This semester, Geneseo Student Television has worked on changing the way it broadcasts. The organization has specifically focused on expanding to offer live online broadcasts next semester. In past years,
GSTV broadcasts have been solely shown on its campus station, channel 4. According to general manager senior Jacky Hellreich, however, the channel will now be shown using live stream as well as being embedded on the Geneseo website, the campus channel and the club’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages.
“Basically, we wanted to make sure we reached a larger audience,” she said. “Not many people own TVs anymore and more and more people are turning to online viewing of television programs, so we wanted to make sure we were competitive with other media outlets in that sense.”
In order to expand upon the station’s broadcasting, the approximately 40-person staff needs to be prepared for numerous changes.
“For the viewers, it won’t be that much of a difference except that you can just log on at any time and watch any footage instead of having the TV on a strict schedule,” she said. “For us production-wise, it involves getting a whole new system, getting new broadcasting, getting a new board and getting more post-production stuff that needs to go into it.”
Hellreich noted that one of the main plus sides of broadcasting online is the increased visibility this gives the program.
“Once we go on the web, we will be continuing to broadcast with the closed captioning campus TV,” she said. “But what going online allows us to do is that even if you live off campus, you can still watch GSTV online.”
By increasing visibility, Hellreich said that she hopes to increase interest and membership in the organization as well.
“We’re hoping that by doing this, we’ll get more exposure in which we would get more people,” Hellreich said. “It’s going to be a slow process that can make our club even bigger and more successful.”
Hellreich explained that this semester has been spent exploring GSTV’s options and getting backing from Student Association. Next semester they will give readings for SA and ideally begin the online streaming.
“We have been discussing this with SA and they’re very on board with us and are excited about these changes,” Hellreich said.
With SA’s approval, Hellreich said that she wants to have the website––which as of now will be run through live stream––up and running before the end of next semester.
“I’ve had the idea for a long time,” she said. “It’s something that we all kind of realized was the next step to move GSTV to more relevant times.”