Students in the Communication Studies department were given the opportunity this semester to take on television roles with the creation of WCCT. This semester the television studio in the basement of Brandywine Hall is being used well. Students enrolled within the Communication Studies major have the opportunity to be part of a new channel coming to the community. WCCT will be integrated into the channel listings along with the regular line up. Professor Michael Boyle, head of the operation, said that he is currently working with Verizon to complete the channel installation, and that the channel should be up and running within the next two months.
The goal of WCCT is to present students with a medium to broadcast information on some of the many activities that take place on campus and within the community. Boyle also said that WCCT is a great opportunity for the university, students and community.
“It provides excellent hands-on experience for our students and will strengthen the broadcast and television production aspect of our major,”Boyle said.
One aspect of the WCCT station is to highlight many of the activities on campus. Many of the students involved with the station have been asked to seek out different activities and film them for broadcast.
In addition to the field projects, students put together studio shows, such as WCU Live, a sports talk show, and Coaches Corner, a showcase of WCU coaches and athletes. The students have been asked to create eight hours of content per month for the station, so students and organizations around campus are encouraged to get in touch with WCCT to have events filmed for broadcast.
One other project the students took on is the Last Lecture Series. Boyle said that the Last Lecture Series highlights the accomplishments and teachings of the faculty here at WCU who are either retiring or going on sabbatical. “We are doing some great things here, and it’s pretty simple to get involved and to have a hand in producing content,” Boyle said.
Students of the Communication Studies major can also have an opportunity this summer to create content for the station in the form of an internship during the first summer session. Boyle added that this is a great opportunity for the campus to build a strong relationship with the community.
Students have already started producing hours of content and can be found on channel 956, which is WCU-TV5, until WCCT is up and running.
T.J. Cromyak is a student majoring in communication studies with a minor in journalism. He can be reached at AC651771@wcupa.edu.