An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ that this week looks at the future for the computer and for information technology. Presenter Ian Breach speaks with several experts in the field of technology about the benefits computers can bring to bot the individual as well as in industry and government. Discussions are also had on some of the potential pitfalls such as relating to jobs and the protect or potential misuse of personal information. Title: Tyne...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ that this week looks at the future for the computer and for information technology. Presenter Ian Breach speaks with several experts in the field of technology about the benefits computers can bring to bot the individual as well as in industry and government. Discussions are also had on some of the potential pitfalls such as relating to jobs and the protect or potential misuse of personal information. Title: Tyne Tees Briefing In a large open plan office at the Department of Health and Social Security in Washington women sit at terminals typing child benefit information into computer terminals. As the camera passes through the room it moves past others work large printing machines. In another part of the building the camera walks past row-upon-row of magnetic-tape data storage machines passing through a set of automatic doors into other rooms full also of storage machines and their technicians sitting at terminals. The camera comes to stop beside a woman who watches over a printout coming out of a machine. In the Tyne Tees Television studio in Newcastle presenter Ian Breach stands beside a desktop computer set up beside him and introduces this episode that will look at an applied science that has developed faster than any other and which is of relevance to much of our daily activity. He walks over and speaks with Dr David Jones an independent science consultant asking him how fast technology has developed since the end of the last war? Dr Jones states that computer technology has developed faster than any other in the whole history of science. He goes onto explain that he is not aware of any theorical limits to how much faster we can develop the technology and that the demand in the future for more computer power will also only increase. In the playground of a primary school in the West End of Newcastle, Dr Jones uses some of the pupils to imitate the actions of a computer. To the instruction of Dr Jones, the children run around the playground standing in certain positions to show how a computer answer a simple math question. Returning to the Tyne Tees studio Ian Breach explains how the government is currently pinning its hopes for industrial recovery on the computer and communication science. He speaks with Raey Atkinson Northern Regional Director of the Department of Industry who put forward to the government the idea of making 1982 the ‘Year of Information Technology’. He explains why this it is important in raise awareness of this technology and remove fear of computers in both industry and for the public. The discussion, for the moment, with Raey Atkinson comes to an end and Ian introduces a film that looks at computers in use. On a street in Newcastle Ian walks up to a Midland AutoBank cash machines and explains that this machine is in fact linked to another at Bootle on Merseyside. As he puts his card into the machine and withdraws £10 in cash. At a Makro supermarket a female shop assistant inputs tag information of an item being purchased into a computer, in voiceover Ian Breach explains how this information in automatically linked to the customers bank account out which the funds to pay for said items will come. Inside a travel agency a young man books a foreign holiday with an agent checking availability on a data terminal while in an arcade two teenage boys playing video games. Back in the studio Ian Breach sits at a computer, on the screen graphical information provided by the National Computer Centre in Manchester relating to the United Kingdom computer mainframe growth between 1963 when 500 computers were installed and 1979 by which time 5000 had been installed. A clip from an advertisement for Fiat cars featuring robots working inside the car factory, an example of how computer could take over from an individual job that is either repetitive or potentially dangerous. Back in the studio Ian ask a female colleague sitting at a computer to show an example of a job that could be done by machine that was previously done by a secretary. She give as an example of a same or similar letter that needs to be sent out to several people and how the computer can help by cutting down on repetitive writing an operator has to carry out. An example of a letter written with a computer with Ian Breach asking what is the need of a secretary if a computer can do it? Ian then leads a debate on the future importance of information technology and its potential impact on the jobs market with Raey Atkinson as well as Graham Morris from International Computer Limited (ICL) and John Creaby from the Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff union (APEX). Ian turns again to Dr David Jones to talk about the growth in the home computer market. In a Newcastle news agency racks of home computer magazines and on the table in front on them a Sinclair ZX81 home computer. Ian asks David how he accounts for its extraordinary growth in popularity and are they of any use? He believes it is purely psychological, they are fun to play with. On an outdoor electronic banner, the closing titles for this part of the programme. Title: Briefings’ Computers. End of Part One Briefings’ Computers Standing beside a series of computers, presenter Ian Breach introduces the second part of the programme by stating that the personal computer has the potential for us to be vastly better informed and enable us to tap into a large store of information and use it to solve problems. A man sits at a computer with keyboard and electronic writing tablet testing shapes and designs that are of relevance to architects and engineers. In a design office in Tokyo Japanese architects uses a computer to help them visualise a design to match a real street location. The design changes to the street itself with cars passing by. A police car follows another vehicle along the southbound carriageway of the A19 with the officer uses a radio to call upon a computing system to identify the driver in the car in front. In voiceover the officer explains how this Police National Computer (PNC) is quick and simple to use with a response almost immediate. He pulls the car over into a layby and speaks with the driver explaining it’s a ‘routine check’. In another vehicle Ian Breach turns off a road into another layby, gets out and explains that computers are only as good as what the information has been put into them. He explains that according to both the computer systems at the PNC at Hendon and the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency in Swansea this isn’t Ian’s car even though he does have the documentation to prove it. He explains that he purchased the car four months earlier, but the previous owners haven’t get registered the details. Back in the Tyne Studio Ian speaks again with Raey Atkinson and John Creaby from APEX about the concerns raised by this situation that there isn’t legislation to protect people from either the wrongful us of their personal information or to protect them against computer being wrong. Dr John Dawson from the British Medical Association (BMA) also joins the conversation and talks about the need for adequate data protection legislation relating to both health and personal information held both manual and on computers. Ian Breach brings the discussion to and end and walks over to join Dr David Jones again now standing beside a personal computer. Ian talks about a technological divide between those who know from those who don’t know about computers. Dr Jones is concerned that we are in danger of finding liberties or things we’ve taken for granted subverted by a technology that has crept up and exploited by those who understand it. He is asked about domestic data systems such as ORACLE and if they are any good. Dr Jones is dismissive of such technology and explains why. Using data featured on one of the computer screens Ian Breach provides details on next weeks episode which will look at new legislation being introduced by the government to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries of motorcyclists on Britain’s roads. Again, the end credits are displayed on a outdoor electronic banner. Title: Briefing’s Computers Credit: Research John Cummins Film Cameraman Graham Brown Film Sound Nic Grant Film Editor Annie Wood Associate Producer Bob Farnworth Political Editor John Sleight Directors Geoff Wonfor, Bernard Preston Produced by Michael Partington End title: Tyne Tees Colour. © Tyne Tees Television Ltd. MCMLXXXII