"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.'"

    About This Interview

    In his four-and-a-half-hour 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.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of James Day

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

    01:32
    Thumbnail of James Day

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

    04:29
    Thumbnail of James Day

    James Day on his tenure as President of WNET

    05:21
    Thumbnail of James Day

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

    05:33
    Thumbnail of James Day

    James Day on career highlights and regrets

    01:12
    Play 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

    13:57

    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

    14:48

    Chapter 2

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

    16:01

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

    12:14

    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

    17:50

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

    10:20

    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

    17:21

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

    09:37

    Chapter 5

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

    13:13

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

    14:18

    Chapter 6

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

    13:38

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

    17:11

    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

    14:58

    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

    12:43

    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

    16:14

    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

    12:31

    Chapter 9

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

    09:06

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

    07:13

    On various people he worked with during his career

    13:13

    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

    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

    Representation on Television

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

    02:14

    Richard M. Nixon

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

    01:32

    Television and the Presidency

    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

    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

    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

    Talk Shows

    James Day on moderating the series Kaleidoscope

    09:51

    TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

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

    04:12

    Woody Allen

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

    04:12

    Fidel Castro

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

    05:07

    Joan Ganz Cooney

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

    00:49

    Norman Cousins

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

    02:15

    Fred Friendly

    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

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

    00:46

    James L. Loper

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

    01:24

    Newton N. Minow

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

    00:29

    Richard M. Nixon

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

    01:32

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