tl19730202-000 "towerlight Volume XXVI, No. 15 Towson State College February 2, 1973 Towson, Maryland 21204 Fisher deniesconfiict of interest ANALYSIS by Jud Almond Towson State College President Dr. James L. Fisher today declared his role as advisor to Community Cablevision Systems, one of the six companies vying for the cable TV franchise in Baltimore County was a vital public service, and in no way a conflict of interest. Fisher came under fire recently after the State Board of Ethics suggested that State Superintendent of Education James A. Sensenbaugh had stepped beyond his official boundaries by associating himself with a profit-making CATV enterprise. Newspaper and television editorials called for the resignations of Fisher and other educators who had consented to advise CATV companies, saying that to do so was to lend the prestige of their offices to the companies competing for the franchise. Fisher said that his role as chairman of the company's Citizen Advisory Committee does not conflict with his role as President of the College, rather, it is complementary. His role, he said, is to give advice on CATV in the field of education, and it is his duty as a public servant to give advice when he is called upon by someone in the community to do so. President Fisher indicated that his services would be available to any group interested in cable television. Before deciding to take on the advisory post, Fisher made sure that he would not stand to gain monetarily from the position. He said that he took the position because he is convinced that CATV will contribute to the educational process, and hopes that one channel will be devoted exclusively to higher education. Existing local commercial television stations seek the opinions of community leaders to gauge the wants and needs of their viewing audiences. WBAL-TV, Channel 11 in Baltimore, has a Community Advisory Council set up for this purpose. WBAL official Sid King said last week that those persons who were invited to participate in Council meetings were invited because they hold certain positions in the community. Among those who have attended past Council meetings are Baltimore County Executive Dale Anderson, Anne Arundel County Executive Joseph Alton, Coppin State College President Dr. Calvin Burnett, and Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer. King said that when new officials are elected, they are invited to participate in the TSC budget announced by Ronald Wolfe Towson State's portion of the state's capital budget for 1973 is over $10 million. This sum represents 'about 33 percent of the State College budget; and over 10 percent of the State capital budget. Wayne Schelle, vice-president of Business and Finance, says that this ""is the highest-ever capital budget for Towson State presented by the Governor to the legislature."" It represents several constructions, renovations, and ecological and site developments. Constructions will include: Smith Hall addition, Phys Ed complex, Education/Psychology complex, and the completion of the Fine Arts building. To be renovated are Richmond and Newell Halls, and the ground level of Linthicum Hall. Areas for ecological and site developments are the Residential (Continued to Page 4) EROSION CONTROL PLANNED - Towson's Fine Arts building will be landscaped early this spring. meetings. The mayor is invited, he said, ""because he is the mayor."" Page 82 of WBAL-TV's 1972 FCC License renewal application begins a list of ""Community and Area Leaders Consulted."" The application says, in part, ""Those individuals with whom representatives of station management consulted, on an individual basis, during the past six months include:"" followed by six pages of names typewritten and single spaced. Among the names appearing on the list are: Governor Marvin Mandel; Senator J. Glenn Beall; Hon. Dulaney Foster, Chief Judge of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City; Louis L. Goldstein, State Comptroller; The Right Reverend Joseph Sellinger, S.J., president of Loyola College, Dr. Calvin Burnett, president of Coppin State College, Dr. King Cheek, president of Morgan State College, and Towson State's Richard Firestone, president of the YAF and John Young, president of the SDS. WMAR-TV, Channel 2 in Baltimore, said in a past FCC license renewal application, ""No day goes by without its measure of consultation with representatives of community groups. . .in person. . .by telephone.. .by mail. . .even by periodic surveys conducted by professional firms engaged in this business, and by frequent inquiries via a special telephone set-up inaugurated by the station (referring to Tonight's Big Question; no longer carried by the station.)"" Edgar L. Feingold, a spokesman for Community Cablevision, said last week, ""We have called on these people (educators) solely for the knowledge they have in their specific fields,"" and that ""We (CATV) rely heavily on community participation"" in .charting new ground with cable television. Dr. Fisher summed up his feelings last week by saying, ""Educators are the only ones who are clearly in this for the public good."" DENIES CONFLICT OF INTEREST - President Fisher feels he is advising cable TV company in the interest of education. Pirg pushes reforms by Ward Smith Pirg is the catch title of student Public Interest Research Groups, now active in many states attempting to achieve Nader-like reforms on a local level. An emination from the works of super-citizen Ralph Nader, Pirgers attempt to use their wealth of time and research capabilities to serve the citizenry in a number of ways. The basic philosophy behind Public Interest Research Groups is that students begin by petitioning the student body at this respective schools, in an effort to muster support for a student fee assessment to finance the PIRG's work. Once a substantial majority of students have signed, the Pirg organizers can approach the college administration with this request for a new fee. Generally this assessment is in terms of $1.50 per student per semester, and is paid on the students' option. The money raised herein, is then used by the school, or a Metropolitan Board comprised of representatives of each participating school, to hire a professional staff of lawyers and consultants to man their *organization. Expenses then are cut to a minimum in several ways; 1) by the nature of lawyers employed, who work for exceptionally low salaries, and 2) by free access to research and investigation within the student bodies of the various institutions. In Baltimore, Maryland, Public Interest Research Groups (MaryPIRG), are now active or being formed at Loyola, Notre Dame, Goucher, Johns Hopkins, UMBC, The University of Maryland at College Park, Catonsville Community College, University of Baltimore, and Essex Community College. Here at Towson, efforts will be underway starting Monday to complete a petition drive requesting the College to act as the collecting agent for the Pirg funding. The span of interests for Pirg initiatives is a broad one, including fights for government responsibility, environmental preservation equal rights, consumer protection, and corporate responsibility. Locally, students at Loyola College have initiated a survey of dangerous toys now on sale in the Baltimore area. These are toys which have been banned by the Food and Drug Administration. This work, and the efforts of MaryPIRG groups across the state have been firmly endorsed by Congressman Paul Sarbanes (D. 3rd), Congressman Parren J. Mitchell (D. 7th), and Baltimore City Council President Walter Orlinsky. Fisher to remain at Towson by George Mattingly Dr. James L. Fisher, Towson State College President, has denied reports that he is leaving the college. Dr. Fisher said that while he has been approached by officials at the California State University at San Fransisco, (formerly San Francisco State University), the University of Louisville, and Wright State College in Ohio, ""at this moment it is my intention to stay at Towson."" Fisher's denials, however, have not silenced the Baltimore rumor mill. Highly placed persons close to the President have indicated that he will reject the Kentucky and Ohio offers, and accept the position at San Francisco. Fisher met with the Board of Trustees of the California-based university two weeks ago, telling them that he was ""not ready to accept a position at this time."" He later received what he termed ""a very gratifying letter concerning the meeting,"" adding that he intends to meet with the Board again within the next two weeks. In discussing the offers, Dr. Fisher said that he was ""gratified,"" but that he ""can't imagine going."" He stated that he thought that Maryland is on the way up, and that Towson has better programs, faculty and staff, and a more universal student body than those of the institutions in question. Dr. Fisher said that his experiences at Towson have been ""gratifying"" and that he feels that it is one of the best presidential opportunities in the nation. He said he would not leave Towson for another college presidency. "
