Monday, December 31

BC 251 Online Mini-Movie Showcase








WATCH & VOTE ONLINE!!!
bc251.blogspot.com

You can watch the individual mini-movie projects created this semester by BC 251 students.
You can access each student's mini-movie through the BC 251 weblog where we also invite you to vote for your favorite. The poll is open through the early part of January to allow visitors time to watch the 20 different mini-movies. It can be a hassle to watch on campus as YouTube files take a while to load up. The campus network automatically puts a YouTube file on the bottom of the list of things to process. If you click to watch a mini-movie, give yourself some time. Perhaps you can make some popcorn and when you come back the YouTube window will tell you "replay" and you can watch without any problem.

Don't forget to vote for your favorite!

Monday, December 24

When News BREAKS...Can they fix it?

What happens when a van crashes into the studio of a Chicago news station (WLS- ABC O & O) while it's on the air?




Mini-van crashes into Ch. 7 studio
Associated Press
10:29 PM CST, December 23, 2007
Chicago police are investigating a car that crashed into the downtown studio of WLS-TV (ABC-7) during the top of the 10 p.m. news. No injuries were immediately reported. Just after 10 p.m., a loud noise was heard inside the studio and on the air startling weekend anchor Ravi Baichwal. Baichwal reported on the crash throughout the news cast showing footage of a smashed window and broken glass about 15 to 20 feet away from him. He added that the studio suddenly has a cold draft. The car was reported to be a silver minivan. Chicago police spokesman David Banks had no further information.

Monday, December 17

Hello, HULU


I've discovered "Firefly" on Hulu. I'm really losing interest in DVDs, Netflix and network TV. Hello, Hulu. Instead of trying to track down what episodes exist on DVD, I'm finding "Firefly" episodes on Hulu.

What's Hulu? It's a place on the web for free movies and TV shows from the likes of NBC and FOX (the two have teamed up for this). The beta site went live in October featuring shows from NBC as well as collections of vintage shows-- so now I can show my 10-year old "Lost in Space."

Hulu seems to also be the first to allow you to embed on your blogs, etc. You take shows and clips from Hulu and embedded them on your sites or in emails. Wow! This could really force the networks and studios into a new business model. Move over YouTube as it isn't always about viewer created content, especially when you want explosions and special effects. Those things cost money and Hulu runs on ad revenue.
A Great Show No One Ever Watched: FIREFLY
Schlocky, Classic TV Sci-Fi Irwin Allen-Style: LOST IN SPACE (

Sure it's sci-fi, but it's the best show on television! BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

Great sitcoms are dead...but HULU lets you re-discover ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

Thursday, December 13

BC 601 Final Exam Period- Metaphors Galore


Pick a metaphor relating to graduation, the job search or just about any major transition in life and you can play it out via Titan Traverse. That's what we did for the BC 601 final exam period. Two and a half hours of creative, physical activity designed to add an experiential, tactile and physical metaphor for the transitions the capstone students now face. I hope everyone walked away from this exam period knowing they are not the first to venture down this path (look another metaphor!) and the journey can take you places you never expected. This experience is the perfect thing for folks to blog about going into the winter break.
See all the pics @flickr.com





Friday, December 7

Sky's "On the Verge with PSAs"


Sky Yaple graduates this semester and with her being on the verge of completing her degree at Westminster, she took the occasion to formally present her work in a program she calls "On the Verge with PSAs." The project looks at how she created public service announcements for radio, TV and moved them to the web on behalf of her client, the New Castle Public Library.

You can check out the web site she created here...READY GO READ!!!

This is also a time to note that Sky's presentation is a solid example of how to build a capstone presentation. The 10 minute talk was on task, focused, well-rehearsed and showcased the work she created. Well done, Sky.

Thursday, December 6

Field Trip to KDKA

The BC 311 students along with some Titan Radio hitchhikers, Jill Carle, Andy Borts and Pam Marlowe, traveled to NewsRadio KDKA AM in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night for an end of semester field trip. I chose KDKA because of it's rich history in broadcasting, proximity to campus and the fact that BC 311 focuses on radio news. I also know the PD/ND so that helps- thanks, Marshall!
I also want to thank Jim Amato, news editor and our host for the evening. Jim's not only a polished professional, but he's an incredible resource as he has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to broadcast history. Thanks, Jim!

The gang from BC 311- Nicky Piszczor, Shayna Marti, Thomas Miller, David Greig, Doug Kunst, Christina Roseto and Tom Benoit.

