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[[underlined]] Status of Smithsonian Television Programs [[/underlined]]

The formal presentation for "Smithsonian World," the proposed monthly Smithsonian television series for the Public Broadcasting Service, is now completed. Copies of the proposal for the series, which is to be co-produced by the Smithsonian and WETA-TV in Washington, have been circulated within the Smithsonian and the programming heads of the Corporation of Public Broadcasting and the Public Broadcasting Service. Enthusiastic reports have come back to us from both PBS and CPB, which encourages us for the next major step.

This presentation, which was put together by the firm Staples & Charles, results in part from the $125,000 IBM grant for our "research and development" stage. WETA and Smithsonian will be meeting with the IBM officials, who already have a copy of the presentation, so that we can further consider our fund raising plans. There is some positive reaction from several outside corporations towards contributions for the first television season which will cost about $3 million. However, it is our plan to review the entire project with IMB first.

The Office of Telecommunications (OTC) is completing filming with the University of Arizona on its half-hour joint production dealing with the development of the Multiple Mirror Telescope. Also, another OTC film is in final editing: "Reunions--Memories of an American Experience," which shares reminiscences with "vital oldsters" by focusing on their connection with the Smithsonian. In the presentation stage is a possible children's television fantasy which we are developing with science fiction writer Ray Bradbury.