"Moving knowledge and proved techniques from the more developed to the developing countries is the essence of the economic and technical cooperation programs. Wtihin this broad framework, communication media have two different but mutually complementing functions: one, to create or increase competence in the communications media in the participating countries-thus serving as a substantive program; and two, to support programs in agriculture, health, industry and the like-thereby performing a service function. The development of camnunications media, particularly in its service function, is essential to the effectiveness of technical cooperation programs, inasmuch as it enables them to move more knowledge more rapidly and to more people at less cost. This development is desirable since the need to reach and teach vast numbers of semi-literate and illiterate people-and to do so in such a way that the new-acquired knowledge is translated into action and into new behavior patterns is becoming more urgent every day. To foster the communications media, a conference of technicians engaged in this field throughout Latin America was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the 24 of February through the first of March 1958." (Introduction)