The Pittsburgh Press from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 109

TV Graphic Cover Community Station Has Won National Distinction Since '54 And Its Annual Budget Has Risen From 150,000 To 625, 000 WQED's Five Award-Winning Years By Fred Remington TV Radio Fdtor Two prominent Pittsburghers instrumental in launching WQED and helping it over its financial hurdles in its five years on the air have been Leland Hazard, (left) and John T. Ryan chairman of the board and president respectively of Metropolitan Pittsburgh Educational Television, which is Station WQED's official name. lVITH two nationally known tt representatives of commercial TV, Bud Collyer and Johnny Carson, on hand to help, WQED is seeking operat ing funds for its fifth year of existence. When this paper reaches you Sunday morning, the educational community station will have been on the air all night in a marathon plea for money. Like every other worthwhile cultural resource, educational television is not free.

Like the libraries and the symphony, like the schools and colleges themselves, it has bills that must be met. It now takes about a year for WQED to do the things It It first year budget five years ago was a quarter of that, but the educational station has steadily broadened its goals. Of the $625,000 annual budget, $175,000 goes into technical facilities and engi- Suddenly! YOU fh without glasses necring payroll. (These figures are approximations.) The development of programming and payroll for producers, directors, floor men and other programming people runs around $115,000. Nearly another $30,000 goes into a special payroll for teachers who present classes over Channel 13.

It takes over $10,000 each year to put on the makeup courses for its summer "High School of the Air." Kinescoping filming I programs for distribution elsewhere runs over $90,000 annually, General administration of the station costs $100,000. Its fund-raising costs and participation in community affairs runs slightly over $30,000. There is a budget of close to $10,000 for "special Droj-ects," which provide, however, a fine return on the investment on the income side of the sheet. WQED presently has 5H full time staff people engineers, technicians, directors, producers, administrators, secretaries, exclusive of part-time on he-air teac hers. Happily, the general public need not underwrite all of this sum.

The station has some reasonably secure sources of income independent of public contribution. But without some financial support from individuals of the community who benefit by its services it could nut -and probably should not survive. WQED'S single biggest source of income, according to General Manager William C. Dempsey, is the rale of film series. Customers for programs produced, filmed and shown here include the National Educational TV and Radio Center, district industry and other educational foundations and groups.

This ac counts for around $230,000 in income. Voluntary contributions from 76 Pittsburgh area school districts who use WQED as a teaching tool run $65,000 to $70,000 annually. The Ford Foundation's Fund for the Advancement of Education last year gave the station $110,000, and there seems reasonable prospect a comparable grant may be expected this year, but this is not yet a certainty, For the remainder the sta tion is dependent upon the individuals, corporations and foundations of the Pittsburgh district. Another potential source of income is tire forthcoming secondary channel. WQEX, which will operate on Channel 16.

When It goes on the air in the very near future, WQED will be the only TV station In the country operating two channels. Channel 16 will be used, among other things, as an auxiliary teaching channel. Programs now seen in the schools will be repeated at other times on Channel 16, so schools which may find the present times inconvenient will get a crack at material they now are passing up. Mr. Dempsey's plans also call for its use by Industrial groups on something resembling a closed circuit basis.

Over Its five years WQED has repeatedly distinguished itself nationally. The station has won the George Foster Peabody Award for "impeccable taste and integrity" in its programming and The Thomas Alva Edison Award as "the station that best served youth in 1958." Josie Carey and Fred Rogers who created its fanciful and charming "Children's Comer" won a Sylvania Award and a long run on the NBC network. it jam' with invisible CONTACT LENSES See, dance, play, do whatever you like and look your natural best doing it, without glares. At the "Center" we fit every type of contact lens made, including the sensational new contact lens advancement, liliOCAl.S in a single contact lens. There's a perfect fitting lens waiting for you at the "Center." CONTACT LENS CENTER AT.

1-7022 Jenkins Arcade Coma In or call (outside (nuance) lor Ira consultation 512 Penn Pgh. 22, Pa. Divided payment arranged if-f-s J0 5 WHtrwwmnwl hiI.MMktW I Mail coupon now for FREE BOOKLET Please send me free and without obligation, your new booklet, "YOU AND CONTACT LKNfcES." NAME General manager of WQbD through most of its first five years was John F. White, who last fall moved up to the presidency of the National Educational TV and Radio Center. He was succeeded by William C.

Dempsey, who appears today on TV Graphic's cover. ADDRESS. CITY ZONE STATE Hours: 9:30 to 5.00 Monday through Saturday Monday evening by appointment The Pittsburgh Press, Sunday, March 22, 1959 TV Page 7.