Jeremy Barket
Staff Writer

Did you know Marywood has its own television station? Did you know that you can currently watch it’s programming on local access channel 21? Did you know that Marywood’s television crew are always open to new members with new ideas? If you did not know any of this, perhaps this is why TV-M is looking for you, because this is, after all, your television station.

Recently, I met up with Gaetan DeSimone and Ryan Duggan. Both are junior-year digital media students who have provided me with a wealth of information about the television station and Marywood’s communication department itself. Both mentioned that out of all the schools they visited, Marywood was the university for them simply because of the television experience you could get as a first year student. As DeSimone puts it, “I was a little skeptical at first, but once we started making productions, I knew it was the right decision.”
TV-M has been around for a number of years, but if you turn on local access channel 21 right now, you might just see local advertisements. In terms of the communication department, the radio station is very well known, but the television station has pretty much stagnated in recent semesters. This observation sparked DeSimone [TV-M station manager] with the idea that the TV station needed a new breath of life. For the past few years, there has been a live news program, and a few other programs here and there, but that’s pretty much it. It was ultimately Dr. Lawrence who allowed the communications students to step up and make the television station how they wanted it to be.

Along with DeSimone, Duggan is production/program director, Sara Tompkins is promotions director, Kaeleigh Schaepe is assistant promotions director, with Arielle Kovalich as the news director. Their common goal is to revitalize the television station. These five atudents all came together and wanted to bring awareness of the television station to students on campus. However, they also want to let people know about the opportunities the digital media club offers to all students. Students have the option of producing, directing, or even helping on programs created by the students.

“You may call this the re-launching of TV-M, but I call it the saving of TV-M,” says Desimone.
The leaders of the television station cannot do this alone. It is up to the other students who have an interest to actually step up and participate. It is reassuring to those in the communications department to see students coming out of the dark and show interest in the television station. Aside from the required practicum hours, these students are genuinely interested – which is a great thing.

So how did this common goal start?

For Desimone and Duggan, their interest in taking advantage of the television station and making their own programs really started with Breaking the Mold.

“It started with a $50 cab ride to Wilkes-Barre’s Café Metropolis to see the Gaslight Anthem,” says Desimone.
So, traveling with two cameras, batteries, microphones, and two tapes eventually led up to taping the band’s set and interviewing them afterwards. Shortly afterwards, Breaking the Mold came about with a skeleton crew of around 5 members who would interview national bands like Cartel and Motion City Soundtrack to smaller, local bands. Many interviews could currently be found on youtube.com, but the main focus now is to bring it all back to television.

So, forget about just the live news program and various other programs here and there. TV-M will shortly jump start the TV station revitalization and you better keep a look out for new and exciting programs. Aside from continuing the TV-M News, Breaking the Mold will continue to shed light on local and national musical artists, a new local sports show will cover everything from local high schools to professional teams [aside from Marywood’s own basketball games], and there are various other game shows that are currently in the works. And these are just the definite programs to be shown on the local access station 21. Who knows what show will be next? Maybe it will yours. Also, be sure to pay attention to TV-M promotions airing in between the programs!

Eventually, the television station would like to, and has the potential to, become a self-sustaining machine, so to speak. Of course, it starts with short-term goals [producing and directing your own program], to long-term goals of being known and available to every student on campus, in addition to the outlying communities. Although the radio station is very well known in the community, there is no reason the television station cannot be known as well.

Essentially, there are students who want to direct, produce, and create their own television shows. You do not have to be a communications major to do so either. It’s a station that is run by students, for students and you could become involved as soon as you want to.

As Desimone sums it up, “TV-M is not just a television station, this is your television station.”

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED in becoming a part of saving TV-M, please contact Gaeten Desimone at [email protected].