Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1960)

24 JANUARY 4, 1960 ETV passed with honors in a survey of 1,210 teachers made by educational KQED San Francisco to evaluate its first year (1958-59, Vol. 15:47 p24) of in-school TV instruction. The “most significant overall evaluation: 95% of the teachers were agreeable to continued ETV participation,” reports KQED, despite “widespread administrative apathy among the [participating] school districts.” Other findings: “More than 60% of the teachers considered that above-average students benefitted most from instructional TV”; about a third thought average students were the prime beneficiaries. Instructional TV’s major contributions to regular school programs: “Furnishing otherwise unavailable illustrative materials, introducing new concepts and permitting the use of outstanding teachers before many classes at one time.” “Educational-Instructional TV & Closed-Circuit TV ; A Manual, Directory and Bibliography” by Rudy Bretz, U. of Cal. ETV visual communication dept, head, and Russell H. Ewing, Packard-Bell training coordinator (National Institute of Leadership, 70 pp., $2) is intended “as a ready reference guide to manufacturers of open & closed-circuit TV equipment and to service agencies in these fields; as a handbook for university instructors, school administrators, educators and teachers, and as a manual of general information for political, civic, community, industrial, labor and military leaders.” YOUR PERSONAL SUBSCRIPTION WEEKLY Television Digest Circulation Department Box 700 Radnor, Pa. Please enter my subscription to Television Digest for one year @ $75 with embossed binder for handy reference file. □ Remittance Enclosed □ Bill NAME POSITION FIRM. ADDRESS — CITY ZONE STATE. Closed-Circuit ETV Network: A new avenue for ETV expansion is now being actively explored — a closed-circuit network that would link by microwave 11 Texas colleges & universities. The U. of Texas is working on a pilot project for the microwave network, under a contract with the U.S. Office of Education. The plan “is contingent on FCC approval which we believe will be forthcoming,” reports U. of Texas TV-radio dir. R. F. Schenkkan. “This is a new approach to use of TV for educational purposes, so FCC has not ruled on microwave for such purposes.” FCC’s policy on microwaves for educators has been to allow them the use of frequencies above 10,000 me. However, equipment for these bands isn’t available, and educators are seeking the use of conventional lower bands. The Texas group plans to file applications for the lower bands, hoping to persuade the Commission to change its policy. Texas isn’t alone with the problem. There are extensive plans in the works for Cal., Pa. and other states. Alabama has connected its ETV stations with studiotransmitter links, but these are regarded as a stopgap, inadequate for long hauls. The Texas network would carry credit courses & other ETV programming to the colleges & universities from U. of Texas’s TV studio and/or San Antonio TV stations. Offers of production support — studios, equipment, personnel —have come from KENS-TV, WOAI-TV and KONO-TV; and KTBC-TV Austin has made equipment available, including a tower for signal distribution. Programming is being planned by a committee representing the participating colleges, with support from the Fund for the Advancement of Education. Project participants, in addition to Austin-based U. of Texas: St. Edward’s U. and Huston-Tillotson College, Austin; Trinity U., St. Mary’s U., Incarnate Word College, Our Lady of the Lake College and San Antonio Junior College, San Antonio; Southwestern U., Georgetown; Southwest Texas State College, San Marcos; Texas Lutheran College, Seguin. Serving on the project’s advisory committee: U.S. Office of Education representative Richard Hull of Ohio State U., CBS radio network program services dir. Allen Ludden, NET Pres. Dr. John F. White; NAEB Pres. Dr. Harry Skornia, others. “Most extensive” ETV workshop in Conn, has been established by the Stamford Board of Education with the aid of a complete studio installation by CBS Labs. The first ETV training course for Stamford teachers & administrative staffs will begin in mid-Jan., under the direction of Southern Conn. State College TV education prof. Michael Hannon. The CBS Labs’ gift includes 2 complete closed-circuit TV camera chains, accessory studio equipment, the loan of a 3rd camera chain, and supervision of the installation of studio & control rooms. “The Stamford ETV workshop has been established for the purpose of providing a springboard for the improvement of the education of our children in this city,” noted Board of Education Pres. L. Reed Clark. “In the face of the steadily worsening teacher shortage and the population increase, we . . . want to take advantage of the latest technological advances for the betterment of our educational system.” Housewives compose the largest group audience for an Elementary Spanish ETV program presented by the U. of Md. twice weekly, 6:30-7 a.m., via WMAR-TV Baltimore & WTOP-TV Washington, D.C. The program has attracted more than 1,700 registrants — only 75 of whom have enrolled for college credit.