U-View becomes student run, seeks charter

Point Park University's campus TV channel, U-View, recently submitted a charter to be recognized and supported by United Student Government (USG), and is eagerly anticipating a positive result.

While the program grows in popularity around campus, members of U-View want to take the station to the next level.

U-View was established in 2007 as Point Park's first-ever news and entertainment television channel. It airs 24/7 and is entirely student-produced. The broadcasts are aired on campus throughout the day and night, giving students and faculty news, information and entertainment on channel 4.

With weekly meetings held by the members of U-View, the adviser and fellow instructors in the broadcast curriculum, Jesse Colaizzi, Jan Getz and Anthony Moretti, among others, all agreed that submitting a charter is the next improvement. The charter will allow the students to grasp what it is truly like to run their own television station. And although they already receive some funding through the School of Communication, having more funding and support from USG is the next sensible step for the station's growth.

Nikki Porter, a junior broadcast journalism major and a member of U-View, agrees the charter will only benefit them.

"I think we need a charter, a lot of other clubs and organizations are affiliated with the United Student Government and we should be too. We also have a lot of broadcast students who take part in U-View. We could use the funding for new equipment," Porter said.

Other members, such as Justin LaBar, a senior broadcast major and sports director of U-View, also believes in the mission of the charter.

"I think journalism, and broadcasting specifically, is one of the largest and most expanding fields in the university, so I feel that having a recognized charter television station is crucial to the respect, growth and learning of the students," LaBar said.

USG will ultimately decide if U-View becomes a chartered organization. The current motion was carried unanimously, with Carrie Potter, vice president of USG, as the tie-breaking vote.

"I voted for U-View to be chartered as long as their paper work, such as their constitution and a list of members, is turned in, then the charter will be passed," Potter said.

In addition to the charter, U-View has been undergoing some changes simply to make the station better. Some changes include allowing the students to run the station with less guidance, and allowing students to experience what it is truly like to handle their own television show.

"I want to give full responsibility solely to the students," Jesse Colaizzi, coordinator of the Student Broadcast Network, said.

Colaizzi oversees everything that is aired and handles one-on-one meetings with the students. However, he believes they are dependable enough to handle the station on their own.

With new shows and new faces, Colaizzi hopes U-View will have more interaction with the other media at Point Park, such as The Globe and WPPJ.

Colaizzi said he believes some of the changes, including scheduling programs and giving students more power, will only provide a stronger working atmosphere to gain more knowledge of the broadcast industry by working "hands-on."

With the charter in its final stage, U-View has created an executive board that will oversee the development of the programs being aired. Because this semester is coming to an end the executive board will not come into effect until Fall 2009.

The decision of establishing an executive board will only add a more structured atmosphere for the students. According to the constitution that was drafted by Annie Perri, senior and general manager of the U-View, adding a board to U-View is the biggest change so far. Some of the positions of the new executive board include executive director, director of programming and operations, director of promotion, director of news, director of sports and director of Web development

Although any student at the university may join U-View, the current members and the executive board will establish a more organized approach on accepting members. To become a member, students must first learn the criteria to be a crew member for at least one program. Colaizzi said he believes working behind the scenes at first will broaden any student's perspective and give them experience working for TV.

As a current and active member, LaBar agrees that U-View can only benefit students who participate with the station.

"U-View's purpose is to provide a chance for students to learn what it means to be involved in a television show, whether it is on-air or behind the scenes," LaBar said. "U-View is fun and realistic, but at the same point gives you a platform to make mistakes and learn."

However, he said he believes that U-View is a great advantage for all students whether they are broadcast majors or not.

According to the constitution that U-View created, the station is dedicated to providing the students of Point Park with practical learning experiences. In the midst of all the changes, U-View will continue to stay a place where students have the opportunity to develop personal and concrete knowledge.

"There are no substitutes for experience," Colaizzi said.