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Sponsored by 710 BookStore - - - http://www.seventen.com/Student program racks up five more Emmy wins
Katie Pennell
Daily Egyptian
The next alt.news 26:46 show will air at 10 p.m. Nov. 29 on WSIU
Alt.news 26:46, a program created and produced by SIUC students, keeps increasing its long list of awards won against paid professional programming networks.
On Saturday, the monthly alternative news show walked away with five regional awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The ceremony was at the Hyatt Regency in Union Station at St. Louis.
This year's trophies will be added to the many that the group has won on the national or regional levels in the past six years.
The show's success is because of the hard work and creativity of the students that put it together, said Jon Hayes, a senior in radio-television and former executive producer.
Hayes said alt.news won best student production and competed against network program affiliates to win the other four awards. The level of commitment and talent put forward by SIUC students is seen in the ability to be on the same level with network programming, Hayes said.
"They get paid to make their shows as a job," said Jon Solita, a senior studying radio-television and one of the show's executive producers. "We do it as students, and we beat them."
The show began in 1995 as a five-minute segment on River Region Evening Edition, another student-produced program. Since then, it has expanded to a 26 minute, 46 second production airing about once a month on WSIU-TV.
"It's really cool, sort of trendy news," Hayes said
Each show uses about 30 students to brainstorm, write, shoot and produce. Hayes said the group is always open to anyone who wants to help. Hayes said he recommends alt.news to any student that wants to learn every element of television because it will teach them how to collectively make a product.
"It's the only opportunity like it in the whole school," Hayes said.
He said they are looking for students to help with the show's yearly restructuring. He said they change the programming as a way to keep the show fresh and new.
With a reworking of the show's theme, graphical elements and presentation package, alt.news is looking for new volunteers to help shoulder the workload and provide creativity said Jared Kagel, an SIUC senior in radio-television and executive producer of alt.news.
"We're looking for a lot of fresh and new ideas," Kagel said.
Student workers graduate each year, constantly leaving spaces to be filled, Solita said.
"Future leadership is wide open," Solita said. "There's tons of room for new people to come in and really get involved."
Jan Thompson, alt.news faculty adviser, said the awards can gauge how well students are employing skills that will help them succeed after graduation.
"It's a terrific indication of the talent our students have," Thompson said. "Many of our students will not have a problem finding a job in the industry."
Manjunath Pendakur, dean of the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, said a group of alt.news alumni have now established a post-production house in Los Angeles called plasterCityproductions Inc.
"That level of success is usually unheard of," Pendakur said. "This college and its students continually amaze me."
The Daily Egyptian, the student-run newspaper of SIUC, is committed to being a trusted source of information, commentary and public discourse while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.
The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester. The Pulse, Carbondale Entertainment Guide, is published once a week on Thursday.Last update: Thursday, November 3, 2005 at 7:52:39 PM
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