Mass media instructor Chad Wilson (right) working with students in the upgraded Ram TV studio production room
Angelo State’s student-run TV station, Ram TV, recently underwent a total refurbishment so that ASU communication and mass media students can train on state-of-the-art, industry-standard equipment and be fully prepared to start their careers as soon as they graduate.
The upgrades include installation of an all-new set, enlargement of the existing green screen, the addition of a second green screen, new studio lights and new cameras. In the production studio, new Blackmagic brand equipment has been installed, including:
4K switcher and mix effects
4K hyperdeck recorder
4K ultimatte for picture sharpness
Teleprompter
Multiple converters
New streaming devices
Touchscreen control monitor
Ram TV students practicing in the production studio guided by Don Plachno (far right) of the mass media faculty “The Blackmagic brand is very popular on college campuses and is also moving into professional TV stations,” said Don Plachno, mass media instructor and director of Ram TV technical services. “We decided to jump on that bandwagon, and now the equipment in the Ram TV studio is more advanced than many smaller-market TV stations. We can train our students on the actual equipment they will be using when they start working in the industry, and that is a huge benefit. Our students are really fired up.”
Budget permitting, the next upgrade is slated to be new 3-D sets for the Ram TV studio.
Ram TV student Cameron Allen practicing against the new green screen in the Ram TV studio There are currently 14 students in the Ram TV program. They can be seen around campus shooting video and working on news stories at some of ASU’s biggest events, and they also produce regular programs for Ram TV broadcasts. Many of them also work on the camera and production crews for ASU athletics broadcasts on the FloSports streaming service.
