Series: The Ten O'Clock News
Date: 1988-04-01
Duration: 01:08:45

Subject: African American civil rights; Boston University
People: Felker, Greg; Jones, Marcus; King, Coretta Scott; King, Martin Luther, Jr.; Miller, Melvin; Radford, Kiphanie;

Clip Description
Marcus Jones reports that Martin Luther King, Jr. (American civil rights leader) received his doctorate of theology from Boston University in 1955. He notes that King is one of BU's most distinguished graduates. Jones reports that King donated more than 80,000 personal papers to the university before he died, and that Coretta Scott King (widow of Martin Luther King, Jr.) has filed suit against the university to get the papers returned to her. Jones' reports that the law firm of Melvin Miller (BU Trustee) is handling the case for the university. Jones notes that Miller has accused Scott King of trying to profit from her husbands' materials. Jones reports that Scott King does not believe that King's agreement with the university is binding. Jones interviews Greg Felker (Vice President, Boston University) and Kiphanie Radford (President, BU Black Student Union) about the case. Jones' report includes footage from interviews with students on campus about whether BU should return the papers to Scott King. Jones' report is accompanied by shots of the papers and by footage of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. This tape includes additional footage of King's papers on display at BU.

Series Description
A local program aimed at the Boston audience, The Ten O'Clock News debuted on January 15, 1976. Its two immediate predecessors were The Reporters and Evening Compass. A news and public affairs show focusing on neighborhood, local and state issues, The Reporters was produced and broadcast on WGBH from 1970 to 1973. The Reporters was then replaced by Evening Compass, which expanded into a twice-nightly news broadcast during the tense moments of Boston's busing crisis. On the air from 1973 to 1975, Evening Compass found an audience through its in-depth coverage of school desegregation in Boston, which began in 1974. The Ten O'Clock News stood out as an in-depth news program. It strove for a balance between local and national stories, between politics and the Arts. The last The Ten O'Clock News program was broadcast on May 30, 1991.

See also: http://main.wgbh.org/ton/programs/5692_02