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Westminster Cable & Radio Network Prepares for Another Successful Year
WEST MIDDLESEX, Pa. -- The Westminster College Cable & Radio Network is ending one successful academic year and preparing for the 2004-2005 academic year by naming its student management positions. "Since September, we carried 43 televised remotes, most of which were games, but they also included the Mock Convention coverage, the Lawrence County League of Women Voters Candidates Forum, and the Lawrence County Band Festival," says Bradley Weaver, instructor of broadcast communications at Westminster College. "We also produced 24 editions of 'The County Line' which is a television news magazine, and several editions of 'Coaches Corner.'""Things are so hands-on here," adds Pat Sandora, a junior broadcast communications major from Cranberry Township and producer/director of 'The County Line." "I need to be active, not just attend lectures. At Westminster, a second semester freshman is already doing solo radio news broadcasts.""After your freshman year, the student chooses which area, radio or television, he or she wants to get more involved in," says Amy DelBon, a junior broadcast communications major from Bridgeville and producer of the Westminster Cable network show, 'Coaches Corner.' "I thought I wanted to be a radio DJ, but now I like television more than radio. In television, you are always in contact with people, but radio is more comfortable for those who prefer to work alone.""Students need a realistic sense of news gathering," said Dr. David Barner, associate professor of broadcast communications and chair of the Department of Communication Studies, Theatre, and Art. "Reporting the news live allows our broadcasting to feel the responsibility and immediacy of a professional operation."Sandora feels that Westminster's liberal arts education helped him in his major."At first I felt like the other classes were just getting in my way, but learning other areas does help me in television," Sandora says. "Sometimes you need to know history to scrutinize the news of today, and forensics classes help me understand another area of news."My interest lies in radio because it's more instant than television," Sandora continues. "I'd really like to go more into entertainment radio when I graduate.""Television is big on campus," DelBon noyrd. "We have a remote truck and two regular shows a week, 'County Line' and 'Coaches Corner.' I had an internship at a WQED with students from some big Pittsburgh schools, and they couldn't do the things I did. I had already edited tapes and had my own show. I had much more than textbook learning."Westminster has recently revamped the radio news site, which can now be accessed at www. westminster.edu/student/orgs/radio. "From here we post stories from the broadcast newsroom including scripts, sound bites, and more," says Weaver. "We feature some of our journalists and their reports, and try to update the site daily."Many successful careers have come from the Westminster broadcast communication program including Tim Kaiser '85, former producer of Seinfeld and current producer of Will and Grace; Tina Turley '97, KDKA TV 2 engineer; Rodney McNinch '89, WKBN TV 27 news photographer; Nicole McGary '97, Adelphia Cable sports producer; Cathy Raiche Noschese '87, KDKA TV 2 news producer; Denny Wolfe '97, ESPN Sports associate producer; and Mark Finkelpearl '89, Travel Channel executive producer.Westminster's digital radio station is located at 88.9. Westminster's cable reaches nearly 100,000 homes in New Castle and the Shenango Valley on cable channels 9/10.Westminster College was founded in 1852 and is related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).Visit Westminster College: www.westminster.edu"