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Turning Off tvWestern.ca?

tvWestern.ca has been a University Students’ Council media outlet for over a decade, and has provided students with a TV station to call their own. However, tough economic times call for tightening the financial belt, and saving money often means making some unpopular choices. After last year’s USC student survey results showed 83 per cent of respondents never view videos on tvWestern.ca, the next move was foreseeable. The USC’s 2010/2011 budget has just been tabled and it is proposed tvWestern.ca be cut — no student fee, no budget, nada.

Dropping a budget line that totaled approximately $90,000 is a tough decision. Few people will envy council members’ responsibility to weigh the pros and cons of cutting tvWestern.ca — and the flack they will no doubt face if the budget is passed.

While council considers whether or not to vote yes, it’s important they consider the duality of tvWestern.ca — its role as a training service and as a media outlet.

As far as providing effective media coverage, it falls behind expectations. An awkward and outdated website has no doubt contributed to tvWestern.ca’s unpopularity. The Internet has led to a revolution in broadcast media, but tvWestern.ca is still producing lengthy segments suited for the outdated closed-circuit TV model.

In all fairness, it’s to be expected that a university TV station won’t be the flashiest, most high-tech media outlet. After all, a large part of its purpose is to offer experience and opportunity to amateurs — students who want to learn the basics of broadcast journalism.

However, tvWestern.ca seems to fall short when it comes to training as well. Any student interested in TV reporting would fare better volunteering at Rogers Television, where they can work with up-to-date equipment, soundboards and observe how a genuine TV station operates.

The possible reasons for tvWestern.ca’s issues range far and wide — low funding, a small volunteer base, and poor branding and promotion to name a few. But no matter the causes, the problem remains — students have been paying for a service that isn’t fulfilling its mandate.

It’s possible the USC could have found another way to cut costs. With over 80 per cent of tvWestern.ca’s budget going towards salaries, a lot of money could be saved if the operation was fully student-run. Replacing full-time managers with students would also help the operation remain in touch with what students want.

However, after years of sub-par performance, tvWestern.ca has established a brand that doesn’t appeal to most students. Ten years ago, these adjustments could have helped, but now it’s simply too late.

Depending on how the USC handles the situation — if it passes — current volunteers could still be given an opportunity to contribute. There are salvageable aspects of tvWestern.ca that will hopefully be continued, such as Big Purple Couch and video coverage of special events and council meetings. Finding a way to keep these aspects of the service will provide an outlet for students who wish to be involved, albeit not under the banner of tvWestern.ca.

But any way you look at it, the financial burden that has become tvWestern.ca has got to go.

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