The library of congress cohosted this 50 minute event. Good afternoon. Thank you for coming and welcome to the library of congress. I am carla hayden, the 14th librarian of congress. [applause] thank you. We are looking forward to a very, very exciting afternoon celebrating the 50th anniversary of the signing by president Lyndon Johnson of the public broadcasting act of 1967. Four starstudded panelists in store for you, featuring many great names of public broadcasting in on radio and in television. I want to take this opportunity to single out one of our guests today. Is mr. Henry morgan fall morganthall ii. I. He is 100 years old. [applause] and he was working at wgbh 50 years ago with the act was passed. His grandfather was fdrs treasury secretary. I am proud to say the library of congress has the papers of his grandfather. Sir, we are truly honored you are here with us today. Thank you. [applause] carla many of you may know that the library of congress is the largest and most comprehensive collection of motion pictures, television programs, Radio Broadcasts and sound recordings in the world. It is honored to host this event with wgbh, educational foundation, our collaborators in the American Archives of public broadcasting, aapb. The library received its first Ic Television program get my sentries next up. Up. Enturies next 1964 from the precursor of pbs. Incidentally, just last month we digitized two of these programs so they could be more assessable the of the website. The librarys public Broadcasting Holdings have grown exponentially since 1964 to include tens of thousands of films, video and audio masters wnta. Bs, npr, wnet and in addition to the thousands of access copies we routinely acquire s copyright deposits from public broadcasting stations and producers across the nation. As the chief steward of america and the worlds record of knowledge, we took the heart the television and video preservation study commissioned 20 years ago by the library of congress, which characterized publIc Television as the richest audiovisual source of coulter will history cultural history in the United States. We are proud to join with wgbh to ensure publIc Televisions legacy survives for future generations. At this time i would like to make some news, and that is why i am excited. I want to announce an exciting new acquisitions and projects related to public broadcasting preservation. Librarian youas a dont get to break news that often [laughter] carla the news people, bear with me. Tewant to thank mr. Dick cavet for donating his collection [applause] ick cavette for donating his collection of approximately 2500 shows from 1000to 1996, including the shows he made for pbs. He interviewed more than 5000 guests on his shows. The list is astonishing and a testament to his ability to draw people, not normally seen on latenight television. Katharine hepburn, alfred hitchcock, angela davis, marlon brando, and on one of the more memorable and notorious shows, gore vidal and norman mailer. He also featured rock n roll musicians to a degree pretty unusual for the time, including john lennon and yoko ono, jimi hendrix, janis joplin, david bowie, judy collins and joni mitchell. I was pretty excited to announce also that today the apb will launch an amazing new exhibit on this website that will make publIc Televisions first coverage of the Senate Watergate hearings available i am breaking all over. [laughter] carla televisions sole coverage of the Senate Watergate hearings Available Online for the very first time. [applause] carla this was one of the most Popular Series in public broadcasting history. The library of congress has digitized all the master videotapes of the coverage we 1989,ed from weta in and with their permission are making them accessible online to anyone in the United States. The broadcast created what dickc cavette called watergate junkies, to refer to himself another to watch the hearings incessantly. It was created this summer by a library of congress junior fellow, a history major from yale who was with us today. Could you please stand up, amanda . [applause] carla there is amanda. We sent the detailed background essay she wrote to jim l aftercovered the reading the essay he wrote back, it is as terrific as it is accurate. Two years after the hearings, they Work Together again on another landmark public broadcasting program. I think you have all heard of it. The rest of it as they say is history. Jim has commented without watergate, there would have n no anything called jim will be on a panel later today and will show a few clips in the watergate coverage. Aapb is in the process of making Available Online full interviews conducted for a number of landmark pbs series. Civil war, and the definitive series on the civil rights movement, eyes on the prize. And the biography series an experience. They are telling me to get off this case because there is so much more i could tell you about the project, but i have run out of time. I want to thank miss patricia harrison, president and cto of the corporation for public broadcasting for their support of the library of congress. Unfortunately we have learned pats wife has been delayed and she cannot join us this afternoon, but can you give her a hand and accenture. In absentia. [applause] carla i would like to introduce the Senior Vice President of communications for ctb to speak on her behalf. [applause] thank you, dr. Hayden, and thank