Georgia College & State University hosted its Multimedia Day Oct. 17 on Front Campus bringing the anniversary celebrations to a close.
GCSU has multiple media organizations and clubs including the WGUR student radio, The Colonnade, GC360, the Podcast Club, Bobcat Media Productions, and Bobcat Multimedia, which oversees all the college’s media organizations.
WGUR celebrated its 50th anniversary last Friday. This student radio station is staffed and run by students under faculty advisor Eva Galova- iossifov. Students of any major, as well as the community, may run a one-hour radio show on a topic of their choice. The station reaches about a 10-mile radius and each show host completes training to understand federal regulations and guidelines, how to work the technology, how to speak and write scripts.
The Colonnade celebrated its 100th anniversary last Friday. The newspaper offers employment to students as journalists, editors, graphic designers, and photographers or videographers alongside leadership positions. The newspaper was previously available in print on campus but over the years was transferred online, covering college life, news, and Milledgeville events.
GC360 is the college’s student-run television station. Students organize a weekly television news broadcast and cover Georgia College, Milledgeville, and world news. Each student is trained in video production, script writing, technology support, audio production, as anchors, and more.
The Podcast Club and Bobcat Media Productions are student clubs designated to podcasting and student film. Students interested in either form of media are given opportunities to learn about film and podcast production, script writing, interviewing and acting, and more.
“Today is about showcasing our media organizations and we’re honoring WGUR’s birthday with a special presentation and cake,” said Galova-iossifov. “Alum Dr. Frank Howell, founder of WXGC (presently WGUR), will present ‘Is U.S. AM Broadcast Radio Dying?’ in the Pat Peterson Museum Education Room.”
Howell is a professor emeritus at Mississippi State University and adjunct professor at Emory in Atlanta. He received his undergraduate degree at GCSU in 1975 and received his PhD at Mississippi State University in 1977 and 1979. He has also worked at Texas Christian University, North Carolina State University, and the board of regents for the University System of Georgia before finishing his career as editor-inchief at Springer Media, a scientific publisher in Europe. He also worked as an on-air personality and was a presenter on a podcast throughout the years.
Howell founded WXGC Radio at Georgia College and served as the original news director and AP bureau chief at WXLX-1060 News in Milledgeville. Galova-iossifov was researching the history of WGUR for the anniversary celebrations and partnered with GCSU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies to set-up his return to campus.
“Eva introduced us and Dr. Howell reached out to me to share his background and what he is currently doing and we saw an opportunity to collaborate with the Department of Mass Communication to bring an alum back and share his knowledge,” said Angela Criscoe, executive director of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. “Our goal is to connect the community and provide continuing education opportunities and this was a great opportunity to reconnect with an alum, celebrate an achievement, and offer a chance for the greater community to get involved.”
Howell’s presentation was based on an article he had previously published showing data that supported that AM radio is not dying. While the trend of AM radio is moderately down, AM and FM radio have shown a stable annual percentage, since 2010, regarding the number of stations licensed over time. AM radio shows less than a one-percent decrease each year.
“If AM is dying, FM has the same disease because it is shadowing AM,” Howell said.
Closing the birthday celebrations, Galova- iossifov cut a cake honoring WGUR’s legacy. Throughout the day, students representing each media organization or club tabled on front campus to recruit new members and share current projects or news.