The Trust can make a grant of up to £2,000 towards publishing work on any aspect of the history of television.

Applying

Applications for the 2010 grant have now closed.  

For queries about the Shiers Trust please contact Clare Colvin, archivist Royal Television Society

Objectives

The promotion of public education through the study and research of the history of television in all its aspects and without regard to country of origin, including the development and encouragement of publications and associated projects such as bibliographies and monographs on particular aspects, provided that the results of such study and research shall be published and that the contribution made by the Trust shall be suitably acknowledged in any publication.

 About George Shiers

George Shiers, a distinguished US television historian, was a long-standing member of the RTS. Before his death in 1983, he and his wife May provided for a bequest in their wills. The Shiers Trust grant, now in its tenth year, is normally worth £2,000. Grants will be considered and approved by the Trustees who may, at their discretion, consult appropriate experts to assist their decisions. In assessing priorities, the Trustees will take into account the sums of money available.

2008 Grant

Steve Arnold was awarded the Shiers Trust Grant for 2008.

Steve’s project brief was to source and digitise pre-war Radio Times Television Supplements. These were distributed in the London area after the launch of BBC Television Services in 1936. This rare collection of 28 publications include the Television launch edition, and articles and schedule listings from the Radio Times itself until the service closed down after the outbreak of the Second World War.

Thanks to Steve’s hard work and dedication each of the Television Supplements are soon  to be viewable as downloadable PDF’s on the BBC History Website with text recognition software to make searching through the online supplements easy. Even before publication this has proved popular and research is currently underway to locate programming material, stills and other ephemera that can be linked into the website. Click here for a update for 2010.

 2009 Grant

The 2009 Shiers Trust Grant was awarded to Ronald Sandell for the development of his book entitled Seventy Years Before the Masts – Coverage Planning and Propagation Research in the BBC.

As a member of the BBC Research Department for 37 years, Ron planned the terrestrial transmitting networks, ensuring the link between the transmitting and receiving antenna ran smoothly. His forthcoming book will describe the unique contribution of this Department of enthusiasts based upon his own experiences.
 

 2010 Grant

The 2010 Shiers Trust was awarded to John Wyver for his project Screen Plays. Click here for the full outline of the project.