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September 24, 2008

OUS unveils high-tech broadcast center

Mike James/The Independent The Daily Independent Wed Sep 24, 2008, 11:57 PM EDT

Ironton — This time last year, covering a ball game meant a very long day for students in Ohio University Southern’s Electronic Media Department.

Loading and unloading equipment, setting up and taking down delicate production gear, hooking up and disconnecting cables kept them busy from early in the morning until late at night.

The introduction of a sophisticated mobile production lab has streamlined and simplified all that. Housed in a customized trailer, the lab brings big-time production values to field assignments. And more important, it frees students to concentrate on their craft.

“We can now concentrate on the creative side of things, whereas before we were concentrating on making everything work,” said Trent Pekkala, a sophomore from Waverly.

OUS unveiled the mobile lab Wednesday but students have already used it to cover last week’s Ashland-Russell football game.

The 22-foot trailer is stuffed with digital gear including high-definition monitors, recording and replay machines, slow-motion machines and a couple of thousand feet of cable.

It carries four digital cameras worth around $30,000 each. It has a 7,000-watt generator capable of powering the entire rig, which eliminates the necessity of begging for an electrical hookup on site.

Experience with professional production equipment gives students an advantage when the time comes to get jobs, said Brad Bear, a graduate of the program who is now an instructor and special projects producer for OUS.

Bear said his own familiarity with professional production technology gave him a leg up after he graduated; he got a job in the sports division of Turner Broadcasting on the strength of his technical know-how.

“This is on a smaller scale but no different from larger professional trucks,” he said.

OUS plans to lease the lab from time to time to area television stations, said program director Don Moore. The revenue will help with maintenance and addition of new equipment and students will get more real-world experience.

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2652.

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