Jim Robertson Papers
Abstract
Jim Robertson began his career in noncommercial broadcasting at WTTW (Chicago, IL) as program director from 1954 to 1959. Starting in 1959, he held various positions at the National Educational Television and Radio Center, later National Educational Television including director of station relations and vice president and later president for network affairs. He also served as vice president and general manager for Community Television of Southern California, where he planned, equipped and constructed station KCET. His other positions in public broadcasting included chairman of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters Board of Directors and supervisor of WHA-AM-TV in Madison, Wisconsin. In 1970, Robertson became the Director of Radio for the National Association of Educational Broadcasters and the director of National Educational Radio. Later, he worked with a lobbying service -- the Association for Public Radio Stations, and in 1973, became a consultant in public broadcasting. Finally, in 1993, after crisscrossing the country with his wife conducting informal interviews with 56 pioneers in educational broadcasting, he published the book Televisionaries. The collection documents Robertson's oral history project as well as his work at National Educational Radio and his consulting work as part of Robertson Associates, Inc.
Important Information for Users of the Collection
This collection is open for research use.
Jim Robertson Papers, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.
Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials page for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.
This collection is PROCESSED.
Historical Note
E. James (Jim) Robertson had a long and distinguished career in commercial and educational broadcasting. Robertson was born in 1918. He began his broadcasting career in 1934 while still in high school in Madison, Wisconsin. During his junior year at Madison West High School, Robertson arranged for his school to have a half hour show once a week on the local commercial NBC radio station, WIBA. In the summer between his junior and senior years, Robertson had a quarter-hour poetry program once a week on the same station. As a result of this work, Robertson gained the attention of H.B. McCarty, then director of the University of Wisconsin's pioneering radio station, WHA. McCarty invited Robertson to volunteer at WHA as a student announcer during the summer of 1935.
Robertson pursued his higher education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He was hired as a part-time announcer at WIBA in 1937 at the end of his freshman year. By the time he graduated in 1940, he had three years of professional announcing and programming experience at a commercial station.
Robertson continued his work in commercial radio during the next three years at various stations in Wisconsin. After working for a few more months at WIBA, he moved on to a management position at a station in Marinette, WMAM. In December 1942, he was hired as Program Director of WCLO in Janesville, where he worked for a year.
In 1943, Robertson was invited to join the Milwaukee Journal radio station WTMJ as an announcer. He helped to produce programs as well, and became the Radio Program Director in 1946. A year later, on December 3, 1947, WTMJ-TV went on the air as the eleventh television station in the country. Robertson had been instrumental in launching the station, having hired the first staff and produced the first programs. He remained in charge of television operation until 1952, when he resumed radio programming.
Robertson's noncommercial broadcasting career began in the fall of 1954, when he was selected as Director of Programming for WTTW in Chicago. Again, he played a vital role in the planning and organizing of a television station. WTTW-TV went on the air in September 1955. At WTTW, Robertson worked with other well-known names in early broadcasting, such as John Taylor, Chalmers Marquis, and Harry Skornia.
Robertson remained at WTTW until 1959, when he was named as the first Director of Station Relations at National Educational Television (NET), which at the time was still the National Educational Television and Radio Center. In this capacity, Robertson served a liaison between ETV stations and NET, conducting visits to member stations and administering grants. He assisted in the organization of an Affiliates Committee with William G. Harley, Hartford Gunn, Jonathan Rice, and John F. White.
In 1962, Robertson became Vice-President for Network Affairs for NET, retaining supervision of station relations but with added responsibilities. He served as liaison with the FCC, Congress, and other national public broadcasting organizations. He acted as NET's contact with Newton Minow, the Chair of the FCC. Robertson helped develop the Educational Television Facilities Act of 1962, the first federal legislation concerning educational broadcasting. In addition, he played a role in developing the All-Channel Act of 1962. Robertson also helped with the development of video tape technology, and distributed video equipment which the Ford Foundation had provided. While at NET, he headed the effort to get stations on the air in key communities, such as Los Angeles.
In 1963, Robertson became Vice-President and General Manager for Community Television of Southern California. A year later, he once again was responsible for the planning, equipping, and constructing of a new television station. KCET began operation in September 1964.
Robertson once again returned to radio in 1967, when he was named the Director of Educational Broadcasting at WHA, University of Wisconsin. He stayed at WHA for three years, during which time he headed the State Radio Council's eleven station radio network. He also acted as advisor to the Coordinating Committee on Higher Education in planning for statewide networking and interinstitutional communications. In addition, he assisted in drafting legislation creating the State Educational Communications Board which coordinated state educational radio and television, and developed a statewide public television network. In 1968, while at WHA, the National Association of Educational Broadcasting acknowledged Robertson's dedication to educational broadcasting by electing him Chair of the NAEB Board.