you for your leadership and for hosting this important gathering at the library of congress. I would like to recognize senator markey and thank him for his important support but only for his hometown station, wgbh, but also for his leadership advocating for in helping to sustain a vital public media system for all americans. [applause] it is largely because of his and others that consistent support of public media that we are here today celebrating the 50th anniversary of the public broadcasting act. The 1967 act articulate a vision of a strong of the Media Service providing access to every american to the highest quality of educational and informational content for free and commercialfree. Now, is toen, as is strengthen our civil society, the content that would result in educated, informed and engaged citizens. The three pillars of a vibrant democracy. 2017, the act continues to provide us with an evergreen mission and vision for public medias Important Role in American Life. One the corporation for public broadcasting is proud to advance. Cpb, andhe act created designated us as a steward of the federal appropriation, casting us with ensuring these funds with the public media stations to serve underserved and unserved communities. From our youngest to our oldest citizens. We are directed to utilize technology in innovative ways of connecting with new generations, to serve as americas largest classroom, to help inspire lifelong learning, and to invest in journalism that is factbased, in depth and committed to editorial integrity. Npr, and nearly 1500 local publIc Television and radio stations and will, small town in urban communities across the country are for filling the mission and vision of the public broadcasting act. Reaching 99 of an increasingly diverse america with content that continues to be of value long after the initial broadcast, for digital presentation. Content that is cultural and historical relevance provides us with insights about the way we were and about the way we are now as a people, as a civil society, as a democracy. The value of this content is priceless, but it was deteriorating and would no longer be accessible to future generations. That is why following a twoyear pilot that began in 2009, cpb provided almost 3 million in grants in 2011 to the public media stations so they could inventory and protect their station archives. That first step helped to build the foundation for the american archiv of public broadcasting. Cpb did not do this alone, and we are appreciative of wgbh, the library of congress, and many others for their ongoing commitment to this important initiative. In addition to thanking dr. Hayden and senator markey, i want to thank john abbott, the president and ceo of wgbh for his leadership. Wgbh is an Innovative Community focused station providing public broadcasting for new england, and is also pbs leading andent provider, producer, a major supplier of programming for public radio and Digital Content nationwide. Johns leadership has resulted in a Strong Partnership with the library of congress to preserve public medias legacy content for the american archive of public. Broadcasting we are so appreciative of his commitment. Please welcome john abbott. [applause] john what a gathering. What an honor to be with so many of his extraordinary leaders through the history of public broadcasting. Let me add my welcome to all of you who joined us today for this extraordinary meeting, this opportunity to share with the panel the reflections of history. My special thanks to dr. Hayden for hosting us. The library of congress is a fitting occasion to mark this milestone. Wgbh and the library came together four years ago to form the american archive of public broadcasting, to collect the significant historical content created by publIc Television and radio stations over these 50 years. Because of the vision and support of pat harrison, cpb and its board, they are preserving programs that tell americas stories. More than 100 publIc Television and radio stations across the guam,y, from maine to have shared their content of the archives. The collection has over 50,000 hours of content, and we are adding 25,000 hours every year. In keeping with the mission of public media, the american archive is available directly to the public with some 23,000 programs in addition to Resources Available daily for educators and researchers. Wgbh is proud to be working in partnership with the library of congress to preserve these historic treasures, and make them available for future generations. I would like to knowledge are dedicated american archive team. [applause] cokie as we celebrate the legislation that created public broadcasting, we know the federal governments investment in our work. Consistent, persistent, and forwardlooking. Four wgbh, one individual embodies that work in that is our senator, edward markey. He hoped to be with us today and we are sorry he cannot join us. He has served on the Advisory Council for the american archive and served on the hill for 40 of the public broadcastings 50 years. He knows our work very well. The he has been a stalwart champion of all we aspire to do for the American People across the country. My thanks to all of you for being with us here today. Im looking forward to hear it from our Extraordinary Group of panelists, assembled for this occasion. I will turn his back to her host, dr. Carla hayden who may squeeze in a few