Wednesday, May 05, 2004

Wilmington, N.C.—UNCW-TV will begin airing at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 6 the first programs to be produced entirely by students as part of a class in the new digital television studio of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Studio 125 is a half-hour music program featuring local singer/songwriters and bands playing mostly acoustic music. The program is a hybrid of such popular cable television shows as Storytellers and Unplugged and features all original music and interviews in a comfortable ‘pub’ atmosphere. Senior Jonathan David Phillips, a communication studies major, hosts the show.

Episode One of Studio 125 will air at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 6 on Time Warner channel 5, The Learning Network of the Cape Fear. Six episodes of the series will continue throughout the summer. The first show features Eddie Warren, a Canadian-born guitar virtuoso who has made Wilmington his base as he tours the Southeast. Warren displays an incredible dexterity with his acoustic six-string guitar that is reminiscent of Michael Hedges and Stanley Jordan. His smoky voice adds an earthy texture to the blues/jazz feel of his solo music. Eddie Warren’s show will be rebroadcast on Thursday, May 20.

The second show of the series features Alex Lanier of Fried Okra and will be telecast on Thursday, May 13. Lanier sings a mix of straight-ahead, soulful blues/folk tunes. His vocal style is unique and together with his bass player, John White, produces an understated but powerful sound.

Upcoming episodes of Studio 125 feature local favorites Catfish Lane, Willie & Me, Lamont Skylark and 4th & Dock. (Check local listings for the UNCW-TV schedule.) These four episodes have been recorded and are currently being prepared for broadcast.

The Studio 125 is the first program to be produced by students in the university’s television studio as part of a class in the Department of Communication Studies. The first course in studio television production was quite an undertaking, according to Professor Bill Bolduc, who taught the course. “We had a lot to learn to go from no experience in studio production to creating a full-fledged television series. I am proud of how hard the students worked to make this series a reality. This show gave them a taste of the full process of developing, planning and producing a show for broadcast. I am confident that some of these students will have very successful careers in television and film.”

Bolduc says that in addition to providing practical television experience for his students, a major goal of the course is to support the local arts scene by giving performers exposure to a broader audience. According to Bolduc, “We try to emphasize quality in terms of content as well as production value in our program. I like to believe that our students can produce ‘good’ TV, and produce it well.”

Next fall the focus of the studio television course will shift from music to news and information. Starting in August, Bolduc and Frank Trimble, Chair of Communication Studies, will offer a new course entitled UNCW News Magazine that will feature studio, field and specialty segments. For the new course, students with production experience will staff the technical side of the operation while those interested in journalism will handle the on-camera reporting duties. Studio 125 plans to return to production spring semester 2005.

NOTE: Studio 125 is not affiliated with Backstage Live, a music program recently produced at UNCW by Student Body Television (SBTV). SBTV is an independent student organization with no direct academic affiliation.

Student producer contact information available upon request.

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MEDIA CONTACT: William Bolduc, professor of communication studies, 910/962-7012 or bolducw@uncw.edu.