Satellite education channel 1 started broadcasting programs on October 1, 1986, 1987 witness the establishment of China Education Television CETV and the second and third channels followed up in l988 and 1994 responsible for transmitting educational programs. The contents include degree education of radio and television universities, continuing education after graduation, training and continuing education for teachers and principals, secondary specialties and vocational education, practical-skill training courses for peasants. Channel 1 broadcasts educational news and comprehensive educational programs. Channel 2 focuses on the courses of CRTVU. The programs of Channel 3 mainly for spreading the nine-year compulsory education are jointly run by the Ministry of Education and the government of Shandong Province. Beijing Educational Channel (channel 35) that covers the whole area was established by CETV in October, 1996.

Over 940 television stations, and reception and relay stations, 10,000 satellite stations and 66,000 video stations had been established in the Chinese educational system by the end of 1997.The three CETV channels broadcast 47 hours per day covering 80% of regional cities and towns.

Satellite communication technology presents its special advantages and vitality. Its use in education brings new vigor to education. It widens the teaching scale and contents of radio and television universities. It improves the development of training for secondary and primary teachers and of vocational education. It pushes forward the educational reform and economic and educational development of outlying regions.

Our country is making efforts on transforming the educational satellite net to digital, interactive and Ku wave system with the development of information technology. The feedback system is coming into use by making full use of the net resources, Interactive teaching and transformed educational satellite net will play and important role in the country's distance education.

Construction of Electronic Audio-visual Teaching Materials

Electronic teaching materials are a main part of modern teaching materials and also the key link of educational technology. They become more and more important with the use of high-tech in the field of education. The contents include basic education, higher education, vocational education and radio and TV education. The media include movies, projective films, slides, tape recorders, videos and laser disks, complementary teaching software and the written textbooks for these materials.

A specific requirement was made at the third national meeting on education, which is to take measures to develop excellent teaching software. The Ministry of Education has made clearly the principles, requirements, and tasks and responsibilities. The examination, evaluation, rewards, publication and circulation management and exchange of collection, and compiling teams are all definitely regulated. The offices in charge make unified planning for the electronic teaching materials. The compiling teams consist of frontier teachers, specialists and educational technology personnel. Profound researches are made on the compiling. The frontier teachers are encouraged to edit themselves. The compiling teams are made full use. The compiling job and its proficiency are promoted. The Ministry of Education has organized national examination and rewards activities many times. Excellent electronic teaching materials are rewarded and the markets are standardized through activities. There are 45 publishing houses in the field of education. Different readers can find what they want from thousands of electronic materials published every year.