This chapter examines content development, production, and dispatch of non-broadcasting resources (Resources’ refer to any material or product developed by the SABC and intended for sale or free distribution for the school-based service. The term refers to materials and products in the broadest sense, to include physical resources (like print materials and audio or video cassettes) and digital resources (like a web site and an electronic information service)) recommended for the SABC school service. While these three areas may overlap or merge at various points, it is worth separating them to identify distinct activities for the generation of clear and appropriate implementation plans. For this reason, it is important to recognize each area simply as a means of grouping tasks and not necessarily as representative of a separate person, unit, or department. While different skills and expertise may be needed for each aspect, the complex and interrelated nature of the components should not be lost. This should inform human resource and management decisions on the allocation of responsibility and coordination of these tasks.

As was explained in chapter seven, a well-managed information base is an essential component of the SABC school service. Content development refers to gathering information and generating content for an information base from which resource production and dispatch processes draw. It could include market research, selecting content developers, collecting source materials, and writing or authoring. Gathering information and generating content for the information base will inform resource production and dispatch processes. Content developed can have multiple applications, through the production of resources using a variety of technologies. Processes of content development are, however, unlikely to take place separately from resource production processes. Resource production decisions, in the main, drive content development process, although it is conceivable that content development might increasingly be done on a systematic basis to feed into an information base. Content development cuts across all technology platforms, forming the information base from which resource production draws. The point of separating content development from resource production is to ensure that content developed is sufficiently flexible to allow for multiple resource production and dispatch applications.

Resource production is a process by which content developed is tailored and adapted to fit communication and dissemination choices. In general, resource production would include editing, design and layout, selecting and setting graphics, packaging, formulating copyright agreements, and licensing for resources. The detail of these activities and final production of resources would depend on the specific technology chosen for the resource. For example, producing printed materials requires typesetting and printing, while developing a web site demands web design and specialized programming activities. As a further example, if the resource is a videocassette, cassette compilation and assemble-editing would be necessary.

While content development and resource production processes lead to the creation of a resource, dispatch processes are concerned with what is done with the completed resource.

In chapter seven we recommended that the links between gathering or compiling information (content development and production) and communicating it (dispatch) should be broken. Understanding this suggestion requires a clear conception of dispatch processes. Traditionally storage, distribution, sales, and promotion of resources are key dispatch activities. The availability of certain technologies complicates this traditional conception. For electronic resources like web sites, e-mails, or facsimiles, dispatch activities like storage, distribution and sales are greatly reduced or completely unnecessary. One could, of course, insist that the production of a facsimile or e-mail is distinct from actually sending out the electronic information, or that up-loading a web site onto the Internet is different from web development and design. This is, however, unnecessarily cumbersome and pedantic. For this reason, resource production and strategies for disseminating information will be discussed in one section. Uploading a web site or sending a facsimile or e-mail will form part of the web site and electronic information service descriptions. The final section of this chapter will focus on the traditional conception of a dispatch service, focusing on storage, distribution, and sales of physical resources. Activities required for a dispatch unit to support the school service will be articulated, and will primarily be concerned with responding to requests for information or resources.

As has been indicated above, content development refers to information gathering, collation and generation activities, which in turn inform resource production. In chapter seven we explained that information about the entire school service should be generated, compiled, and maintained. We stressed the importance of finding ways to use information quickly in as many different ways as possible before it loses its value. Content development processes need to focus on re-using information in different ways without generating significant additional cost. SABC Education should establish effective information systems, which can allow for quick and easy manipulation of information once it has been developed or gathered. This information base needs to be well managed to allow for multiple applications in resource production. For this reason, content development needs to be viewed as an integral part of a management information system. A well-structured and carefully planned database of content development information is essential. Information in the should be based on research(Chapter eleven), professional development(Chapter nine), physical access(Chapter eight), and promotion(Chapter ten) activities described in other chapters.

