South Carolina ETV
History of ETV
1957 - The General Assembly passes a concurrent resolution calling for a study of the use of television in public schools.
1958 - A study committee recommends a pilot project be set. A studio is built at Dreher High School in Columbia and the experiment begins. Henry J. Cauthen is selected as technical director and R. Lynn Kalmbach is selected as project director. Educational services are extended to five Columbia area schools.
1960 - The General Assembly creates the SC Educational Television Commission.
1962 - State agencies and public school teachers begin utilizing SCETV for continuing professional education.
1963 - The closed circuit network is extended to all counties, reaching 155 public high schools, 36 elementary schools, most state colleges, university extension centers and 10 hospitals. WNTV in Greenville signs on.
1964 - WITV in Charleston signs on.
1965 - Henry J. Cauthen becomes executive director of the network upon the death of R. Lynn Kalmbach.
1966 - WRLK, Columbia's open circuit station, signs on.
1970 - USC begins a graduate business program through ETV's closed circuit system.
1972 - The network begins operation of its FM educational network with the sign-on of WEPR in Greenville.
1975 - WRJA in Sumter and WJWJ in Beaufort begin transmitting.
1977 - SCETV and the Southern Educational Communications Association broadcast the first simultaneous radio and television satellite transmission in history from Columbia to 15 other sites.
1978 - SCETV joins the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) satellite system. WNSC in Rock HiIl signs on.
1980 - WRET in Spartanburg signs on.
1982 - SCETV begins the phase-out of the leased-line, closed-circuit distribution system with a state-owned Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS) system.
1986 - The first phase of the ITFS system is completed, providing full four channel closed circuit service to 240 schools facilities and partial two channel service to 189 school facilities.
1988 - The 18-state Satellite Educational Resources Consortium, under Henry Cauthen's leadership, receives a $5.6 million grant from the US Department of Education to implement the Star Schools project to provide live, interactive instruction in math, foreign language and science delivered via satellite.
1989 - SCETV purchases the State-Record building. SCETV/ERN provides up-to-the minute coverage of Hurricane Hugo assisting the Governor in distribution of press announcements.
1990 - The ETV Endowment acquires the Sara Lee/PYA properties for future production expansion for ETV. The Children's Place, SCETV's on-site child-care center that serves as a production center for early childhood productions, opens.
1991 - Over SCETV's closed circuit network, 150 higher education courses are distributed statewide for college credit. A single teleconference produced and transmitted statewide for the Department of Corrections trains more than 1000 law enforcement and correctional officers for approximately 39 cents per officer.
1992 - The total value of SCETV's teleconferences to the state is $12,791,996. SCETV maximizes the use of interactive technologies by utilizing the existing tape and delay centers for live interactive instruction at the local level dubbed "short distance learning."
1993 - SCETV enters state-of-the-art medical telecommunications when it establishes a two-way video link between the Medical University of South Carolina and Richland Memorial Hospital. Telstar 401 is successfully launched providing SCETV with a transponder to allow for up to 32 channels for broadcast.
1994 - A new computer learning networking service called "Learning Link" is added to support existing interactive services in distance education programs. SCETV enters into a partnership with Scholastic Productions, Inc., as the presenting station for the Magic School Bus. The Public Services Network and BusinessLink services are launched.
1995 - Construction continues on the telecommunications center. When the facility is complete, the full 32 channel capability of the satellite system will be on-line. SCETV introduces a World Wide Web site.
1996 - ETV receives funding to complete the satellite system in the state's K-12 schools.
1997 - Telecommunications Center is complete and full capability of the 32-channel digital satellite system in on-line. Henry Cauthen, ETV's long-time president, announces retirement.
1998 - Paul Amos takes the helm as ETV's third president. SCETV launches the READY TO LEARN service to help meet the state's challenge of preparing South Carolina's children for first grade. The ETV Commission approves ETV's Plan for Digital Conversion. SCETV broadcasts for the first time the state High School Football Championships.
1999 - The General Assembly appropriates $10 million for ETV's first phase of digital conversion.
2000 - WRLK-DT becomes the first digital television station in the ETV network and in the state.
2001 - Maurice "Moss" Bresnahan joins SCETV as the new president.
2002 - SC General Assembly approves $18.5 million for SCETV's digital conversion.
2003 - The South Carolina Channel, the state's first 24/7 digital program service, launches in October at the State Fair.
2003 - South Carolina Educational Television and Radio have a brand change to ETV and ETV Radio.
2004 - The ETV Road Shows originated live television from dozens of South Carolina communitites for the first time.
For more information about ETV, contact:
Catherine Christman, Vice President, Communications
Voice: (803) 737-3259
Fax: (803) 737-3417
E-mail: christman@scetv.org
ETV Administration Building
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545
ETV Telecommunications Center
1041 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: 803-737-9959