By Mitch Holt, Copy Editor
The Students’ Association plans to promote the university’s student-run television station, SATV, this fall from its longtime dormant state into a forum of discussion, programs and announcements, all by students.
Maher Saab, president of SA, said he’s excited about the plethora of ideas being tossed around, and he hopes to have SATV channel 55 up and running sometime during the fall semester.
“[SATV] is a fun way to gets the student body involved in student-run TV shows,” Saab said. “If someone has an idea for a show, this is a venue for them to put one together and bring the idea to us.”
During SATV’s history, it has changed from several times.
In 2003, former SA president Layne Rouse envisioned the station taking the place of Chapel announcements. It was supposed to become a 24-hour, student-run station with shows, news and announcements.
However, after Rouse’s term in office, his vision was lost between Congresses.
The next year, SATV became a forum for news and announcements using a software program the university purchased, but the program was thwarted because it didn’t meet the expectations of station producers.
Last year, SATV-at that time airing on channel 24-was used to exhibit FilmFest entries. The entries were aired for months in a row until SATV was eventually moved to channel 55.
Saab said the key for keeping his vision of SATV alive from year to year is grooming the younger students and getting them excited about the vision for the station.
He said “We’ll need to be sure to train to people who come after us so that when we leave the idea won’t just end.”
Chris Faulkner, multimedia specialist at ACU and adviser for the TV station, said he wants the student body to be more involved with the station this year than it has in the past. Faulkner is teaming up with SA this school year to figure out productive uses for the channel.
Faulkner is pleased to help SA and the student body renovate SATV, but it’s going to take some work, he said.
“I hope for SA to be self-efficient to where they would be able to run the show themselves,” Faulkner said. “I’m more of an adviser of their capabilities with the station, but it’s up to them to provide the manpower.”
