As students peer about the various publications strewn across study tables and listen in to the SOCC radio station, they cannot help but wonder if CC offers a more visual and pictorial news and media outlet.
In steps CCTV.
CCTV is a new student-run media network not limited to current students and faculty, but also for prospective students, alumni, and beyond. The first segment of CCTV will air fourth Monday of second block and will primarily focus on last weekend’s homecoming festivities.
The broadcasts will continue on subsequent airings will be on fourth Mondays throughout the year.
“My freshman year, myself and Ugyen Tshering wanted to start up a TV station,” said junior Cameron Hess, president of CCTV. “We weren’t really sure how we would go about it because CC isn’t a film dominated campus.”
And with that, CCTV was conceived, under the original name of Tiger News Network.
“Students can depend on a blockly segment from CCTV on the evening of fourth Monday,” said senior Robert Pierce.
Though CCTV is not a televised news station, per se, it will be a webpage linked from the main Colorado College website.
“The majority of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors don’t have cable, realistically, it wouldn’t make sense for us to have an real TV station,” said Hess.
Professor Clay Haskell, film studies department head, calls CCTV a “webcast.”
“Ultimately, I imagine this can become an established student run information outlet much like The Catalyst…We want CCTV to be very interactive,” said Haskell.
Haskell is the faculty advisor for CCTV who is bringing his lengthy resume that includes Hollywood screenplays and numerous successful documentaries to the new media outlet.
“CCTV came together as a news and information outlet, not only for current CC students and staff, but also an outlet for alumni, prospective students, and even investors,” said Hess, “CCTV allows a general insight through film about what’s happening on campus.”
Hess met a current freshman that, prior to committing to CC, had searched for the school on YouTube, hoping to see students in action.
“He found three videos,” she said.
“We don’t have the luxury of larger institutions, given the size of the school we cannot have programs running all the time,” said Pierce. “In many aspects, linking CCTV from the Colorado College homepage reaches the breadths of a larger audience.”
Hess said, “[CCTV] can really reach an infinite audience.”
In an era where the Internet dominates everyday life and facilities the diffusion of information among society, airing CCTV on the web is a wise decision. Representatives of CCTV hope to reign in such a capacity and want it to be an inspired channel for all.
“We live in an era of the democratization of mass media…with digital audio and visual technology and the web, CC can now reach students, parents, and alumni much more easily than ever before,” said Haskell. “Why not take advantage of this fundamental shift?”
Pierce agrees.
“CCTV gives a creative outlet for students,” he said. “Students can request to showcase their work on CCTV, but there’s also an important academic side to CCTV… We are very excited about the new era of possibilities and opportunities that CCTV will be able to usher in through the use of new technologies and student creativity.”
“There is a growing film interest on the CC campus, the film department is expanding and the new media major has been created,” said Hess. “…With the new administration coming in, they’ve come to recognize the importance of media and film in advancing the college campus and everything that goes into Colorado College,” Hess said, “We’re hoping to bring CC into a new age of technology,”
In the future, CCTV anticipates segments on the recent presidential debates and even a “Day in the Life of a ‘Prospie’” piece. For now, the entire CC population must stay tuned.
Colleen Leong
Guest Writer