Federal funds received for telecommunications network

Federal funds received for tel telecommunications ns network Western Illnois is finally going to get its own educational and cultural TV programming. U.S. Rep. Tom Railsback, R-Moline, announced today at Black Hawk College, Moline, that Convocom, the West Central Illinois Education Telecommunications Corporation, has received a $559,000 grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The grant will be matched by $186.000 in local funds to be used to buy the equipment for a telecommunications network for educational, cultural and public affairs broadcasts in the region. THE AREA to benefit will include West Central Illinois and parts of Missouri and Iowa, a 32,000-squaremile region with two million people. This region is the most populous demograhic- area in the U.S. that receive programs from the Public does not have its own public TV Broadcasting System and other stations. sources will provide them to the Convocom is a regional consor- region. tium including several colleges and The institutions and communities universities: Black Hawk Commu- will be linked by a two-way micronity College in Moline. Sangamon wave network using facilities at State University in Springfield. Black Hawk, Bradley. Western IlliBradley University in Peoria, West- nois and Sangamon State. ern Illinois University in Macomb Non-commercial FM radio staand Illinois College in Jacksonville. tions in the region will also be able to WTVP. Channel 47, Peoria's commu- exchange programs at very low nity-owned public TV station with costs. The network will also permit studios on the Bradley campus, is the flow of material in many local also part of the system. cable TV svstems. The grant and matching funds. THE CORPORATION will oper- totaling $745.000. will be used to ate through, TV stations: WQPT. acquire the equipment needed to Channel 24, in the Quad-Cities: Chan- provide two-way video, voice and nel 22 in Macomb; Channel 27 in and data service between and among Quincy: WTVP in Peoria: WJPT. the principal consortium members. Channel 14. in Jacksonville and sev- Dr. Gordon H. Millar, vice presieral translators in the region. dent of engineering at Deere and Co. Convocom will use a satellite Moline, is chairman of the board of terminal at WTVP in Peoria to directors of Convocom.

The Rock Island Argus

Federal funds received for telecommunications network

Federal funds received for telecommunications network

The Rock Island Argus