Aspects of 11 instructional television (ITV) networks in the United States and Canada were compared to illustrate areas of practical interest to Alaskan educators and policy makers. Areas examined included: (1) the use of broadcasting to deliver K-12 programming; (2) post-secondary academic courseware, adult basic education, and continuing professional training; (3) examples of networking based on program service through locally-licensed stations; and (4) the use of telecommunications services other than broadcast television to complement or provide services integral to specific aspects of broadcast television. Programming services provided by various agencies or distribution networks were studied, and attention was focused on questions of centralized services, cost economies or derived benefits, and the methods and advantages of local or user control offered by decentralized systems or networks. (MER)