By Milalie Francisco
Correspondent
"Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3," echoes the on-air talent, patiently sitting in front of the camera, as the crew assembles the last minute details of the set behind her. Meanwhile, the sound mixers toil with the sound buttons in the master control room in a last minute attempt to make the visuals and audio just right.
Soon enough, the volume and sound of the on-air talent are perfectly blended, and the filming is just about ready to begin for another one of RU-tv's student productions.
RU-tv, the Universitywide television station, has recently been named the "Best Student-Run Campus Television Network" by MTVU for the year 2006, and students, faculty and staff are enjoying every minute of the recognition.
MTVU's contest searched for the best University television-broadcasting program in the nation. Applicants were required to submit a tape of the distinguishing features each University station had to offer. Soon after, RU-tv was awarded the title.
Located at Davidson Hall on Busch campus, the award-winning station is a 65 channel video network, including seven local channels that specifically cater to the University community with various educational, informational and entertaining programs aired throughout the week.
After a few years of planning, RU-tv officially went on the air in 2001. Two of its first original programs included "Inside Rutgers" and "At the Podium." Presently, there are seven student-run programs broadcasted on the network station, including its most recent show, "Wake up, Rutgers!" which premiered in August 2005.
According to Assistant Director of Broadcast Operations Brenton Smith, there are currently 35 student employees at the station, whose jobs include everything from on-air talent to film crew and producers. In fact, the student employees major in a variety of disciplines, such as English, political science, engineering and communication.
Smith added most of the students, who are required to work at the station for a minimum of eight to 10 hours, have been involved at the station for at least two semesters. Due to the professional atmosphere that the station provides, the firsthand experience and training are a few of the reasons students choose to work at RU-tv throughout their college career.
In addition, RU-tv network offers a "Living and Learning" housing program to students interested in video production and broadcasting. Through this program, students are assigned to live in Winkler Hall on Busch Campus, which is also the home of the RU-tv studio.
By living in the special interest building, students are able to work in various departments for the station, all while building friendly and professional relationships with their peers.
As soon as one enters Winkler Hall, a vividly red-orange door with the RU-tv logo adorned on the glass window welcomes you into their television-broadcasting world. Immediately to your right is the production room, where all the behind-the-scenes filming, producing and editing takes place.
From across the hall, the studio is filled with the producer, the director and a number of student employees diligently working as they anticipate yet another week's worth of "Inside Rutgers" episodes.
After several rehearsals, the camera starts to roll, and the announcer reads her lines at the teleprompter. Although many may argue the task at hand is relatively simple, the truth is these student employees trained for many hours to learn these techniques.
By the end of the visit, another successful episode has been filmed, and the tape will soon make its way to the editing board. There it will be mixed and blended with other footage and titles on the screen to inform, educate and entertain the University community.
It is no wonder the RU-tv station is recognized for its hard work, determination and professional prowess.
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