John S. Porter papers
Collection
0053-MMC-NPBA
John S. Porter (1932- ) began his career as a producer of instructional television programs for the Rochester Area Educational Television Association (RAETA). He later worked for Rochester, NY stations WROC and WXXI. From 1966 to 1968, Porter served as a trustee of the Eastern Educational Television Network (EEN). He continued to serve EEN and its later incarnation as the American Program Service (APS) in various ways, including EEN's president from 1989 to 1992 and of APS from 1992 to 1998. The majority of material stems from Porter's time with Rochester Area Educational Television Association, Inc., from 1958 to 1969. A small portion of the files relate to the Eastern Educational Television Network and its successor organizations, the American Program Service and American Public Television.
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1.50 Linear Feet
The Papers of John S. Porter span the years 1958 to 2000, as well as much undated material. The majority of material stems from Porter's time with Rochester Area Educational Television Association, Inc., from 1958 to 1969. A small portion of the files relate to the Eastern Educational Television Network and its successor organizations, the American Program Service and American Public Television. The collection includes minutes, newsletters, correspondence, speech material, newspaper clippings, program guides, applications, reports, and some published items.
Television executive John Stephen Porter was born September 2, 1932 in Avoca, New York. From 1952 to 1956, he served as first lieutenant in the United States Air Force. In 1958, Porter received a B.A. in English from Rochester, New York's St. John Fisher College, and in 1959 he was awarded an M.S. in Radio/Television from Syracuse University. He followed these degrees with postgraduate work in education at the University of Rochester (New York), from 1960 to 1961.
Porter's first public television job began in 1960 as a producer of instructional television programs for the Rochester Area Educational Television Association (RAETA). These programs were broadcast to the schools via the local commercial television stations and were used as samples of what the schools might expect from a full time educational station. Porter then worked part-time in New York at the Empire State FM School of Air, from 1962 to 1964, as a producer and broadcaster of weekly news analysis. In 1964, Porter moved to WROC-FM in Rochester, New York, serving part time as a producer and narrator of a weekly series until 1965. Following this, Porter went on to serve as president and general manager of WXXI-TV, Rochester, from 1966 to 1969. During this period, Porter became a trustee of the Eastern Educational Television Network, Boston (1966-1968). Porter continued to serve the Eastern Educational Television Network, renamed the American Program Service in 1999, in many capacities: member of the executive committee, 1967-1968; executive director, 1969-1989; president and member of the executive committee, of the EEN from 1989 to 1992 and of the American Program Service from 1992 to 1998.
During his career, Porter has also been active in associations dealing with educational and public television. He is a member of the New York State Educational Radio/Television Association, for which he served as treasurer from 1962 to 1964. In addition, he was also on the advisory committee of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters and has been a member and chairman of the Public Television Station Managers of New York State.
Organized as three series.
The John S. Porter papers were donated to the National Public Broadcasting Archives, University of Maryland Libraries by John S. Porter in January of 2001.
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives