By Jaci Schneider, Staff Writer
The National Broadcasting Society is putting together a Valentine’s Day television special for everyone, both those with or without someone special.
The special, “Love Is On The Air,” will feature personal messages, interviews, love stories and dating ideas and tips, said NBS president Jessica Boyd, senior electronic media major from Abilene.
Students at ACU, Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University and members of the Abilene community had the chance last week to record messages for the TV show for $5.
They had the opportunity to express their love for someone special, propose or just say “hi.”
The show will air on KUF-TV7 Thursday at 4 p.m. and will repeat Friday at 7 and 9 p.m.
The television station, operated by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication and affiliated with The Learning Channel, will air “Love Is On The Air” instead of the TLC program “While You Were Out.”
This is the first year NBS will produce the show, which is a fund-raiser to help 10 to 11 NBS members attend the national convention in March, Boyd said.
At the convention, students will be able to meet professional journalists, atend workshops, compete in broadcast-related competitions and visit broadcasting facilities.
This year’s convention is in St. Louis and will cost NBS approximately $5,000, Boyd said. Costs will cover convention fees and hotel and travel expenses.
Although the producers of the special originally planned for a romantic theme, some students preferred to record silly messages, said NBS member Luke Hawkins, electronic media major from Fairbanks, Alaska. Hawkins said it should be a good balance of sweetness and goofiness.
Amy Epperly, NBS member and sophomore electronic media major from Wichita, Kan., said NBS didn’t have a predetermined number of messages it wanted to record; however, they hoped for a better turnout.
This week members will continue to interview students on campus.
In addition to student messages, NBS members asked businesses to sponsor the show. In return, the businesses received airtime for promotions or commercials.
The Students’ Association already appropriated $2,000 for NBS’s trip to St. Louis.
Epperly said NBS was planning on using the Valentine’s Day show to raise the remaining $3,000, but will sponsor another fund-raiser if “Love Is On The Air” does not bring in enough money. Epperly said they won’t know for sure how much was raised until the end of the week.
Boyd has her own ideas why student turnout wasn’t as high as expected.
“One thing we have found is that people do not like to pour their hearts out on television,” she said. “They find it a little embarrassing.”
Students said they have different views on the show.
“I think it’s really cheesy and I think that you should be able to tell someone how much they mean to you in person and not on TV, but maybe I’m just bitter that I don’t have anyone who will record a message for me,” said Jessica Masters, freshman biology major from Tallahassee, Fla.