In 1970, Robertson was selected as Executive Director of National Educational Radio (NER), a division of NAEB. While he was with NER, Robertson worked closely with the FCC, lobbying on the Hill for support of educational broadcasting. He helped form the Association for Public Radio Stations and assisted in drafting that organization's constitution.
Robertson left NER in 1973 and began his own public broadcasting consulting firm, Robertson Associates, Inc. In 1979, he began an oral history project in which he interviewed 55 pioneers in the field of public broadcasting. The project was funded primarily with grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). These interviews were the basis of a book by Robertson entitled Televisionaries, which documents the history of the founding of public television in the U.S., from the late 1940's to 1967. The book is an important contribution to the broadcasting industry, written by a man who was himself influential in establishing and developing educational radio and television. Robertson has continued his involvement in public broadcasting. In 1985, he served on the Advisory Board for southwest Florida ETV and public radio stations.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Jim Robertson Papers spans the period from 1946 to 1989, with the bulk of the material dating from 1970 to 1982. The papers consist of oral history transcripts, correspondence, reports, memos, articles, slides, audio tapes, audio cassettes, and one video cassette. The papers deal largely with Robertson's 1980-1981 oral history project, in which he interviewed 55 pioneers in public broadcasting. Also included are materials that Robertson collected during his time at National Educational Radio, and consultant reports that he wrote under the name of Robertson Associates, Inc. Additionally, there are some materials relating to CPB and PBS.
Custodial History and Acquisition Information
The Jim Robertson Papers was donated to the National Public Broadcasting Archives, University of Maryland Libraries by Jim Robertson in September of 1990, April of 1991, January of 1992, and September of 1994.
Processing Information
Processed by Heather Moore, August 1995. Revised by Karen E. King, January 1996
EAD markup created using EAD database in Microsoft Access. Markup completed by Karen E. King and Chris Stoner, May 2006.
Arrangement of Collection
Organized as five series.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series 1: Public Broadcasting Oral History Project, 1947-1984 (3.50 linear feet)
This series contains material generated from Jim Robertson's oral history project in which he interviewed more than 50 of the men and women who played important roles in the establishment and development of noncommercial educational broadcasting in the United States. Robertson was also interviewed as part of this project. The project was funded primarily by grants from the CPB, as part of its Congressionally-mandated archival responsibility. Supplemental funding was provided by the Benton Foundation and several private donors. The interviews, which were conducted by Robertson in 1979-82, were the basis of his 1989 book Televisionaries.
Subseries 1.1: Final Interview Transcripts, 1979-1982 (1.50 linear feet)
This subseries contains the final typed transcripts of the public broadcasting oral history interviews. Included within each of the folders is a photo, brief biography, note from the project director, and the interview transcript. The folders are arranged alphabetically by the last name of the person interviewed.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerard (Jerry) Appy, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| George Arms, April 13, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| James Armsey, June 19, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| Roy Barthold, March 11, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Robert J. Blakely, June 25, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Frederick Breitenfeld Jr., October 14, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| Gertrude Broderick, January 26, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
| Elizabeth Campbell, January 25, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 8 | |
| Everett Case, September 26, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 9 | |
| Henry J. Cauthen Jr., August 20, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 10 | |
| Kenneth Christiansen, January 28, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 11 | |
| Marcus Cohn, March 31, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 12 | |
| Norman Cousins, April 17, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 13 | |
| John C. Crabbe, June 1, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 14 | |
| David Davis, October 8, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 15 | |
| James Day, October 8, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 16 | |
| Lee A. DuBridge, April 14, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 17 | |
| Keith Engar, May 25, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 18 | |
| C. Scott Fletcher, January 1981, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 19 | |
| Lee Frischknecht, March 21, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 20 | |
| Martha Gable, October 12, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 21 | |
| Hyman Goldin, September 11, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 1 | |
| G.H. (Bill) Griffiths, April 21, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 2 | |
| Hartford N. Gunn, April 7, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 3 | |
| William Harley, January 27, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 4 | |
| Robert Hudson, January 26, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 5 | |
| Richard B. Hull, November 20-21, 1979 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 6 | |
| Arthur Hungerford, September 3, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 7 | |
| Armand Hunter, June 2, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 8 | |
| Raymond Hurlbert, March 4, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 9 | |
| Rosel Hyde, January 28, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 10 | |
| James R. Killian Jr., September 11, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 11 | |
| James L. Loper, April 13, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 12 | |
| James Macandrew, October 2, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 13 | |
