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4 Learning

(January 2006)

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ND
NorthDown2
Channel4 is spending its money on the older age group these days in the morning - 14+ social programming that might also get a general audience. There has been very little spent on primary school programming over the last couple of years - this year's schedule (Aut 05 / Spr 06 - the pdf is now available at C4 website) I've found no new programming, it seems to be repeating old broadcasts. In fact a good proportion of Spring 06 programmes between 4 and 6 were shown in autumn (Ancient Egypt, Famous Poeple). Last year apart from the award winning Blue Dragon (and one wonders if the decision to commission it was taken well before the decision to keep repeating old shows so it was already in production and couldn;t be cancelled...) there was very little new material.

As to BBC, their schedule had finally settled down. BBC 2 has schools Mon-Fri (excluding Wednesdays because Mr. Blair decided on PMQT on Wed. am) 10.30am- noon, 1.00pm-1.30pm
Class TV provides a very useful service although this term usffers from a large number of repeats from Autumn 05. Normally over the year Class TV has provided a wide range of programmes. The two problems with Class TV are :
1. unlike BBC 2, there is no switching on Freeview for 4:3 programmes which leaves curtains at each side.
2. the sign language programmes satisfy noone as schools which want signed languaged series get 1 or 2 episodes out of 5 or 10. Schools wanting a 'clean' version without signing get one or two episodes with. If the 11-11.30am signing continues this term there's going to be a lot of programming that goes out with signing with no opportunity for the recording of a clean broadcast. Mind you it's better than the days when Thursday was signed day so no matter what, a series broadcast throughout the week ALWAYS had signing.
Note : I'm not against signing - just the current arrangement I feel suits noone.
MU
mulder
NorthDown2 posted:

2. the sign language programmes satisfy noone as schools which want signed languaged series get 1 or 2 episodes out of 5 or 10. Schools wanting a 'clean' version without signing get one or two episodes with. If the 11-11.30am signing continues this term there's going to be a lot of programming that goes out with signing with no opportunity for the recording of a clean broadcast. Mind you it's better than the days when Thursday was signed day so no matter what, a series broadcast throughout the week ALWAYS had signing.
Note : I'm not against signing - just the current arrangement I feel suits noone.


Yes, this sucks big hairy bum, especially when trying to get a series of LaR on tape, Laughing

It is completely sensless, and they should sort it out really.
JE
Jez Founding member
mulder posted:
Of course, S4C still runs that dragon carousel between progs, although now with an anno over the end of it. I'm wondering if they'll still be using it when 4 learning comes back this month?


S4C also still calls it "Ysgolion", and they have always had their own idents for schools/ysgolion which IMO have been better than the channel 4 ones.
TV
tvarksouthwest
Schools TV on BBC2 and C4 needs a good kick up the backside. The BBC in particular should offer at least two and a half hours' daytime programming, while both channels should be required to make the daytime offerings of interest to all age ranges.

On BBC2 this would have the advantage of eliminating slots which otherwise would be filled with repeats of the Munsters or b/w films. BBC2 is already a prolific offender for the level of repeats - "the schools programmes would be repeats", I hear you say. That they might be, but it would be a more useful way to fill the airtime.
LI
littlebaby.tigerman
tvarksouthwest posted:
Schools TV on BBC2 and C4 needs a good kick up the backside. The BBC in particular should offer at least two and a half hours' daytime programming, while both channels should be required to make the daytime offerings of interest to all age ranges.



I'm afraid I have to disagree with the broadcasting of 'school specific' programming, especially during the day. It would be a good idea if it would show something me and my collegues would actually use, but there isn't as most of the schools programming is out-dated, old fashioned and doesn't fit in with anyone's curriculum. With the wealth of material available for me to use on the various Discovery channels and UK channels (amongst others - Sky Travel is a great source of info as well for my subject and where would I be without the news channels everytime something happends?) I'm spoilt for choice, and I have the luxury of keeping what I use relevent and up to date, rather than using the same old years old stuff i had to endure when I was a kid....

Maybe there does need to be time set aside for subjects that don't get much in the way of 'popular interest' programming ( maths, english language, modern languages etc) but Teachers TV show excellent up to date stuff and all the programmes can be downloaded from their website for free too!
TV
tvarksouthwest
[quote="littlebaby.tigerman"]
tvarksouthwest posted:
I'm afraid I have to disagree with the broadcasting of 'school specific' programming, especially during the day. It would be a good idea if it would show something me and my collegues would actually use, but there isn't as most of the schools programming is out-dated, old fashioned and doesn't fit in with anyone's curriculum. With the wealth of material available for me to use on the various Discovery channels and UK channels (amongst others - Sky Travel is a great source of info as well for my subject and where would I be without the news channels everytime something happends?) I'm spoilt for choice, and I have the luxury of keeping what I use relevent and up to date, rather than using the same old years old stuff i had to endure when I was a kid....

Apart from old Look and Read repeats I'm not sure what else is possibly shown now that was in use when you were younger. The BBC certainly keeps in touch with what is required for the modern classroom, though perhaps with too much emphasis on revision programmes.

The fact that other channels provide relevant material should not give license for the main broadcasters to "give up", as it were. It's not just in schools programmes where this is happening - look at the reductions to CITV. No wonder TV in 2006 is going crap.

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