On the other hand, a primary advantage that the specialists frequently note is the availability of the videotapes for future use. This reusable resource is, to a measure, compensation for the extra work that goes into the TV production. The principal decisions about the usefulness of closed-circuit TV for Extension Service programs lie with the administrative officers and the Advisory Committee, a group of staff representing specialists, county agents, and the coordinating office, who serve as a policysetting group and a clearinghouse. It's this group that, through the district Advisory Committees, assesses client needs, tailors programs to fit these needs, and informs clients about the programs and how they may be able to benefit from them. Use of the network for Extension programs is only in its second year.
Selection is based increasingly on input from the county and district levels.
It's important, too, to include programming that the network is especially well-suited to carry, the information about current conditions, such as economic trends or weather, and about newly announced government programs. Several hundred were at receive sites in early 1984 to learn about the 1983 Dairy Adjustment Act. Audiences for TV programs are very critical of what they see, and any TV production effort must take this into consideration. Initially, there was the sense that TV had to be entertaining, and if it wasn't, then it was boring. After a year and a half, there's less need for entertainment, and, while the socialization aspects of the meetings remain strong, the clients now go to the programs more to learn than to have fun.