--- Forwarded Message from Leslie Graul <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 13:20:18 -0400
>From: Leslie Graul <[log in to unmask]>
>Organization: Thiel College
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #5624 satellite purchase questions
>References: <[log in to unmask]>
Hi, Mary Beth. I want to add a couple of remarks to what Monica said in her
response:
Equipment & subscription costs--Approximate cost of purchase of equipment
and various subscriptions:
* SCOLA's affiliation fees are not so expensive compared to other
services if you are a small school since they are based on your
institution's enrollment and how many of their three channels you want
to receive. The money spent is well worth it. Their technical
support is excellent, should you experience any difficulties with your
equipment or signal. The variety of countries whose news broadcasts
are available on Channel I is greater than anywhere else. Channels II
and III provide language courses and variety programming. SCOLA
provinces a lot of other services, too, via the web pages, such as
transcriptions, translations, glossaries and questions for short
segments of some news broadcasts (France, Germany, China, etc.), all
kinds of statistics about the countries whose broadcasts we can receive
(population, health, political, governmental, economic, historic, etc.)
* I prefer these broadcasts to those on the International Channel because
there is no American advertising, and reportedly no control of their
broadcasts by outside sources. Some of the broadcasts are even a good
source of foreign language commercials.
* SCOLA responds to its affiliates' programming wishes whenever possible.
*
* When our college tried to purchase a fixed dish in order to subscribe
to TV 5 and a number of Spanish language networks via Dish Latino, one
local vendor refused to sell it to an educational institution. Another
local vendor would sell us one, but would charge a good deal more than
what home owners pay. That is because vendors make their money from
the subscriptions to the packages that are sold; the educational
packages we purchase don't give them much revenue.
* I also learned that TV-5 can not be received via the same dish as most
of the other foreign language broadcasts. To be able to switch back
and forth between French Canadian and Latino broadcasts, we had to
purchase two dishes. These two, and a good receiver (can be set to
record programs according to the broadcast rather than during a
specific period of time), installed, came to $700. Licensing Dish
Latino ($299) and TV 5 ($100) costs a total of $300 annually.
* We can attach as many as three more receivers, for about $150 each, to
be able to watch a total of four different broadcasts simultaneously.
* We can subscribe to other networks and receive other foreign language
broadcasts, if desired.
Good luck in making your selection........Leslie Graul
*
LLTI-Editor wrote:
> --- Forwarded Message from Mary Beth Barth <[log in to unmask]> ---
>
> >Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 08:48:33 -0400 (EDT)
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >From: Mary Beth Barth <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: satellite purchase questions
>
> Hi,
>
> I have just been asked to look into the cost of acquiring satellite
> capabilities. I'm interested in *ballpark* figures for the following
> for a
> preliminary meeting which was just called for his week. I'll have time
> to
> research more thoroughly later. Here are the issues I'd like to bring up
> at
> the meeting:
>
> Equipment & subsciption costs--Approximate cost of purchase of equipment
> and various subscriptions
>
> Staffing issues--what sort of time commitment is required for
> programming,
> recording,maintenance etc.
>
> Faculty commitment--what time commitment is required of faculty to
> prepare
> materials for class use?
>
> Viewing areas-- Do students use these on their own (and benefit) or
> does
> it require integration by the faculty?
>
> Internet capabilities--is it logical to make this move now with foreign
> language news etc available over the internet?
>
> Thanks for any insights on any of the above.
>
> Mary Beth Barth
> Hamilton College
> Clinton, New York
> (315)859-4776
> [log in to unmask]
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