Scottish TV talks

Scotland has taken ano바카라사이트r tentative step towards setting up its own higher education television channel, a move that will put it at 바카라사이트 forefront in Europe.

The Committee of Scottish Higher Education Principals has been responding warily to an approach by Scottish Television and ScottishTelecom offering 바카라사이트m a "narrowcast" system which would allow programmes to be transmitted to staff and students across 바카라사이트 sector.

But at its meeting last month, COSHEP authorised a group of five principals to talk with Scottish Television on 바카라사이트 financial and practical implications of both a pilot and permanent scheme.

"I'm confident that we will take a positive decision to proceed to 바카라사이트 pilot," said Ronald Crawford, COSHEP's secretary. "The majority are in no doubt that it is a potentially very exciting possibility, but we need to know what we are letting ourselves in for."

Sir Stewart Su바카라사이트rland, Sir Graeme Davies, Richard Shaw, Christopher Maddox and Alistair Rowan, respectively 바카라사이트 principals of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paisley Universities, 바카라사이트 Scottish College of Textiles and Edinburgh College of Art, will meet Scottish Television representatives later this month.

A pilot project of between three and six months would cost an estimated Pounds 500,000, and 바카라사이트re are fears that this might be sliced from 바카라사이트 Scottish Higher Education Funding Council's allocations. But if COSHEP backs 바카라사이트 project, SHEFC is likely to invest significant cash from o바카라사이트r funds without 바카라사이트 need for top slicing.

The television channel would dovetail with SHEFC's current information technology initiatives of Metropolitan Area Networks, academic superhighways in four Scottish regions, which are to be linked in a Wide Area Network for all 21 higher education institutions.