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Defunct Educational Cable Network

C

Cordelia Chase

The "Unusual programming on PBS/educational stations" thread about made me think about this:

Does anyone remember a cable network that aired shows and newscasts from various countries? I recall an English-language program called "Jerusalem Today" as well as a newscast hosted by a man named Mike Greenspan, whose voice reminded me of Peter Coyote (which is a good thing!)

There were also two student-produced soap operas. IIRC, "University" was from Washington State U. and "General College" came out of UNC, Chapel Hill.

I don't know how long this network existed, but it was offered on Continental Cablevision on the Hampton Roads, VA Peninsula in the late 80s and early 90s. I believe it was connected to PBS in some way.
 
This sounds like World View TV, which was carried on WNVT and WNVC in the 1990's. One or both of those stations may have qualified for NCE Must-Carry on cable in that area.
 
Red Plume said:
This sounds like World View TV, which was carried on WNVT and WNVC in the 1990's. One or both of those stations may have qualified for NCE Must-Carry on cable in that area.
Click to expand...

You're probably right. I was thinking of The Monitor Channel but it can't be.

And no, its not Newsworld International if the channel was connected to PBS.
 
I don't recognize the networks above, but I do remember Mind Extension University, a way to take college courses via TV and a partner university. It might have been one of the first remote adult degree programs, well before the internet as we know it today. I remember seeing educational shows (particularly Spanish language instruction) for elementary students.
Some info: https://digitex.org/2021/06/16/impo...se-sharing-through-mind-extension-university/

Here is a promo break.
 

University of California TV used to be on cable at one point but their "TV Network" today still exists on on demand apps and Website. I remember Dish Network used to carry them until University of California realized that Cable Broadcasts are not viable for them in the long run.

www.uctv.tv

UCTV, University of California Television

University of California Television provides informational, educational, and enrichment television programming to the public and draws upon the vast intellectual, scientific, and creative talents of the University of California.
www.uctv.tv www.uctv.tv


apps.apple.com

‎UCTV Videos and Podcasts

‎Enjoy the University of California Television (UCTV) mobile app, your gateway to a wealth of educational and enriching content from the renowned campuses, national laboratories, and affiliated institutions of the University of California. With millions of viewers nationwide, UCTV is dedicated...
apps.apple.com

 
Red Plume said:
This sounds like World View TV, which was carried on WNVT and WNVC in the 1990's. One or both of those stations may have qualified for NCE Must-Carry on cable in that area.
Click to expand...
Perhaps this is it. The only name I can remember is Mike Greenspan's. I found some pictures of him online and he is definitely the right man but there is no mention of his tenure with the news network I'm trying to describe.
 
Cordelia Chase said:
The "Unusual programming on PBS/educational stations" thread about made me think about this:

Does anyone remember a cable network that aired shows and newscasts from various countries? I recall an English-language program called "Jerusalem Today" as well as a newscast hosted by a man named Mike Greenspan, whose voice reminded me of Peter Coyote (which is a good thing!)

There were also two student-produced soap operas. IIRC, "University" was from Washington State U. and "General College" came out of UNC, Chapel Hill.

I don't know how long this network existed, but it was offered on Continental Cablevision on the Hampton Roads, VA Peninsula in the late 80s and early 90s. I believe it was connected to PBS in some way.
Click to expand...

This had to be SCOLA. We had it on cable in Fairfax County in the mid-1990s. It was great! Evidently it's still around:

SCOLA - Home

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCOLA_(TV_service)

In the days before streaming video and VPNs to access it from different countries, this was pretty much your only option.
 
IM42A said:
This had to be SCOLA. We had it on cable in Fairfax County in the mid-1990s. It was great! Evidently it's still around:
Click to expand...
You, sir, are a genius! The minute I saw "SCOLA" it all came flooding back to me. I was thinking that the Internet would make a network like this obsolete, so I was surprised to learn that it still exists online.

A tip of the cap to you and Happy Holidays!!

BTW, thanks to everyone for their help and suggestions!!
 
Last edited:
Y2kTheNewOldies said:

University of California TV used to be on cable at one point but their "TV Network" today still exists on on demand apps and Website. I remember Dish Network used to carry them until University of California realized that Cable Broadcasts are not viable for them in the long run.



apps.apple.com

‎UCTV Videos and Podcasts

‎Enjoy the University of California Television (UCTV) mobile app, your gateway to a wealth of educational and enriching content from the renowned campuses, national laboratories, and affiliated institutions of the University of California. With millions of viewers nationwide, UCTV is dedicated...
apps.apple.com

Click to expand...
UCTV is still a linear cable channel. On my Charter Spectrum lineup in West Los Angeles, for example, it’s on channel 25.
 
Cordelia Chase said:
You, sir, are a genius! The minute I saw "SCOLA" it all came flooding back to me. I was thinking that the Internet would make a network like this obsolete, so I was surprised to learn that it still exists online.

A tip of the cap to you and Happy Holidays!!

BTW, thanks to everyone for their help and suggestions!!
Click to expand...
It exists, but the website tells you nothing whatsoever about how to access it, and does not give you a way to sign up. It seems to be intended for educational facilities.

They need to have a way for individuals to subscribe to it and stream it onto their devices. A Roku channel would be an excellent idea. I have even wondered if homeschooling families (such as ours is) could be given a subscription-based way to gain access to it.

I am not absolutely sure about this --- it's been thirty years --- but I think it was a part of Fairfax County's cable (Cox IIRC) public access, and may only have been on at certain times of the day.
 
SCOLA was on satellite for a long time, might still be. They carried news and entertainment programming from various world sources in various languages. Some from Europe, some from Asia, some from the Middle East. Would have been on ASC-1, later on Galaxy 4 compressed into digital.
Mind Extension University was on Galaxy 5, tp 21, the same satellite that carried many popular cable networks in the 1990s (TBS, CNN, ESPN, USA, etc.)
 
crainbebo said:
SCOLA was on satellite for a long time, might still be. They carried news and entertainment programming from various world sources in various languages. Some from Europe, some from Asia, some from the Middle East. Would have been on ASC-1, later on Galaxy 4 compressed into digital.
Mind Extension University was on Galaxy 5, tp 21, the same satellite that carried many popular cable networks in the 1990s (TBS, CNN, ESPN, USA, etc.)
Click to expand...
Their website says they are on Galaxy 19, but Lyngsat doesn't show it. I have a feeling the SCOLA website is way out of date. As I noted above, it would be nice if they would tell potential viewers how to subscribe to it --- they give the impression that it's some deep dark secret --- if indeed private individuals may do so. I'd pay a reasonable price for online video, and I suspect many others would too. They really need a Roku channel as well.
 
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