SECC's History: 25 Years of Educational Cable TV

On August 26, 1985, eight South Natomas residents tuned in — for the first time  — to cable television, and the Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium (SECC) aired — for the first time — programming on one channel. That was the day cable television was activated, and SECC was the leader, the only one of the community channels ready to provide its educational programming to the community. Back then, SECC’s 50 hours a week of prerecorded programs was a huge accomplishment, especially with a two-person staff. Today, SECC’s viewers watch programming 24/7 on two channels (with programs on two additional channels during the school year). 

Establishing an Educational Channel

SECC’s creation began in the 1970s when a group of progressive educators formed a consortium comprising the area’s educational institutions to negotiate with cable franchising authorities. When cable arrived in Sacramento in 1985, the educational community worked with the cable company to establish an exemplary educational channel. The challenge for this partnership was to break down traditional education and business barriers to achieve similar goals. SECC is part of Sacramento’s community cable channels: Access Sacramento, KVIE’s Cable 7 and Metro Cable. 

The process involved developing an SECC board of directors, constituents and policies. Even today, each member organization has one voting board member, so the largest university and the smallest K-6 district are equal. No single organization dominates the consortium. And this concept ensured the success that has endured all these years. 

The cable company and other businesses have partnered with SECC over the years in areas that match their own goals. To help promote the use of educational cable, Comcast provided a free connection for all 380 Sacramento schools. The cable company also assisted in establishing local school site television studios and cosponsored teacher education events. 

Today, SECC reaches Sacramento’s lifelong learners in homes and schools through a variety of transmission methods such as cable, Internet, fiber, microwave and ITFS (Instructional Television Fixed Service) — giving viewers the opportunity to learn in the way most convenient for them. Cable programs reach across the borders of classroom walls — classic arts, electronic fieldtrips to places that might otherwise be inaccessible and NASA space trips. At-home viewers can enroll in cable credit courses and staff development benefits classroom educators. 

New Technologies: Creating BESTNet

What if schools could increase their ability to collaborate, partner and share media rich content? How would classroom learning change if students could regularly learn by taking virtual fieldtrips, videoconferencing, webcasting, collaborative workspaces, real time data access, remote instrumentation and more? For Sacramento area students, this revolutionary idea is nearly a reality due to the creation of an exciting resource called BESTNet (Broadband Education Services Technology Network). Spearheaded by SECC and described as Sacramento’s educational technology gateway, BESTNet is a shared vision of the educational community that will affect and improve technology for more than 99,225 elementary students and 6,112 elementary teachers. A high-speed network that connects all SECC K-20 member educational institutions, BESTNet also is an instrument to unlimited access of places and ideas throughout the world and beyond. This unique service comes from SECC and its members, the Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission, Comcast, Strategic Technologies (STI) and Surewest.   

BESTNet’s creation consists of three phases: Phase I and II — connecting all Sacramento school district offices, community colleges, CSUS and high schools and middle schools in Sacramento county with a robust broadband fiber infrastructure network — will be completed fall 2010. Phase III completes BESTNet and connects, with broadband infrastructure, all elementary schools and selected public libraries located on school campuses. 

As BESTNet evolves, so will the idea that education is a multimedia environment that provides a dynamic infrastructure for Sacramento’s educational community. For teachers and students using BESTNet's vast resources, access to the entire world through technology in the coming years will just be life as usual.

SECC and BESTNet are funded in part by the Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Telelvision Commission.

Board of Directors

Michael Borgaard

Elverta Joint School District 
> Visit online

Carl Fahle

San Juan Unified School District 
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John Fleischman

Sacramento County Office of Education 
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Mick Holsclaw

Los Rios Community College District 
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Joe Jenkins

Folsom Cordova Unified School District 
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Audrey Kilpatrick

Galt Joint Union High School District  
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Terry Kritsepis

Sacramento City Unified School District 
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Gregory Lindner

Elk Grove Unified School District 
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Marvin Lord

Center Unified School District
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Joe Parente

Process Theatre, Inc.  

Greg Porter

CSUS, Sacramento
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Reuben Reyes

Robla School District
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Karen Schauer 

Galt Joint Union Elementary School District 
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Jim Shock

Aroche Union School District 
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Gene Smith

Twin Rivers Unified School District 
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David Stone

Natomas Unified School District
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Board Meetings

SECC board meetings are held every other month on the second Thursday at 12:00 pm at the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE). The next meetings in 2012 are on February 9, April 12 and June 7.

> Map and directions to SCOE