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television station, possibly broadcasting as a part of the future Information Revolution exhibition in the National Museum of American History, would provide the Smithsonian with an unparalleled opportunity for media research as well as the production of scholarly programs for the important community living and working within the District of Colombia.

Finally, and most ambitious of all Smithsonian media initiatives, is the University of the Air. The University of the Air is currently preparing to produce a pilot project. Apple Computers, Inc., whose expertise includes interactivity, is talking about the production of a demonstration tape for the University of the Air. Such an interactive visual would provide the basis on which to seek funding and partnership for the production of interrelated programming in virtually every known medium.

Helping to guide Smithsonian bureaus and offices along the various media paths is the Smithsonian Communications Council, established in July 1987 and chaired by Adrian Malone. The Council's goal is to make certain that everything produced at the Smithsonian - from archival recordings to films and television programs aimed at wide general audiences - shall reflect the Institution's high standards in scholarly and technical excellence.

[[underlined]] American Visions Magazine [[/underlined]]

[[underlined]] American Visions [[/underlined]] Magazine, housed in the Frederick Douglass House (former home of the Museum of African Art) continues to work collaboratively with the Institution to address significant topics and issues in Afro-American history, culture and science, and to address the expansion of Black audiences in all Smithsonian programs.

The publisher of [[underlined]] American Visions [[/underlined]] reports that the magazine, now in its third year, continues to improve and anticipates achieving stability in advertising and subscriptions this year. Advertising income for the million-copy January 1988 Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial issue is projected to cover production and distribution costs. Future plans include a travel supplement with the April issue which will generate at least eight extra ad pages, and another million-copy special issue on Afro-Americans in the Olympics which is also projected to cover costs and generate new subscriptions. Together, the two million copy editions are targeted to produce an increase of thirty thousand paid subscriptions. The Institution continues to explore ways of collaborating with [[underlined]] American Visions [[/underlined]] in order to better and more broadly carry out the increase and diffusion mandate in the same manner of collaboration that the Institution works with Reading is Fundamental.

[[underlined]] Smithsonian Magazine [[/underlined]]

While it is premature to reaffirm budgets, it can be said this early in the fiscal year that both [[underlined]] Smithsonian [[/underlined]] and [[underlined]] Air & Space/Smithsonian [[/underlined]] are performing satisfactorily. For [[underlined]] Smithsonian [[/underlined]] magazine there has been a slight softening in direct-mail returns, but the softening can be offset by increased promotional efforts. Renewals continue to be strong, advertising sales have been excellent through February, and the first two months of fiscal year 1988 have been financially better than forecast.