TV in the classroom - 1954

[Ed in Tx]

Here's TV in the classroom 1962. My 6th grade class. TV was a "Ling DeLuxe Television" built by Ling Electronics here locally. They outfitted the main high school in the district with a small studio setup and transmitter that was on UHF ch 23. Each school had a parabolic dish UHF antenna. Each classroom had a kid appointed to be the one who pushed the TVs from one room to another, as the TVs were shared. At least once someone got going too fast and toppled one over in the hallway. I remember getting Spanish lessons and some history lessons on those TVs.

Good ol' Mr. Duncan standing beside the TV.





(Yes I am in the picture. No I won't say which one!)

[Jeffhs]

Classroom TV in northeastern Ohio, circa 1965, meant (at least in the elementary school in the Cleveland suburb where I grew up) one or perhaps two 23" RCA Victor all-channel TVs on large, tall wheeled carts. (My grade school was quite small, so we could get by with just two sets.) The school had a MATV (master antenna) system that downconverted Cleveland's PBS (then NET) channel, WVIZ channel 25, to VHF channel 4; though those sets had all-channel tuning, I don't think they were ever tuned to any other channel. I remember seeing some programs on those sets, but I don't think they weren't used a heck of a lot (not unlike the set in wa2ise's grade school), although I'm sure our sets were used somewhat more than once a year.

Unfortunately, the elementary school in my hometown was demolished several years ago to make room for condos. I have no clue as to what happened to the TVs or to the school's MATV system, as I had left town and moved to my current residence before the school came down.

In reference to the standardized achievement tests wa2ise, et al. have mentioned here, they were administered in northeastern Ohio as well. They were called, in this area anyway, the "Iowa tests of basic skills" and were given once every few years (I don't remember the schedule anymore). The test instructions were on audio tape, and yes, our tests also used sheets with dots the students filled in for their answers. I also remember the sheets having long strings of computer codes on them and a warning: "Make no marks or smudges near these rectangles." These tests were also computer-scored, although I don't remember ever hearing or seeing the results afterwards.

[GeorgeJetson]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

Here's TV in the classroom 1962. My 6th grade class. TV was a "Ling DeLuxe Television" built by Ling Electronics here locally. They outfitted the main high school in the district with a small studio setup and transmitter that was on UHF ch 23. Each school had a parabolic dish UHF antenna. Each classroom had a kid appointed to be the one who pushed the TVs from one room to another, as the TVs were shared. At least once someone got going too fast and toppled one over in the hallway. I remember getting Spanish lessons and some history lessons on those TVs.

Good ol' Mr. Duncan standing beside the TV.





(Yes I am in the picture. No I won't say which one!)

WOW!!,THAT LING TV IS AMAZING!!!

It's straight out of the world of tommorow!

Were these available for home use? Did the monitor move like a predicta?

Any more photos??

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by GeorgeJetson

WOW!!,THAT LING TV IS AMAZING!!!

It's straight out of the world of tommorow!

Were these available for home use? Did the monitor move like a predicta?

Any more photos??

No none for the home as far as I know. This is the only picture of one I have.

They were made for the RISD, and I doubt any still exist, maybe in the back of someone's storage or garage. I've often wondered what happened to those sets. The CRT was fixed position to the cabinet. The whole thing was on wheels.

Here'as some history about KRET-TV and Ling Electronics connection, from a friend's web site dedicated to DFW TV history..

"UHF 23 KRET, Richardson. Station established 2/29/1960; dark in 5/1970. Owner: Richardson Independent School District. Call letters stood for "Richardson Educational Television." First TV station in the nation to be owned by a school district. Broadcasted on weekdays only, and initially, for only two hours a day. Schedule was later lengthened to match school hours (with five minute breaks between shows, where music was played.) Station signed off during the summer. Start-up cost of $70,000; operated with $50,000 of Ling electronic equipment; broadcast range of 20 miles. Studios were located at Richardson Junior High (1960-63,) Richardson High School (1963-1970,) and at Hamilton Park Elementary, 8221 Towns (1970-1990s.) On 8/31/1970, KRET was converted into the closed-circuit "TAGER" network (WEF-69) for high school and college telecourses, carried on an RISD closed-circuit system and over many local cable TV outlets."

[KentTeffeteller]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

Here's TV in the classroom 1962. My 6th grade class. TV was a "Ling DeLuxe Television" built by Ling Electronics here locally. They outfitted the main high school in the district with a small studio setup and transmitter that was on UHF ch 23. Each school had a parabolic dish UHF antenna. Each classroom had a kid appointed to be the one who pushed the TVs from one room to another, as the TVs were shared. At least once someone got going too fast and toppled one over in the hallway. I remember getting Spanish lessons and some history lessons on those TVs.

Good ol' Mr. Duncan standing beside the TV.





(Yes I am in the picture. No I won't say which one!)

Some history, Ling Electronics. The Dallas electronics firm was founded by Jimmy Ling, who later by way of merger founded LTV Corp, LTV being Ling, Temco, Vought. This company later purchased Altec Lansing Corporation and University Sound, to name some famous audio/video companies. Their former Oklahoma City, OK plant is now the home of Great Plains Audio, who still has the original Altec Lansing tooling and still makes and repairs the classic Altec Lansing speaker drivers.

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by KentTeffeteller

Some history, Ling Electronics. The Dallas electronics firm was founded by Jimmy Ling, who later by way of merger founded LTV Corp, LTV being Ling, Temco, Vought. This company later purchased Altec Lansing Corporation and University Sound, to name some famous audio/video companies. Their former Oklahoma City, OK plant is now the home of Great Plains Audio, who still has the original Altec Lansing tooling and still makes and repairs the classic Altec Lansing speaker drivers.

Thanks Kent! But when I first got an email notice someone had posted a followup to a post I made to this thread, I thought you'd found one of these sets! I doubt any exist.