Indiana University Student Television (IUSTV), was created in 2002 and serves today as Indiana University's only completely student managed and produced student television station. It airs 24/7 on IU Campus Cable channel 2, and has regular evening time slots on Bloomington Cable Access on Insight Public-access television Channel 7. Dan Swihart is the current Executive Director.
IUSTV exists to create high-quality programming for the campus and Bloomington community, while at the same time giving students real-world experience and opportunity in the television industry. The experience given to its staff is not limited to only telecommunications skills: as they are completely student-run, all aspects of the organization offer chances for student volunteer staff to gain valuable experience that will help them as they graduate and enter the real world. Positions are available in video editing, production, graphic design, web development, network administration, computer programming, management, marketing, and public relations. Any student may join IUSTV, regardless of major, minor, or experience, allowing them to gain experience through creating television for peers and friends to watch.
Mission Statement
IU Student Television exists to create informative, entertaining, and inspiring broadcast-quality television for the Indiana University and Bloomington community, while at the same time giving students real-life experience in television production and related fields. This mission is accomplished through the production of high quality programming in a cooperative and professional environment, where student staff gains real-world broadcast, business, technology, and leadership experience to enhance their academic studies.
History
The concept for IUSTV was created by Kieran Farr in 2002. Farr was a second year undergraduate student frustrated by the lack of distribution outlets for student-created video on campus and the onerous yearlong pre-requisite coursework required before students were allowed to use university-owned video production equipment. The organization was known as iuTV for the first 2 years of operation.
Academic year 2002-2003 Farr recruited friends and classmates to lobby the university for funding, office space and resources. Before acquiring funding, the organization operated out of space graciously allocated free of charge by the university's residence hall bureaucratic unit (RPS). They filmed a first pilot news episode with the assistance of Bloomington Community Access Television Services (CATS). The program aired via a hand-delivered VHS tape on campus cable TV.
Spring 2003 the university granted the addition of a $.50 per student per semester activity fee to fund the organization starting the next fall semester. While existing student fees were frequently increased to account for inflation, the IUSTV $.50 fee was the first new fee to be established in many years.
Fall 2003 the newly funded organization moved into the former Ashton Campus Card Services offices, a significant upgrade in quality and quantity of space. The 3,000 sq ft (280 m2). area was transformed to house a live capable TV production studio, meeting and training space, computer lab with editing stations and individual work cubicles. The organization changed its name from iuTV to IUSTV to comply with a request from IU Radio and Television Services, operator of PBS affiliate WTIU, the leaders of which were concerned about the potential for confusion. IUSTV launched its new and current website iustv.com in accordance with the name change.
Academic year 2003-2004 brought a number of additional shows and volunteers to the station roster, boosting the ranks to nearly 100 frequent volunteers. A college dating program "Hoosier Date" premiered at this time, created by future IUSTV Executive Director Anthony Leong.
Academic year 2004-2005 brought significant changes to the station. It launched a 24/7 broadcast on campus cable 2 with a regular time slot on CATS available to basic cable subscribers across Monroe County, Indiana. Many new shows aired including a sports program and a music program while continuing the legacy of existing shows like Hoosier Date. IUSTV added a daily 5 minutes 'news update' to its daily rotation of programs in addition to its existing 30 minute news magazine. IUSTV reached out to a number of academy units to offer credit bearing opportunities ranging from for-credit internships to for-credit leadership seminars. Farr graduated in 2005, spending the summer with future IUSTV executives preparing for the organization's move to the newly built space in Read Center that was to be ready by fall 2005 in addition to significant studio equipment modernizations.
Academic Year 2009-2010 brought many changes to the IUSTV station as iStudent News switched hands and added Brittany Bradley as the News Director of the show and John Elliott and Mike Walker as the News Producers. The three have worked diligently to bring a weekly show with packages and stories about campus, local, national, and global events and news. They decided to give the news program a facelift as they took part in redesigning the set, changed the name to Hoosier News Source and added weekly correspondents (Weather, Politics, Sports, Entertainment, and Greek Life). The station went through a lengthy process and is now airing on campus channel 2 and off campus on Comcast channel 7. In keeping up to date with the ever popular social media networks, the team also puts all shows directly online at iustv.com.
Current Programming Lineup
Hoosier News Source - weekly news program (re-imaged from iStudent News in January, 2010)
The Food Guy" - Food Show
FratCastles" - Reality TV
Hoosier Sports Nite - Sports News Show
Amplified - local band show
New Noise - music video show
Red Hot Ticket - Movie Review Show
Workshop" - sitcom
What's Up Weekly" - entertainment update
Dealership" - sitcom
Telecom Half-Hour of Power" - Projects from Indiana University Telecommunications Department
"Say What' - Man On The Street Show
"" The Extension"' -comedy and satire news program
Former Shows
Hoosier Date? - dating game show
Cruise Control - local travel and adventure program
On the Edge of Your Sport - sports news show. Reimagined in 2006 as Hoosier Sports Night
Student Spotlight - collection of student-produced clips and short videos
Rate Your Plate - local restaurant review show
Home Suite Home - reality show similar to the current IU Cribs
Snapshot - documentary show focusing on IU student organizations
Unlocked - reality show exploring the paranormal and mysteries of the region
Slow Children at Play - broadcasts of the Telecom department's sketch comedy group performances
"The Fortnightly Show'- Late Night Sketch Comedy Show
Destructo Box - An animated feature now airing exclusively on the Mondo Mini Shows' YouTube channel.