Free TV for Higher Ed
By Liz Johnson.
Liz Johnson, Coordinator
Division of Continuing Studies
Middle Tennessee State University
1301 E. Main St., Cope 113
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Voice: 615/898-5374
Fax: 615/898-4100
ljohnson@mtsu.edu
After years of requests, the Rutherford County Cable Commission finally awarded Middle Tennessee State University a second educational access channel on Intermedia Cable. Channel 9 began operating in January of 1999 with the mandate to not only offer MTSU public affairs programs and telecourses, but also to provide new and beneficial programming for the community at large. After some Web searching, some academic espionage, and considerable help from colleagues, a new lineup was designed to meet this mandate. There ARE places that want to send you high quality programming for free (or nearly free). This session will discuss some of the best sources, which ones are free, which ones charge, and what conditions may apply. It will also describe the kinds and quality of programming that can be expected from each source. The session will look at video clips of some programs as well as Web sites of some sources. Participants can request subjects to look up on the Web. Handouts of some of the best URLs will be distributed.
Free TV for Higher Ed
By Liz Johnson.
New opportunities from an old, reliable, and familiar technology are becoming available. Cable television is obligated to provide access to local government and educational institutions. Digital television will soon create thousands of new channels. Your institution of higher education can use this ubiquitous medium to present and publicize programs as well as to offer enriching opportunities for your community. To begin this process you must first get to know your local cable commission. These are the people who regulate the cable industry in your community. They determine what cable companies can charge and they tell the cable companies what they must carry. Attend some commission meetings. They are open to the public. Later, you will want to let them know what your plans are.
Check your local cable lineup for vacancies. Look in your local TV schedule. Your cable company also distributes lists of its channels. Click through the channels pausing to note what is or is not airing. Are there gaps between channels? Does the lineup go from channel 21 to channel 23? That means channel 22 is open. Does the exact same programming air on two channels? One of those channels is vacant and is just being filled with a repeat. Does a channel show nothing but ads? That, too, is a vacant channel. These are locations where your school can request space. If you can negotiate a choice, ask for the lowest number you can get. These channels are accessible to a wider audience because they are on a lower tier of cable access.
Most schools already have the basic equipment for broadcasting, but you may need some additional cabling to connect to cable. You can ask the cable company to provide and install this. They may ask you to split the costs, but this should not be a major expense. Some grants are also available for equipment. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, for example, offers a grant to channels that air their programming. Others may offer discounted equipment.
How can you use this channel to publicize your programs? The channel itself is 24-hour publicity. You can run PowerPoint bulletins of campus and community events. Schedule these at times when your audience is already trained to look for this sort of thing. Early morning, around 6:30 a.m. when people are planning their day: noon, when they take a break for lunch; and 4:30 p.m. after school but before your viewers make their commitment to their habitual evening news program. Keep your bulletins up to date and change them frequently to keep people watching.
Stations that run nothing but bulletins are boring. You will need to air programs that attract viewers. This is what the commercial networks do. The programs are only there to get people to watch the ads. You will do the same thing, only you will be advertising your school. There are many sources of programs to capture audiences. Some are free, you can produce your own, or you can show telecourses, which can become the primary support of your channel. Your telecourse audience is a captive audience. Make them aware of other courses and programs.
Do not forget to advertise yourself and your programs. PBS and other telecourse providers make free professionally produced PSAs to advertise your telecourses. Your TV people already have produced PSAs for your school. Use them liberally.
Your channel can put your name in front of thousands daily in print as well. A data service such as TV Data will compile your TV schedule for your local newspaper for only $1.55 a day. Ask for an educational discount. If they cannot give you full weekly coverage, ask for another discount. All you have to do is pay this paltry sum and give them the information. They will do the rest. Use the occasion of special programs or a new series to send out press releases. These will get new audiences watching your channel. Print an inexpensive brochure describing your basic program lineup. Develop a mailing list from the fan letters and phone calls that you will receive. Ask people who call to write letters of recommendation and send them a copy of your TV schedule as a reward. You will use these letters to support your need for the channel.
Put your channel on the Web and let the world know you are there. TV Data will put your channel’s schedule on ClickTV.com at no extra charge. Create and maintain your own Website. Be sure to keep it up to date and people will keep coming back. Use this site to publicize your other programs and link to related activities. Use you campus intranet effectively. Let your campus know that this is their TV station. Send out announcements of program additions or changes. They will feel that they have inside information. Be sure to slant your programming choices to your campus community and you will get a loyal following. Develop email lists of fans, politicians, and colleagues who have expressed an interest or who have helped you get started.
