Lewis and Clark Community College’s broadcasting program, whose students operate the 89.9 FM WLCA radio station, is expanding into general and video podcasting with a series of studio upgrades.
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Mike Lemons, director of the broadcasting program, said this is an opportunity for students to learn in a more hands-on way about podcasting.
“We’ve been teaching podcasting in our courses for a number of years now, but wanted to offer podcasting for any and all who wanted to take it, because audio and video content is important for all professions, really,” Lemons said. “So we felt podcasting could be a skill that’s important even for those outside of media, but for our radio students too.”
Lemons also said this transition into podcasting is part of helping media students gain a more well-rounded skillset.
“If we truly want to stay ahead and keep turning out quality students, they’re going to have to have more skills than just being on the radio or creating audio content, they really need to know how to do everything,” Lemons said. “So that’s really the big push to delve more into not just audio podcasting, but video as well.”
This podcasting process began last year when the studio received its first round of upgrades.
“About a year ago, we converted one of our audio production rooms into an audio/video podcasting studio,” Lemons said. “We have podcasting software, video-switching software we use in that room called HDVMixer, we have a four-camera setup, we have a lot of visual elements in the room, so we can do live switching.”
Lemons added that the cost of video production technology has come down significantly in recent years, allowing these upgrades to be made - and more to be made in the near future.
“We also purchased some equipment through a federal grant to upgrade another studio of ours,” Lemons said. “It’s going to have different technology and different software, just to give students another opportunity to learn on something different … we also have the capabilities of going remote with live video.”
The second studio will be converted later this summer into this fall. Despite the upgrades and changes coming the program’s way, Lemons said a lot of the key teachings will stay the same.
“Audio podcasting is really just radio on demand, if you think about it. So you still to be a storyteller - which is something we train - you still need to capture and hold an audience, you still need to improve your vocal and communicating skills, so a lot of it will be the same,” Lemons said. “It’s going to look very, very similar because the same skills are needed.”
The broadcasting program at Lewis and Clark doesn’t plan to abandon the teachings of radio - or radio itself - anytime soon.
“I think that we haven’t given up on radio because our station’s been successful for many, many years, we’re just expanding what it looks like and doing things that encompass so much more of what this profession’s about nowadays,” Lemons said.
Lemons added he greatly appreciates the college administration’s support of the program’s new focus and upgrades.
“They have always provided us with state-of-the-art equipment to train our students to better prepare them for careers in mass media,” Lemons said.
Students are encouraged to “create the podcasts they want to create” on their own podcast hosting sites or social media platforms. To tune in to the WLCA Sports Show, band interviews and a podcast hosted by Lemons highlighting successful graduates by visiting 89.9 WLCA’s YouTube Channel or Facebook page.
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