more releases of new information. She only got half a different list, i think, which is very exciting. To begin proceedings, thanks again to the library of congress. [applause] unfortunately carla had to leave so it is me. I am the senior director of the wgbh archive and the project after for the american archive for public broadcasting. My esteemed colleague is in the back managing our audiovisual materials. He is a special assistant to the chief of the library of National Audiovisual Conservation Center at culpepper for the library of congress, and project rector for the American Library of congress. Thank you for being here celebrate our 50th anniversary. Our first panel is what the origins of public broadcasting. We will start up with a clip minnow. He kind of planted the seeds of this event in our minds. Here we are in we will probably clip. Chairman from 1961 to 1963. How could something happening this week that is really revolutionary and the passing of this bill for Educational Television . The president this week signed a bill which for the first time will commit federal funds for the construction of Educational Television stations and to link the stations together. This will be the first time that is on a matching basis with the states and private institutions. Federal public funds will be administered for this purpose. Governmentntries the operates public broadcasting. We have taken a different course. We think broadcasting should be a private hands, in commercial hands for private profit. We are hoping to develop an alternative service for those people who want it. I wish i could be with you in person looking you to this important anniversary. In my 90s it is tough to travel, so i will communicate a little history to you this way. What i want to do is tell you a couple of stories about history. Stemmedvement really 61 years ago. In 1956 during the president ial was roberty roommate kennedy who had been sent by the Kennedy Family to learn about national campaigns. They were looking forward to jack kennedy becoming a candidate one day. Bob the ninth where the same age bob and i wear the same age and often remains on the travel. We got the springfield, illinois and he turned to me and said, you and i have heard the same speech 5000 times. If we have time to look over to abraham lincolns house so i could see it, i have never been to springfield. Then will get back in time to catch the plane. I said is only six or seven minutes. Lets go. We went over and saw lincolns house. On the way back bob kennedy said to me, you and i each have Young Children, families. Thoughtwhen i grow up i they were three great influences on a child. The home, the school, and the church. Now raising myze own children there is a fourth. Television. He said my kids are watching television, they are fascinated by television. Cant we do something to make it more educational and informative for kids . That started a relationship. Four years later when his brother was elected president , the day after the election i got a call saying what i please what i please consider joining the administration. I really said no because i could not afford it. We had Young Children and no money. They knew how interested i was in television. They offered me the job at age 34 of being chairman of the federal communications commission. How can i resist that . We moved to washington. Had been in a series of scandals. The place was a mess. My job was to clean it up. The first a onthejob, the first issue i chased was the senate wanted our testimony on an impending bill to use federal funds to help but was then called Educational Television. At that time there were seven commissioners, they said we dont take a position on that. I said, wait a minute. Our job is to protect the public interest. Certainly this is in the public interest. By a vote of 61, with my single dissent, we testified for the senate. I was the one that said we are very much forming this legislation. Something that long preceded the public this isact of the first act. Uc president kennedy hidden in the background. And the passed president signed it on may 1, 1962. Credit is it best president john f. Kennedy signing the tv educational bill 205, may 1, 1962. I had comeed to the fcc from chicago or we had wttw. President kennedy came to the white house from boston, where there was wgbh. Little did we know there was no publIc Television station in washington, d. C. , the capital of the United States. None in new york city, the largest city in the United States. Not in los angeles, largest city on the west coast. There very few first thing we have to do was get more stations. The way we did that was the past two laws. One was called the all channel receiver act, which makes tuner,sions have a uhf that enabled new stations to come on the air. The other was to provide funding to build publIc Television stations. We lost what later became what is now today the nationwide system. We also helped public radio, which i preceded television in any way we could. I always think without a station in new york, without a station in los angeles, without a station washington, it would be impossible to build a national system. I am very proud that president kennedy was proud of it, and later when i left the government, went home to chicago, i became involved in our local station, wttw. Later became chairman of it. Itis a public broadcasting, has grown and developed because it