There are several sources for locating the kind of programming that you will want to air and much of it is free or very inexpensive. The Distance Learning Clearinghouse Website lists links to educational satellite programs. It also notes costs and content. Most of these programs are for K-12 grades. The Missouri School Board Association also maintains a Website of links to educational programs. Most of these are also aimed at K-12, but many are non-profit or governmental programs. There are several magazines available for satellite dish owners. Most of these list some free programs and give the coordinates. Orbit Magazine and Satlink Magazine are two of these. Both require subscriptions. Browse these sources to choose your own lineup.
Attached is an annotated list of sources appropriate for a higher education institution. Some of my favorite programs come from FEMA, HEB Televentures, the International Channel, Classic Arts Showcase and NASA TV. Other promising programs that I plan to try soon are PENN Better Kid Care, Center for Disease Control, and the National Science Center.
To get these programs for your institution check the Website for times and coordinates. Join the listserv if it offers one. The list will keep you up to date on new programs or time changes. If you plan to replay a teleconference on cable television, always send an email requesting permission to do so. Explain fully how the program will be used and when. When you receive an affirmative reply, print this and file it. Usually there is no problem with airing a teleconference following the live presentation. Some programs, such as HEB Televentures do not mind you showing them live on cable. Always preview a series before putting it in your schedule to make sure that it meets your production and content standards.
When scheduling your programs, set aside specific times for certain types of programming so that viewers will form a habit of watching it. Allow plenty of time to create your schedule. It is VERY time consuming. It is very detailed work that must be absolutely correct. You want your viewers to be able to depend on you. Ask one or two others to proof read it or to compare the your play list (the schedule that your switcher will work from) with the schedule you send to students, fans, or the newspaper. Eventually, you may want to buy scheduling software. This can range from $600 to $1,2000.
Your school will reap great benefits from your effort of managing an independent educational television channel and so will your community.
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FREE
TV FOR EDUCATION |
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NAME |
URL |
DESCRIPTION |
COST |
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LINKS |
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Distance
Learning Clearinghouse |
www.uwex.edu/disted/satellite/satprov.htm |
List of links
to educational satellite programs. |
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Missouri
School Board Association |
www.msbanet.org/Satlink/providers.htm |
List of links
to educational satellite programs. |
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MAGAZINES |
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Orbit Magazine |
www.orbitmagazine.com |
Magazine
listing free & fee sat. programs. |
Subscribe |
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Satlink
Magazine |
www.msbanet.org/satlink |
Magazine
listing free & fee sat. programs. |
$60/yr |
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WEBSITES |
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Achievement
Television |
www.achievement.org |
Biographies of
achievers. |
FREE |
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Ag Day |
http://www.agday.com/ |
On NBC in some
places. |
FREE |
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Annenburg/CPB
Channel |
www.learner.org/channel |
Telecourse
& teacher training. Digital only. |
FREE |
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Britain in the
USA |
Travel,
business, culture in Britain |
FREE |
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Center for
Disease Control |
http://www.cdc.gov/phtn/ |
Frequent
teleconferences |
Free-$25+ |
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Center for
Transportation and the Environment |
Itre.ncsu.edu/itre/cte/cte-teleconference.html |
Occasional
teleconferences |
FREE |
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Classic Arts
Showcase |
classicartsshowcase.org |
Classical MTV. |
FREE |
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C-SPAN |
www.c-span.org |
Live U.S.
House and public affairs. |
FREE |
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Federal
Emergency Management Administration |
Frequent
training for emergency personnel |
FREE |
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HEB
TeleVentures |
www.televentures.org |
Interactive
e-field trips & support materials. |
FREE |
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International
Channel Network |
www.I-channel.com |
Foreign
language news, sports, films, etc. |
$100/yr |
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Juvenile
Justice Telecom Assist Project |
Occasional
teleconferences |
FREE |
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Michigan
Gateways |
www.gateways.msu.edu |
Math and
science in K-12 |
FREE |
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NASA TV |
www.nasa.gov/ntv |
Vintage,
current & educational programs. |
FREE |
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Nat’l Science
Center |
16 free tapes
and satellite programs |
FREE |
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OVAT Ovation |
www.ovationtv.com |
CIC free
11am-1pm Tuesdays. Digital only. |
FREE |
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PENN Better
Kid Care Program |
Betterkidcare.psu.edu |
Almost monthly
programs |
FREE |
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Shamu TV |
www.seaworld.org/ShamuTV/shamutv.html |
On Animal
Planet in some places |
FREE |
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TEAMS Distance
Learning |
teams1acoe.edu/documentation/schedules/schedules.html |
Lots of free
K-12 and teacher training. |
FREE |
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United
Methodist Teleconference Connection |
www.umcom.org/umtc |
Three-four
teleconferences a years. |
FREE |
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National
Committee for World Food Day |
Search “World
Food Day” around Oct. 16 |
Annual
teleconference |
FREE |
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http://www.mtsu.edu/~tlcourse/tv/tvlogos/satellite.html |
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