Content development processes should adopt effective strategies for storing information in ways that allow it to be very easily manipulated for future purposes. If content developed is stored in an electronic database, it then becomes easily available for future applications. The same basic content can be used to for printed materials, electronic information services or for a web site.

Resource production processes depend on the technology choices made for specific resources. The production processes for each technology vary, but all draw on the content development process. In a parallel research project, SAIDE is focusing on the use by SABC Education of technologies other than radio and television. This research project will describe the full range of technological options open to the SABC and indicate preferential choices. Based on preliminary work done for this project we have identified specific technological choices for the school-based service. The rationale for these decisions is based on an understanding of the technology infrastructure currently available to schools, and of the potential opportunities created by new technological developments, as well as their limitations. Printed materials, audio and videocassettes, telephones, the Internet and related electronic communication technologies such as e-mail and facsimile have been selected as appropriate support technologies.

Design of resources depends on technological choices. Irrespective of the technologies chosen it should be guided by common design principles. It would, for example, be pointless to create different graphics and logos for the SABC schools service for different types of resources. SABC Education should establish and enforce design guidelines for the production of all resources. For example, the following standard information should be included on all resources produced:
•    Standard logo and graphics;
•    Dispatch ordering procedure;
•    Order number of that resource;
•    SABC Education web site URL;
•    E-mail address and facsimile number for joining the information service; and
•    Copyright legislation pertaining to that resource.
Standard promotional design styles and content could also be included.

A short note is required here on copyright legislation. SABC Education must formulate or amend copyright legislation for each resource it produces. General copyright guidelines should be available, but specific legislation for each resource would be technology-specific. We believe that policy for SABC educational resources should allow for recording of broadcasts, duplicating print materials, and downloading of web site resources for non commercial educational purposes should be formulated and made accessible to as many potential users as possible. This may, however, not extend to video and audio resources sold by the SABC.

It is now possible to focus on the detailed strategic recommendations for resource production for the SABC school service. Six recommendations will be described in detail:

•         Developing a web site to support the SABC School-service, parts of which provide automated access to database information.
•        Providing a regular electronic information service.
•        Building relationships with existing publications.
•        Printed resource materials, including:

•    material of a promotional nature;
•    a booklet on using audio and video resources in the classroom and school media management; and
•    educational support material for a specific broadcast series and its audio or videocassette.

•         Compiling video and audiocassettes.

Successful implementation of all of these recommendations requires a clear understanding of the information base described in chapter seven, in which the importance of developing management information systems that allow for cheap, easy, and logical storage and retrieval of information was stressed. The resources produced to support the school-based service should all aim to give meaningful access to the information base. From the SABC’s perspective, there is added benefit to creating interfaces to information that enable users to engage with certain types of information themselves with little or no intervention by SABC staff members. This type of service can easily and cheaply add significant value to information bases. It is for this reason, that descriptions of suggested web interfaces and web sites are described first. This is not to elevate a web site above other technology choices, but is intended to provide a framework for understanding the way in which resource production and dispatch relate to content development. If added to a database, a web interface can gives users the most direct access to information about the school service. As such, managing a database with a web interface lays the groundwork for all other resource production recommendations. A well-managed database of information will be the SABC’s most important and valuable resource.

We recommend that all content developed by the SABC be stored as a database and cross-referenced using relevant keywords or subject areas. If a simple web interface is added to such a database, it would be possible for users to select their own search criteria and extract relevant research information very quickly and at no additional cost to the SABC. Different users have different information requirements and a web site cuts across all the information types described in the descriptions of the information base in chapter seven. The web environment has unique characteristics that should be exploited. For example, web sites can:

•    Be easily updated with incurring significant additional costs;
•    Allow for navigation and search possibilities;
•    Offer online ordering facilities;
•    Be automated from a database;
•    Exploit the communication capabilities of the Internet.