| Leonard Marks, March 31, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 14 | |
| Chalmers Marquis, March 31, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 15 | |
| Jack McBride, June 10, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 16 | |
| William (Bill) McCarter, June 24, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 17 | |
| H.B. (Mac) McCarty, June 29, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 18 | |
| Newton Minow, June 17, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 19 | |
| Stanley Neustadt, January 28, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 20 | |
| Morris S. Novik, October 7, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 1 | |
| Kenneth Oberholtzer, April 30, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 2 | |
| Jonathan Rice, April 27, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 3 | |
| James Robertson, October 23, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 4 | |
| Frank Schooley, June 22, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 5 | |
| Rhea Sikes, August 3, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 6 | |
| Harry J. Skornia, October 22, 1982 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 7 | |
| Ralph Steetle, May 8, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 8 | |
| Loren Stone, March 30, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 9 | |
| Donald Taverner, September 17, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 10 | |
| John W. Taylor, June 16, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 11 | |
| I. Keith Tyler, August 21, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 12 | |
| Parker Wheatley, August 13, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 13 | |
| John F. White, September 30, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 14 | |
| Raymond Wittcoff, August 13, 1981 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 15 | |
Subseries 1.2: Background Material, 1947-1984 (2.00 linear feet)
This subseries contains edited transcripts and background material. Included within each of the folders is the edited transcript with corrections, questions for the interview, biographical information, and correspondence between Robertson and the person to be interviewed. Also in this subseries is the project proposal written by Jim Robertson in an effort to gain funding for the project. The folders are arranged alphabetically.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerard (Jerry) Appy, February 1981-July 1982 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 1 | |
| George Arms, August 1981-March 1983 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 2 | |
| James W. Armsey, October 1980-January 1984 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 3 | |
| Roy Barthold, October 1980-December 1982 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 4 | |
| Robert Blakely, March 1979-December 1982 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 5 | |
| Frederick Breitenfeld Jr., November 1980-October 1981 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 6 | |
| Gertrude Broderick, October 1980-April 1982 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 7 | |
| Elizabeth Campbell, March 1961-December 1982 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 8 | |
| Everett Case, February 1981-September 1981 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 9 | |
| Henry Cauthen, July 1958-August 1982 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 10 | |
| Ken Christiansen, December 1980-September 1982 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 11 | |
| Marcus Cohn, February 1981-March 1982 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 12 | |
| Norman Cousins, June 1980-April 1981 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 13 | |
| John Crabbe, November 1980-January 1983 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 14 | |
| David M. Davis, November 1980-October 1981 | series 1.2 | box 4 | folder 15 | |
| James Day, November 1980-October 1981 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 1 | |
| Lee DuBridge, October 1980-April 1981 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 2 | |
| Keith Engar, October 1980-May 1981 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 3 | |
| C. Scott Fletcher, May 1974-January 1984 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 4 | |
| Lee Frischknecht, February 1981-March 1981 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 5 | |
| Martha Gable, February 1981-January 1983 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 6 | |
| Hyman Goldin, April 1981-September 1981 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 7 | |
| G.H. (Bill) Griffiths, February 1981-June 1982 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 8 | |
| Hartford N. Gunn, October 1980-December 1982 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 9 | |
| William G. Harley, September 1980-March 1983 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 10 | |
| Robert B. Hudson, October 1980-January 1982 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 11 | |
| Richard B. Hull, October 1979-December 1982 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 12 | |
| Arthur Hungerford, October 1980-November 1982 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 1 | |
| Armand Hunter, October 1980-December 1982 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 2 | |
| Raymond Hurlbert, October 1980-December 1982 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 3 | |
| Rosel H. Hyde, November 1980-January 1982 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 4 | |
| James R. Killian Jr., October 1980-December 1982 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 5 | |
| James Loper, February 1981-January 1983 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 6 | |
| James F. Macandrew, October 1980-October 1981 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 7 | |
| Leonard Marks, November 1980-January 1983 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 8 | |
| Chalmers Marquis, November 1980-April 1982 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 9 | |
| Jack McBride, February 1981-June 1981 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 10 | |
| William J. McCarter, June 1981 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 11 | |
| H.B. (Mac) McCarty, February 1981-June 1981 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 12 | |
| Newton N. Minow, October 1980-January 1983 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 13 | |