was bipartisan. Thatl our board at wttw the most important asset we have is the word trust. It does not show up in a financial statement. Everyone trusts us. Everyone trusts pbs and npr is being honest and fair. That is why it is so important that now we archived and preserve the great things we have done and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publIc Television act. [applause] if the first panelists could come up to the stage . The first piece with Eleanor Roosevelt wasnt thank you to henry morganthough. [applause] the first panel is about the origins of public broadcasting. Cokie roberts is a political commentator please, i have it all written out. I am dying to at least say she women as by american one of the greatest women in the history of broadcasting. In 2008, the library of Congress Name for a living legend, which we totally agree with. [applause] cokie i am thrilled to be moderating this panel because this is one of the rare times in my life i am a kid. [laughter] thanks. Cokie i joined npr 10 years after the public broadcasting act was signed. I have been there 40 years. Me. E gents preceded predeceased you . Cokie i did not say deceased. They were there at the beginning. They each have a wonderful story to tell. Left was into my the white house the time the bill was passed and has been active as fcc commissioner and head of pbs. Nick johnson was at the fcc and a troublemaker all the time. As it pbs programs, as well columns. Very involved with public broadcasting after he left the fcc. Was really one of the founders of npr and was the creator of all things considered. They are still at it. Think we should just start with irvin. How did you get the bill passed . We had Lyndon Johnson. A master politician. That is really a hidden story about how this came about. I hope someday a historian will delve into what we call the legislative task force. Much of the Great Society legislation was crafted outside the white house, even outside washington. The Carnegie Corporation commission of public broadcasting, the corporation was headed in new york. Johnson decreed, and bill moyers was the point now on this, the Great Society legislation should be crafted by these legislative task forces in the universities and foundations all across the country. This really accomplished two things. Accomplished two things. It removes the process of pressng policy from the and from partisan politics. Cokie it was secret. A benignd call it secrecy. I dont think the history has ever been written. If you look at the Carnegie Corporation, you see the man who headed lbjs operation in texas. You see a texan. You see the president of the united auto partners. Why . Tremendousted a lobbying push and if the chairman of the uaw in detroit was one of the men who drafted foridea for the Corporation Public broadcasting, that meant they would be behind it when it came to the hill. All of this was part of lbjs legislative genius. As i said earlier, i hope that delvey historian will into these legislative task forces. I think that they were praiseworthy, despite the secrecy. It is all part of a larger story. If it were not for the dark loud of vietnam, i think the lbj presidency would be remembered remembered,eal is as a flowering of positive legislation on behalf of the American People. I see it as the Great Society chapter, which really ended in 1967 after congress changed its composition in 1966. Concludings the chapter of the new deal. The moyers that he wanted to do everything that franklin had been unable to do. There was a huge majority brought in on the coattails and to congress, a tremendous working majority and he used that majority to pass medicare, more than 60 education bills, it corporatione great for public broadcasting bill. And the other thing was bipartisanship. The commission was made up of republicans and democrats. The support from capitol hill came from republicans and democrats. To this day, if you look at the trustees of stations around the country, when i was traveling for people yes, to speak to trustees around the country for ,he stations, it was the civic arts, and Business Leadership of every metropolitan area the country, made up mostly of republicans. What they could be counted on worthies periodic what they could be counted on were these theseoutbursts Republican Trustees would get on the phone and say, what are you doing . It . E they are defending they are. The previous senator warner of virginia said that congress would never kill public broadcasting because its the only way a local member of congress can get on television in his community. [laughter] i went to the white house after the great landslide of 1964. There is the chairman of the corporation of public broadcasting and that brought it into reality. The members of the Carnegie Corporation around to the conference table in the office i would like to claim some creative role in this, but i really was i came to be white house having been a green reporter for the washington post. Gofer,ind of a gopher but i was also a watcher. It was the great graduate school of my life. My boss hated to write speeches acause i had then as newspaper reporter, he would shove all of the speech riding off to me. Saw the legislation, i was given the task of riding the speech. I was given 40 hours to send a that into what is called the president felt night reading. He said we need to extend the vision of the speech beyond