Many GW students probably haven’t seen a student-run production on GWTV despite the school having a fully capable television station on campus.
The station possesses satellite video conferencing technology, two different bandwidths and compressed video links between remote campus locations, according to the 1999-2000 edition of the University Bulletin. The TV station exists solely as an academic endeavor.
But David Leban, the new director of the electronic media program, has big plans for GWTV. The University has the bare essentials for a television studio now, but Leban said he is beginning a cooperative program with journalism students next summer. Once the new School of Media and Public Affairs building is completed, he said he will open the TV studio to all students.
We are the media center of the world, and it’s a shame we’re just starting this type of development within the electronic media department, Leban said.
GW radio station WRGW (540 AM) moved this fall to state-of-the-art facilities on the ground floor of the Marvin Center. The remodeled station incorporates extracurricular student radio shows and academic instruction. The television station does not offer similar extracurricular activities.
Though several courses regarding television production and broadcast are taught at GW, students do not have the chance to develop programs and shows on their own time, whether for extracurricular broadcasting practice or as a hobby.
A former professor of television production at the University of Memphis, Leban said he is extremely enthusiastic about the cooperative project to revitalize GWTV.
People have been waiting a long time for this, Leban said. Lots of people want to be in the business of television and television production, and hopefully this will provide a springboard to students who want real-life experiences.
Leban said he is aware of television development and production at other colleges but said the reason for GW’s lack of television programming does not translate to a lack of interest. Rather, a lack of functional and up-to-date editing equipment prevents students from developing their own programs, he said.
In addition, Leban cited an unstructured and faulty SMPA curriculum as another reason for the lack of student-produced television shows. The curriculum does not include any courses designed to teach television production.
Most surrounding colleges possess some form of student-run television programming. Georgetown and Howard universities both have campus and public broadcasting, and American University and the University of Maryland at College Park both implement extensive student productions.
According to the electronic media department at American, students voluntarily produce their own shows, developed and produced by the kids. American has two 24-hour channels and has seven running shows looped through the 24-hour time periods. Programming includes a live news broadcast Sunday evenings. Other shows range from political talk shows to pop entertainment.
The University of Maryland cable station is open to undergraduate and graduate students in the engineering school attempting to provide academic assistance to students through television. University of Maryland has a flagship station that broadcasts to neighboring communities and soon will be assisting and cooperating with students in the university’s journalism program.
While money is allocated for the television studio in the soon-to-be-built SMPA building, additional funds are out of my hands, Leban said.
It’s a political battle. Everyone wants the money, he said.
While the first shows produced by the planned cooperative journalism program will be news-oriented, Leban said he hopes to expand the range of programming to incorporate other types, including dramatic and variety-style shows.
