Wildcat TV in the News:

Owen J. Roberts launches TV station

07/21/2008
By Laura Catalano , Special to The Mercury

EAST VINCENT - The Owen J. Roberts new Wildcat TV station is now available to the public in two townships, and soon coming to a third.

The Owen J. Roberts Education Foundation celebrated the launch of the new station at the East Vincent Township building recently. East Vincent and South Coventry officials have both successfully negotiated with Comcast to make the station available in their townships. North Coventry has also agreed to work with Comcast and Verizon to carry the channel.

wildcat tv Residents of East Vincent and South Coventry who have digital cable can now tune into the station by switching to channel 853. Right now, while school is not in session, programing is spotty. But several student-run programs were replayed during the celebration.

Once the school year is under way, a host of programs will be featured. Athletic games, school plays, student interviews and school board meetings are among the many events that will be broadcast.

During the celebration, East Vincent supervisors surprised district Superintendent Myra Forrest with a $10,000 check which will cover equipment needed to run the studio. That is the second large check presented to the district by the township. In both cases, the money came to the township from cable companies as part of negotiations for bringing cable into the community. The first $13,000 check, two years ago, came from Comcast, and the latest check from Verizon.

East Vincent Supervisor Christine McNeil said township officials have backed the TV station because they believe it is essential for students to have the opportunity to learn studio production skills.

What's more, it can serve to keep people informed about the school and community.

"This is almost like a virtual town vehicle," she said. "Here's another way for us to get connected with our kids and where we live."

Forrest, who said she was "shocked" by the presentation of the $10,000 check, noted that the TV station would be used to promote township events, as well as school-related activities.

She also observed that most of the equipment needed to run the station had been paid for without using taxpayer money. East Vincent has contributed a total of $23,000, and last year, the nonprofit Owen J. Roberts Education Foundation presented the district with $25,000 for the studio - all acquired through fundraising.

Both Forrest and McNeil thanked East Vincent Township Manager Mary Flagg for her strong support of the station.

"You are the person who was at the forefront of this," Forrest told Flagg. McNeil called her the "creative force in making this TV station a reality."

Flagg, who graduated from the Annenberg School, in Philadelphia, said OJR graduates can't get into good communication schools if they've never had the TV production experience that is available at so many other high schools.

"These kids are starting out behind, and why would they in a school district like Owen J.?" Flagg asked. "There are so many jobs in TV, but smart kids can't get into good programs because they can't compete."

Kathleen Hocker, executive director of the Owen J. Roberts Education Foundation, called the TV station "a virtual town center" that will enable residents throughout the community to connect with students, schools and townships. What's more, she said, having a TV studio provides students with a variety of new educational opportunities.

"They are outlining, filming, editing, acting, writing, producing. They're really learning how to work and how to do this in a professional environment," said Hocker.

High School Principal Richard Marchini agreed the TV station was a boon to the high school curriculum. Video production classes are already popular, and students in the higher levels have been producing Wildcat TV shows that appear weekly on the school district Web site. Soon, the high school hopes to offer a business and marketing class that teaches the business end of running a TV station.

"We're trying to make it as applicable to the industry as possible," Marchini said.

Forrest said she hopes the station will eventually be available to residents in all seven townships within the school district. In fact, she predicted that people who don't have it will soon be demanding it.

"Once they hear parents in other townships are able to see their children on TV they're going to want it," Forrest said.