Weber State University’s Studio 76 has created a new channel for WSU students called Wildcat1. The channel provides movies, contests and student-produced content to entertain and update students about things happening on and off campus.
Drew Tyler, WSU digital media professor, said Wildcat1 has been a dream of WSU’s for a couple of years now, and he is excited it is finally coming true.
“It’s taken about two and a half years to create the staff structure and fix the bugs, but the channel is up and running,” Tyler said. “We’ve received licenses from companies for blockbuster movies that students can watch on Wildcat1.”
The channel has a wide selection of movies, from musicals like “Chicago” to science fiction like “Ender’s Game.” Students will be able to choose the movies they want to watch by voting and sharing their opinions on Studio 76’s email, Twitter account and Facebook page.
“We invite all students to participate,” Tyler said. “Come see what we got and watch our movies. Engage with us and interact with us.”
Every residence hall room is has a Haivision box so that students have access to the Wildcat1 channel. All WSU students will also have access to the channel online at Weber.edu/tv.
Devin Reed, WSU junior, said he is excited about the future of Studio 76’s Wildcat1 channel.
“I live in the residence halls, so I’ve watched the channel,” he said. “I spend a lot of time at the library studying, so it’ll be awesome to be able to take a break from the math problems and watch some ‘Space Jam.’”
The channel will also provide local advertisements and giveaways. Students will be able to view the deals and discount ads from local stores and restaurants, and will have the opportunity to win free tickets to Salt Lake Comic Con’s FanXperience on April 17-19 at the Salt Palace Convention Center.
What will make Studio 76’s channel unique from other stations are the student-produced projects it will broadcast. Zach Cipriano, executive producer of Studio 76, coordinates the content produced on the channel and is looking for video-producing enthusiasts.
“Wildcat1 is a fully fledged television station, and we would like all students who have an interest for making videos to come and be a part of our channel,” Cipriano said. “We want people to know that their stuff can be on TV. If they go up to Snow Basin and make a cool video with a GoPro camera or whatever, we’ll put it on our station.”
Cipriano said the purpose of Wildcat1 is to be a source for entertainment, information and news, but also to involve students who are passionate about making television shows.
“One of my favorite parts of being a part of Studio 76 is seeing the passion that people have for producing videos,” Cipriano said. “It’s cool to see the excitement that they have when their project is put on TV.”
