A complete overhaul of Cable 13 has ESPN knocking on the studio door.
Aided by the University Union, which oversees the station, Cable 13 used $135,000 from its depreciation fund to renovate drastically its facilities this summer; the fund is earmarked for modernization.
And now, Cable 13 is as advanced as most professional news stations.
"[The station is] so professional, in fact, that Cable 13 has received calls from ESPN and Jefferson Pilot Sports asking us to do sporting-event highlights for them in the future," said Trinity junior Seth Squadron, co-chair of the cable station. "This type of networking could definitely prove to be valuable to students who plan to pursue a career in the film and/or television industry."
Cable 13 is now using the industry's standard digital equipment, prompting the National Association of College Broadcasting to call Cable 13 a "model station," added Trinity junior Steve Zapotoczny, the station's other co-chair.
"Not only are we the oldest and largest student-run TV station in the country, but we are now the most technologically advanced," Squadron said.
The improvements will have a profound effect on the quality of the station's programming because students will now be able to concentrate on creativity rather than maintenance and equipment repair, said Beth Budd, assistant dean for University Life and an adviser to the Union.
In a joint venture with the University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and North Carolina Central University, the University's drama students will soon be making the pilot for a "University-centered soap opera, not unlike 90210," Squadron said.
The station is also considering several other ideas for series that include a daytime talk show, a weekly news magazine show, a comedy variety show modeled after "Saturday Night Live," and a late-night "Letterman-type" talk show, Zapotoczny said.
One of the station's staples will continue to be coverage of campus sporting events. "With the newly installed fiber optic connection to Cameron Indoor and Wallace Wade Stadiums, we will now be in a better position to offer live broadcasts," Squadron said.
The new facilities will also provide a better training environment for students, he said.
With a newly refurbished studio and state of the art equipment, Squadron and others are hoping to attract members of this year's freshman class. "Freshmen have been eager about Cable 13 thus far, and we hope that our popularity rises as more of them learn of the many opportunities available to them at the station," he said.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.