In this chapter we will use an example of a Foundation Phase teacher to illustrate the way in which the web environment can be used by the SABC(In chapter seven we illustrated the potential use of an SABC web site by a researcher, while in chapter ten we described ways in which web sites could used to promote the school service). In doing this we assume that then following activities are taking place:

• Information about all aspects of the school-based service has been generated, collated and appropriately stored in a database.

• Scheduling information, descriptions of the school-based series, information about up-coming professional development activities, research reports, press releases and published articles, amongst others, can be found in the management information system.

• Data is sensibly stored to be accessible to SABC education staff. In first visiting the SABC school service site a Foundation Phase teacher could be offered crude choices based on the quality assurance framework described in chapter seven. While the same terminology may not be used, this framework can be used to organise the information options available:

•    School-service broadcasting (what’s on, when, for whom);
•    Professional development networks (how to use what’s on, learning opportunities);
•    Promotion (what has been distributed, where);
•    Consultation (processes up to now, up coming events, give us your feedbaack);
•    Research (briefs, reports, findings, research underway)
•    Resource development (what is available including: print, cassettes, and information services)
•    Dispatch (how to order or request information, services, or resources)

Having chosen to look at school-service broadcasting, for example, the teacher can then choose the level of detail required. We suggest that all information generated about the school-based broadcasts by the SABC could be stored as a database, and cross-referenced using relevant keywords. This would enable users to request information based on their individual needs. Some of the information requested may be accessed as specifically designed HyperText Markup Language (HTML) pages, but much of the information could be presented directly from the information base. For example electing to view this week’s schedule may provide automatically generated page with links to programme series sites. Having selected a specific series, episode-by-episode breakdowns could be downloaded from the database or links could be followed to all resources associated with the series. The teacher should be able to order these resources required. In submitting an online order form for a videocassette, the teacher contact details should be captured and automatically fed into the database of professional development contacts, and could possibly be added to the electronic distribution lists. Adding a simple search level would add tremendous value to the web-based information service, because it would enable the teachers to target only those resources relevant to their teaching. S/He may, for example, only be interested in resources of a specific language, for a certain age group or, on a specific topic. Adding a search level is beneficial to the SABC and cost-effective, because changes made to the database are reflected automatically via the web interface. The lengthy processes of writing pages in HTML are removed, because most pages can be generated automatically from the database

We suggest that initial investment in a web site be directed to setting up a database with a web interface. While more substantial investment in an SABC Education web presence would be necessary up front, this initial cost would be worthwhile as costs would be amortised as the resource grew and was used for multiple applications.

Networking and communication possibilities of the Internet can also be used to disseminate and receive information. Users of the web site could communicate with the SABC via e-mail. This communication, may take the form of comments or queries to SABC staff members. It may be structured responses to on-line facilities, like on-line order or evaluation forms. The SABC site could also serve as a gateway to related education sites. Hyperlinks to others sites of interest could be included. In a reciprocal manner, existing sites should be notified of existence of the SABC Education site, and encouraged to link the site to their pages. Besides receiving information from Internet users, the SABC can use the Internet communication technologies to distribute information to users as well. This is the focus on the next section.

The SABC could disseminate information via facsimile or e-mail distribution lists, a move that would significantly increase the reach of the use of a web site, as more schools have e-mail, than have web access. The facsimile and e-mail service would target contact provincial education representatives, departmental subject advisors, district managers and district officers, teacher centres, teacher union media officers and teacher training institutions.

The distribution lists (for both facsimile and e-mail) would be updated and extended regularly and may go beyond these targeted persons to teachers or individuals who express interest in receiving the information. The type of information distributed electronically would be promotional and schedule information on the broadcasts and aspects of the educational resource information, described in content development.

In considering this kind of information service, costs and maintenance implications need to be considered. Sending computer-based facsimiles is cheaper than sending manual facsimiles as:
•    No person is needed to manually send each facsimile;
•    Computer-based facsimiles are sent at the maximum speed at which a facsimile machine can receive them; and
•    Block sending can be done overnight when the telephone call rates are cheaper and there is a greater chance of the receiving machine being available for use.

