In a unanimous vote Friday, the Student Media Board Friday incorporated DU-TV as a part of student media.
The vote follows last week’s agreement by the AUSA Senate to raise the percentage of the student activity fee that SMB gets annually from 8 to 10 percent, or about $10,000. Last year, SMB received just under $40,000, which was used to fund the Clarion, the yearbook, KVDU and Foothills literary journal.
Matt Lira, on-campus senator and DU-TV coordinator, approached the SMB in an effort to “develop the station as an institutional structure.” He said significant student interest and support, based upon survey results, warranted the creation of this broadcast media. Lira said, “We were hoping that the Student Media Board would have a place for DUTV, as it represents a unique media.”
The additional funds SMB will receive will be used solely for format and content development. The Department of Residence has installed and will maintain the hardware and wires needed to make DU-TV available on campus on cable Channels 8 and 9.
Board members brought up questions concerning the integration of other media into DU-TV programs. Newly acquired technology may provide a ticker, which could be used for Clarion headlines streaming across the bottom of the screen. Lira also suggested Campus Remix, which would provide pre-recorded programming of DU sporting events or “Bridges to the Future” events.
Since Lira will graduate in June, student media advisor, Ania Savage, expressed concerns about the continuity of DUTV. However, Lira assured the board that Ted Severson, a first-year student dedicated to the creation of the “Happy Hour” program, as well as other interested students should provide the needed continuity in establishing DUTV on campus.
The final decision was to elect an ex-officio member from DUTV to sit on SMB immediately. In the board elections at the end of February, SMB would appoint a general or station manager for DUTV. DUTV will be added to the SMB budget next year. During the annual elections, the SMB appoints the editors in chief or managers for all student media outlets.
The SMB also discussed the change in staff at Kynewsibok, the DU yearbook. Editor in chief Megan Feller left to intern at C-SPAN in Washington, D.C. The board urged the yearbook staff to meet and select a new editor and decide the fate of this year’s yearbook.
