PBS to publish its own magazine of broadcasting

Public broadcasting is going into the magazine business.The Dial, a monthly national magazine about the Public Broadcasting Service, serving at the outset the 650,000 subscribers to WNET in New York, WETA in Washington, WTTW in Chicago , and KCET in Los Angeles , will be published starting in September, it was announced Thursday.

According to Monitor TV critic Arthur Unger, The Dial is designed to serve as a literary complement and guide to PBS, with local schedules included in the content. It will carry both national and local editorial and advertising material. Don Erickson, former editorial director of Esquire magazine, has been named editor.