E-mail services are even cheaper than sending facsimiles, as individual telephone calls to each recipient are not required. Distinct distribution groups can also be set up for specific target audiences. This would require compilation and administration if done manually. An e-mail or facsimile service could generated automatically from well-designed databases. Subscribers to a Foundation Phase network could automatically receive a single page of information from the school-based service every week. This would have implications for the way in which information generated during content development processes is stored in a database.

People could subscribe to such a service automatically via the web site. Information could be automatically extracted from the database and distributed as frequently as the user chooses. An automated e-mail information service would be customised according to individual recipients’ information preferences. For example, a Foundation Phase teacher may choose to receive schedule reminders about a specific series on a weekly basis. The schedule information could be accompanied by a description of the up coming episode and suggestions for classroom use. An educator at a institution, on the other hand, may subscribe to monthly updates about professional development activities, while the editors of various publications could automatically receive press releases as soon as they are made available in the database. Once the initial investment in a well managed electronic database with its various automated facilities, it could grow without incurring major maintenance costs. The penetration of such a service could be expected to grow incrementally.

Another production and dissemination strategy is to ensure that promotional and scheduling information appears as articles or supplements in existing publications. The SABC can issue press releases, hold media briefings and encourage representatives of the media to carry information about the school service in their publications. In order to do this successfully, SABC Education should establish and maintain good relationships with contact people at various publications. Information in the database should be used to develop content for press release statements and articles. In a reciprocal manner, all contact details, press release statements, published articles and supplements should be stored in the database. These could be automatically requested via the web site. We mentioned some obvious publications to consider for this kind of strategy in chapter ten, that is TV Talk, The Teacher, and possibly SADTU News, the Naptosa newsletter and affiliate publications and district and teacher centre publications.

Existing publications could also be used to carry regular supplements about specific aspects of the school service. In this scenario, the SABC is responsible for content development and production choices. The activity becomes a print production process in which existing publications are used as a distribution mechanism. We devote attention to this type of distribution in appendix six. In this chapter we use TV Talk to illustrate what is meant. TV Talk lends itself particularly well to broadcast schedule information. Besides ensuring that article about the school service are feature in this publication, SABC Education should consider including a regular four-page insert on the education service. Ideally this should be a pull-out which can be removed from the rest of magazine. It should have sufficient schedule information to be useful to teachers.

In appendix six we explore the cost of printing and distributing printed materials. From this appendix it is clear that printing materials is costly. We, therefore, recommend that SABC Education should only produce printed materials for information that has a reasonable shelf life. Transient or current information should wherever possible be distributed using other means like electronic information services, existing publications or a web site. Notwithstanding the costs of print materials, various parts of this report we have suggested that SABC Education produce specific print resources to support the school-service. For example, in chapter ten we suggested various print promotion strategies and in chapter nine a booklet on using audio and video resources in the classroom and school media management was introduced. In this section we focus on these and other commissioned printed materials for the school-based service.

Printed Promotional Material for the School Service
As this has been discussed in more detail in chapter ten, a few examples will be given here, simply to illustrate the types of promotional print materials envisaged.

We suggest that SABC Education produce a pack of printed promotional materials, which may include posters, brochures and fliers about the school service. This pack could include a brochure describing the SABC school service, with descriptions of both broadcasts and non-broadcast support services. The information contained here should be relevant for between six months to a year, and should include the description of platforms or programmes, the target area, broadcasts times, channel or station, and a brief outline of possible use. A promotional poster for SABC Education could accompany this brochure. It would be distributed via district offices, teacher centres, teacher education institutions, and provincial departments, and district teaching and learning services. The intention would be for these brochures to be made available for teachers to collect in any professional development activity that was taking place at regional and district level. Teacher centre coordinators, district officers, or educators at teacher training institutions should be able to order more of these for distribution. Information about how to order additional copies should be printed on the brochure and the poster, and should be made available through the monthly information service. The initial postal distribution should be limited to district offices, provincial departments, teacher centres and teacher training institutions. Using schools as distribution points could also be explored. This kind of promotional material should also be available for distribution at all SABC Education activities, be they professional development, consultation, or broadcast production processes(For example, if the Educator Express production team is filming at a school, SABC educational promotion material should be available. the information should not be limited to Educator Express).

