WBBM Channel 2 - Summer Semester - "Asia: Half the Human Race" (Opening Excerpt, 1979)

Here's the first few minutes of a Summer Semester course on the future of China, titled "Asia: Half the Human Race," (Part 1: "Asia Past and Future" - Today's Topic: "Roots of Modern Asia; The North and East") as aired on WBBM Channel 2. This course, produced in association with Bergen Community College (Paramus, NJ) was hosted by Dr. Robert B. Oxnam (Director of the Asia Society's Washington Center and China Counsel) and featured Prof. Ezra Vogel.

Summer Semester (which usually ran from June to August) was the summer version of Sunrise Semester, which ran on CBS from 1957 to 1982 and was produced in conjunction with New York University (NYU). Originally started as an experiment where NYU students could watch a course for extra credits, it ended up helping spur the cause for educational television which, in the form of PBS, combined with CBS's desire for more news-oriented programming at that hour, ultimately led to the show's cancellation in 1982.

This clip includes:

TV College slide - "Chicago City-Wide College - Register for History 243" (voiceover by ??)

Station ID / promo for Paul Newman appearance on The Mike Douglas Show for 3:30pm (voiceover by Bob Carrington)

Opening titles for Summer Semester course, "Asia: Half the Human Race," with Dr. Oxnam and Professor Vogel taking turns speaking about the issue in question

This aired on local Chicago TV on Friday, May 18th 1979 at 6:00am.

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