Historical OU TV and Radio

The Open University has produced a number of series to inform students and a wider audience about the University. Series such as 'Open Forum' and 'Countdown to the OU' covered various topics such as methods of teaching, information about modules and guidance on areas such as summer schools. The OU Digital Archive Historical Television and Radio collection includes a small sample of the archive. The collection will grow as more contents are added.

Image of Historical OU TV and Radio
Thumbnail Title Description Date
audio record of Videotape (programme 4)The history of electronics moves to the videotape or magnetic recording. Sound recording on disk...
audio record of Transistors (programme 3)To most people in the 1950s the word 'transistor' meant a portable radio rather than the clever...
audio record of Electronic futures (programme 7)Recorded on location in California, the programme features two of the leading figures in the...
audio record of Microprocessors (programme 6)Partially recorded in the part of California, US, known as Silicon Valley, this programme tells the...
audio record of It's History! (programme 1)The first in a new series about women and technology, presented by Kate Bellingham. 'It's History'...
audio record of From concept to customer (programme 4)This programme looks at four women inventors and their trials and tribulations as they work in a...
audio record of Engineering a career? (programme 2)Why aren't girls taking up careers in science and engineering? Talking to girls at school and their...
audio record of Logged in or left out? (programme 6)The internet - what does that mean to you? And what about computer games? With the help of Eva...
audio record of Women in the white heat (programme 7)This programme looks at a variety of topical issues in the area of women and technology. Diana...
audio record of The Innovators (programme 5)This programme, presented by Kate Bellingham, is about women and innovation. The first item is...
audio record of Does dropping the debt miss the point? (programme 1)Recently a wide range of people from the Pope to Bono have called for the cancellation of Third...
audio record of Dust to dimes? : fifty years of development aid (programme 2)The Bretton Woods conference, set up by the allies at the end of the Second World War, established...
audio record of The Stephensons, Father and Son (programme 2)George Stephenson and his son Robert a generation later were two of the most influential engineers...
audio record of Edison and the Electric World (programme 7)Thomas Edison was the most prolific engineer who ever lived. He was committed to electricity as a...
audio record of Telford and the Lost Engineer (programme 3)Thomas Telford is regarded as the father of civil engineering. But the Society of Civil Engineers...
audio record of Henry Maudslay - The Back-Room of Revolution (programme 5)Isambard Kingdom Brunel was perhaps the most energetic and inspired engineer of the nineteenth...
audio record of Bessemer and the Creators of Steel (programme 6)In the mid-nineteenth century the Bessemer process for making cheap steel revitalised industrial...
audio record of Brunel and the atmospheric caper (programme 4)While the focus of popular attention has been on engineers who produced ever greater achievements...
audio record of Early television (programme 2)'Diamonds, Rust and a Handful of Sand', our series on the history of electronics now moves into...
audio record of Wireless (programme 1)And now for the first in a new series, tracing the history of electronics in the 20th century....
audio record of Radar (programme 3)'Diamonds, Rust and a handful of Sand' is an 8 part radio series about the historical development...
audio record of Quartz (programme 5)An examination of the natural mineral and its ability to add precision timing to electronic...
audio record of Whose right to intervene? (programme 4)Following the Biafra war a group of French doctors founded Medecins Sans Frontieres, a new kind of...
audio record of Refugees - who cares? (programme 3)The United Nations High Commission for Refugees was set up in the aftermath of the Second World...
audio record of Making the world secure? (programme 7)Surprisingly little is known about the UN Security Council, yet it is in fact the executive body of...
audio record of Whose knowledge counts? (programme 5)Development aid has typically been a question of experts, often white, going to a country and...
audio record of The benefits of war (programme 6)Wars (you thought) are fought to be won. But is that really what most modern conflicts are about?...
audio record of Smart Johannesburg - leading the African renaissance? (programme 8)This programme investigates the development of Johannesburg as a global city, from a rather shaky...
video record for C.I.M in the workplace, TV12 C.I.M in the workplace, TV12
video record for Open Forum 1989 : May Open Forum 1989 : MayRound-up of University and education items in the news for May. Jean Rowton reports on training on...
video record for Open Forum (1989) : June Open Forum (1989) : JuneRound-up of University and education items in the news for June. Kent County Council invest in a...
video record for Open Forum 05(1971) : Assignments Open Forum 05(1971) : AssignmentsDiscussion on assignments, exams and the teaching system and on the role of correspondence and...
video record for Open Forum 115(1986) : It's never too late....The OU's mature students in close-up Open Forum 115(1986) : It's never too late....The OU's mature students in close-upInterviews with some of the more mature OU students in which they give their views on why they are...
video record for Open Forum 127(1988) : The Open Lectures at the Durham Summer School Open Forum 127(1988) : The Open Lectures at the Durham Summer SchoolLecture given by Robin Wilson at the M101 Summer School at Durham. With the aid of postage stamps...
video record for Open Forum (1989) : August Open Forum (1989) : AugustRound-up of OU and general education news for August. A visit to Aberdeen University to see how...
video record for Open Forum (1990) : magazine programme February edition Open Forum (1990) : magazine programme February editionThe programme looks at the plans for higher education, training for small businesses, a new...
video record for Open Forum(1974) : inserts Open Forum(1974) : insertsPilot study on summer schools. Policy group to discuss the likely political eventualities on the OU...
video record for Open Forum (1990) : magazine programme March edition Open Forum (1990) : magazine programme March editionThis programme looks at the Students Loan Bill and students profile, research equipment, HD TV at...
video preview image for Countdown to the Open University 1(1985) Countdown to the Open University 1(1985)
video record for Open Forum 53(1980) : adult education under seige Open Forum 53(1980) : adult education under seigeProfessor Groombridge argues for the necessity of withstanding cuts in adult education and...
video record for Open Forum 92(1984) : OU graduates press conference 1984 Open Forum 92(1984) : OU graduates press conference 1984Excerpts from the 1984 conference televised from the Adelphi Suite, Waldorf Hotel, London.
video record for Open Forum 94(1984) : OUSA National conference 1984 Open Forum 94(1984) : OUSA National conference 1984A look at the 1984 OUSA Conference at Warwick University.
video record for Open Forum 95(1984) : has the Open University a future? Open Forum 95(1984) : has the Open University a future?A panel discussion held at the 1984 OUSA national conference. OUSA delegates pose the questions.
video record for Open Forum 88(1983) ; energy research at the OU Open Forum 88(1983) ; energy research at the OUA look at the work of the Energy Research Group. Several projects are briefly examined.
video record for Open Saturday 3(1998) Open Saturday 3(1998)Open Saturday takes a new look on a different theme each week. This programme "Communication: the...
video record for Learning with others Learning with others
video record for Gloucester Gloucester
video record for Open Forum 11(1974) : general assembley Open Forum 11(1974) : general assembleyTopics discussed were: student participation in the OU government structure and OU academic policy....
video record for Open Forum 07(1976) Open Forum 07(1976)Filmed interviews with students in Devon and Cornwall who have benefitted from the student hardship...
video record for Open Forum 12(1974) Open Forum 12(1974)News round-up. Student representation in Open University government discussed. Alternative plans...