vvcdncidcy, rr.crdi 17, 1970
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By Csn Smith
Radio needs more variety, according to Philip Heck
man, chairman of the Nebraska Educational Television
(NETV) Commission, and he said that is one reason why
he supports public radio.
He sent a letter about a year and a half ago to fellow
commission members suggesting they study the possibility
of public radio in Nebraska.
The members agreed to do the study, he said, and a
grant of $25,000 from the Corporation for Public Broad
casting was given the commission to be used for the study.
The money was used to hire Robertson Associates, Inc., a
Florida-based consulting firm, to study the feasibility of
public radio in Nebraska, Heckman said. v
The NETV commission also formed a committee to
make further studies, he said. The committee has three
commission members: Edwin Nelson of Chadron,
. chairman; James Johnson of Kearney; and Afvin Gilmore
of Omaha. Heckman said the committee is studying public
radio in other states, including Wisconsin, Iowa and
Minnesota.
The committee will report to the commission by
September, Heckman said. .
Nebraska publr radio would not necessarily be a part
of NETV, he said, but he added he thinks the NETV Com
mission has a responsibility as a public broadcasting com
mission to consider public radio.
At a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) meeting in
. Washington, D.C., (before he sent the letter to commis
sion members), Heckman said he became aware of public
radio. Heckman is a member tf the PBS national board.
Listens while traveling
At the meeting, he said, he got a list of public radio
frequencies. Heckman travels about 40,000 miles a year
for his job as president of Doane College in Crete, and said
he began listening to public radio stations while traveling.
Heckman said he thinks public radio programs are
"stimulating, instructional and humorous.' In Nebraska, .
he said, public radio would carry state programs along
with programs from National Public Radio (NPR) in
Washington, D. C, which he said is comparable to tele
vision's PBS.
The public radio programs Heckman said he hears
while traveling include classical music, discussions and in-
y vj I
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ststs 2nd Iscd tax included
depth news. Ialbwa, one station carries ths'ttzts IL!a
ture from "pvel to gavel,' he said.
Some public stations cany literary dramas," he said,
which allows listeners to use their imaginations. Heckman
also said he heard one NPR program which featured a man
reading for about half an hour each day from the best
selling novel Watenhip Down,
Public radio programs
in other states
include classical music,
discussions, in-depth news
and the state legislature
proceedings from
"gavel to gavel".
One program features
a man reading for about
half an hour each day
from the best-selling novel
Vatershfp Down.
He said he would prefer it if commercial radio stations
carried this type of program because he said he considers
himself a "free enterprise person." But he added he thinks
people are denied thie type of program now, and should
have it.
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Heckman said he has reccivrJ ktters from Nebraskans
supporting public radio in the state. Ha said he thinks that
when people learn -about public radio, they support it.
Many options are avaHible for the organization of
Nebraska public radio if it becomes a reality, Heckman
said. Thp Robertson Associates report and current studies
by the conimission's committeo wi3 help determine the
best possibilities, he added.
The Robertson report, rekssed in October, 1975, out
lined a nine-phase plan for development of public radio in
Nebraska. According to the report, "In order to capitalize
on Nebraska's previous investment in television sites,
buildings, and towers, the plan envisions eventual
establishment ' of a high-power FM transmitter and
antenna at nine of the 10 existing ETV sties(a3 sites
except Omaha, because a station at Mead can broadcast to
both Lincoln and Omaha.)"
Initial cost, 24 cents each
. If all nine phases of the proposed system were activat
ed today, the report said, the total state population could
be reached at an initial cost of about 24 cents per Ne
braskan. That figure assumes 75 per cent matching funds
from the Department of Health, Education and welfare
(HEW), the report said. Without HEW assistance, the
captial cost for the entire system, if activated now, would
be about 85 cents per Nebraskan, based on the 1970
population of approximately IJS million, according to the
report. '
It estimated the cost of operating the state-wide system
at less than one cent per week per Nebraskan.
But the report also stated that "with all of the justifi
able places to spend public funds in these times, the
decision may be made to develop public radio in phases
hence the plan proposed, which can be implemented as
slowly or as rapidly as desired."
Phase 1, the report said, would create KUON-FM
public radio station, Lincoln, using the existing transmit
ter site, building and tower at Mead. The coverage area
would include 62 per cent of the state's total population,
the report said. '
The other eight phases would include stations at
Hastings, Norfolk, Lexington, North Platte, Alliance,
Pawnee City,Baasstt and Merriman.
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