BG 24 News
Campus: Short Feature
Communication technology continues to change dramatically, from the early telegraph to movies, to radio and television, and now the ever expanding internet. Students of communication studies, constantly finding themselves needing to master new technologies, are always looking for good opportunities for hands-on experience with the tools of their trade.
BG24 was founded in 1992 to provide a live, local and reliable news source for the Bowling Green community, and also to offer university students a hands-on training environment with the technologies and responsibilities they want to learn.
The organization is part of the Telecommunications Department at Bowling Green State University, and has its studio space and offices in West Hall on the main campus. What makes BG24 especially unique, particularly in the news broadcast business, is that the organization is run entirely by students. BG24 attracts students from all areas of campus, not only those planning careers in journalism or broadcasting.
An Executive Board has overall responsibility for running the organization. The Board, drawn from the group's members, includes the General Manager, News Director, Technical Director, Operations Director, Public Relations and the Sports Director. BG24's entire membership meets on a monthly basis for general review and discussion, but the energy and enthusiasm from everyone involved is unquestionably directed at the newscast.
Putting on a live 30 minute news program is no small task; producers, editors, writers, photographers, reporters, and anchors are all involved. Work goes on from the early morning for the program, which is broadcast at 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays on local cable channel 6. Each newscast covers local news, sports and weather - all researched, written, produced, and anchored by university students.
BG24 prides itself on providing local news coverage for the entire community of Bowling Green. Stations in Toledo can be reluctant to make the trip to Bowling Green for a story that may not be important enough to a Toledo audience, but BG is home to BG24, and its reporters and news crews readily go throughout the community to cover stories of value to area residents. The newscast also covers state and national news of interest or that impacts Bowling Green, and international stories when appropriate.
Members of BG24 find they have a strong advantage in securing jobs after graduation. Organization members have gone on to work for broadcast and production companies around the country, and most agree that their experience with BG24 was an important factor in getting their first job.