within the School of Journalism; Performance and Production were within the Department of Speech and Drama. (A listing of the requirements and course offerings for one year in this period (1960-61) may be found in the Appendix.)

As to the general University Catalog: Beginning in 1963-64, each major academic division of the University --the colleges and schools--had their own catalogs. This meant that the general description of the Radio and Television program would now be found in the catalogs of Journalism, Liberal Arts and the Graduate School; however, the program would still have separate sections in the semester time-tables. By 1963, the RTV program had a new name: "Radio-Television-Film" (or RTVF), thus reflecting the additional courses and production activities of the film area.14

D. Students.

It would be most embarrassing to create a new academic program and then find that students were uninterested. Especially so in a capital-intensive program such as radio and television. Fortunately, enough students became interested in RTV to satisfy the administration. By 1960 the number of majors had trebled, to thirty five. By 1963 there were eight students in the graduate program. This was at a time when general university enrollment was stable, and even tailing off in the School of Journalism. There were satisfying increases in enrollment in the introductory course, which added significant credit hours to our total while introducing more students to the possibilities of a career in broadcasting.

The Kansas Association of Radio Broadcasters (KARB) provided a good incentive by introducing a scholarship in 1961. Other scholarships followed, from stations and individuals. Opportunities for student internships continued to increase. One local broadcaster (Arden Booth of KLWN) even created an internship in the area of sales -- obviously a very sensitive area since it directly affected station income.15

As students graduated, a healthy number of them were getting jobs in radio, television or allied areas such as advertising agencies. As Dean Marvin noted, "the solid and rapid growth of education (in RTV) was reflected more noticeably than ever before in the placement of graduates in numerous positions (on radio and television staffs) throughout the area."16 Undoubtedly a lot of students were helped in their job search by following guidelines for employment which had been written by members of the RTV Committee.17

At this time the majority of RTV majors were men. Broadcasting was a male-driven field; managers could not imagine women in sales or news, and so women had to accept positions as secretaries, office clerks or writers, if they were lucky to find them. A very few were able to find creative positions but rarely ones of importance. This deplorable situation would improve slowly during the sixties, but it wasn't until the seventies that women could find meaningful employment.

E. Laboratory Facilities and Equipment.

1. Facilities.

The move of television to the main stage of Hoch in 1958 created an opportunity to make more efficient use of the space assigned to RTV with a minimum of remodeling expense. Thus, the KUOK lab operation was moved from Flint Hall to the space in Hoch basement previously occupied by television, and no remodeling was necessary to provide radio studios. The TV control room became the radio control room, the multiplexer room became the office for the KUOK manager, and part of the studio became the staff office. The students seemed to be pleased with the more professional design of KUOK's new quarters even though there was a sense of isolation from the faculty and fellow students who were still at Flint Hall. One major drawback was the absence of restroom facilities, and so a circular metal staircase was installed which led up to the main stage area where such facilities existed. Some female students reported that they felt uneasy about being in the studios at night. The RTV Committee responded by instructing the faculty and student staff that no women were to be assigned duties in the evening.

The new television space on the main stage was a great improvement although it, too, had some drawbacks. The stage area was huge, making it possible to televise large groups such as the KU orchestra or chorus. The control room, on the second level, west side, provided a perfect view of the stage for the directors and engineers. There was a suspended grid system for lights or scenery which could be raised or lowered, and the lights could be controlled in intensity using the existing dimming equipment.

One drawback -- which became more of a problem in later years -- was the fact that other groups had a legitimate right to use the auditorium and stage area. When television started to use the stage there was very little use by other campus groups. Most of the music activities of the School of Fine Arts had moved to Murphy Hall. All that remained were the concert series, a few annual programs such as Christmas Vespers and the Rock Chalk Revue, and recitals and lessons involving the huge university organ. Only one class used the auditorium -- the lecture sessions of beginning chemistry. There were other times, of course, when the only large auditorium on campus had to be used. When such a request was received the reservations clerk (in the Registrar's office) would call the RTV office to alert us to that use. At first, this system worked very well, although there were a few glitches in the first year.

