The Future of Educational Telecommunication

Abstract

Twelve years have gone by since federal funding of educational television began in the United States; seven years since the goal of a national service that is also responsible to local needs was set by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. Today there is a working national system which encompasses both educational and cultural purposes. But many of the original ambitious objectives have not yet been attained and much of the system has grown in response to day to day problems.

In an effort to clarify the policy issues and identify future needs for educational telecommunications, the Communication Research Laboratory of Battelle Memorial Institute conducted a planning study for the U.S. Office of Education in 1973. This study was based on evaluations of published information, tempered by in-depth interviews of policy makers, site visits, and lengthy discussions with more than sixty educational broadcast licensees. This paper is based on highlights of the Battelle study.