James Day

Former President of NET / Public TV Executive

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tab

About

About this interview

In his four-and-a-half-hour Archive interview, James Day (1918-2008) describes his early career years as the general manager of San Francisco's public television station KQED. He covers many topics including working with Fred Friendly, the series Newspaper of the Air, The Public Broadcasting Laboratory, The Great American Dream Machine and An American Family. Day discusses Kaleidoscope, an interview program he hosted for 15 years. He recounts becoming the president of National Educational Television and helping guide PBS into a fully operational organization. He outlines his later career as a professor, a consultant, and author of the book "The Vanishing Vision." Dr. Ralph Engelman conducted the interview on April 27, 1998 in New York, NY.

"The San Francisco public schools had asked for a series on sex education. One Board member, Shirley Temple Black, said that her friends felt that this was a terrible thing to do. So we held an informational screening for the Board. Shirley Temple Black looked at the films and turned to me and said, 'You're doing the right thing. You ought to run these.'"

Highlights

James Day on Richard Nixon vetoing funds for public broadcasting in 1973

01:32

James Day on programming An American Family and other shows on WNET

04:29

James Day on his tenure as President of WNET

05:21

James Day on garnering viewer support in the early days of KQED

05:33

James Day on career highlights and regrets

01:12

Full Interview

Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on how his family dealt with the Great Depression; on his experiences in World War II

On going to work at the NBC radio affiliate in San Francisco KPO; on moving to Tokyo in 1949 to work for the Civil Information and Education Department; on working for Radio Free Asia

Chapter 2

On working for Radio Free Asia; on being hired by KQED in San Francisco

On his initial duties at KQED (the Bay Area Educational Television Association); on initial funding efforts of KQED

Chapter 3

On Frieda Hennock, the first female commissioner of the FCC; on garnering viewer support in the early days of KQED; on choosing the call letters for KQED and the early technical aspects and operations of the station

On KQED's early programming; on the role of the Educational Television and Radio Center in the early years of KQED and public television

Chapter 4

On Harry Newburn as the head of the Educational Television and Radio Center; on network programming in San Francisco during KQED's early years and KQED's community-based programming; on moderating the series Kaleidoscope

On the financial turning point for KQED; on early corporate funding of KQED

Chapter 5

On a Fidel Castro documentary and other KQED programming from the '60s; on the state of KQED in 1962

On the Carnegie Commission on Educational Television; on the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 and becoming President of National Educational Television (NET)

Chapter 6

On KQED's Newspaper of the Air; on the KQED series News Room

On working with Fred Friendly on Public Broadcasting Laboratory; on executive reaction to Public Broadcasting Laboratory; on becoming President of NET in New York

Chapter 7

On the establishment of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS); on Fred Friendly's role in the creation of PBS and the politics of the creation of PBS

On becoming President of WNET and supervising production of The Great American Dream Machine; on programming An American Family and other shows on WNET; on the process of program creation at WNET

Chapter 8

On The Great American Dream Machine and other programs from his time at WNET; on programming The 51st State; on his tenure as President of WNET

On Richard Nixon vetoing funds for public broadcasting in 1973; on Woody Allen's Men of Crisis: The Harvey Wallinger Story; on resigning from WNET; on the establishment of the Children's Television Workshop

Chapter 9

On producing Day at Night; on his teaching career; on his book "The Vanishing Vision"

On his consulting activity; on the then-current state of PBS and the marginalization of public television; on career highlights and regrets

On various people he worked with during his career

Shows

American Family, An

James Day on programming An American Family and other shows on WNET

04:28

James Day on programming An American Family

02:50

Great American Dream Machine, The

James Day on becoming President of WNET and supervising production of The Great American Dream Machine

06:07

Topics

Diversity in Television

James Day on Frieda Hennock, the first female commissioner of the FCC

02:14

Historic Events and Social Change

James Day on his experiences in World War II

05:05

James Day on Frieda Hennock, the first female commissioner of the FCC

02:14

Network Creation

James Day on initial funding efforts of KQED

04:08

Public Television

James Day on being hired by KQED in San Francisco

08:08

James Day on his initial duties at KQED (the Bay Area Educational Television Association)

08:07

James Day on initial funding efforts of KQED

04:08

James Day on garnering viewer support in the early days of KQED

05:33

James Day on choosing the call letters for KQED and the early technical aspects and operations of the station

10:03

James Day on KQED's early programming

08:05

James Day on the role of the Educational Television and Radio Center in the early years of KQED and public television

02:15

James Day on network programming in San Francisco during KQED's early years and KQED's community-based programming

04:08

James Day on moderating the series Kaleidoscope

09:51

James Day on the financial turning point for KQED

02:54

James Day on early corporate funding of KQED

06:44

James Day on a Fidel Castro documentary and other KQED programming from the '60s

05:07

James Day on the state of KQED in 1962

08:06

James Day on the Carnegie Commission on Educational Television

08:13

James Day on the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 and becoming President of National Educational Television (NET)