It wasn't long, however, before there was a noticeable increase in usage. In 1961, Dean Gorton added more programs to the Concert Series. Large enrollments in other classes required the use of the auditorium. By 1962, it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain our own classroom and production schedule without constant adjustment. In 1962 I wrote to Dean Gorton, requesting that no concerts be scheduled in the last three weeks of May because of the production of student final projects. It was suggested that, "this policy should be a firm one, for I think the academic life of our students comes before (concerts to the general public.)"18 Fortunately, the Dean agreed.

The increased use of Hoch prompted the Committee to seek out other possibilities for housing television. An ETV system for Kansas, with a campus facility, was no closer to reality; indeed, it looked to be more remote every day. No help there. In fact there was no help anywhere. The Committee briefly entertained the idea that television could use the other half of Broadcasting Hall, if the unit from Chemical Engineering could be moved elsewhere. We quickly realized that not only was this space too small for TV but it could be used to better advantage by KANU, which also was suffering growing pains. It was a futile exercise; space was not available anywhere. The move of television to other quarters would have to wait until some years later, when the printing services were moved from Flint Hall to west campus.

With the addition of coursework in film production, the need for space to house some film editing desks became crucial. The KUOK offices occupied only a part of the former television studio space in Hoch basement, and so it was decided that with the simple addition of a particle board partition a large room could be created. A number of pieces of television scenery were nailed into place as the partition, and several pieces of 4 x 8 plywood were ripped and installed as low countertop desks to hold the editing equipment. This remodeling was done "after hours" by members of the faculty and several students. (Nothing was ever said about this by the Department of Buildings and Grounds -- either they never tumbled to the change, they didn't care or, most likely, they decided it was a reasonable thing to do and said no more.) The space worked very well, and was used until RTVF moved completely out of Hoch in the seventies. (Advanced editing, however, would move to new quarters above Hoch stage when television moved to Flint in 1968.)

The move of KUOK out of Flint Hall created new and valuable space which Dean Marvin allocated partly to the RTV program. The large studio became a general classroom, reverting to its original use. The large area of 217, which had been used as office space for KUOK, became the main office area for radio and television. Partitions were added (this time legally, by Buildings and Grounds) for two faculty members. In 1961, the old control room area was partitioned to become two more offices. An additional office was located in the top floor tower of the building.

2. Equipment.

There were some positive responses from central administration on the matter of equipment. In the spring of 1958, the RTVF Committe recommended the purchase of a microwave transmitter and receiver, which would enable us to send a television signal to any line-of-sight destination. What the Committee had in mind was the microwaving of programs to station WIBW-TV in Topeka. Thad Sandstrom, the Manager of the station, had indicated a willingness to put the programs on the air if we could get them there. He wasn't taking a big gamble because we had already tried it that spring. The station loaned KU their microwave unit, installing it temporarily to carry the program signal from the basement studios at Hoch to the station in Topeka. Two and one-half hours of programs were produced in one week, and they were well received. In the recommendation to the Chancellor, the Committee was confident that "we can carry on a series of programs under our maintenance budget which has been approved for the next fiscal year....(It also) would be a wonderful training opportunity as well as a good public relations device."19

The Chancellor was interested but the price tag was too high. Further talks with Mr. Sandstrom resulted in a proposal in which the station would buy the microwave receiver if the University would buy the transmitter.20 The purchase was approved, making it possible to originate many television programs over the next few years (and which are described in the next section.)

One may wonder why the kinescope recorder wasn't used, since it was a part of the original equipment package. It can be explained in this fashion: In the middle fifties the only way to record a television program was to film it using a kinescope recorder. Very simply, this equipment consisted of a 16mm sound camera (with a special shutter) which took a picture of the televised material as it appeared on the face of a special TV receiving set; the tube comprising the screen of the set was a "kinescope," hence the name for the recording. After processing, the 16mm film could then be projected on a screen (as film) or into a television system. Even in the best of circumstances-- for example, at a network television station -- a kinescope recording was of marginal quality. The picture originating from the industrial television equipment suffered additional deterioration, so much so that a locally produced kinescope recording would not be acceptable for use by a commercial station.

Then why not use videotape recording? This system first became available to commercial television in the late fifties. At a cost of over $100,000 it was far beyond our fiscal resources. It would be several years before less sophisticated and cheaper recorders would be available, and even then the price would be very high, at $40,000. Even so, by 1963 such a recorder became a priority on the RTVF equipment wish list.

