The long waited UCTV finally went live on November 18. The live broadcast was 90 minutes in length and featured student work that came out of the media program, live music and dance performances, a tai chi demonstration, and the cutting of the ribbon that symbolized the opening of the TV station.”Expectations were high and they were met,” said Michael Sanders, Director of the RWC Electronic Media Department. “We put on a 90-minute live broadcast, which is not an easy thing to do. We negotiated all the bumps and all the staff and students put their shoulders to the wheel, and we came up with a great broadcast.”
Sanders said that UCTV will mean that students will be able to learn more about live studio broadcast, how to plan and prepare a show, how to broadcast it and schedule it. “Tons of learning opportunities will open up for students in electronic media,” Sanders said.
This will also lead the way for the Broadcast Media Certificate that the Media program will start to offer in January. Through this certificate many original series will be created and broadcast on UCTV by the students in the program.
The most recent series that the Electronic Media Department is producing is “Transmission of Culture,” which will present different cultures from around the world and tell more about them.
UCTV is also a great opportunity to reach out to the community and to other schools.
“UCTV is important to me,” Sanders said, “because it’s a way that RWC can fully participate in the university’s goal, providing more connection with the larger community. People that aren’t students here can take advantage of the cultural and intellectual resources at the university. We are looking for ways to provide service to the larger university community and at the same time train the students in the Media Broadcast Certificate.”
With UCTV on board, there is a lot of potential for the Electronic Media Department. “We have a lot more programs to offer now,” Sanders added, “and more ways to help a whole array of different kinds of learners fulfill their goals.”
RWC Dean Dolores Straker was on hand for the opening. “We are proud that Raymond Walters College will be able, through UCTV, to contribute to the UC/21 goal of building a stronger connection with the community,” she said.