Telecommunications in Urban Development

Ways in which television can be used to improve life in the urban ghetto. A survey, made in Los Angeles and New Orleans, indicates that the failure to communicate community information within the ghetto and between the ghetto and neighboring communities is largely responsible for the isolation of ghetto residents and for their inability to enter into the economic mainstream. Television, as a familiar and relatively trusted medium, has a great potential for communicating many types of information. This study considers the role of television in three major areas of education: preschool, elementary and secondary, and adult. The major conclusion is that one or more pilot projects should be implemented to assess the institutions required to produce and broadcast these programs, potential sources of financial support, and degree of public acceptance and use. The project would include two South Central Los Angeles communities and would provide programs on job information, educational opportunities, city hall news, and cultural events.