The introduction of new media into schools is currently preoccupying both educational research and policymaking. While the problem of funding educational media plays an important role in these debates, it has so far received little attention in historical research. This article examines the financial dimension of providing schools with educational media and technologies, using the example of the introduction of audio-visual teaching aids in the city of Zurich, Switzerland, in the second half of the twentieth century. Our historical analysis shows that public spending reflects the extent to which politicians and administrators have been able and willing to follow the hype surrounding new educational media.