Collections | Manuscripts | The Advocates Collection

The Advocates Collection

Biography/History

"The Advocates" was a public television network presentation of KCET, Los Angeles and WGBH, Boston made possible by grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Ford Foundation. The purpose of the series was to stimulate public participation, and understanding, by focusing on realistic choices that must be made in the future, by having both sides of the question presented, and by demonstrating the interest which public officials have in both reasoned arguments and the views of their constituents. Having a one hour time slot, the program topics varied depending on current news and concerns of the public. The program ran from October 5, 1969 through May 23, 1974; then again bi-weekly from January 26, 1978 through September 9, 1979.

Scope and Contents

This one cubic foot (2 manuscript boxes) collection contains information, primarily from 1969 and 1970, regarding the creation of this television debate program, program schedules, discussion topics, transcripts from the first season of broadcast (both official and unofficial, except for May 17, 1970), photographs, and problems with the FCC. The collection is arranged by subject. The appendix lists the names of the advocates for each show, their guests, participants, decision makers, and moderators.

In 1994, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) donated its program archives to the Library of Congress. This collection, known as the "PBS Television Collection," includes videotape episodes of "The Advocates."

Overview | Box List | Complete Finding Aid (pdf)