Two computer monitors illuminate a humbly sized office as James Capps and Eric Douglas focus their attention on the next show segment.
This is Pitt-Johnstown’s television station’s, WUPJ-TV’s, digital studio, where many have devoted themselves to improving footage in front of monitors.
Capps stands up, looking at a monitor. His hair is held back with a bandana.
“This is what we got for this year,” says Capps, tapping the computer’s side exhilarated by the equipment he’s using.
“I feel, aside from the fact that I’m just around with nothing better to do; I feel I haven’t trained everyone solid enough.
“Especially the changes now with the new equipment. There’s no way anyone can figure it out on their own.
“I want to come back in five, six years and see this place in an actual TV studio that we (used to have) in Blackington Hall that (now) gets used for nursing classes,” Capps said.
“Blackington Hall even had the glass wall that separates the control room, and it’s full of equipment and they tore it all out and they put a nursing classroom in.”
Capps calls the current studio a closet as he paces around, plugging in equipment.
Blazing lights illuminate the anchorman table and highlight the room’s minuscule size.
Now, though, after years, Capps says he appreciates the university staff’s support.
“(With the help from Paul Newman) we are setting up an internship program with station members to create individual videos for different offices of (Pitt-Johnstown) and their respective websites.
“Also, for incoming students (who) cannot make it to freshman orientation – (both out-of-state) and international students can get the information without just reading it on a document.”
As the discussion turns to the members’ expectations, Club President Eric Douglas says he’s looking for a bigger audience.
“My expectations for the news studio,” says Douglas, “is to mirror the affects the Advocate has on the university. Everybody reads it, (and has) their favorite section and segment and all.”
Douglas says he hopes that students eventually will be able to view WUPJ-TV broadcasts from various locations.