Despite the unfavorable budget conditions at KU, the RTV area was able to ask for -- and receive -- funds to purchase equipment other than the microwave transmitter. Most of the items for television were accessories and test equipment. Additional film equipment (a second sound-on-film camera, rewinds, splicers and sound heads) made it possible to engage in extensive production of 16mm films at this time.

This additional word about film. Until the large scale use of videotape in the sixties, most network television programming was either broadcast live or was recorded on 35mm or 16mm film. (Even after tape was "standard," film remained the medium of choice for feature films for television and for television commercials.) Film also was the medium of choice for any KU program project which might be distributed. There were several reasons for this. First, film could be shown anywhere, and it could be produced in color. The picture quality of the film was far better than the one produced on our television equipment. In those days film equipment could be purchased for a fraction of the cost of good television equipment, and KU could afford to buy several good film cameras. Finally, when it was no longer possible to microwave programs to Topeka, film became the only medium which could be used to put programs on commercial stations until the acquisition of affordable videotape recorders. All in all, the decision made by the RTV Committee in 1956 to develop a serious academic and production program in film continued to make good sense.

F. Laboratory Operations and Program Production.

1. Radio.

The student radio station had the call letters, KDGU. No one seemed to know why, and so in 1958 the wired-wireless lab became KUOK. It was reasoned that these letters provided a much greater tie-in to the University and they had a nice "vocal sound." Since we were not licensed by the FCC, the call letter change was entirely our own affair. The station was "on the air" to students in several dorms from 4pm-11pm each week night. In the spring of 1961, several advanced students (led by John Nance and Pete Wellington) petitioned the Committee for permission to use the KUOK studios in "down time" in order to produce some "long form" radio programming which would be circulated on tape to any commercial station desiring the service. The Committee agreed, and the "Radio Production Center" began operations. It would last for several years.

Station KANU-FM was on the air from 12 noon to midnight, daily. Late in this period air time was expanded to include the morning hours, beginning at 8am. Programming continued to emphasize serious music, and there was very time devoted to news or special events. However, programs of jazz music began to be heard, especially on saturday mornings, hosted by Dick Wright. The station pioneered in this endeavor; commercial stations were too occupied with rock and roll. KANU-FM also became the first stereo FM station in this area, thanks to a long campaign from Ed Browne to convince the University to buy the stereo equipment. In the meantime, Station KFKU-AM was on the air for one hour a day, "simulcasting" a KANU program.

2. Television.

As stated in the introduction to this chapter, the period of 1958-1963 was the high point of live television broadcasting. The microwave technology of point to point broadcasting -- in this case from the stage of Hoch Auditorium to WIBW-TV -- opened an electronic door to the production of a truly amazing number of programs. The students in the TV production classes, along with Professors Linton and Rea, produced 248 programs totalling over 68 hours of air time. Most of them were fifteen minutes in length, but many were thirty minutes. Since anywhere from six to ten students were involved in the planning, rehearsing and actual broadcast, there were over 2,000 crew experiences.

Why would WIBW-TV give KU this free time? There are several answers. First, time was available on their schedule and the Manager, Thad Sandstrom, and the owner, Stauffer Publications, felt a real responsibility to put material of a more educational nature on the air. (It also would show the FCC that WIBW-TV was operating in the "public interest.") At this time stations were not pre-occupied with ratings and the "delivery of an audience to the advertisers." It is hard to imagine today, but at one time the KU program came right before the early newscast of WIBW. Finally, the program experiment in the spring of 1958 convinced Sandstrom that RTV could produce interesting program material of enough quality to put it on the air: In that May, using their microwave equipment, we had produced five programs in one week. I directed a 30-minute program on the "Gifted Student at KU" and two 15-minute programs featuring the natural history museum and a chamber music group. Tom Rea directed an hour program on various aspects of science at KU and a shorter program on student art.21

The co-owned microwave relay was in place by the end of summer, 1958. In 1958-59 the "Television-Film Center," as the production effort was now called, produced thirteen programs on space technology, featuring Professor T.C. Helvey. Two 30-minute programs were presented on the"Mysteries of Aku Aku" with Professor Carlisle Smith. "Chrismas Vespers" was broadcast live.

The "showcase" series for 1959-60 was called "Notes From Mt. Oread." The series featured programs of music and fine arts. Another thirteen week series was on language, called "World of Words." By this time the Center also was producing a weekly 15-minute program during the basketball season, featuring Coach Dick Harp, and a weekly program on football, featuring Coach Mitchell. (In those days the coaches of college athletic teams did not receive money for their broadcast appearances -- which is to say that we didn't know about any payments!)

