WUTV Continues Upgrades With Help From FOX Sports South

Throughout the summer months, WUTV, the University of West Georgia’s very own television station, has gone through several upgrades and improvements. The most noticeable change that has occurred at the television station is the name. Many have known the station as UTV13 over the years but after the recent digital switchover by Charter Communications, the station was renamed WUTV.

Besides the change of the station’s name, WUTV also received a large amount of donations from FOX Sports South. Sonya Barnes, WUTV’s General Manager, has close ties with employees at FOX Sports South as well as other news stations. Ms. Barnes takes pride in talking to people within the news business about her students.

The Atlanta based station donated several large set pieces as well as some behind the scenes equipment. A large projector and screen that were donated will take the place of large wooden backdrops during the station’s newscasts.

WUTV was able to gather a large group of students, faculty, staff, and even alumni to travel to Atlanta to pack up and transfer all of the donations.

“It was a team effort,” Barnes said. “We all went together, Professor Renaud, Shawn Isaacs, we even had former students come back to assist in getting this and I don’t want to leave out how big a role facilities played in us getting all of this.”

With the help of donations from FOX Sports, the station also purchased several duratrans, or durable transparencies. These duratrans are backlit display prints to be used behind news anchors and talk show hosts. With the design effort of students and staff, WUTV was able to create and purchase three duratrans for several sets for newscasts and talk show interviews.

Some of the designs created include the station’s logo, a weather center, and a large display of various locations around campus.

In order for student anchors to film an outlook at the weather for the week, the station needed a new green screen, an application used to import countless footage and still images behind a person. The new green screen is 16 feet by 8 feet and will allow full-length shots, a major upgrade from the previous green screen used.

The station is almost completely digital now. The students are receiving hands on experience with high definition cameras and state of the art recording equipment and editing programs.

“These upgrades are going to help students for a number of years,” Barnes continued.

WUTV is also in the process of updating their website.

“Our brand new graduate assistant, Melissa Martin, a former staff member here, is creating a brand new website,” said Barnes

The new website will include up to date pictures of current staff and volunteers as well as a look into what goes on behind the scenes. The website is scheduled to be previewed to the staff by midterms with the official launch by the middle of October.

WUTV is located in the Education Building on campus and is continually looking for volunteers interested in television media, whether on camera personalities or those interested in behind the scenes production. WUTV can be viewed on channel 13.1 on campus and channel 180 off campus for Charter subscribers.

Erin

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