US agencies push wares

In a new adjustment of promotional attitudes, many US government agencies and related services are out hustling to sell their wares. The US Geological Survey is soliciting sporting goods stores across the nation to stock and sell its contour and hiking maps to the public. And publicity is being generated by the agency to get broader consumer notice (and use) of its aerial plottings and its space-age-type photos.

Officials of National Public Radio are working on plans to sell the services of its side-channel frequencies. These are unused portions of FM broadcast signals which can be used for data transmission or for audio programming without affecting the main FM signal.

The Government Printing Office, too, has expansive ideas geared to the private sector. For one thing, it expects to experiment with placing some of the many government publications for sale in commercial bookstores.