PSU-TV accepted as publication

Correction: In the article titled, “PSU-TV accepted as publication,” it should have been reported that PSU-TV has been provisionally accepted as a publication.

According to Judson Randall, student publications adviser, the Publications Board will create a list of criteria that PSU-TV must meet before it officially becomes a publication.

The Publications Board has officially recognized PSU-TV, a student-run television production program, as a publication after the group went two years without institutional support. Student Activities and Leadership Programs disqualified the group in 2009.

Becoming a campus publication grants PSU-TV the same support given to other student-run programs like the Vanguard, the Rearguard and KPSU.

PSU-TV’s first requested recognition as a student publication in January 2010, but was initially rejected by the Pubs Board.

Last month, PSU-TV requested recognition by the board for the second time. At the time, the board voted unanimously to provisionally accept the group; the period ended on Monday, April 4, thus making PSU-TV a permanent student publication.

PSU-TV Manager Lucila Epple believes that the group was first denied due to its lack of formal organization and preparedness.

“Our constitution wasn’t that clear to [the Publications Board] and we didn’t release regular content,” she said. “The group wasn’t really figured out because it was just a student group before.”

Despite its first rejection in 2010, PSU-TV continued production for the rest of the year, working to become more organized, as well as to produce content on a more regular basis—all without a budget.

“I wanted us to become the group that [the Pubs Board] would accept,” Epple said.

One of the board’s main critiques of PSU-TV was its lack of steady production output, but Epple argued that there is no formal precedent for campus television media production.

“No one is telling us when to release [segments],” she said. “There are no rules, so that’s the only reason we’re not strict on schedule, but we can start.”

After PSU-TV’s initial request to the board was denied, Epple sought the assistance of Steve Amen, Oregon Public Broadcast (OPB) contributor and adjunct professor of documentary production at Portland State. Amen was impressed with Epple’s dedication to PSU-TV and was willing to offer his support, as well as possible future mentorship opportunities between PSU-TV and OPB-TV.

“I just want to reward passion,” Amen said.

According to Amen, any published media claiming to be associated with PSU necessitates the scrutiny and direction of the university.

“PSU-TV can help fill the much needed void for experience in the broadcast field of journalism,” Amen wrote in a March 13 letter to Pubs Board President Michael McGregor.

Amen also commented on the need for flexibility concerning the volume of PSU-TV’s releases, claiming that the complex and labor-intensive process for producing television is vastly different from other mediums.

According to Epple, PSU-TV’s quest for publication status was not solely about funding, but she does admit that getting people to commit to the group without a financial incentive is a challenge.

“We have not had a budget for over a year, and very few people are willing to work 10 hours a week for nothing,” she said.

Apart from the financial support, PSU-TV wanted the university’s guidance to help the program succeed and grow. In addition, Epple pointed out that lacking the official status as a campus publication meant that PSU-TV could not utilize other campus resources—such as the Graphic Design Center—for help with production.

Epple believes that PSU-TV is important to the PSU community because it is a group unique to all other student publications.

“What we do is different,” she said. “We offer visual storytelling.”

According to Epple, PSU-TV has many future projects on its agenda; it will be filming segments for both Korea and Saudi Night, covering PSU’s Earth Day celebrations and filming a lecture series for the International Sustainability Center. ?