Wednesday, December 5

All By My Elf

Aidan Mewha (Class of '07) has turned me into an elf. What a odd, yet endearing thing to do for the holiday. Thanks, Aidan. Now what do I get you? I guess I have enough photos of you to return the favor.

You can click here and see my animated elf moves.

It's a really cool do-it-yourself animation presented by OfficeMax. Clever way to promote online!!! I know this kind of online nonsense has floated around on the Internet before, but this just seems to promote some holiday cheer and goodwill when I really needed it. Thanks, Aidan.

Thursday, November 22

The BC 251 Homecoming Promo Assignment



BC 251 students will create Titan Radio promos for YouTube to invite alumni to Homecoming 2008.

Friday, November 16

Light Up Night LIVE on TV

Another Westminster College BC FIRST!
LIVE from New Castle...it's LIGHT UP NIGHT.
(More Pictures Here)

Jill, Pam and Chuck worked with Cindy at the Chamber of Commerce to create a holiday spectacle on live TV thanks to some portable lighting from PennDOT. Despite the damp, cold night Santa made his way to town on a fire truck. People came out with their winter wear and umbrellas, but the rain seemed to stay away except for some light drizzle here and there. The parade runs again on Saturday night at 7 and again same time on Thanksgiving evening.

Thursday, November 15

DVRs KILLING Appointment Television

Why watch what's on TV now when you can watch what you want to watch now and you don't need "video on demand" to do it. That's the marketing hook for TiVo and it works for a lot of peoople. For example, I have nearly 10 episodes of Heroes on my TiVo waiting for me to watch when I have time. Unfortunately, I haven't had time. However, that's the glory of the DVR. I watch what I want when I want. Now that DVRs have a 20% penetration into U.S. homes and Nielsen is accomodating for them in it's television ratings, some are saying TELEVISION IS DEAD.

LOST executive producer and writer Damon Lindelof is one of those proclaiming the death of TV. He's also one of those writers out on strike against the networks and studios so he's clearly working to garner some attention for his cause as he penned the following piece for the LA Times.

Mourning TV

By DAMON LINDELOF

Published: November 11, 2007

Los Angeles

TELEVISION is dying.

I should have realized this four years ago when I first got my TiVo box, but denial is always the first stage of grief. I simply couldn’t acknowledge that this wonderful invention heralded the beginning of the end.

TiVo stores your favorite movies and shows on its hard drive, allowing you to pull up last night’s episode of “The Daily Show” as easily as you click open documents on your laptop. In fact, once you download the original broadcast — sorry, I meant to say “record” it — you can watch it at your leisure. The next morning. Next year. Your call. Because now? You own that episode.

Best of all, you got it free.

Television has always been free. Sure, if you want all the N.F.L. games in high definition, you have to pay the piper, but the broadcast networks still offer their entire schedules for absolutely nothing. The only catch, of course, is that you have to watch commercials. Economically, it’s a fair deal. The network pays for the shows, gives them to viewers, and makes its cash back through advertising. Which regrettably brings us to the most wonderful thing TiVo does: It enables you to ignore the commercials that keep the whole system running.

Twenty percent of American homes now contain hard drives that store movies and television shows indefinitely and allows you to fast-forward through commercials. These devices will probably proliferate at a significant rate and soon, almost everyone will have them. They’ll also get smaller and smaller, rendering the box that holds them obsolete, and the rectangular screen in your living room won’t really be a television anymore, it’ll be a computer. And running into the back of that computer, the wire that delivers unto you everything you watch? It won’t be cable; it will be the Internet.

This probably sounds exciting if you’re a TV viewer, but if you’re in the business of producing these shows, it’s nothing short of terrifying. This is how vaudevillians must have felt the first time they saw a silent movie; sitting there, suddenly realizing they just became extinct: after all, who wants another soft-shoe number when you can see Harold Lloyd hanging off a clock 50 feet tall?

Change always provokes fear, but I’d once believed that the death of our beloved television would unify all those affected, talent and studios, creators and suits. We’re all afraid and we’d all be afraid together. Instead we find ourselves so deeply divided.

The Writers Guild of America (of which I am a proud member) has gone on strike. I have spent the past week on the picket line outside Walt Disney Studios, my employer, chanting slogans and trudging slowly across the crosswalk.

The motivation for this drastic action — and a strike is drastic, a fact I grow more aware of every passing day — is the guild’s desire for a portion of revenues derived from the Internet. This is nothing new: for more than 50 years, writers have been entitled to a small cut of the studios’ profits from the reuse of our shows or movies; whenever something we created ends up in syndication or is sold on DVD, we receive royalties. But the studios refuse to apply the same rules to the Internet.