In 1960, the Center began a series which lasted through 1963. It was a 15-minute program called "Scope," and it featured news and special events relating to the University. It was re-named "KU Dateline"in 1963-64. The Station Manager was pleased with the programs, as evidenced in a note to the Committee: After receiving a Nielsen audience rating report, Thad Sandstrom wrote that "you might be interested to know that "Scope" showed up with 10,500 homes at 5:30 friday evenings."22 We were amazed and excited. A number of young people got their first experience as an on-camera anchor on those programs, including Bill Kurtis, of later network fame.

Several single productions also were done in 1964. One wrestling show received extra kudos from WIBW-TV: "This is one of the best vidicon pictures we have seen in a long time.....The production was good, the commentary was outstanding, and the matches were good."23 It was scheduled for Sunday, March 1st, and was listed in the TV Guide.

The fact that WIBW-TV continued this programming as long as they did -- in fact, until they erected a new tower too far west for the reception of our microwave signal -- is testimony to the good quality of the programs. These productions were a wonderful learning experience for both students and faculty. And the unexpected often happened. For example, I was directing a program of music by the KU Concert Band. I was directing from a musical score so that camera positions could be set up to show the different sections or solo instruments when they were featured. In a rehearsal of "An American in Paris," I told camera "one" to "get me a close-up of the english horn." The camera person was supposed to get the shot ready while camera "two" was on the air. (We had only two cameras.) I glanced up at the control monitor displaying the picture from camera one, expecting to see an english horn. What I saw was a slowly drifting picture, moving from one type of instrument to another. I was about to get testy with the student when I realized that he didn't have a ghost of an idea as to what an english horn looked like. At that point the rehearsal was interrupted for a brief seminar on instrument identification!

Another occasion provided an embarrassing moment, never to be forgotten. Sir Clement Attlee, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, was on campus for a speaking engagement. We had arranged with his advance man to have him come to Hoch for a live interview. While waiting for him we had been rehearsing the opening for the program, using a stand-in in his place. In the course of the rehearsal the crew had joked about how one addressed him. "Lord Attlee?" "Sir Attlee?" "Mr. Attlee?" "The right honorable sir?" As the time came nearer for the program to begin the PM had not appeared. I was getting nervous, and it didn't help that one camera operator was not reacting very well to my instructions. Exasperated, I shouted into the intercom to him (and to all of the control room personnell as well), "get on Attlee, dammit, get on Attlee!" I turned in vexation to my assistant director, only to see Mr. Attlee standing right behind me, with a bemused smile on his face. I don't remember how I got through the next two minutes or how I actually addressed him, but we did get him downstairs in time for the program to go live to WIBW-TV, and it went without a hitch. Later I learned from Professor FrancisHeller (who conducted the interview) that the PM told him he found the television control room "a most interesting place to visit." This time I was the well-deserved recipient of post-production ribbing.

3. Film Production.

The Center was extremely active in film production during this period. There were ten films from five to fifteen minutes in length, and seven half-hour films. Some of them were in color. The Center also produced a number of short film clips.24

Perhaps two films are worthy of special comment, both produced in 1960-61. "Six Gun to Sixty One" was written, filmed and edited by two graduate students as a non-thesis project. William Walker and Robert Brooks presented a history of the period when Kansas became a state, using the "still photo" technique, with narration by Professor Allen Crafton. This film became the "official" film of the Kansas Centennial, and many prints were sold to libraries, museums and public school systems. It was shown on television many times. The other film was called "Christmas Vespers." It presented, in color, a University choral group singing christmas music. In December, 1961, the film was shown on six Kansas television stations, including an encore performance on WIBW-TV that year and also in 1962. It should be noted that the money received from the sale of such material was deposited into a special "income fund" which had been created by the Executive Secretary, Raymond Nichols.

G. Outreach and Service.

The many radio, television and film productions described above certainly could be called "outreach." But there were many other ways the RTVF area interacted with people and groups outside the specific academic area.

An Advisory Council to the program was established in the spring of 1958. It was an effort to bring in area broadcasters into closer contact with the academic program. By so doing we could make them more aware of the abilities and talents of our students who soon would be looking for employment, while at the same time we sought their advice about our academic program. The RTV Committee, with imput from Dean Marvin, selected twenty two broadcasters and invited them to an organizational meeting. This was held on April 9, 1958.