| Stanley Neustadt, March 1981-January 1982 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 14 | |
| Morris S. Novik, April 1956-December 1982 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 15 | |
| Kenneth E. Oberholtzer, October 1980-August 1982 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 16 | |
| Jonathan Rice, March 1981-February 1983 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 1 | |
| James Robertson, October 1982 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 2 | |
| Frank Schooley, February 1981-July 1981 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 3 | |
| Rhea Sikes, August 1981 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 4 | |
| Harry J. Skornia, July 1947-January 1983 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 5 | |
| Ralph Steetle, October 1980-October 1982 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 6 | |
| Loren B. Stone, October 1980-March 1981 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 7 | |
| Donald V. Taverner, November 1980-September 1981 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 8 | |
| John Taylor, October 1980-December 1982 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 9 | |
| I. Keith Tyler, December 1980-December 1982 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 10 | |
| Parker Wheatley, July 1981-August 1981 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 11 | |
| John F. White, October 1980-January 1983 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 12 | |
| Raymond H. Wittcoff, October 1980-September 1981 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 13 | |
| Project Proposal, 1979 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 14 | |
Series 2: Robertson Associates, Inc., 1969-1981 (1.50 linear feet)
This series contains reports undertaken by Jim Robertson as President of Robertson Associates, Inc., his educational radio and television consulting firm which he formed in 1973. These reports analyze existing public broadcasting systems, and offer recommendations for the future. Also included with the Robertson Associates materials are four reports which were prepared by Robertson before the formation of his consulting firm. This series also contains two articles which were written by Robertson during the time that he acted as a communications consultant under the name of Robertson Associates. The materials in this series are arranged chronologically.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Future Directions for Rhode Island Educational Television, April 1969 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 1 | |
| The Future Role of Regionals (for CPB), February 1970 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 2 | |
| Radio's Role in Instruction (for NER), January 1973 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 3 | |
| Public Radio for South Florida, January 1973 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 4 | |
| Public Radio Policy for Virginia, November 1973 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 5 | |
| Cable Opportunities for the Milwaukee Public Schools, Spring 1974 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 6 | |
| What Next for TV College?, June 1974 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 7 | |
| Article by Robertson - "Can Schools Cope with Cable?" in PTR, February 1975 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 8 | |
| Public Radio in Chicago: What it Ought to Be, June 1975 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 9 | |
| Public Radio in Ohio: What it is Now and What it Might Become, September 1975 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 10 | |
| Feasibility of Public Radio in Nebraska / Engineering Considerations for Nebraska Public Radio Network, October 1975 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 11 | |
| A Public Television Station for Palm Beach County: Is the Community Ready?, March 1976 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 12 | |
| Appropriate Sources of Financial Support for Maryland Public Broadcasting, September 1976 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 13 | |
| Public Radio Possibilities in Kentucky, April 1977 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 14 | |
| University of Mid-America Satellite Use Study / Great Plains National Instructional Library Satellite Use Study, October 1977 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 15 | |
| Local Station Utilization of PBS Programming, October 1977 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 16 | |
| NAEB TV Managers' Council Slide-Tape Presentation by Robertson Associates, Inc., November 1977 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 1 | |
| Soundtrack for NAEB TV Managers' Council Presentation, November 14, 1977 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 2 | |
| Audio narration for NAEB TV Managers' Council Presentation, November 14, 1977 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 3 | |
| Slide Program for NAEB TV Managers' Council Presentation, 88 slides (oversize), November 14, 1977 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 4 | |
| Article by Robertson - "Look to the Skies" in Community and Junior College Journal, March 1978 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 5 | |
| KRMA: Its Present Status, Its Future Potential, March 1978 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 6 | |
| Improving Public Television Services to the People of Indiana, October 1978 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 7 | |
| Public Broadcasting in Illinois (volume one), 1979 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 8 | |
| Public Broadcasting in Illinois (volume two), 1979 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 9 | |
| Systemwide Review of Broadcast Educational Programs in the State University System of Florida, April 1980 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 10 | |
| KTWU Topeka, December 1980 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 11 | |
| Planning for the Eighties: Public Broadcasting in Oklahoma, 1980-81 | series 2 | box 10 | folder 1 | |
Series 3: National Educational Radio, 1970-1973 (3 folders)
This series contains papers collected by Jim Robertson while he served as Executive Director of National Educational Radio (NER), a division of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters (NAEB). Robertson served in this position from November 1970 to June 1973. Included are memos and reports concerning various NER issues, and minutes of NER Board of Directors' meetings. These materials are arranged chronologically.
