Clarksville, Ark. ? The University of the Ozarks' KUOZ Channel 6 will provide live coverage on election night. The program, which will feature segments in both English and Spanish, will air on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m.
The program will air for three hours, which will make it the longest live program in KUOZ’s history, according to Susan Edens, who serves as director of broadcasting. Ozarks students Taylor Jacks and Allan Arroyo proposed the program in late August to Edens.
"They really wanted to do it," said Edens. "They are doing this out of heart. I told them that if they really wanted to do it, we were going to do it right."
Students associated with KUOZ will be a part of the first Ozarks’ group to cover a Presidential election. Edens is not alone in this venture, as she has been receiving help from faculty members Dr. Heather McFarland, Holli Weiss and Megan Toland.
"We couldn’t do this without the help of these faculty and staff members," said Edens. "They are going beyond their normal hours to help with this program. Without them, we couldn’t make it to this point."
The program will feature seven different sections of classes at Ozarks and more than 20 students combining to air the production. Classes such as news writing and political communication will assist with the coverage.
"We have students who have never been on TV before and will be making presentations during the program,” said Edens.
First-time presenters are not the only challenge Edens and her group will face before going live on Tuesday. Many of the students will be away from campus during Fall Break (Oct. 30-31) before returning on Monday, Nov. 3.
"I moved all of the deadlines up," said Edens. "We had to have all of the pre-produced work ready to go, along with the majority of the graphics built before the students left for Fall Break."
Tuesday’s coverage will include commentary from anchors in the studio, newsroom and live phone-ins from a reporter at the Johnson County Courthouse. A debate between two students, representing both the Democratic and Republican parties, will also air during the program.
KUOZ Channel 6 is an educational access channel appearing on Suddenlink Cable in Clarksville.
Topics: Communication Studies