Casting a broader net over broadcasting

JACC could cast a broader net over broadcasting if suggestions developed by a select committee in San Francisco today are adopted. The committee, heavily represented by JACC faculty, discussed whether to help start a new broadcast association parallel to JACC or expand JACC more into the broadcast realm.

A big issue was how to reach out to community college broadcast programs around the state, some of which have journalism ties and many who do not.

The committee decided to put aside for the time being the idea of a new broadcast association and recommend that the JACC board consider a "broadcast division," sort of like our geographical NorCal and SoCal divisions. More specifically, the group is recommending that more broadcast-oriented workshops be added to the existing regional conferences and that broadcast programs be invited and courted to participate. Then for the state convention also add mail-in competitions in six areas, in addition to beefing up broadcast workshops and activities.

Details for the contests have to be fleshed out and presented at JACC's September Board of Directors meeting, but contest areas proposed would include:

• On-Air Performance
  
• News Package
  
• Entertainment Drama/Sitcom
  
• Music Video
  
• PSA/Commercial
  
• Jib-Jab Political Commentary (basically an animated political commentary -- see www.jibjab.com for an example)
  

Also suggested was looking for a way to expand individual college delegation limits for those schools that choose to bring broadcast delegations. Once broadcast instructors and students start attending JACC confernences in sufficient numbers, the topic of whether to start a separate organization or further develop the broadcast division of JACC would be revisited.

Tags: JACC, journalism education, community college broadcasting