Also included in this series are materials which document the NER station visits Robertson conducted with Jerry Yokom in 1972. The stations were public radio stations which were members of NER-NAEB. The station visit reports are arranged first alphabetically by state, then alphabetically by call letters within each state.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Educational Radio (1), October 1970-December 1972 | series 3 | box 10 | folder 2 | |
| National Educational Radio (2), January 1973-October 1973 | series 3 | box 10 | folder 3 | |
| Robertson-Yokom Station Visits, July 1971-October 1972 | series 3 | box 10 | folder 4 | |
Series 4: Public Broadcasting, 1973-1980, undated (5 folders)
This series contains material pertaining to public broadcasting, with the majority of the material focusing on public television. The material in this series was sent to Robertson by Joseph Hughes, a charter director of CPB. Much of it concerns the Carnegie Commission II 1977 study of public broadcasting. Included are newspaper clippings, articles, reports, and correspondence. One letter, written by C. Scott Fletcher to Hughes, is particularly rich in public broadcasting history. This series also contains documents which concern programming and financing of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Public Broadcasting Service. These materials are arranged chronologically.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "South Carolina Educational Television's 15th Anniversary", 1973 | series 4 | box 10 | folder 5 | |
| Newspaper Clippings, 1974-75, undated | series 4 | box 10 | folder 6 | |
| Joseph Hughes, 1977-1980 | series 4 | box 10 | folder 7 | |
| CPB/PBS, 1978, undated | series 4 | box 10 | folder 8 | |
| "Summary of 1969" - Carnegie Commission FOIA Request, 1979 | series 4 | box 10 | folder 9 | |
Series 5: Audio-Visual Material, 1969-1989, undated (1.75 linear feet)
This series contains audio tapes, audio cassettes, and one video cassette. Much of this material concerns NER, and was created while Robertson was Executive Director of that organization. Topics include NER meetings, visits with member radio stations, and public broadcasting in general. Included are reports delivered by Robertson, as well as interviews with Robertson and others in public broadcasting. Materials are arranged by media type, then chronologically within each type.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | Item | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [1/4 inch audio tapes on 7 inch reels] -- Five Minute History of Public Broadcasting; narration for slide presentation at NAEB banquet; 5:25, November 2, 1969 | series 5 | box 11 | folder 1 | ||
| [1/4 inch audio tapes on 7 inch reels] -- NER Audio Visit Number Two; communication with member radio stations via audio tape, similiar to a closed circuit, concerning member stations' interests and services; 31:20, 1971 | series 5 | box 11 | folder 2 | ||
| [1/4 inch audio tapes on 7 inch reels] -- Morning Session of Indiana Association of School Broadcasters Meeting in Indianapolis; including Robertson's report on the status of public radio stations nationally at the time, November 5, 1971 | series 5 | box 11 | folder 3 | ||
| [1/4 inch audio tapes on 7 inch reels] -- NER Drive-In Conference; Robertson's noon address; about 35 minutes, April 21, 1972 | series 5 | box 11 | folder 4 | ||
| [1/4 inch audio tapes on 7 inch reels] -- Typical NER Station Visit; on-air interview, Grand Forks, N.D., 1970-73 | series 5 | box 11 | folder 5 | ||
| [1/4 inch audio tapes on 5 inch reels] -- NER Audio Visit Number One, 1971 | series 5 | box 11 | folder 6 | ||
| [1/4 inch audio tapes on 5 inch reels] -- NER Audio Visit Number Three; about 14 minutes, September 9, 1971 | series 5 | box 11 | folder 7 | ||
| [1/4 inch audio tapes on 5 inch reels] -- National Public Radio (NPR) Closed Circuit to Member Stations; with CPB president John Macy, and CPB radio director Al Hulsen, October 12, 1971 | series 5 | box 11 | folder 8 | ||
| [1/4 inch audio tapes on 5 inch reels] -- NER Business Meeting and 1971 NAEB Convention; at Miami Beach, chairman Dick Estell, October 18, 1971 | series 5 | box 11 | folder 9 | ||
| [1/4 inch audio tapes on 5 inch reels] -- Burt Harrison; NER board member from KWSC-FM in Pullman, WA describes his station at Public Radio Conference; about 15 minutes, 1972 | series 5 | box 11 | folder 10 | ||
| [1/4 inch audio tapes on 5 inch reels] -- Closed Circuit Conference Call Concerning New Public Radio Organization, May 19, 1973 | series 5 | box 11 | folder 11 | ||
