Television Service

The Television Service was first established in 1965. Its original purpose was to use closed circuit cameras to help with the teaching of large first year Science classes. The first transmissions of lectures took place on 21 February 1967. It had its studios in Carslaw on the floor below the Faculty of Science Office. 

Over the years, the service readapted and changed according to changing circumstances and needs. The original emphasis on televised lectures was modified to include the production of a wide range of teaching resources. The department produced a number of adult education series which were broadcast within the University to assist with teaching and over the commercial networks. Some income was generated by suppling television stations, for example the ABC, with short programs. The money earned was then available to fund other resources. The Service also recorded important events in the University calendar. Unfortunately, this was not a routine duty and often only completed on an ad hoc basis.

From 1981 the Service included equipment loan, hire, technical repairs, general graphic design and training. A number of titles were broadcast overseas and nationally. In 1988 the centre was closely involved in an experimental UHF broadcast from the University of NSW transmitter with a view to a future national broadcast educational network.

The Service was also closely involved in the UNINET scheme to link the University of Sydney, University of Technology and University of Wollongong. Uninet, was the (Sydney) Universities fibre optic network. This allowed full broadcast television signals to be exchanged between various universities. It was imagined that Uninet would be used for long-distance conferencing, and long distance learning, tutorials, lectures and other presentations.

The service operated at a technical level similar to commercial television stations and had won a number of awards for their educational and documentary programs.

The final review of the Television Service was headed by Andrew Salter, then Head of ABC TV Sport in 1991. Because of the service's problems in terms of economics and personality and because many similar programs to those created could be accessed from other areas with considerably less cost, the television
service was closed on the 22 May 1992.

Directors: Jock Millet (1965); Peter Bailey (1979); John Marsden (1981); Andrew Grieg (1981 to 1993).