Educational broadcasting in West Germany

Abstract

The producers of educational broadcasts in West Germany do not expect their productions to be the only ones used in the class-room situation. Nor do they produce only for class-rooms or lecture-halls. Some of their productions are for children of the pre-school going age, and others are intended to interest people who are long past their schooling days. In other words, educational broad- casting is conceived of as including the home as well as the school. Moreover, it is directed at recipients of all ages who are interested in increasing their knowledge and enriching their culture. Not only the recipients, but also the particular qualities of the different individual media are carefully taken into account in the planning stage. The first consideration is to decide which subject fits which medium best. It is not surprising that music, for instance, should play a prominent part in radio broadcasting and that such subjects as biology and computer technology should feature prominently on television.