| [1/2 inch videotape cassette] -- Interview of Robertson during visit to "Convocom" with George Hall; Springfield, IL; 20:19, April 1979 | series 5 | box 12 | folder 1 | ||
| [audio cassettes] -- Public Radio; three-way on-air discussion over WAMU-FM, Washington, April 1971 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 1 | ||
| Participant of discussion: Don Quayle, president of NPR, April 1971 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 1 | item 1.0 | |
| Participant of discussion: Al Hulsen, directory of radio for CPB, April 1971 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 1 | item 2.0 | |
| Participant of discussion: Lawrence Laurent, columnist for the Washington Post, April 1971 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 1 | item 3.0 | |
| Participant of discussion: Jim Robertson, director of NER/NAEB, April 1971 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 1 | item 4.0 | |
| [audio cassettes] -- Highlights from NAEB Staff Meeting, June 16, 1972 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 2 | ||
| [audio cassettes] -- NER Board of Directors' Meeting, Las Vegas (1), 1972 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 3 | ||
| [audio cassettes] -- NER Board of Directors' Meeting, Las Vegas (2), 1972 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 4 | ||
| [audio cassettes] -- NER Board of Directors' Meeting (1), May 20, 1973 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 5 | ||
| [audio cassettes] -- NER Board of Directors' Meeting (2), May 20, 1973 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 6 | ||
| [audio cassettes] -- NER Instructional Task Force Meeting (1); at Marina del Ray, November 23 [year unknown, but assumed to be 1970-1973] | series 5 | box 13 | folder 7 | ||
| [audio cassettes] -- NER Instructional Task Force Meeting (2), November 23 [1970-73] | series 5 | box 13 | folder 8 | ||
| [audio cassettes] -- Robertson Talk at Forum 76, University of Mid-America Third National Conference on Open Learning and Nontraditional Study, 1976 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 9 | ||
| [audio cassettes] -- Oklahoma Interview Excerpts; segments from interviews of individuals throughout Oklahoma as basis for study conducted by Robertson for Oklahoma ETV Authority; 30:25, 1980 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 10 | ||
| [audio cassettes] -- Robertson Talk on Teleconferencing; at 1980 NAEB convention in Las Vegas, October 28, 1980 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 11 | ||
| [audio cassettes] -- Off-the-air audio tape during PBS broadcast of "Washington Week in Review", April 24, 1989 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 12 | ||
| Quotes from Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver, former president of NBC Television, April 24, 1989 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 12 | item 1.0 | |
| Quotes from Grant Tinker, TV program executive, April 24, 1989 | series 5 | box 13 | folder 12 | item 2.0 | |
| [audio cassettes] -- Off-the-air audio tape during PBS broadcast of "Television", produced by Michael Winship, undated | series 5 | box 13 | folder 13 | ||
| Quotes from John F. White, president of NET (predecessor of PBS), undated | series 5 | box 13 | folder 13 | item 1.0 | |
| Quotes from Joan Ganz Cooney, originator of Children's Television Workshop, undated | series 5 | box 13 | folder 13 | item 2.0 | |
| Quotes from Bill Moyers, undated | series 5 | box 13 | folder 13 | item 3.0 | |
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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the University of Maryland Libraries' Catalog. Researchers desiring related materials about these topics, names, or places may search the Catalog using these headings.
Subjects
- Blakely, Robert J. -- Correspondence.
- Campbell, Elizabeth -- Correspondence.
- Cousins, Norman -- Correspondence.
- Crabbe, John C.
- Day, James, 1918-2008 -- Correspondence.
- Fletcher, C. Scott (Cyril Scott), 1904-1991 -- Correspondence.
- Frischknecht, Lee C. (Lee Conrad), 1928- -- Correspondence.
- Gunn, Hartford N. -- Correspondence.
- Harley, William G., 1911-1998 -- Correspondence.
- Killian, James Rhyne, 1904-1988 -- Correspondence.
- Marquis, Chalmers H. -- Correspondence.
- McBride, Jack -- Correspondence.
- Minow, Newton N., 1926- -- Correspondence.
- National Educational Television and Radio Center.
- Novik, Morris S., 1903- -- Correspondence.
- Public broadcasting -- United States.
- Robertson, James, 1918- -- Archives.
- Schooley, Frank E. -- Correspondence.
- Steetle, Ralph W., 1912- -- Correspondence.
- White, John F., 1917- -- Correspondence.