Private Aid for Educational TV Almost Assured

Boston will almost certainly have an educational television station operated by private funds, it was learned yesterday.

The station will probably be run under the Lowell Institute Cooperative Broadcasting Council. Harvard, which is one of ten members of the Institute, will probably help finance and operate it.

These new developments in educational TV in Massachusetts seemed assured with yesterday's announcement by Senator Christopher Phillips, chairman of the Special Commission on Educational Television, that the Lowell Institute will apply before June 2 for a license to operate a station on Channel 2.

The FCC has reserved this Channel until June 2 exclusively for educational purposes. After that date, any organization may apply for a license.

The offer made last month by several foundations to put up some $5000,000 for building and equipping the station still stands. Ralph Lowell, trustee of the Institute, expects that other private groups and industries, expects that other private groups and industries will provide additional funds once the station has begun.

No state money can be used to finance the station because of a Massachusetts law which prevents public money from going to a project that is not state controlled. The offer of $5000,000 is contingent on the station's being privately operated.

It is not known how much the University will increase the $500,000 allotted

(Continued from page one) annually for financing the Institute's FM station WGBH, and how much will go to TV, but officials are hopeful that the ten members of the Institute will contribute generously.

To tap what Lowell calls "a brain pool not equalized anywhere in the world," a move is now underway to include other educational and philanthropic organizations in the Council. "Right now the Council is operating on a very narrow base," said David E. Place, Director of the Massachusetts Citizens Commission for Educational Television.

"The station will operate more effectively if we can include the talents of local colleges," Place continued. His commission is expected soon to launch a campaign for additional funds for the station.

Lowell expects operating costs to run above $350,000, but said that with a larger pool of talent, they could be cut