My show, “Lost,” has been streamed hundreds of millions of times since it was made available on ABC’s Web site. The downloads require the viewer to first watch an advertisement, from which the network obviously generates some income. The writers of the episodes get nothing. We’re also a hit on iTunes (where shows are sold for $1.99 each). Again, we get nothing.

If this strike lasts longer than three months, an entire season of television will end this December. No dramas. No comedies. No “Daily Show.” The strike will also prevent any pilots from being shot in the spring, so even if the strike is settled by then, you won’t see any new shows until the following January. As in 2009. Both the guild and the studios we are negotiating with do agree on one thing: this situation would be brutal.

I will probably be dragged through the streets and burned in effigy if fans have to wait another year for “Lost” to come back. And who could blame them? Public sentiment may have swung toward the guild for now, but once the viewing audience has spent a month or so subsisting on “America’s Next Hottest Cop” and “Celebrity Eating Contest,” I have little doubt that the tide will turn against us. Which brings me to the second stage of grief: anger.

I am angry because I am accused of being greedy by studios that are being greedy. I am angry because my greed is fair and reasonable: if money is made off of my product through the Internet, then I am entitled to a small piece. The studios’ greed, on the other hand, is hidden behind cynical, disingenuous claims that they make nothing on the Web — that the streaming and downloading of our shows is purely “promotional.” Seriously?

Most of all, I’m angry that I’m not working. Not working means not getting paid. My weekly salary is considerably more than the small percentage of Internet gains we are hoping to make in this negotiation and if I’m on the picket line for just three months, I will never recoup those losses, no matter what deal gets made.

But I am willing to hold firm for considerably longer than three months because this is a fight for the livelihoods of a future generation of writers, whose work will never “air,” but instead be streamed, beamed or zapped onto a tiny chip.

Things have gotten ugly and the lines of communication have broken down completely between the guild and the studios. Perhaps it’s not too late, though, for both sides to rally around the one thing we still have in common: our mourning for the way things used to be. Instead of fighting each other, maybe we should be throwing a wake for our beloved TV.

Because the third stage of grief is bargaining.

And bargain we must, because when television finally passes on, there will still be entertainment; there will still be shows and films and videos, right there on a screen in your living room. And just as the owners of vaudeville theaters broke down and bought hand-crank movie cameras, the studios will figure out a way to make absurd amounts of money off of whatever is beaming onto whichever sort of screen.

And we’ll still be writing every word.

Damon Lindelof is the co-creator and head writer of the television series “Lost.”

Tuesday, November 13

Familiar Faces Drop By Campus

Melissa Batulis (Class of '03) and Tandi Lane (Class of '05) dropped by my office as they visited campus on Friday. Melissa even introduced me to her beau, Sean. It was great to chat and visit, but it never seems like we ever get to spend enough time to catch up. I hope we can do it again soon and take time for a meal and more. It was nice meeting Sean and great seeing Melissa and Tandi!

Friday, November 9

Mock Convention Pictures!!!



www.flickr.com





2007 Mock The Vote

It's over! Delegates nominated John Edwards for prez and Stephen Colbert for veep.

Saturday, November 3

Dying Blockbuster


We talked about the pending demise of Blockbuster years ago when we still had BC 101 at Westminster. That's when Paramount was looking to unload the property. We talked about it again last spring in Mass Comm as we considered the death spiral of Hollywood. Looks like all that talk was accurate.

SAY GOODBYE TO BLOCKBUSTER
It looks like the bottom has finally fallen out of Blockbuster. After numerous failed attempts at attracting new customers, the company is finally spiraling out of control.

Sad as it is, the end is near for Blockbuster, and all that pressure it has been placing on Netflix will be lifted.

And in the end, Netflix will be left standing to fight another day.

Although Blockbuster tried everything it could to create a compelling reason for us to use the service, the company could not overcome its downfall. For years, it was hated by those people who saw it as a monolithic organization that enjoyed charging exorbitant late fees and had little or no care of what the customers wanted most. So when Netflix offered an entirely new service, the dynamics of the industry was inexorably changed, and Blockbuster was left playing catch up.

According to the company's third-quarter results released Thursday, Blockbuster's revenue slid 5.7 percent and the company harbored a net loss of $35 million. Worse, it has closed 526 stores in the past year, and the number of employees will be reduced to offset high overhead costs to the tune of $45 million. Blockbuster's injured stock price continues to fall and was priced at $5.06 at Thursday's close.

