Campus Connection

On the Air: Local TV stations donate equipment, share experience

When Pa Moua-Yang started TV broadcasting classes at UW-La Crosse, she had the dreaded “teleprompter stare.” Her eyes moved back and forth making it painfully obvious she was reading. A donation from WKBT News 8 in La Crosse is giving UW-L students like Moua-Yang more opportunities to get behind the camera and do away with bad habits. The station recently donated three studio cameras and other equipment valued at $38,200 to the Communication Studies Department when it upgraded to high definition cameras. UW-L Foundation Development Officer Joe Kress was instrumental in securing the donation. Students started using the cameras during the spring semester at the student-run TV studio in Wing Technology Center. “We usually think of UW-L when we are replacing equipment because we know there is a communications department and we’ve had many students graduate and become employees here,” notes Scott Chorski, general manager of WKBT. “It’s a good idea to help when we can.” WKBT and other local stations, such as KQEG, WLAX and WXOW, have donated desks, blinds, picture backdrops and other equipment and furnishings that help make the studio look more professional, says Pat Turner, assistant professor of Communication Studies. “We have a close working relationship with all the stations in town and they’ve been very supportive of our program whether donating items they no longer need, providing guest speakers or employing students,” explains Turner. Recent UW-L graduate James Bushman said he was using his UW-L training on the fly when he was hired at WKBT as a weekend producer and sports camera operator while still in school. “It’s one of those things where a lot of people would say I got thrown into the lion’s den,” says Bushman. Although the responsibilities are a lot for a full-time student, Bushman is grateful for the opportunity. It has helped him build camera and communication skills. This past year Bushman received a $2,000 scholarship for excellence in broadcasting from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation – one of two at this amount awarded in the state. “Between the station and the university I’ve gotten a great amount of confidence in this area,” he says. “It’s been nice to have all these opportunities to give me a chance to really prove myself.” Moua-Yang agrees. In the UW-L studio, she has had the opportunity to watch herself on camera and improve. Today the recent graduate feels “more natural and confident” and the class has helped her improve on the teleprompter stare.

Campus TV: Worth watching

Did you know: UW-La Crosse is home to the WMCM TV studio, located on the second floor of the Wing Technology Center, where UW-L students produce a variety of shows that are broadcast on Campus Channel 6, Charter Channel 96 and Digital 989. Tune in for a weekly newscast, profile interviews and talk about sports. They even produce a game show, “Get Classy.” Shows produced during the school year are replayed over the summer months. New shows will start again in September. Students receive Communication Studies credit for working at the station, as well as hands-on experience. This November, students will team up with KQEG TV to produce the 13th annual Coulee Region Humane Society Telethon. For more information visit: http://www.uwlax.edu/commstudies/wmcmtv/index.htm Learn more about the Communication Studies Department and awards students in the department have received.