06:05

James Day on KQED's Newspaper of the Air

08:30

James Day on the KQED series News Room

05:08

James Day on working with Fred Friendly on Public Broadcasting Laboratory

05:43

James Day on becoming President of NET in New York

03:30

James Day on the establishment of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

08:07

James Day on becoming President of WNET and supervising production of The Great American Dream Machine

06:07

James Day on the process of program creation at WNET

02:08

James Day on The Great American Dream Machine and other programs from his time at WNET

03:10

James Day on programming The 51st State

04:57

James Day on his tenure as President of WNET

05:21

James Day on Richard Nixon vetoing funds for public broadcasting in 1973

01:32

James Day on resigning from WNET

04:30

James Day on the establishment of the Children's Television Workshop

02:16

James Day on producing Day at Night

05:30

James Day on various people he worked with during his career

13:13

James Day on the then-current state of PBS and the marginalization of public television

04:55

Richard M. Nixon

James Day on Richard Nixon vetoing funds for public broadcasting in 1973

01:32

Television Industry

James Day on being hired by KQED in San Francisco

08:08

James Day on his initial duties at KQED (the Bay Area Educational Television Association)

08:07

James Day on initial funding efforts of KQED

04:08

James Day on garnering viewer support in the early days of KQED

05:33

James Day on choosing the call letters for KQED and the early technical aspects and operations of the station

10:03

James Day on KQED's early programming

08:05

James Day on the role of the Educational Television and Radio Center in the early years of KQED and public television

02:15

James Day on network programming in San Francisco during KQED's early years and KQED's community-based programming

04:08

James Day on moderating the series Kaleidoscope

09:51

James Day on the financial turning point for KQED

02:54

James Day on early corporate funding of KQED

06:44

James Day on a Fidel Castro documentary and other KQED programming from the '60s

05:07

James Day on the state of KQED in 1962

08:06

James Day on the Carnegie Commission on Educational Television

08:13

James Day on the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 and becoming President of National Educational Television (NET)

06:05

James Day on KQED's Newspaper of the Air

08:30

James Day on the KQED series News Room

05:08

James Day on working with Fred Friendly on Public Broadcasting Laboratory

05:43

James Day on becoming President of NET in New York

03:30

James Day on the establishment of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

08:07

James Day on becoming President of WNET and supervising production of The Great American Dream Machine

06:07

James Day on the process of program creation at WNET

02:08

James Day on The Great American Dream Machine and other programs from his time at WNET

03:10

James Day on programming The 51st State

04:57

James Day on his tenure as President of WNET

05:21

James Day on Richard Nixon vetoing funds for public broadcasting in 1973

01:32

James Day on resigning from WNET

04:30

James Day on the establishment of the Children's Television Workshop

02:16

James Day on producing Day at Night

05:30

James Day on various people he worked with during his career

13:13

James Day on the then-current state of PBS and the marginalization of public television

04:55

Television and the Presidency

James Day on Richard Nixon vetoing funds for public broadcasting in 1973

01:32

War

James Day on his experiences in World War II

05:05

Women

James Day on Frieda Hennock, the first female commissioner of the FCC

02:14

World War II

James Day on his experiences in World War II

05:05

Genres

News and Documentary

James Day on a Fidel Castro documentary and other KQED programming from the '60s

05:07

James Day on KQED's Newspaper of the Air

08:30

James Day on the KQED series News Room

05:08

James Day on working with Fred Friendly on Public Broadcasting Laboratory

08:50

James Day on becoming President of WNET and supervising production of The Great American Dream Machine

06:07

James Day on programming An American Family and other shows on WNET

04:28

James Day on The Great American Dream Machine and other programs from his time at WNET

03:10

James Day on programming The 51st State

04:57

James Day on programming An American Family

02:50

James Day on producing Day at Night

05:30

TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

James Day on Woody Allen's Men of Crisis: The Harvey Wallinger Story

04:12

Talk Shows

James Day on moderating the series Kaleidoscope

09:51

People

Woody Allen

View Person Page

James Day on Woody Allen's Men of Crisis: The Harvey Wallinger Story

04:12

Fidel Castro

View Person Page

James Day on a Fidel Castro documentary and other KQED programming from the '60s

05:07

Joan Ganz Cooney

View Interview Page

James Day on various people he worked with during his career: Joan Ganz Cooney

00:49

Norman Cousins

View Person Page

James Day on various people he worked with during his career: Norman Cousins

02:15

Fred Friendly

View Person Page

James Day on working with Fred Friendly on Public Broadcasting Laboratory

05:43

James Day on Fred Friendly's tenure at NET

04:49

James Day on Fred Friendly's role in the creation of PBS and the politics of the creation of PBS

06:51

Hartford Gunn

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James Day on various people he worked with during his career: Hartford Gunn

00:46

James L. Loper

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James Day on various people he worked with during his career: James L. Loper

01:24

Newton N. Minow

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James Day on various people he worked with during his career: Newton N. Minow

00:29

Richard M. Nixon

View Person Page

James Day on Richard Nixon vetoing funds for public broadcasting in 1973

01:32