Teacher Guide on Using Audio and Video Resources and Media Management in Schools
Besides the promotional material, we recommend that the SABC Education produces a teacher guide on how to integrate audio and video resources into the classroom and on school media management. Guidelines on how to use audio and video resources in the classroom should be articulated clearly and in simple language, but should be detailed enough to be useful, going beyond common- sensical tips for general use. It should include information about choosing and ordering SABC educational resources. The second part of the booklet should focus on ways in which educational resources and media can be managed in schools. It should articulate ways of establishing a video and audio cassette library, book and catalogue procedures, choosing and maintaining technological equipment for schools, and systems for recording broadcasts. This booklet should be durable, and contain information that will be relevant for two or three years. Some information about what programmes could be used may be included in a pullout in the centre, or on the inside covers. This broadcast information would not be detailed, but could include the broadcasts platforms, focus, target age group and time and channel or station for the broadcasts. Contact details for additional information, and for joining the e-mail or facsimile distribution lists should be included. These booklets could be posted to teacher training institutions, district offices, learning and teaching services at provincial departments and teacher’s centres. Additional copies should be available for distribution on request.

A similar guide can be developed for facilitating workshops or sessions aimed at developing teachers technical and educational capacity to use audio and video resources more effectively in classrooms. This guide can be distributed, on similar principles to the teacher’s guide, to teacher education providers, district offices, and teacher centres.

Educational Support Material for a Specific Broadcast Series or Videocassette.
There is a significant qualitative and quantitative distinction between the development of this kind of resource and all the other content development processes explained. Given this distinction careful consideration needs to be given to the production and dispatch choices made for users to access this type of information. These choices should be based on clear understanding of the very focused target audience; development implications and related production costs with-in budget constraints. Once the investment has been made for this kind of content development for an identified series, users should be able to access this type of information through a variety of ways. Exactly which production and dispatch choices should be made to reach the widest number of the focused target audience, and for the most effective use are difficult ones to make. The way in which this type of information is accessed should be far more precise than the dispatch methods used for other information types.

Detailed episode-by-episode information to support classroom use of all school broadcast series directed at either teachers or learners is not thought to be currently feasible, without very careful consideration of dispatch mechanisms. Firstly creating these kind of print support materials for broadcasts would demand absolute precision and forward planning. Secondly, with broadcasts, the information created would be likely to be redundant soon after the broadcast and finally the costs of creating these kinds of materials are likely to be too high to be sustainable. This detailed episode-by-episode support material, is not a suitable information type to raise awareness or encourage use of the school service. The target audience for this type of information is not teachers in general, but teachers of a specific phase who are using a specific series in their classrooms on a regular basis. The development and production of such a resource should not be seen as means of encouraging this kind of practice, as other resources and dispatch mechanisms can aim to do that.

Nevertheless, we recognise the value of this kind of material, and suggest that SABC Education invests in providing this kind of support for some of its school-based service. We therefore examine the various options for disseminating of this type of information:

• Mailing a printed series booklet to all schools: chapter one articulated clearly that most schools in South Africa do not have the necessary infrastructure to make use of a school-based broadcasting service. This gave rise to the understanding that use of a school based service should be focused at a specific phase, and growth in use would be incremental. Sending detailed resources to all schools would ignore this reality, reaching teachers who are not in a position to make use of the service. The tendency for print materials to get stuck in principles offices and not ever reach the teachers, for whom they were intended, further mitigates against this option.

