ACADEMICS - 166 BOB RITCHIE, MEDIA OPERATIONS MANAGER, assists junior John Dowdy, director of TV 16, produce a IIvechapel broadcast Sept. 10 In the Reynolds Center. TV 16 broadcast chapel live th iSyea rfo rthe community and those on campus who could nOI allend In Ihe Benson Auditorium. 'A. BEENE Broadcasting live was nothing new to the communication department. For more than 20 years students have been trained in filming, directing and producing live newscasts, which were aired weeknights on TV 16. Adding to the live newscasts, the communication department, alongside VideoWorks, took live broadcasting to a new level beginning in the spring of 2004. More than 10,000 White County Cable subscribers were able to catch chapel live at 9 a.m. every weekday on TV 16. "The live broadcasting of chapel was a natural progression for the university and the communication department," Bob Ritchie, operations manager for TV 16 and VideoWorks, said. "We already had the technology, manpower and need to accomplish it. We just had to take that extra step." With people already in place who were capable of filming live events, the challenge the communication deparhnent faced was getting the live footage &om the Benson Auditorium to the Reynolds Center so that It could be broadcast to the cable network. "If you have fiber-optic cable, then you can broadcast live from anywhere on campus," Ritchie said. Ri tchie said to get the live footage from the Benson to the Reynolds, fiber-optic cable had to run between the two buildings. Fiber-optic cables were fine strands of glass that were bundled together to form a cable. Data was translated into pulses of light that traveled through the fibers from one end to another. Even with the experienced crew behind live chapel, the intricate technology system had its fair share of glitches. "Sometimes names of those participating in chapel will be wrong, or the speaker will move out of the shot," said senior Daniel Mullins, who filmed chapel for VIdeoWorks. "Murphy's Law always applies when it comes to broadcasting chapel live." Senior John Dowdy, student producer and director for chapel, agreed with Mullins. "We have shown everything you can think of that you shouldn't see on live television," Dowdy said. "Sometimes we'll be zoomed in on two people and one will be picking his nose while the other is falling asleep." With chapel showing three times a day on TV 16, those outside the Harding community were bound to see the broadcast at some point in time. Dowdy said the broadcast had the p0tential to become a strong outreach to White County. He also said it helped the university's image. "You can see Harding University the way it really is," Dowdy said. "It's a positive, intimate look at the entire student body worshipping together." - STACEYCONDOlORA
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