But if that's not enough to signal defeat, Blockbuster Chairman Jim Keyes admitted that his company's focus on Netflix was damaging and has decided to pull the plug on his demand for higher Total Access membership. Instead, he wants Blockbuster to focus on increasing overall membership.

Sorry, Jim, but I think you're out of luck.

Much like the print media and retail stores refusing to change, Blockbuster has been a victim on an online company finding new and inventive ways of bringing a product to a customer. And due to its size and outdated corporate culture, there really is no salvation for Blockbuster at this point. Try as it might, the future of Blockbuster is bleak, at best.

Sure, the company still enjoys revenue that climb into the billions of dollars, but with an ever-increasing net loss and a public refusal to focus on Total Access--the area where Netflix continues to dominate--what is the impetus for us to jump on the Blockbuster bandwagon?

Simply put, Blockbuster is doomed. And while many of us have known it for a while now, it's amazing to me that the chairman of the company admitted this in a not-so subtle way, as well.

For Blockbuster, there is currently no prospect for growth. Not only is it incapable of breaking the Netflix shell, the brick-and-mortar stores are failing, and there is little chance it will be able to capitalize on the future of movie rentals--downloading.

The way I see it, Blockbuster has two options: sell off the company as soon as possible or spend huge sums of cash on research and development and strategic partnerships with distribution companies to make downloading movies a viable alternative to Netflix.

But unfortunately, I simply don't see this happening. I think Blockbuster will try to stay the course in the hopes it can find a way out. It won't.

I'll give it two years before this company goes under.

Originally posted at The Digital Home.

1936 Mock Convention Flashback

Wednesday, October 24

WCN's Mock Convention FLASHBACK 2004!


It's Pat, both Ians, Megan, Julie, Sarah, etc...back from 2004!

Tuesday, October 23

FLASH DRIVE TV COULD BE NEXT


Flash memory maker SanDisk Corp. on Monday will debut an online video service and a USB flash drive that can carry television programs and videos from a computer for playback on TVs.

The Sansa TakeTV video player -- an ensemble of an oversized USB drive, remote control and a small dock that connects to a TV -- and its accompanying video service, Fanfare, marks the latest attempt by a company looking to bridge content between the PC and the television.

Similar to using a USB drive to store and move data files, users of TakeTV can drag-and-drop video files stored on their computer -- Fanfare downloads, home videos or other unrestricted video content from the Web -- onto the device. Users can then plug it into the cradle connected to a TV. A simple menu appears on the TV to scroll through the files for playback.

The TakeTV player is $99.99 for a 4 gigabyte model and $149.99 for an 8 GB one that can hold up to 10 hours of video. Fanfare, in a test stage, offers premium TV shows for $1.99 per download -- roughly the same price as rival services, but SanDisk says it hopes to ultimately provide a broad mixture of free and ad-supported content as well as pay-per-download videos.

Fanfare's catalog at launch is small, with about 85 titles. It features TV shows from CBS, including "CSI" and "Survivor," Showtime, TV Guide, and Smithsonian Networks. Dozens of titles are being added each week, SanDisk said.

The online video service is a new venture for Milpitas-based SanDisk, which is the leading maker of flash memory cards and holds a distant but steady second-place position behind Apple Inc. in the portable media player market with a 10 percent share in the U.S., according to market researcher IDC.

SanDisk saw an opportunity in the fledgling market it didn't want to pass up, said Kate Purmal, senior vice president and general manager of SanDisk's digital content unit.

The distribution of videos, movies and television shows over the Internet is expected to grow as companies ranging from Apple and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to the TV networks themselves compete for the audience. The various methods of getting the video from over the Internet onto the TV, however, has yet to become easy or cheap enough for the mainstream market.

CBS Corp., one of SanDisk's first major partners, found in its consumer research of the TakeTV product that people liked its simplicity, compact size, and price, said David Poltrack, president of CBS Vision.

SanDisk will need to build a larger video catalog to succeed, said Danielle Levitas, analyst at IDC.

Sunday, October 14

Mock Convention Flashback

Check out the lean, mean political action machine that Professor David Barner personifies in this report he filed for the 1988 Westminster Mock Convention.

Saturday, September 29

Mock the Vote!

As we gear up for our coverage of the 2007 Westminster Mock Convention, I pieced together a quick promo as a prototype for a BC 251 assignment.

