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C4 axe school programmes

(December 2007)

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AL
alisterj
Disappointing. I always did (and still do) enjoy watching the 4learning schools programmes when I was off school.
PT
Put The Telly On
Not surprising, Brekkie's right that schools no longer make appointment to watch the programmes live anymore. Another sign of the times. Although I'm sure my old history teacher still has many videos of the programmes! Channel 4 also used to provide a teachers resource pack.
TV
tvarksouthwest
nok32uk posted:
Not surprising, Brekkie's right that schools no longer make appointment to watch the programmes live anymore. Another sign of the times.

But as I mentioned earlier, most schools have pre-recorded their programmes for anything up to the last 20 years (some have even been doing so much longer) - yet the broadcasters have continued to provide the service.

I don't buy the arguments C4 are putting forward for ending the TV service; all that seems to concern them is the inconvenience of being unable to advertise for two-and-a-half hours each weekday morning, for 25 weeks a year.
TV
tvarksouthwest
News just in: Ben Clarke of www.lookingandseeing.co.uk has just received confirmation that ClassTV will still be there in the new year.
IS
Inspector Sands
Ben posted:
I'll agree the way these things are just happening so hastily isn't exactly the best way to deal with this.


Hastily? 'Schools' programming on both BBC2, C4 and BBC Radio has been decreasing steadily for many many years!

It does seem a bit of an anacronism these days. There's really no point in filling up the schedules of 2 national TV stations when it's much more efficient to send out DVDs or publish programmes on the internet.
ST
stevek
Nini posted:
Won't somebody please think of the children!


don't be so silly, since when did they come before profit margins Rolling Eyes
JA
jamesmd
Why move them onto channels at all? Just put the damn programmes straight onto DVD (or VHS - considering most schools still use that) and offer them to schools. Rather than broadcasting them?
TV
tvarksouthwest
Inspector Sands posted:
It does seem a bit of an anacronism these days. There's really no point in filling up the schedules of 2 national TV stations when it's much more efficient to send out DVDs or publish programmes on the internet.

Which means they are not seen by a general audience.

Whether or not you think Schools TV is an anachronism we have to think now about how C4 and BBC2 would use the time freed up - and it probably wouldn't be for anything productive. In BBC2's case, non-schools days are filled with repeats of stuff like The Munsters and Top Cat. while on C4, more rebroadcasts of archive ER etc. C4 haven't managed to do anything productive with the breakfast slot since RI:SE ended, so if 4Learning goes C4's vacuous period could end up extending to midday.

Oh, and no-one has mentioned that 2007 marks the 40th anniversary of the commercial schools television service, on both ITV and Channel 4 combined. And that same year, it's all over. If only we could convince ITV to seize on this and pension off Jeremy Kyle Laughing
BA
bilky asko
James Hall posted:
Why move them onto channels at all? Just put the damn programmes straight onto DVD (or VHS - considering most schools still use that) and offer them to schools. Rather than broadcasting them?


I doubt schools don't have DVD players - when you can buy them for £15 - or combi DVD/VHS players for £50. Most schools would also probably have these magical inventions called "computers" too. If they use bulk-buying I'm sure £2000 is not too much of a knock to schools.
IS
Inspector Sands
tvarksouthwest posted:

Which means they are not seen by a general audience.


They've never been watched by a general audience.
NW
nwtv2003
tvarksouthwest posted:
Oh, and no-one has mentioned that 2007 marks the 40th anniversary of the commercial schools television service, on both ITV and Channel 4 combined. And that same year, it's all over. If only we could convince ITV to seize on this and pension off Jeremy Kyle Laughing


Simon I would have thought you knew it is infact the 50th Anniversary of Schools programmes on ITV and Channel 4 combined.

Anyway, sad news but it is inevitable. But time moves on, it's like the Open University, why have it clogging up BBC Two at weekends and in the early hours of the day when students and schools can easily be sent the DVDs or access what they need online.

Time has moved on since the whole school would sit round waiting for the programme they need, or in my case the use of a ropey old VHS tape. Granted many of the programmes made have stood the test of time, its the ways and means of getting them to the Screens that are outdated.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
bilky asko posted:
James Hall posted:
Why move them onto channels at all? Just put the damn programmes straight onto DVD (or VHS - considering most schools still use that) and offer them to schools. Rather than broadcasting them?


I doubt schools don't have DVD players - when you can buy them for £15 - or combi DVD/VHS players for £50. Most schools would also probably have these magical inventions called "computers" too. If they use bulk-buying I'm sure £2000 is not too much of a knock to schools.


Without meaning to drag this off-topic, schools tend to use things until they're literally either dropping to pieces or where it breaks down to a point where its cheaper to replace it than repair it.

In this day and age, school budgets tend to be dictated by their positions in league tables and what not, and £2k will be a lot of money to many schools. If you can make something last 15-20yrs or longer, it's better value for money in the long run the more its used, which frees up £2k for something else. Also bear in mind the majority of schools won't be able to get by one TV/VCR/DVD for logistical reasons so they'll probably have two, three, four, maybe more, dotted around the premises.

Where I work we do a lot of work/maintenance on computers for a couple of local schools but they take a long time to pay up because budgets are tied up in other matters.

Getting back on topic, I presume C4 will argue that "4 on Demand" over the Internet will eventually be the standard, therefore teacher Mrs Smith can just pick an educational programme from 4oD and stream it straight off the Internet for everybody to watch in the classroom instead of making heavy weather of being able to turn the video on.

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