• Providing a weekly insert in a popular newspaper. Daily or weekly newspapers target the general public, making its reach even more general than mailing to all schools. The detailed educational information would be wasted on an unspecialized readership. Also, weekly supplements for each episode of the broadcast, fragment the resource and would demand extra dedication and administration from teachers or parents trying to get support for each episode. Finally, newsprint is not durable; does not lend itself to filing; and can not be photocopied. It is unlikely that distributing detailed educational support material for a series in a popular newspaper will be feasible.

• Producing a series booklet for distribution on request. A series booklet could be produced and ordered from the dispatch arm of the SABC. It could be durable enough to be a used regularly and could be designed to enable it, or parts there of, to be photocopied. A compiled booklet of an entire series is more likely to encourage regular use of the broadcast by teachers. The entire programme can be viewed in one resource, making planning weekly lessons around each episode easier. The booklet could be made available free of charge, or at cost, to individuals intent on using the service. It should also be distributed through professional development initiatives, which focus on Foundation Phase teachers. Initially, copies of the booklet could be mailed to the Foundation Phase network with some promotional print materials.

• Responding to requests for the videocassette of the series and the series booklet. Should such a series booklet be produced, it could accompany a videocassette of the series as a mixed media package, available for sale from the SABC dispatch arm. The shelf life of a mixed media package (cassette, series booklet, and poster series for example) is likely to extend beyond the broadcast programmes themselves giving added value to the resource.

• Making detailed information available online. If the investment into the development of detailed series information, has been made; it would be relatively simple to make a version of this available on the web site. An HTML (Hyper Text Mark Up Language) version of the support material for each episode should be stored in the database, and automatically accessed via the web site.

• Distributing series information for an episode electronically. If the development of this kind of resource is carefully designed, and if the online version is appropriately planned the support material for each episode, could be distributed on a weekly basis to a specifically selected distribution list. Foundation phase teachers making use of the series in their classrooms could be sent a single page facsimile or e-mail for the programme each week.

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to make absolute recommendations of the exact nature of detailed educational support for specific series. In acknowledging merits of ‘learning by doing’ we recommend that the SABC initiates a pilot project for detailed print support for one or two series in the school-based broadcast.

By focusing on one or two series at first, development of such resources can be thorough and considered, demand can be accessed and the various dispatch mechanisms piloted and evaluated.

Chapter five has as one of the operational principles of the school-based service that:

Where new productions are commissioned, these should focus exclusively on developing resources that lend themselves to recording or purchase on cassette.

This clearly articulates the need to compile videocassettes of school-based programme series. Designing programmes that are suitable for videocassette compilation, should be written in to the commissioning briefs for the school-based series.

In addition to the school-based series, other educational broadcasts also lend themselves to videocassette compilation. In order to identify programmes that would be suitable for cassette compilation, an evaluation process should be established. All SABC Education programmes and existing cassettes available for purchase should be scanned and evaluated as part of this process. The identified broadcast series should be compiled edit, and/or reversion the identified broadcast programmes onto cassette. Duplicates of the cassette should be made available for distribution.

Besides identifying suitable programmes and cassettes to extend the resources available, the information gathered through the evaluation process would be a significant contribution to the information base of the SABC Education. This information should be used to promote the resources available and could be complied into an educational resource catalogue. The catalogue should have detailed enough information to be educationally useful, and should not simply be a list of titles and the sale prices. The different catalogues can have different levels of detail. They can be organized in various ways and have a variety of purposes. Each cassette could be organized alphabetically by title, or grouped by curriculum topic or by age group. For each cassette, information on each of these areas should be available:
•    title;
•    language;
•    length;
•    price;
•    order number;
•    intended age range;
•    subject matter reflected; and a
•    brief description.

It would also be educationally useful for a catalogue to include:
•    a detailed description of the programme or cassette contents;
•    curriculum links;
•    suggested pre-and post viewing activities for the classroom use of each programme; and
•    descriptions of the supportive print material available.

