Graham Spry and the Future of Public Broadcasting: The 1997 Spry Memorial Lecture

Abstract

Public broadcasting systems are in retreat across the planet. With the rise of multi-channel television systems and the Internet, many argue that public broadcasting is no longer necessary. I argue in this article that these arguments are wrong, and are based upon an inaccurate view of how and why public broadcasting developed as it did. In this article I chronicle the activities and arguments of Graham Spry and the other public broadcasting organizers in Canada in the 1930s, and their relationship with like-minded U.S. reformers who were engaged in a similar struggle at the same time. These advocates of public broadcasting saw it as a key aspect of a democratic society. In my view, this history sheds necessary light on the current dilemma concerning public broadcasting, and points the way toward a superior resolution to the current crisis.