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The knowledge Network, British
Columbia's new educational television
service, has now received its $1.2M
special capital grant, Education
Minister Brian Smith announced recently
The funds were provided for in the
1980 Special Appropriation Act.

"The funds will allow the net-
work to construct its closed-

Circuit cable and micro-wave system
linking the universities, the senior
teaching hospitals, the Provincial
Educational Media Centre, the British
Columbia Institute of Technology, the
Law Courts in Vancouver and the
Blanshard Building in Victoria,"
Smith said.

"The closed-circuit service,
in addition to providing an essential
inter-institutional education and
communications system, will permit
the universities to have direct access
to the province-wide educational cable
television channels operated by the
Knowledye wetwork."

Smith explained that the closed-
Circuit link is the third of the three
services provided by the network. The
other services, the satellite-fed ed-
ucational channel, and the inter-
institutional, inter-active system,
have been operating since January of
this year and September, 1980,
respectively.

 

 

 

DOUGLAS COLLEGE
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MAD HATTER PAGE 5

 

 

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The new system, which will in-
corporate cable, micro-wave and
Instructional Television Fixed
Service (ITFS), will be constructed
for the Knowledge Network by Premier
Communications Limited of Vancouver.
Construction is to begin immediately
with completion of the multi-channel,
inter-active system scheduled for |
January, 1982.

Smith indicated that when complete,
the new system, when linked to the net-
work's present satellite service, will
provide a new dimension to the tele-
courses and series presently being
offered.

"A Whole new range of applications,
particularly in tele-medicine such as
diagnosis and genetic counselling, will
become available throughout the province.'

Smith commended the network on its
demonstration schedule of 77 hours a
week, noting that it had been deve-
loped in a period of approximately
three months.

He said enthusiastic public resp-
onse to the Knowledge Network has supp-
orted the government's commitment to
augmented educational opportunities
through telecommunications.