Homecoming 2007 Parade Highlights

Sunday, September 23

"Caitlyn May" Honored As Runner Up at Iris Film Fest

Congratulations go out to Mike Wolenski, Andy Polack, Julie Kepins & Ashley Pierson and their film "Who Knows What 'Caitlyn May' Do..." The project was honored as the runner up in the short documentary division in the 2007 Iris Film Festival. Festival organizers featured "Caitlyn May" during Saturday night's screenings at the Clifton Theater in Huntingdon, PA. I'd like to offer congratulations to Penn State faculty member Jerry Zolten and his documentary "Roxie Moore: A Life of Song" which took the top prize.


I was impressed by the eclectic choice of entries in the various categories from filmmakers of all ages. Iris reaches out to the novice as well as the struggling filmmakers with $30,000 budgets trying to strike deals with Hollywood studios. We enjoyed meeting other college students with class projects as well as high school teachers with a knack for storytelling.

I also enjoyed hearing from Edinboro University's Brad Pattullo on stop-motion animation. Pattullo was gracious enough to share his current project with those of us in the audience-- an amazing stop-motion mockumentary about his craft.

Two gems I singled out in this event included an animated shorted called "Fish, But No Cigar" by Tara White and Lyn Elliot. My favorite of the entire festival was a wonderfully sincere story directed Alan Beck, a Bedford County high school teacher who recruited his students and fellow teachers as the cast. His movie, "Last Skate For Couples," is exactly what this kind of competition should celebrate. Beck provided me with a copy of his film to share with my students. "Last Skate For Couples" also took home the top prize for short feature.

The organizers of the Iris Film Festival marked their second year celebrating a diverse selection of projects created by Pennsylvania filmmakers. I look forward to submitting additional work from Westminster students in this up and coming festival.

Tuesday, September 18

Westminster Student-Produced Documentary Feature at Iris Film Festival


CONGATULATIONS FORMER MASS COMM/SOC 109 CLUSTER STUDENTS!

The 2007 Iris Film Festival will showcase a short documentary produced and directed by Westminster College students.

"Who Knows What Caitlyn May Do..." was produced for the communications/sociology cluster course during the spring 2007 semester. The 13-minute film introduces the audience to three-year-old Caitlyn May Hickman, a child with Down syndrome, and her family: Lisa, Jason, and Leah Hickman. The family shares insights to remind the viewer that while life may seem rough at times, viewing from a different perspective makes one aware of all life's gifts.

Executive producers are Dr. Virginia Tomlinson, associate professor of sociology and director of the Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and Bradley Weaver, instructor of broadcast communications. Dr. Mandy Medvin, professor of psychology, was also featured in the documentary. Weaver will represent the College at the festival, Sept. 21-23, at the historic Clifton Theater in Huntingdon.

Students involved in the writing, direction and production of the documentary are:

Julie Kepins, a senior psychology major, is a daughter of James and Cindy Kepins of Murrysville and a graduate of Franklin Regional High School.

Ashley Pierson, a senior financial economics major, is a daughter of James and Kara Pierson of Wellsville, Ohio, and a graduate of Wellsville Local High School.

Andrew Polack, a senior computer science and mathematics major, is a son of Samuel and Barbara Polack of Abingdon, Md., and a graduate of Edgewood High School.

Michael Wolenski, a 2007 Westminster graduate with a degree in broadcast communications, is a son of Thomas and Maureen Wolenski of Butler and a graduate of Peters Township High School.

Visit www.irisfilmfestival.org for additional information.

Monday, September 17

The County Line SHOW OPEN

The County Line debuts on WCN on Thursday, September 20, 2007.
Live and local on New Wilmington Cable 9, Comcast (Lawrence County) Channel 10.

Thursday, September 6

The BC 601 Titan Traverse VIdeo (Spider Pig Version)


Here's the original "automovie" version of the Capstone @ Titan Traverse video.



You can CLICK here for all the BC Capstone Titan Traverse pix- www.flickr.com





Friday, August 31

A New Season of BC Capstone

BC Capstone students are now refining abstracts to define their senior projects and a research question that will allow them to move forward on researching and planning their work this semester. While they work on this, they’ll also develop a focus for their weblogs as they craft and publish their mission statements online.

Here’s the complete link list to the BC 2007-08 student blogs:

In class the next week we will meet at Titan Traverse for a twist on the liberal arts experience in higher education as we work on bonding as a capstone class and goal making for the coming year. Students must be at Titan Traverse by 2:00 Thursday afternoon (September 6). Please don’t keep the staff there waiting (being on time is an asset of a professional). Wear comfortable shoes and clothing that will allow for climbing, crawling, swinging, etc. I’m throwing on a little bug repellant as well.

