This year marks WOSU’s 50th anniversary in television broadcasting. As the station looks back on its legacy, it is also packing up to move into the future of broadcasting.
WOSU and the Center for Science and Industry (COSI) are teaming up to create a state of the art digital media center. The $5.6 million center will be housed in COSI’s Gallery 1 space. The digital media center, called WOSU@COSI, will feature digital radio and television studios, community space that can be used for performances, events and meetings, as well as the type of interactive, educational exhibits COSI is known for.
“We are so excited here at COSI, we are doing something no one else has done or is doing,” said Kelly Norwinsky, spokeswoman for COSI. “There is no other science center in the country where people can see a live broadcast.”
This partnership goes beyond just sharing space. WOSU and COSI have both had long standing commitments to education and community outreach. The logical answer for the university-based station was the science center, said Susan Meyer, director of the office of communications at WOSU.
“When we started to look around for a new space, it seemed the space at COSI was a natural,” Meyer said.
The introduction of four digital television channels and the launch of a digital radio signal in 2004 forced WOSU out of the limited Fawcett Center location.
“Technology has changed,” Meyer said. “Going digital brought new needs that the Fawcett Center can’t accommodate. We have maxed out our space.”
The Fawcett Center location will remain in the WOSU family as the station’s offices.
OSU students will benefit from the digital media center in many ways, said Tom Rieland, WOSU general manager, in an email.
“Students are already integral to our operations and we will require more OSU students in all capacities at the WOSU@COSI studios,” Rieland said.
WOSU currently employs 15 students in the television broadcast department.
“We offer students professional experience they really can’t get anywhere else,” Meyer said.
A few OSU students have already had an opportunity to work on the WOSU@COSI project. Matthew Stanford, an intern at the station, is an OSU graduate student in industrial interior and visual communications design, and designed the signage that is currently in COSI advertising the digital media center. Stanford also collaborated with Erik Burdock of COSI to design the effect TV located at the WOSU@COSI kiosk, which takes a visitor’s image and allows the visitor to manipulate their image with digital effects.
“It will give WOSU more exposure to the community,” Stanford said. “It is a hands-on environment that is good for education.”
Chris Comeau, an intern at WOSU who graduated with a B.A. in video production and criticism from OSU, said the project holds possibilities for anyone interested in the field.
“This is going to do nothing but open up tons of opportunities for everyone,” Corneau said. “The new digital media center could mean more permanent positions for students who have graduated.”
In addition to intern positions, the new media center will provide other ways for students to use the facility to gain experience with the technology. The community space could be used by student organizations for events and meetings. Also, any student interested in media studies can take advantage of all of the technology the center has to offer.
“Everything you need to launch a production will be there,” Meyer said.
This could open new opportunities for students to create and facilitate media productions that they could not have accommodated previously. OSU students interested in media, design and photography now need only to catch a bus downtown to access all the equipment necessary to explore and create, Meyer said.
OSU professors interested in media education will also be taking advantage of the new facility to expand their curriculum.
“Our plans include teaching a broadcast course, Theater 580, using the facility starting in 2007,” Rieland said.
Douglas Dangler, professor of humanities, said he thinks it is a great opportunity. He also said he looks forward to a creative collaboration between media educators and WOSU@COSI.
WOSU has not only embarked on a journey into collaborative digital media education by partnering with COSI to create the new digital media center, but they have also spear-headed their first capital campaign in order to fund the project. The GO Digital campaign has already committed $5.2 million in federal and state grants to pay for WOSU’s 2004 initial digital upgrade. However, only $1.9 million has been raised toward WOSU@COSI’s $5.6 million price tag, according to the WOSU Web site. Fundraising efforts will continue as WOSU hopes that the community will once again show its support of the stations by helping foot the bill.
For more information go to www.wosu.org/wosuatcosi.
