Applied intelligence—employing a computer program to write a student’s essay—now a concern voiced by teachers.
When I began to teach university students—after I sold my interest in a West Texas television station—I taught a course in something I knew pretty well: Broadcast Management.
Professor Wes Wallace, who had previously managed a community broadcast station—also Major Wallace who managed the U. S. radio station on Guam during World War II—- taught the course before I did. I borrowed his approach.
Wes required students subscribe to the weekly Broadcasting magazine. Read about sale of stations listed in a section. Then pick a station you might have chosen to buy. And provide marketing data from that station’s area. I repeated that assignment.
At that time I was invested in KULP—AM and FM radio—with Fred Barbee in El Campo, Texas, south of Houston. I had access to station management records. And I had learned—with help from the Chapel Hill, North Carolina university computer center—how to create a ‘profit-and-loss’ simulation.
For four weeks, students made financial decisions for their simulated station. Then their decisions were entered against the actual records, transmitted to the computer program for four weeks.
Student Larry Stone, who was also working part-time for the local broadcaster, made decisions closest to the winning profit during the four weeks. I made the entries for my faraway Texan Fred Barbee.
Fred won every week. A frustrated Larry came in second.
Later I told Larry Stone why he never won. Now, Larry owns four radio stations in Cookeville, Tennessee.
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