This report describes the purpose, aspirations, and components of the Federal Judicial Television Network (FJTN), which will reach judges and court staff members with a range of essential educational programs and other communications. The network will use formats that take full advantage of professional television production facilities and skills. The Federal Judicial Center (FJC) aspires to create a network with high-quality production values that provides valuable services to judges and court staff in all categories and provides broadcast quantities sufficient to sustain wide audience interest without disrupting daily courthouse activity.
The network's technical backbone consists of the following:
- the FJC's two broadcast studios: a fully-equipped, broadcast-quality sound stage and a state-of-the-art, automated instructor-presentation studio with a videoteleconference space;
- downlinks the Administrative Office (AO) is installing at court locations to reach the majority of judges and staff;
- transmitter and satellite services leased from existing providers; and
- a viewer response system, preferably the de facto standard of the existing Government Educational Television Network, which provides the broadest range of feedback possibilities and permits incoming data from viewing sites to be summarized and re-presented graphically to the viewing audience.
The FJC has several years of live broadcast and videotape production experience. The AO and Sentencing Commission also anticipate active use of the network. The FJC will provide both with program design and production assistance.