We’ll tag out the conclusion of the semester with another Titan Traverse outing which will stand in for the final exam period. The only way not to get the final exam points on December 12 from 3:00-5:30 is not to participate. So please mark your calendars now that BC 601’s final will be a chance to decompress from all the other stress of final exams while also taking stock of your Capstone efforts of charting goals and social and professional networking you have in place as you wrap up your time at Westminster.

Friday, August 24

www.titanradio.net

Titan Radio Welcomes New Students to Campus!!!

Friday, August 17

MOCK CONVENTION FLASHBACK


With the 2008 Westminster College Mock Convention jumping from spring to fall semester, The County Line crew at WCN and Titan Radio News will need to hustle. I've started posting clips from the 2004 Mock Convention Coverage on YouTube to help students get a feel for how the convention works. It's also a nice way to reach out to those grads who lead the way four years ago.

2008 Presidential Mock Convention Slides Back Into 2007

from Titan Radio- August 16, 2007
The presidential campaign comes early in New Wilmington as the 2008 Westminster College Mock Convention will take place this November. That's three months earlier than originally planned. Convention faculty advisor James Rhoads, associate professor of political science, says a combination of early campaigns and primaries forced the College to move up the Westminster event. The Convention changes to a Wednesday-Thursday night schedule on November 7 and 8. The location will also change to the Witherspoon Rooms in the McKelvey Campus Center. The Mock Convention has taken place traditionally on a Thursday-Friday schedule in early February in Memorial Field House.

"The last several Conventions have had to move earlier and earlier due to the political parties moving up their primary schedules," Rhoads said. "This year, we have moved into the fall semester. In addition to the change in dates, we are instituting a year-long series of events to coincide with the presidential selection process."

When California moved its primary election date to February 5, 2008, it turned up the heat on presidential campaigns forcing them to begin nearly a year earlier. In Pennsylvania, Governor Rendell supported a move to change the Keystone State's primary to February. However, the initiative has failed to take root in the General Assembly. Nearly 40 other states will hold primaries before Pennsylvania's May primary election in 2008.

This year the Mock Convention will mirror the Democratic National Convention. Campus tradition dictates the event focus on the party not in control of the White House. Westminster's Mock Convention is recognized as the second oldest in the country as it began in 1936 founded by political science professor Thomas Mansell. The Convention started as an effort to educate students and cultivate participation in the political process of a presidential election.

Friday, July 13

USA Network's "Burn Notice" Burning Up My TiVo


Get out the SPF 30 as my TiVo helped me discover a stylish, new character-driven guilty pleasure for my summer viewing pleasure. It's USA's "Burn Notice." Well-written dialogue, good acting and some stylish directing make this Miami-set twist on the "spy" comedy/drama fun to watch. It promises to tell the story of what happens when spies get fired. That's exactly what the main character does with a McGyveresque approach as he improvises to make spy gadgets on a dollar store budget. The show's hero is glib, out of work tough guy/secret agent Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan). He often reveals details of his life as a spy during voice-overs vignettes while he's working episode-length freelance gigs he picks up to make an extra buck.

His mother (Sharon Gless) and a sexy ex-girlfriend, former IRA operative Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), trade one-liners as they're forced to come together in this light-hearted look at unemployed spies. The second episode even pokes fun at cop shows while paying homage to Gless with a reference to "Cagney and Lacy" (if memory serves me, Gless played Christine Cagney...geez I would have been in high school back then). Westen's trying to figure out who burned him-- each episode he gets a little closer-- he really wants his job back. In the meantime, he'll champion the underdog for a price and ends up turning the tables on Miami baddies like drug smugglers and corrupt real estate tycoons.


He can do what the cops can't do and he does it with style while also being tailed by the FBI as the people who burned him are still keeping tabs. While he wants to be a loner, he'll need to learn to be the ex-spy who loves his mother and old girlfriend to get ahead. The show's topical sarcasm and likeable cast of misfit characters have a cool rhythm.


"Burn Notice" is fresh and much more entertaining than the worn "4400" which has morphed away from its original concepts and lost my interest. I never got into "Monk" as it came off too much like any other spin on the old "NBC Sunday Night Mystery Movie" formulas. While I once enjoyed "The Dead Zone" it seemed to go on forever...but now USA has put some heat back into summer television with "Burn Notice." The show sizzles against the few new things to watch including those tired, predictable summer reality shows.

Wednesday, May 30

From Westminster to Winchester TV 3

Look what commencement ceremonies will bring to campus… It’s Sebas! The world (at least the world in Winchester, VA) now knows him as TV 3’s Sebastian Salazar (a.k.a.Sebastian Driver- the man who created Titantown Sports at WCN). Sorry I didn’t have a chance to mingle after the commencement pageantry, Sebas.


