Wilcher denny (1 Ergebnisse)

Unbound. Zustand: Fine. Typed Letter Signed by Denny Wilcher, co-founder of Pacifica Radio, 2pp. and dated January 22, 1947, together with a four-page mimeographed "Statement to Contributors" stapled at one corner. Accompanied by five loose sheets from the Prospectus stating its purpose and an additional two loose sheets with a list of the founders. Creased from mailing and oxidation to the staple, overall near fine or better. Small but important archive of documents relating to the establishment of the Pacifica Foundation and Pacifica Radio, the first listener-supported public radio station in the U.S., located in San Francisco. The Pacifica Foundation was create by a group of conscientious objectors from World War II seeking to reach a larger following for its anti-war and progressive philosophy. The letter here, and its supporting material, were sent to Mrs. Kate Crane-Gartz, a wealthy heiress with a long history of supporting progressive causes, the labor movement, and anti-war efforts, in an effort to a secure $1000 toward its goal of $40,000 needed to finance Pacifica Radio. Wilcher writes: "The use of a mass medium of public influence to fight against the next war and against social oppression and economic exploitation has not been tried in this country (in radio). We think that it can be done and that we ought to use it. The syndicalists in Spain used a station for this purpose very effectively once. There are a very limited number of people we can appeal to, due primarily to our radical flavor and the fact that many people simply are not experimentally minded enough to see the possibilities in the use of a radio station." Wilcher notes that he is including the "statement to contributors" and "a list of the people on our planning and control group, also the first couple of pages of the prospectus." The contributor statement explains the Foundation's non-profit charter will "not permit solicitation of these funds through the sale of any form of stock or security," that the money raised will largely used for the "purchase of equipment and payment of construction costs for a 1000 watt standard broadcast station." The prospectus outlines the aims of the foundation, plans for the radio station, and provides brief descriptions of nearly a dozen people involved in its creation including Lewis Hill, John Lewis, and Wilcher himself. An interesting collection of foundational materials for the first public radio station, which today operates five wholly owned stations and has more than 180 affiliates.…