BBC 1 tv from origin to finished programme

Abstract

For some time now the BBC‐tv Further Education Department has been producing series of programmes on engineering subjects for different types of audience, ranging from general adult audiences, with no prior knowledge of technology, to particular groups of professional engineers. The series Clean Cut, for example, showed new techniques in cutting metal to the men who would decide that these might be what they needed in their factory. But it was felt that although these programmes were warmly welcomed by their intended audiences, more could be done in the field of industrial training. In particular, the Engineering Industry Training Board had just published their new scheme for the first‐year training of engineering craftsmen and technicians and this seemed to be a field where the screen could provide a useful supplement to workshop or lecture room instruction. Given that this was an area where the BBC could provide helpful additional material, how could this best be done? It was at this stage that I was given the job of preparing and producing such a series, and the first thing I did was, of course, to go to the EITB and City and Guilds for comments and advice. They, if I can refer to them corporately, emphasized the desirability of integration in craft training and suggested various colleges and training centres where I could see their principles being put into practice. Here it became evident how difficult the concept of integration could be.