You can keep up to date with this up and coming sportscaster online where his latest TV 3 sportscasts are posted. You can also check out his sports blog and leave comments. It seems like only yesterday he was shooting, editing, producing & anchoring sports on WCN.


Tuesday, May 29

Extreme Makeover: The Animated "SIMPSONS" Edition


If I were on "The Simpsons" would I look like this?
I created my own Simpons avatar on "The Simpsons Movie" web site. So can you.

Here's what I WISH I LOOKED LIKE IF I WERE A CHARACTER ON "THE SIMPONS." However, I'd prefer to be on "Futurama."




The online folks at FOX have come up with a cool way to generate some buzz and interest online about the upcoming feature film. It's also a cool way to interact with fans.

Monday, May 21

Outsourcing Local New Jobs...to India?

Many American manufacturing jobs disappeared as they went overseas to cheaper markets without unions. Much of the animation for The Simpsons is done abroad. Then telemarketing jobs went to India, Central America, Mexico...as did other middle management jobs for all sorts of companies.

Now look for outsourcing to come to a newsroom near you as American journalism is exported. Is this the shape of things to come? Consider what a Pasadena paper is trying to do as it looks to outsource “local” coverage for city hall to a reporter based in India. NPR provides an interesting examination of what could happen with news jobs in this country. Imagine the implication for American Democracy, public opinion, schools of journalism, etc.

Sunday, May 20

Commencement 2007- Follow Your Bliss



Follow your bliss.
If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that,
you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open
where you didn't know they were going to be.
If you follow your bliss,
doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.
Joseph Campbell

From titanradio.net

More than 325 graduates received degrees on Old Main's Senior Terrace as the sun peaked out on a breezy Saturday afternoon in New Wilmington marking the 153rd commencement for Westminster College. Titan Radio presents highlights online from this year's graduation ceremonies. The highlights are available here on tiitanradio.net and on You Tube.

Westminster's commencement speaker, Dr. Dianne D. Aronian, encouraged each graduate to do as Joseph Campbell wrote and "follow your bliss." Aronian, a 1962 Westminster graduate and former College trustee and accomplished ophthalmologist, created a program to bring eye care to southern Belize in Central America. The program responded to a health crisis where there was no eye care available to the poor in the region. Aronian noted her work in that program was one of the more recent occasions where she discovered her newest "bliss." She described her life after her college graduation as a journey of finding her bliss a number of times from medical school and throughout her professional life. She urged the class of 2007 to open themselves up to discover the bliss that will lead them as they leave Westminster.




BC Capstone 2006-07 Tribute

Sunday, April 29

MONDAY, APRIL 30: BC Capstone Presentations!!!

  • Monday, April 30, 2007
  • Mueller Theater inside the McKelvey Campus Center
  • Day Session Begins @ 11:45 Featuring Elizabeth Farry & Stevi Nelson
  • Evening Session Begins @ 6:00 with an Intermission and Light Refreshments at 6:45

The public is invited. Students will make presentations addressing their senior project, the liberal arts experience, their body of work as professionals and frame it with their career goals.

Elizabeth Farry
Presentation Title: Telling the Story of my Future
Description: My presentation will highlight the things I’ve done during my time at Westminster, both on campus and off, which have not only prepared me for a career in broadcasting, but have shaped who I am today. I’ll show some of my work and talk a bit about how that’s going to help me get where I’m going.


Stevi Nelson
Presentation Title: My So Called Life After Westminster
Description: I will present my capstone presentation be highlighting elements from my radio and television resume tapes. I will connect this to how my experience in broadcasting as well as my course work at Westminster inside and outside the major has helped prepare me for what lies ahead after commencement.


Mike Wolenski
Presentation Title: Famous Last Words
Description: San Francisco, California; Youngstown, Ohio; New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. A collision of cities shape the college experience for Michael Wolenski. This presentation is a review of my senior project, liberal arts experience, and body of work.


Aidan Mewha
Presentation Title: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time...
Description: I will demonstrate how my strong skills in broadcasting have combined with rest of my liberal arts education to create a supernova of creative energy that was released in the form of my sitcom script and short film screenplay. I will also showcase some of my broadcasting highlights at Westminster and possibly perform an interpretive dance.


Amy Lavallee
Presentation Title: Our Own Little World & Beyond
Description: I plan on talking about my years at Westminster, what I did in broadcasting and how it worked for me, and finally...I will show my E-portfolio.


