Television Future

Two speakers discussed the future of public broadcasting in the face of rapidly changing television technology at the Cambridge Forum last night.

Stephen Bailey, professor of Education, who helped to draft the report of the Carnegie Commission for the Future of Public Broadcasting, and Henry Becton, general manager of WGBH-TV, offered different perspectives on how public television could best adapt to meet the needs of the public.

Becton said local public television stations will have to find innovative methods of dealing with the introduction of cable television and video discs on a large scale, possibly by releasing discs before release of cable and regular programs.

Bailey emphasized the need to restructure the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which he said has been subject to political pressure over programming, especially in the area of news and commentary.