The developing role of a university audiovisual centre: The London experience

Abstract

The University of London was one of the last universities to set up an audiovisual department. It aimed to establish a new and specific professionalism rather than copy the ways of the broadcasters. The Audiovisual Centre has a multiplex existence, being just as prepared to give a small amount of assistance to someone else's production, as to produce a long series of elaborate television programmes.

In the past 10 years over 1,000 teaching programmes have been made in video, film and tape-slide. Each year, 1,100 to 1,200 titles are distributed. This article describes the developing role of the Audiovisual Centre, and the lessons learned. Finally, its future role is seen as a widening of its sphere of activity to include the public sector, which is considered the most important development of the 1980s.