broadcasting. And talk about all public media. He did not even know what that meant. Suggested language and then i will talk about it at some time because it is so visionary and symbolic of all these things going on during that for dial. Saidr time but johnson these words. I want to create a Great Network for knowledge, not just a broadcast system, but one that employs every means of sending and storing information. Think the lives these could change. At a Small College could tap the resources of a great university. The country doctor could tap a research authority. A scholar and atlanta may draw instantly on a library in new york, and all of this was 30 years before the internet, but suddenly a chrysalis is beginning to form and it created the notion of a network college. The stations of npr and pbs have not always been receptive, i am sorry to say, to new technology. A station manager once said to me when we were trying to create pbs. Org, every hour of viewers spend looking at the computer screen is an hour he is not watching my station. So, there has been a certain hostility. We know that right there in the womb, the bill was signed, the president of the United States was envisioning something called networks for knowledge. May that increase, may it grow, maybe commitment of all public broadcasters to public media flourish may the commitment of all public broadcasters to public media flourish in the future. I cannot claim anything other rs role. Fe culture. Edded in the it is part of American Life the other greaticare, achievements are sewn into the fabric of American Life and heroes of that movement are in this room. [applause] cokie so, what was the role of the fcc in all of this . I would like to go back a little further. Cokie ok. I believe we are amongst the experience. Age of and so the wise men. Im sorry . Cokie the wise men. Not necessarily. But to go back to the 18th century [laughter] in my mind, i had an anecdote, he brought me in an in february 64 and shortly after a memo without too all president ial appointees you may recall this i want you to tell me what you think would be in the best interests of our nation with the area for which you have responsibility. In my case, at that time, it was ts and should holding shipbuilding. He made me maritime administrator. Just exactly what you would think a boy from iowa would [laughter] the coast of iowa. The coast of iowa. With shipping experience, operating on the river, not very successfully. Thankfully something that Congress Found perfectly adequate. Another thing to say about Lyndon Johnson. Compared with other president s, perhaps, who will go unnamed. To i want to go back madison, who i just learned today is referred to as Jimmy Madison cokie he was jimmy. Is that right . Cokie it was jimmy. Ill be darned. They would be so proud of you now. No, im [laughter] gail lindsay boggs, great people. To go back to Jimmy Madison however you spell his name, and there is an inscription when you came into this building, you may have noticed. Im going to try to do this in five minutes or less. Is that all right . Lets be clear. It contains this line. If people mean to be their own governors, they must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives. That is madisons quote. Know this, when riding his own epitaph, he chose to be remembered as the father of the university of virginia and made no mention that he had been president of the United States. This is very significant, i think. Because what these folks were doing was recognizing and theblishing and making pillars of democracy. Many of which have been and continue to be today under attack. One is defending the franchise to even now even allow women cokie it took a while. It took a long while. And 18yearolds. T then, the addition of pre of free public education, a andamental element democracy, and then the idea of the firstt media for amendment. Famously, itsaid was not for me to decide if we withoutve governments newspapers. I should not hesitate a moment to vote for the latter and went on to say, but i mean that every person should receive those tapers and be capable of reading tom, and again, tying it education. We added the idea of free public american where every could have access to the resources of kings. And indeed, this library was contributed to by jefferson, as you probably know. What i thought about, but this relates incidentally john gardner wrote to wonderful books that are paperback books. Everyk this always works 20 or 30 years. The other thing he did was to news and taper and magazines throughout the system, subsidizing the communications century. F the 19th and then we added the telegraph. As all of you radio, and time of just one more thing and then i am done. Is that ok . Involved numerous thattional institutions did not only the technological wheref creating this box people lived and could talk, but also the programs and the focus on the use of this as an instrument of education. I come, a city that from, designated as one of the three local cities of west ofre, was created the mississippi. That was in 1911. 1967. Oes back before for those who are younger among us here today. 