In addition to information specific to each cassette and programme, the catalogue may include supporting information on:
•    how to use the catalogue - indexing, and general structure;
•    how to order cassettes reflected in the catalogue;
•    order forms;
•    good repair and maintenance practice or tips for using recording equipment;
•    licensing and copyright agreements;
•    contact details for support services;
•    regional distribution point details; and
•    general school service information.

In this way, the information about the videocassettes combines promotional professional development and educational support information. Again, a printed resource catalogue would be one means of accessing this information, and electronic distribution services, the web site and promotional materials would also reflect this kind of information.

Content development and production processes lead to the creation of a physical or electronic resource. Handling the completed resources are dispatch functions. Dispatch focuses on the storage, distribution and sales of physical resources, and is primarily concerned with responding to requests for information or for resources. The range of the type of requests for dispatch can be illustrated by these hypothetical examples:

SABC colleagues are engaged in professional development activities at a specific teacher centre. They request promotional material and copies of the generic guide booklet. The SABC dispatch arm would present options and compile suitable packs.

The Take Five production team is doing a road show in Bloemfontein. Suitable materials are requested for this trip.

Footage for Educator Express is taken from a school. Information about the school service is made available.

An individual teacher telephones the SABC dispatch arm to find out what is being broadcast for her grades and where she can get more information. She is told which publications carry regular schedule information and is added to the facsimile distribution list.

An e-mail order for a videocassette and series booklet is received from a school governing body chairperson. The order is processed and the package posted or collected.

The generic teachers guide has been completed. Copies of it are posted to all teacher training institutions with some promotional materials.

From these examples, it is clear that requests can be internal or external and may result in processing a sale, or simply in collating materials for distribution. Internal requests would involve combining printed resources in appropriate packs, by anticipating, monitoring and responding to SABC staff contact activities. It would be essential to ensure that all SABC Education staff are aware of the resources available, and to encourage them to distribute the resources in activities involving contact with members of the education community. External requests, may be from individuals or from entire organization. These orders would need to be processed and a suitable means of payment, distribution or collection established. Standard ordering procedures should be articulated and made accessible through all the promotional activities and materials. A close relationship between dispatch and promotional activities should be maintained. The dispatch arm would be responsible distributing all commissioned print materials. The option to order additional copies, should always be clear visible on all resources dispatched.

For dispatch to function effectively, all resource production and development activities need to be tracked. One way of ensuring that this is done, is for the dispatch arm to issue order numbers for all resources produced. This would serve the dual role of making ordering efficient and of tracking resources available. All available stocks of resource and information concerning the school service would need to be monitors and administered. It would be important for the person or persons responding to requests, be they telephonic, e-mail, facsimile or face-to-face, to know how to access the information in the database, for prompt and accurate service.

Besides accessing information from the database, the dispatch arm would contribute to the information base by keeping a record of all sales, purchases distribution mechanisms. This would be an important research aspect of the unit, in order to monitor and evaluate the demand for resources, and refine the distribution methods used. Tracking sales and orders, could be done efficiently, with the minimal manual input, if carefully set up as a database function. The following fields of information would be essential to track resource production:
•    technology (audiocassette, videocassette, promotional print material, print resources);
•    title;
•    target audience;
•    language;
•    length (if appropriate);
•    order number;
•    licensing and copyright agreements;
•    price; and
•    means of distribution.

For educational resources the following information should also be available:
- intended age group and/or phase;
- curriculum area and intended outcomes;
- an overview of the resource; and
- links to other supporting resources.

The dispatch arm can also take a proactive role in brokering new partnerships and strategies for dispatch and sales. One important aspect of this would be liasing with existing sales or dispatch services at the SABC, about the ordering procedure, available resources. Regional offices may be approached to float some stock and administer sales. The feasibility of administering and floating stock in commercial outlets could be investigated. Partnerships with Nu Metro and/or Primedia, to distribute video resources through video hire and sales outlets, may be possible. Non commercial and educational networks, like public libraries, teacher centres and district offices could also be approached to see whether SABC educational resources could be made available through their services. Potential partnerships with other educational cassette producers and/ or distributers like The Learning Channel and educational resource suppliers like Incredible Connection could also be investigated.

