GSTV, Geneseo's student-run television station, serves as a great form of entertainment while keeping students up to date on campus events and issues.
GSTV is an SA-funded organization that offers varying levels of involvement to any full-time undergraduate student who wishes to join. According to junior John Barrington, current executive producer, "You can be as involved as you choose to be, from being on the executive board to just taking part in the shows that interest you." Barrington said that around 40 to 50 students are involved during any given semester.
GSTV broadcasts on channel four of on-campus cable programming and runs material 24 hours a day, every day of the week. A recent change to a new server system has boosted efficiency. "We used to have to put in tapes by hand, but now the re-run material runs off of a computerized mix of content," said Barrington.
Their news broadcast, "NewsScene 4," is broadcast live twice a week. Other shows include "Sports Block," a comedy show titled "Snews," a music show titled "50: 1/2 of 100," "Co-ed Dorms," and "Wiseasses," which pokes fun at stock movies. "NewsScene 4," "Snews" and "50: 1/2 of 100" are all broadcast live when they are first run.
Filming and editing of pre-taped segments is done the GSTV studio located on the first floor of the Union and equipped with teleprompting and recording tools, a control room and an editing room.
Barrington noted that the channel does its best to emphasize content that highlights events on campus. "Being an on-campus organization, we try to keep connections with other organizations and reach out to students," he said. Many events on campus are taped and broadcast by GSTV, as well as recorded onto DVDs which can be purchased at reasonable prices.
"A media organization is a chance for any other organization on campus to get their word out to the student community," said Barrington. "We ask organizations to let us know about their events so that we can record them. It helps us too, because it gives us an increased presence on campus."
GSTV also interacts with the off-campus community by broadcasting ads for local businesses, which the channel often produces. This promotes local business and provides funding for GSTV.
Because GSTV is entirely student-run, content is based on the decisions of its staff. "As an independent entity, we have complete control over all of our content," said Barrington. He pointed out that the executive producer must approve every news show, and each show has its own producer and cast. "A lot of shows require high levels of dedication, so different shows have different casts with different interests," he said.
"For me, it started out as a creative outlet, but with the new system it's growing so much that it's become our project and we want to see this changeover be successful," said Barrington. "This semester we have a lot of new people, which is encouraging because it means that we're maintaining interest on campus."
All who are interested in becoming involved in television on campus, regardless of experience, are encouraged to get involved by talking to an e-board member or dropping into the GSTV office located in the mailroom in the Union, where members are often available to provide information.
"It's a really welcoming atmosphere and no experience is needed," said Barrington.