David Crossley: Difference between revisions

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I was the person who started York Student TV in 1967.  Initially it was a combined film/TV production outfit called 'York University Tele-Film Productions' - a clumsy name which lasted less than a year and bit the dust when the film part was hived off into a separate student society.
I was the person who started York Student TV in 1967.  Initially it was a combined film/TV production outfit called 'York University Tele-Film Productions' - a clumsy name which lasted less than a year and bit the dust when the film part was hived off into a separate student society.


The original idea came from a lecturer in the Education Department at York whose name I now forget. I was a Biology and Education student who had recently taken over the running of the student filmmaking activity that was then part of the Drama Society.  The Education Department had just acquired some early video equipment, together with three technical guys to run it, and essentially didn't know what to so with it.  The lecturer suggested to me that I should start a student TV society to make use of the equipment and the whole thing took off from there.
The original idea came from a lecturer in the Education Department at York whose name I now forget. I was a Biology and Education student who had recently taken over the running of the student filmmaking activity that was then part of the Drama Society.  The Education Department had just acquired some early video equipment, together with three technical guys to run it, and essentially didn't know what to do with it.  The lecturer suggested to me that I should start a student TV society to make use of the equipment and the whole thing took off from there.


I initially gathered together a group of about 10 people, mainly through a student society stall at the beginning of the first term in October 1967.  We met every Monday evening in the little meeting room overlooking the Langwith dining room (is is still there?). At these meetings we discussed ideas for the weekly 'news magazine' programme we called 'Newsround', wrote some scripts and generally had a good time.  Script writing was made easier because a couple of our members (not me) could type - not a common skill among university students at that time.  One member actually owned a portable typewriter which we used extensively.  This was Sieta Rijkelijkhuizen who later became station director and who, like me, now lives in Australia.
I initially gathered together a group of about 10 people, mainly through a student society stall at the beginning of the first term in October 1967.  We met every Monday evening in the little meeting room overlooking the Langwith dining room (is is still there?). At these meetings we discussed ideas for the weekly 'news magazine' programme we called 'Newsround', wrote some scripts and generally had a good time.  Script writing was made easier because a couple of our members (not me) could type - not a common skill among university students at that time.  One member actually owned a portable typewriter which we used extensively.  This was Sieta Rijkelijkhuizen who later became station director and who, like me, now lives in Australia.
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The first two or three "Newsrounds' were pre-recorded.  I remember watching the first one in the Langwith common room surrounded by our production team and a couple (only) of curious students.  We soon went to live programmes which made the whole production process much more exciting.
The first two or three "Newsrounds' were pre-recorded.  I remember watching the first one in the Langwith common room surrounded by our production team and a couple (only) of curious students.  We soon went to live programmes which made the whole production process much more exciting.


I now live in Sydney, Australia and have been in Australia for 40 years - I arrived here after graduating from York in 1968.  I initially came to Australia to do a PhD but dropped out of that one.  I then became, for four years, an educational TV producer at a university in Sydney - the only job in which I used my experience with YSTV.  I did get a PhD several years later, spent some time working for government, and now run my own consultancy company providing advice on energy and environmental policy and programs.
I now live in Sydney and have been in Australia for 40 years - I arrived here after graduating from York in 1968.  I initially came to Australia to do a PhD but dropped out of that one.  I then became, for four years, an educational TV producer at a university in Sydney - the only job in which I used my experience with YSTV.  I did get a PhD several years later, spent some time working for government, and now run my own consultancy company providing advice on energy and environmental policy and programs.


YSTV was actually very important to my personal and professional development.  It gave me my first experience of starting an organisation from scratch - I've started several others during the last 40 years.  At YSTV I also gained my first experience of leading and managing a team of people.  I'm very grateful to that initial group who put up with my inexperience and enabled me to learn a great deal.
YSTV was actually very important to my personal and professional development.  It gave me my first experience of starting an organisation from scratch - I've started several others during the last 40 years.  At YSTV I also gained my first experience of leading and managing a team of people.  I'm very grateful to that initial group who put up with my inexperience and enabled me to learn a great deal.
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