If you're a high school history teacher, you're probably familiar with the PBS series "Newscast from the Past" which aired for only a couple of months back in 1984.

I was hoping you might be able to get me a copy of them. I looked them up on line and know what? They're upwards of $390. No wonder schools never have any money.

There is a comedy version called History Bites, which pretends they had TV throughout history.

Sounds kinda like Walter Cronkite's old show for kids that used to play on Saturday Mornings back when dinosaurs ruled the earth, You Are There!. I still vaguely remember the Amelia Earhardt episode, it was the same premise, the other Uncle Walt would broadcast a mock news show from some famous historical event.

I once produced some shows to be sold in vhs format for the public school market. When I asked the head of marketing why he was being so greedy and asking over $300.00 for each tape he explained that schools are accustomed to paying these prices and when he once offered something for $20.00 nobody would buy it because they figured it was no good. Go figure...:rolleyes:

The other problem you're going to find is that, unless the teacher owns the copy of the show, the tape is owned by either the school or the school district and it was paid for by tax dollars. For a teacher to make you a copy of school property would be a gift of public funds, which is illegal.

Of course, if the teacher owns the tape and makes you a copy, well, that's piracy.