PORT ANGELES — The North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center is getting closer to its own broadcast television station.
It needs only a single piece of electronics to get PATV on the air, the Port Angeles School Board was told last week.
After more than a year of efforts to expand the student-run television station’s reach, the skills center lacks one vital piece of the electronics it needs to get PATV on the air: a $16,000 Leightronix programming digital video recorder to code shows for cable broadcast, said Lisa Hitt, instructor of broadcast arts at the vocational technical school.
“It’s the only thing that is keeping us from going live,” Hitt said.
Wave TV has designated Channel 21 as the local-access or education channel and is waiting for the school to get the proper equipment.
“It’s blank right now, eager to be filled by us,” Hitt said.
Looking for grants
She said the school is looking for grants to cover the cost of the technology but would be happy to accept local sponsors, who would receive advertising on the station in exchange.
Board members said they support the concept of funding the television and film technology program using sponsor funding but will have to look at rules for advertising, similar to those used to “vet” yearbook sponsors, and to examine South Kitsap policies and how effective they are.
“What if a pornographic shop wants to sponsor?” board member Sarah Methner asked.
Hitt said Broadcast Media Production students have been creating free television advertisements for local businesses to gain experience, including a limousine-service TV spot praised by School Board members.
South Kitsap School District already has a similar broadcast technology program, Hitt said, and has established sponsor guidelines.
“Our role model is South Kitsap,” she said.
Broadcast events
The price tag for the digital recorder is more than the district can afford now. If several organizations contributed to the purchase, the cost could be spread out over several groups, board members said.
The class members currently air live webcasts of major school events such as graduations and sporting events at Port Angeles High School and Peninsula College, as well as the Festival of Trees telethon.
“Those trees made $100,000 last year,” Hitt said.
This year, the class plans to webcast the Port Angeles High winter concert, she said.
There were 256 remote viewers for the Port Angeles Class of 2013 graduation.
Board members said they were impressed with the numbers the students were producing, even with little advertisement.
“Two-hundred [and] fifty-six views is huge,” Methner said.
Methner pointed out that many grandparents and other family members live out of state or for some other reason cannot watch graduates walk across the stage to receive their diplomas.
Jumbotrons
Hitt said another concept to introduce is purchasing small Jumbotrons — large-screen televisions — at both Civic Field and the Port Angeles High gymnasium.
“Believe it or not, they don’t cost that much, and we need them,” Hitt said.
The Jumbotrons could be paid for by sponsors and operated by students during games for replays, close-ups and spirit messages, she said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.