In sum, the dispatch arm would play an important role in monitoring and tracking resource production. It would respond to both external and internal requests for resources to be distributed or sold, and would record all sales and orders processed. Public queries would be responded to through dispatch, making access to current and accurate information about the school service broadcasts and its non-broadcast support essential. Finally, new partnerships and strategies for sales and distribution could be investigated.

Through this research process, we have identified the following specific strategies for the first six months of the school-based service.

• Compile a promotion pack for schools, which includes:
  •    General school service branding poster; and
  •    Brochures for individual programme series.

  The information contained here should be relevant for at least six months and should include the description of platforms or programmes, the target area, broadcasts times, channel or station and a brief outline of possible use. The promotional material must aim to give an overview of the school service, including both broadcast and non-broadcast strategies. Contact details for additional information, and for joining the e-mail or facsimile distribution lists should be included.

• On-air promotion for the service should take place in an intensive way during the first six months of 1999 (preferably on radio and television).

• The following publication liaison functions were identified:
  •    Liaise with existing publications on an ongoing basis, to cover articles on the schools service. Publications to consider include TV Talk, The Teacher, Sales House, Edgar’s Club, MiniMag, SADTU News, South African national Council of Churches newsletter, Educator’s Link, Engineering News (this targets the corporate sector and contains all government tenders), NAPTOSA affiliate newsletter, and teacher centre or district circulars.
  •    Continue existing communication and bartering arrangements with the Sowetan for The Learning Channel weekly supplements, and the Dumani strips in the Education Supplement.
  •    Establishing contracts or agreements for the following supplements, in suitable publications:

  •    Khululekha: constitutional and voter education supplement in regional newspapers and Sowetan (with run ons?)
  •    Schools service and Educator Express insert in The Teacher, SADTU News, provincial bulletins or teacher centre publications
  •    TV Talk lends itself particularly well to broadcast schedule information. A regular, four-page insert on the education service should be considered. If this can be removed, and have sufficient schedule information to be useful to teachers it would have added value.
  •    Include a four-page centrefold on the school service in the Yizo Yizo magazine. This would be an additional promotion strategy for the school service.

• Produce a general guide for teachers on how to integrate audio and video resources into the classroom and on school media management. Guidelines on how to use audio and video resources in the classroom should be articulated clearly and in simple language, but should be detailed enough to be useful, going beyond common-sensical tips for general use. The second part of the booklet should focus on ways in which educational resources and media can be managed in schools. Ways to establish a video and audio cassette library, booking and cataloguing procedures, choosing and maintaining technological equipment for schools, and systems for recording broadcasts would be included. This booklet should be durable, and contain information that will be relevant for two or three years. This should be have 20 pages, with an Educator Express advert on the back cover. The booklet would be an important resource for all outreach activities. A cost-effective strategy for disseminating this would be to put it into a file, and distribute together with copies of the promotion pack.

• Develop a training pack for outreach. This should include:
  •    a facilitators guide or notes;
  •    audio and/or video cassette;
  •    a number of copies or the general teacher’s guide on using A&V and school media management; and
  •    copies of the promotional materials.

The pack could also be compiled in a file or box, and would be an important resource for outreach activities.

• Develop a brief for a print support pilot project for the Foundation Phase Numeracy series to run for the first six months of 1998. The following steps are anticipated:

•    Put out an advertisement to invite interested organizations to conduct this pilot project with the SABC, ensuring that this reaches at least three organizations with a recognized track record of running such projects.
•    Select an organization to work with the SABC, according to identified criteria (including track record, ability to establish links with Foundation Phase educators, understanding of context of implementation and difficulties of distribution, and ability to provide a creative response to the request to contribute a print strategy).
•    Ensure that the selected organization works with SABC and television producers to develop a print strategy alongside the production process.