MiddTV network joins a regular broadcast schedule

Author: Maddie Oatman

Dozens of excited viewers gathered in the Grille on Wednesday, Feb. 23 to catch the premiere of Middlebury's newest form of mass communication - MiddTV. Those who attended the event munched on pizza sticks, sipped lemonade and even gossiped about "getting buff for the big premiere." The first production of MiddTV included a segment on sub-free living space at the College (or the lack thereof), what it is like to be a Feb, the opening of the new Atwater Dining Hall and the popularity of intramural sports. With packed attendance, an enthusiastic crew and a wide spectrum of topics, most audience members agreed that the showing was a success.

"I think the premier went very well," said Evan Harris '07, executive producer and founder of MiddTV. "There was a very good turnout and I heard lots of positive feedback. It was a fun event and a great way to get people to know about MiddTV. I even heard people talking about it the next day!"

Harris worked as executive producer and anchorman at his high school's TV news program. He felt that Middlebury was missing this type of program, and so the idea for MiddTV was born. The initial startup of the club was not too difficult, but the club faced some challenges when attempting to acquire equipment. The College agreed to lend the students one camera system for the year and the Finance Committee recently allocated them enough money to purchase another.

"My favorite part about working with MiddTV is the chance it gives me to take a more active role in the community," explained Harris. "It's easy to take the events we see for granted, but when you have time to process them you start to want to give back to the community more."

One of Harris's goals was to make the show available not only to students but to faculty, community members and anyone else who has a connection to Middlebury. Those off-campus can view the show on Channel 16 or at http://community.middlebury.edu/~middtv.

"MiddTV is a good way to share things about campus that people don't already know," said Chris Angelini '08.5. "I thought it was professionally done and taken very seriously. The piece on Febs was very accurate. It showed what being a Feb is really about, that we aren't weird!"

Jake Cohen '08 was also impressed by this introductory show and saw much potential in the budding production."I thought the first episode was well-produced," said Cohen. "Of course, there is possible room for improvement, but that's what excites me about getting involved in the future."

John Montesanti '07, who produced the segment on intramurals, became involved with MiddTV for its opportunities in writing, producing and directing. Montesanti had no prior experience with television production before he signed on to MiddTV, yet he was given the chance to produce an entire segment, complete with various interviews, live-action shots and footage from popular athletic locations around campus such as the weight-room, the climbing wall and the ice rink.

With many established print media organizations at Middlebury College, some may question the need for a visual media source. Few students receive reception in their rooms, and with such busy schedules, some may not find time to trek down to a common room to watch MiddTV.

"I think each news media can communicate stories differently," said Harris. "The newspaper might be good for some stories, and TV could be better for others. I think it's great for Middlebury to have another news source and another voice for the community."

"It gives us an opportunity to use visual images more fully," Montesanti said.

As for future episodes, Harris has his own personal goals."I'd like to make the stories a little more relevant to the Middlebury community. The first episode was very College oriented and I think we can expand that. We also have room to grow technically and graphically," he said.

"I'd love to see more excitement in the way people report," noted Cohen. "Vocal expression adds a lot. I thought the Atwater segment was funny because the humor compensated for the not incredibly expressive voices of the reporters."

Harris said that they plan on airing a new episode every four weeks, and reruns can be viewed every Thursday night at 9 p.m. on Channel 16.