About Portland Classroom TV

Portland Classroom TV (PCTV) is a project of PRETC. PCTV provides instructional programming to schools in the Portland area using frequencies reserved by the FCC for delivery of educational programming via an ITFS system.All of our courses are non-commercial, FREE educational programming. We offer these programs for member schools to tape and inventory as school resources. Both teachers and students may use them in classrooms, as well as for independent study or home viewing.


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Instructional Television Fixed Service

ITFS is a microwave radio service which uses frequencies reserved by the FCC for broadcast of educational programming. ITFS transmission is exactly like cable television's, except that it uses microwave frequencies that ordinary TVs are unable to receive. Therefor it is necessary to install a special ITFS antenna at each receive point; the antenna picks up the ITFS microwave signal and "down converts" it to VHF TV channels which can be picked up by an ordinary set with the help of a cable-type set-top converter. The converter is connected to the TV by a cable, but no modification of the TV itself is required.

ITFS systems have been used successfully for years by countless educational organizations across the country. Although PRETC airs programming only in Portland, we work closely with ITF, DAETC and TCSTG which air programming in Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento and Salt Lake City, Denver and the Twin Cities areas respectively.