Leanne Veres
Presentation Title: Experience Is Major Stepping Stone
Description: I will explain how my liberal arts education and experience in broadcasting has opened doors for me in other fields, and also showcase my works with Titan Radio, The County Line, WKST (Forever Broadcasting), FSN Pittsburgh, and the Holcad.


D.J. Yokley
Presentation Title: Pursuit of Happiness
Description: I've been thinking of my time here at Westminster. Ive also been thinking about the people I want to be at my capstone presentation, and why? Obviously I want my mom there, I'd also like my girlfriend and her family...All of my friends, ESPN producer Denny Wolfe, and a few select teachers from my days as an East Palestine Bulldog. I want to share highlights of my senior project as well as touch on my work with sports broadcasting-- on Titan Radio, WCN and Titantown Sports. My goal is to someday work at ESPN and with hard work and determination I know I can get there.

Watch the TCL Vlog Tribute produced to the 2007 BC Capstone Students! Produced by Thomas Miller.


Saturday, April 28

"Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living." John Dewey






It's now time for BC Capstone students to focus on wrapping up projects for other classes as they also finish the last episodes of The County Line. I'm sure these folks will make trips down memory lane during DJ shifts and in the newsroom as they play out the final days of the semester. The countdown is underway for exams and graduation. Monday's capstone presentations gave this bunch one last chance to stand in front of the campus community and their families as the big dogs in the BC department-- one final chance to shine-- to show us what they've achieved as they move on to the next big thing.

This round of presentations were on target and showcased the e-portfolios, senior projects and the professional experience that will serve them well in the next phase of their lives.

Stevi Nelson's presentation was exceptionally memorable as she gave it an ending with a twist that no one will forget-- she revealed she had a job offer in sales at WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh. Congratulations, Stevi! I'm confident success will also find our other capstone students.


Mike's Wolenski's presentation focused on his achievements and growth over the past few years. He worked to showcase his efforts while entertaining the audience. While Mike didn't slip in any surprise ending, he also has a head start on his future. He currently directs the news on weekends at WYTV. However, I'm sure bigger and more challenging things are headed his way. Congratulations Mike!
Congratulations, Leanne!
Congratulations, Amy!
Congratulat
ions, Liz!
Congratulations, Aidan!
And, Mr. Yokley, good luck on things for this summer!
The learning and experience does not end now. It's continues.


Lessons learned from the presentations:
  • BRING YOUR E-PORTFOLIO. If all else fails (jump drives, portable hard drives, network drives and internet connections) you can access your work on the portfolio.
  • Shorter is better. Keeping presentations under 15 minutes is a big plus over previous years. Perhaps we should consider 10 minute presentations?
  • Chose a venue that will remain cool. While the Mueller Theater is a new facility, it was stuffy and hot. It's heavy usage on a class day added to the stale environment.


Saturday, April 21

First Time in Las Vegas & First TIme @ the BEA

I'm recovering from BEA fever as the Broadcast Education Association converged with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)/Radio-Television News Directiors Association (RTNDA) Conventions in Las Vegas this week. I served as BEA panel presenter on Saturday afternoon talking about "Convergent Projects for Student Media Groups."

My presentation was titled "Convergence as Part of the LIberal Arts Mission." My panel was nearly the last to present on the last day of the convention so the crowd was spread a bit thin. We had about 15 in the audience.

I did bump into one of my instructors from the University of Kansas. Max Utsler presented on "Turning Pracitcal Newsroom Experiences into Practical Pedagogy." Utsler spent a summer working as a reporter at an NBC affiliate in Peoria, Illinois, as a way to get back to his roots in teaching broadcast journalism. I also attended a number of other presentations and panels including one on the "VJs, One-Man-Bands and the Realities of 21st Century Television News" chaired by Greg Stuart Smith of Hofstra Univerisity.

Max Utsler introduced me to Greg Smith and here's the twist-- Utsler taught Smith while Smith was a grad student at Mizzou. The Mizzou-KU journalism connections have always seemed to follow me since I am married to a Mizzou graduate.

Thursday, April 12

BC Capstone Presentations 2007

BC Capstone students will make their senior presentations on Monday, April 30, 2007 in the Mueller Theater inside the McKelvey Campus Center.


Elizabeth Farry & Stevi Nelson will make lu
nchtime presentations beginning at 11:45.

Mike Wolenski, Leanne Veres, Amy Lavallee, Aidan Mewha and DJ Yokley will make evening presentations beginning at 6 p.m.


The public is invited. Students will make presentations addressing their senior project, the liberal arts experience, their body of work as professionals and frame it with their career goals.