1971, wsu i became a charter member of mpr, one of the early and one of the very few, one of the stations to carry the inaugural broadcast. In a 1960s it began his mating it began transmitting my fathers lectures. By the 1920s remember this 1920s, they had Educational Television, broadcast television. A station that would ultimately be one of the founding stations creating iowa publIc Television. And that brings us to today. [applause] cokie that nicely gets us to you. The fact is, as we heard all of that, and even the radio came before, it was something it was actually scotch taped onto the legislation at the last minute. Cokie added. Civil rights, changing peoples lives forever. If i can note, i took the position at that time that we about television and start with radio. You have literally 10 times more for your dollar with radio them with television. Cokie that is true. You should try it. Build a really strong national, that would clamor in demand publIc Television. But to start with publIc Television and then to fund it i did not think was a bright political move. [applause] because you are all or historians, i would like to just go back. , wisconsin. Son well, east of the mississippi [laughter] i think this is a very good point. About 11 years before radio was invented, the University President of wisconsin said i want the beneficence of the university to be in every home and that became the wisconsin idea. The boundaries of the campus are the boundaries of the state. So that was the idea of extending those resources and at resourcesthose brought information to farmers. It was just a sidebar. We are working to improve the weather and the farming information where the Literacy Rate is 61 . , that idea we really were there, and i started in 1952r as an engineer. My roots are there. And it is the center for. Nnovation and so on plays. Re radio with that experience for me, i left that in buffalo. At that time, i was helping give voice there were no people of color really in the media at that time. And we had discussions about what is it like to be an african in our society. 1960 1963 and 1964. I did a study on the iroquois nation. Thes employed to write mission statement. I felt very strongly. Us, what do you television has to go first. First. So, i started a program in buffalo called this is radio. This is radio, damaged this payadio, damn it, attention. Im still saying the same thing. Differentiates to it from the rainfall. They think of radio as a sound medium, telling stories, and to be somewhat aspirational, but also practical. Hat is what i was trying to do if you dont mind, i will read a few paragraphs. Public radio will serve the individual. It will regard individual differences of respect and enjoy rather than and joy rather than division and hates. A sense ofourage active, constructive for dissipation rather than apathetic helplessness. Trustworthy, enhance intellectual development, expand knowledge, deepen aural enjoyment, increase the pleasure of living in a and enrich society, our listeners that make them more intelligent, responsible citizens of their communities and the world. And then in the first description i said it would not substitute superficial plans values,ine diversity, minorities we would speak with many voices and dialects. Editorial attitudes would be that of inquiry, curiosity, concern for the quality of life, critical, problemsolving, and life loving. To relyeners will come upon it as a source of information of consequence, and n the concluding paragraph philosophically target measures. Y intensity of experience walking through an art gallery may be the same duration of time, but not the same time experience. Listeners should feel the time pr was among the most rewarding in media contacts. National public radio regard its but ase is a market, curious, complex individuals who are looking for understanding, meaning, and joy in the human experience. [applause] cokie so, now you have a good sense of how it all began. And we are finishing right on time. Thank you, gentlemen, very, very much. You are watching American History tv, 48 hours of programming on American History every weekend on cspan3. Follow us on twitter for information on our schedule and to keep up with the latest history news. Reel america, dreams of equality. In National Park service film on held880 Womens Convention in seneca falls, new york. Heres a preview. Elizabeth cady stanton. [applause] the history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and manpations on the part of having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over women. To prove to thets be submitted world he has never permitted inalienableise her rights for the elective franchise. He has compelled to her to submit to laws in the formation of which she has no voice. Rights. Ithheld from her this is election day. My brother is 21 years old. My brother drove off in a big wagon. Wouldnt you like to vote as well as all of her . Us . Nt the country need she looked scared. She said, dont you go ahead and say so, for then we would be called strongminded. He has taken from her all rights and property, even to the wages she earns. I have earned enough to school me a while, and have i no right to do so, or must i go home like a dutiful girl, place them in my fathers hands, and hard go all of my earnings . In the covenant of marriage, she promises of obedience to her husband, a heap of coming for all intents and purposes her master. Watch the entirety of the ica. On reel amer only on cspan3. All weekend long, American History tv is joining our spectrum Cable Partners to showcase the history of kansas city missouri. To learn more,
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