Ram TV21 has returns with new adviser, staff, shows

Ram-TV21, the campus cable channel produced by students and for the students on the campus of Winston-Salem State, is back on air with a new staff and new programs.

The purpose of the cable channel is to broadcast information in conjunction with educational and entertainment programming.

The cable channel only can be accessed on campus. 

"It [Ram-TV21] provides students an opportunity to work in and behind the scenes with writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing film," said Cole Russing, Ram-TV's adviser.

Russing, an assistant professor in the Mass Communications Department, teaches the video production courses.  

Russing said that his personal goal as adviser is to see the students succeed by helping them to become better organized in preproduction and postproduction.

"I would like to see the students succeed in having fun, working hard and producing good content that students would want to watch on campus," he said.  

"The turnout for our first [interest] meeting was good. It was exactly what I expected." Approximately 30 students attended.  

During the meeting, students discussed developing and producing new programs, including sitcoms, talk shows, game shows and music videos.

Already airing every week is a sports talk show "Rams Sport Talk with Patrick Terry and Zuo Reeves."

Terry is from South Boston, Va., and Reeves is from Washington, D.C.

The two hosts discuss college athletics and past and upcoming games.

"Our duty on the show is to entertain students and keep everyone updated with all the sports on campus," Terry said. 

Terry and Reeves, senior mass communications majors, have actively participated with Ram-TV saying they want to become sports commentators and television/radio personnel.

Also airing on Ram-TV21 is "Tha Spot" hosted by Chalae Mills, a senior mass communications major from Monroe, N.C.  On the show, Mills talks about "underground artists" of Hip-hop and Neo-Soul.  

Last year, Mills said she did the same show for the student radio station SU Radio.  Mills said that because she is working closer on the visual side of electronic media this semester, she wanted to contribute to Ram-TV21. In the 2011-2012 academic year, Ram-TV21 experienced various personnel and technical problems. 

The control unit had to be sent to a video repair specialist in Michigan and was not returned until May.  This caused Ram-TV to be inactive during spring 2012.

Phillip Jeter, Mass Communications chair, said, "The [Ram-TV21]   president resigned, and the person who was supposed to have taken over never quite filled in the gap, and so things just sort of died." Jeter was adviser during that time.

Along with being advised by Russing, the student staff is also working with Kevin A. Fuller, the Mass Communications Department's broadcast technician. 

Fuller said some of the goals of Ram-TV include airing new programs weekly, working more closely with the Athletic Department, covering campus events and speakers, and electing a new president.                                                                                                                           

The Ram-TV staff meets 5 p.m.  Mondays in Hall-Patterson 126. The meetings are open to all students.

Edited by Dayna McLean and 

Angelik Edmonds