Illinois Wesleyan students are now able to view student films, campus events, sports and theatre productions on the newly-revived TitanTV channel.
This new channel is on Station 7 on IWU’s closed circuit TV system.
Besides being available on all of the residence hall TVs, the new channel will be featured on TVs across campus including TVs at Tommy’s, The Dugout, State Farm Hall and the Welcome Center.
According to student executive producer Justin Fairchild, TitanTV used to be an active organization back in the late 2000s and early 2010s but fell apart due to a lack of interest from students in TV and News Production.
Fairchild, a sophomore English major, has been working towards bringing the channel back for about a year.
Bringing back the channel was initially discussed in January of 2019 within the Athletics department. Director of Web Services Curtis Kelch invited four students to participate in this meeting, including Fairchild and junior Justin Piotrowski.
The group brainstormed a closed circuit TV system on campus and different types of content: sporting events, plays, student short films, TEDX Talks, Coaches Shows, interviews and more.
The channel will bring content to students but will also act as a way for campus organizations to broaden their advertising, according to Fairchild.
The channel will be shown in Tommy’s and Dugout as well as residence hall televisions. TitanTv will also be uploading everything to their social media accounts.
Fairchild estimates a reach of around 1500 students. Since their official email release to students, multiple RSOs have reached out to Fairchild to advertise their events on the channel.
“Not only is it great for students to have a way to communicate to their fellow students on campus, but we are hoping this can be integrated into the newly proposed Communications major in the future,” Kelch said.
Kelch and Fairchild hope to show off the best of what IWU students are doing on campus. They are also considering experimenting with actual live shows in the future that will interrupt the normal loop of 24/7 videos currently playing.
The channel will also act as an opportunity for students looking to get involved with production.
“Students learn a lot working in a structured station, between the technical aspects of operating a camera and learning how to use editing software and the art that is being on the camera, ” Fairchild said.
According to Fairchild, the process has been grueling but rewarding.
“It’s been tough figuring out the financial side of things as well as actually setting up the studio with a 2 Camera setup and all the other tools,” Fairchild said.
Fairchild’s goal for the station is for it to thrive long past his graduation in two years. He hopes to find other people as passionate about television and news production as well to help continue running the channel. Students wanting to participate are encouraged to reach out to Fairchild and Kelch.