The Council was large because it was felt that it would be a rare occasion when the full group would be able to attend. We were delighted to have a very high turnout for the first meeting, and several objectives were reasonably met. The professionals were pleased with the efforts being made to provide the students with not only a professional curriculum but a good liberal arts education. The Committee proposed to send area broadcasters information about our graduates each spring -- the compilation to be titled, "Profiles." They liked the idea. Several broadcasters indicated that they would be most happy to appear as guest lecturers. Finally, Arden Booth announced a new "KLWN Summer Intern Program," in which the student intern would receive a summer salary. It was the beginning of many such internships at stations in the midwest.

A spring "RTV Banquet" became another way to promote the RTV area while honoring the achievements of the students. Existing banquets did not work: The annual banquet in Journalism was the "Kansan Dinner," where students were given awards for their work in news and advertising on the Daily Kansan . The Speech and Drama Department had an annual affair to recognize outstanding performances in theatrical productions. After trying for two years to insert some awards for RTV students into the Kansan dinner with little success (it was a very full evening without RTV participation) it became obvious to all that a separate function was necessary. The first banquet was held in the spring of 1958. A number of students were recognized. In addition, an award was created which would honor an outstanding broadcaster of the area: Olaf Soward, the long-time news director of WIBW radio and television, was the first recipient of the award for "Broadcasting Service."25 Grover Cobb, an outstanding broadcaster from Great Bend and President of the Kansas Association of Radio Broadcasters, was the speaker. (In later years there would be speakers of national stature; for example, Gilbert Seldes, in 1961.) Members of the central administration always were invited to the banquets, and many attended. Awards banquets can be dull affairs, but the RTV banquets quickly gained a reputation as being quite light hearted and entertaining. Raymond Nichols, then the Executive Secretary of KU, told me that this was the only banquet he really looked forward to attending. The awards were serious but the presentations often had light moments. At one banquet Arden Booth received the "Broadcasting Service" award. Unknown to him, a member of the KLWN staff had supplied us with an audio recording of several of his "on-air bloopers," including a report during a tornado when he got quite confused in trying to describe just where he and the twister were located. It was hilarious, and no one laughed louder than Arden.

There was more formal service to the state. In June, 1958, Chancellor Murphy established a "University Committee on Athletic Radio and Television Policy." It consisted of A.C. Lonborg, Athletic Director; Monte Moore, Sports Network Director; Don Pierce, Director of Sports Information; and myself, as Chairman. We were to be a "coordinating and policy-making group.26 In 1958, college athletics were still in what could only be called the "age of innocence." The football and basketball games of most major schools could be found on radio and a few were televised. Schools usually charged stations a fee to carry a broadcast -- I believe it was $100/game at KU. These were set by the Big 8 Conference. Broadcasters, of course, didn't want to pay anything but they were fighting a losing battle on that issue; college sports were becoming very marketable, and were worth a lot of money. Other issues relating to sports broadcasts which did not seem to go away were school approval of the sponsors of athletic broadcasting, access to broadcast booths at the stadium or fieldhouse, the definition of a "sellout" (after which a game could be telecast) and approval of delayed telecasts. The new Committee addressed these issues in an informational policy bulletin circulated to all area broadcasters.27

KU and K-State were early supporters of the idea that the link of tobacco to sports was not a good idea, and so tobacco sponsorship of the broadcast of sports events was not allowed. However, the broadcasters were successful in changing that restriction rather quickly. In the fall of 1958, K-State was offered a lucrative amount by a tobacco company and KU was asked to review its policy. The KU Committee did so, and voted NOT to relax it. The normally united front with K-State was broken when they decided to go ahead. And, under pressure from the Athletic Board, Kansas followed suit in January, 1959. It should be noted that at the same time tobacco advertising was not allowed on sportscasts this advertising was carried in the printed programs sold at each game. Some years later -- and before the general ban on cigarette advertising on television -- tobacco sponsorship of game broadcasts and tobacco ads in the programs were prohibited. Even so, it is obvious from this look at the past that the influence of advertising (especially on television) was being felt by colleges and universities many years ago. Today, with some exceptions, almost any kind of advertising can be seen in the sporting arenas and even on the uniforms of the players.

