Senate hearing on federal funding for public broadcasting hears about political pressure and CPB /station disputes

March 29, 1973 - One of the first witnesses on the second day of Senate Communication subcommittee hearings on federal funding for public broadcasting was William Harley, president of the National Association of Educational broadcasters. Chairman Pastori asked him what essentially is the trouble in public broadcasting, Harley answers: The dream of the Carnegie Commission has not been fulfilled as anticipated, In order to be independent from possible political pressure there would have to be established an independent corporation to funnel the funds to the stations, and keep the funds from being subject to annual appropriation. We have not been able to do that and are now having some repercussions. We could not establish a true heat shield to protect this enterprise from the possiblity of pressures. It?s new, it?s struggling to get started, of course there will be problems and difficulties, differences in philosophies. What?s going on is a conflict over whether to be centrally controlled or if control rests with the stations. There?s been lip service to localism. There have been moves in recent months which suggest an assertion of authority by the corporation board of exerting even greater central control. He?s confident difficulties can be worked out. He hopes to announce and agreement between corporation board and licensees. This can be resolved within the industry without resorting to legislation.Ralph Rogers, chairman of the Coordinating Committee Governing Board of the public television licensees testified on control and scheduling of the television interconnection. He says licensees want to get programs over interconnection without restraint or censorship. However the corporation charged under the law that programs of controversial nature must be objective and balanced. Problem resolved by creating a monitoring committee, of both CPB and licensees. Reporter unknown.