The appointment of Mr. John Coatman, North Regional Director of
the B.B.C. and formerly Director of Public Information in India, to be Director of Research in the Social Sciences at St. Andrews University is of interest both in itself and for what the first outcome of the research is likely to be. Mr. Coatman intends, I understand, to investigate, or rather to organise the investigation of, Broad- casting as a Social Technique, an enterprise in which his recent experience should combine well with the complete independence a university appointment confers. Aspects of the subject to which research will be particularly directed include broadcasting in schools, the experience of the last twenty-five years being considered in its relation to the problems of the future ; the bearing of television on this ; the effect of broadcasting on family life (is it unifying or disrupting ?) ; broadcasting and adult education ; broadcasting and religion ; broadcasting and regionalism ; television development, I imagine, will be fully studied too. This is work which a university is peculiarly well qualified to carry out, and St. Andrews is to be congratulated on keeping itself so well abreast: of the times. * * * *
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