The RTV Committee also was responsive to calls for service. In 1958, the Kansas Legislative Council asked the Committee to provide a report on the possibilities for the use of closed-circuit television in Kansas. In response, the Committee submitted a report describing the use of CCTV, noting "primarily it is used (1) to relieve a shortage in classroom space, (2) to relieve a teacher shortage, (3) to provide a better quality of instruction...and (4) to contribute to a growing knowledge (about) teaching by television." The report summarized that "it can work provided outstanding teachers are used. Money can be saved, provided you go into it heavily enough to reach large numbers of students in multi-section courses."28 The Council did not pursue the concept of CCTV.

In 1960 the University of Kansas helped Kansas State make a decision about the possible gift to them of a radio station. It should be remembered that K-State shared an AM channel with WIBW of Topeka. In an effort to gain full control of this very favorable frequency, Stauffer Publications proposed to buy an existing AM station, KFRM, in Concordia, Kansas. Stauffer would then give that station frequency to K-State, in return for which KSAC would vacate the shared channel. At the request of the President of K-State, Chancellor Murphy appointed me to join their committee (which included Harold Jones and Jack Burke of K-State.) The committee considered the proposal in terms of potential service, audience and cost. Primarily because of significant coverage differences between the low frequency (and greater coverage) of WIBW's channel and the high frequency (and lesser coverage) of Concordia, the committee concluded that full use of the Concordia frequency would not be in the best interest of K-State. They decided to decline the gift, much to the disappointment of Thad Sandstrom and other officers of Stauffer Publications.

The RTV Committee provided two other services to broadcasters in this period, both of which were highly popular. First, a"Radio and TV News Clinic" was offered every other year. For example, in January, 1960, fifty eight newsmen and women attended the clinic which addressed contemporary problems in broadcast news, using the expertise of the KU faculty and invited professionals (in this case, Bill Monroe.) Second, a "Pronunciation Guide to Kansas Place Names"was re-issued. This booklet originally had been prepared by Prof. Don Dixon. One of the new faculty members, Donald Hansen, revised and expanded the booklet which was then offered to the broadcasters at no cost. Through the years, and even into the nineties, this compilation has been in demand.

And what was happening in regard to educational television for Kansas? In brief -- research, proposals, persuasion, and frustration!

There were many meetings of the Joint Committee in an attempt to get a bill through the Legislature, authorizing the establishment and funding for a state system. In the 1958-59 year I appeared three times before the Ways and Means Committee of the Kansas House. In 1959-60 a committee of the U. S. Congress was in Topeka, and I testified before that group. And, in all of the years of this period, both R. Edwin Browne and I made many speeches before educational groups (such as the PTA) in an attempt to put together a ground swell of support for a stepped plan which would provide transmitters and production centers around the state.

There was support -- enough to get bills introduced each session. But these never saw the light of day outside the Ways and Means Committee. In one year of great frustration --1960 -- the Legislature appropriated $30,000 to "study" ETV. An outside consultant was hired to do the study and make a final report to the Legislature. John Swartswalder, the Manager of an educational station in Minnesota, came to Kansas, talked to many people and then submitted a report. In the (private) opinion of the members of the Joint Committee, his final report was basically a re-hash and minor editing of the original plan. There was no subsequent action by the Legislature in response to the report.

The big problem, of course, was financial. The Legislature, it seemed, would be happy to authorize ETV, provided each school would finance its construction and operation out of existing school funds. This was an impossible idea, and most people understood. Not everyone, however. Thad Sandstrom, of WIBW-TV, editorialized on the air that the schools should go ahead and do it. On behalf of Chancellor Wescoe, I wrote to Thad, informing him that "(we) have absolutely no desire to have an ETV setup as part of the University budget. When such an expensive unit is introduced teaching goes out the window...(and) if ETV comes to the campus it should come in a separate financial package and with the provision and funds for a building and operations."29

Sandstrom was persistent. In 1962 he again proposed that KU and K-State institute a pilot educational television service. And again I responded: "If KU and K-State could operate as the "pilot stations" of an eventual state coverage...then I am in agreement that we should start now, but not without additional and separate funding."30 (Three years later Sandstrom was again involved in a proposal which almost resulted in the beginning of ETV at the University of Kansas. The details are in Chapter IV.)