BRIGHTON STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM C4 BURSARIES

CHANNEL 4 are funding two bursaries for students on the new MSc in Digital Television Management and Production at the University of Brighton.
The bursaries, at £6,000 each, will cover the cost of a full time place on the MSc and preference will be given to support people with disabilities or from ethnic backgrounds.
The new MSc course in Digital Television and Management, which starts on October 15, aims to help students develop the skills required to capitalise on the rapid growth of interactive programmes and content across different digital platforms, as well as a clear understanding of DTV technologies and the marketplace.
The university has developed the course in conjunction with media production company, Victoria Real, which was one of the first independent companies in the UK to produce interactive TV. It has worked on a number of high profile interactive projects, including Big Brother for Channel 4.
In addition, Channel 4 is funding an award – the Channel 4 Awards for Innovation – which recognises a particularly innovative output during the course by an individual.
Stuart Cosgrove, Head of Programmes (Nations & Regions) commented: “Digital television in the UK is booming – with 30 per cent of households already having converted from analogue – and it is set to grow at an exponential rate worldwide over the next decade.
“It is vital that we have people who are armed with the skills to keep pace within the DTV industry and these bursaries are one way to ensure that financially disadvantaged students are given an equal chance to extend their skills and achieve prominent positions in this area.”
Channel 4’s Training and Development Manager, Alec McPhedran, added: “The course development team at the University of Brighton, along with Victoria Real, have put together an excellent and farsighted programme. There is a huge gap in the appreciation of DTV graphics and television production and the human-computer interaction design. Along with a growing need for improved business knowledge and project management, the channel is keen to develop future talent for the industry with the skills to tackle this shortage.”
(GB)