LIVE Broadcasts – Spring 2021

Morgan Larson, Writer

Digital, Social and Broadcast students broadcasting before COVID-19 occurred.

2020 was the worst year to date. It was full of setbacks and unexpected occurrences affecting almost every aspect of what the term “normal” meant. The word itself has become something of an enigma. Fortunately, at Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC), a glimpse of normal is starting to bring hope to the realms of broadcasting and entertainment venues.

In particular, one program is seeing a glimmer of opportunity opening as LIVE broadcasting is becoming more available for students this semester. The Digital, Social, and Broadcast program students are finally going to experience what it’s like to be behind a camera during a LIVE sports game, which was too far to reach for last semester’s freshman.

Mitchell Hagenson (front) doing his part for showcasing a LIVE game in 2019.

Mitchell Hagenson, a sophomore within the Digital, Social, and Broadcast program, weighed in on how broadcasting has changed from last year to this year for the program and the extracurricular activities. Hagenson goes on to say, “I think it will be different this year compared to last year because there isn’t an audience.” He indicated that there isn’t much to feed off of for intensity. “One of the best parts about going to basketball, football, and baseball games is the crowd,” said Hagenson.

How is this now possible? This question was eagerly answered by one of the programs’ adjacent professors, Jason White, the instructor for the LIVE broadcasts and hands-on camera operating courses. White went into more detail on how the Broadcast Department can showcase LIVE sports games this semester.

White goes on to say, “Before bringing the crew into the gym, several questions have to be answered; the taking of temperatures, required masks, sanitizing the equipment by wiping down all surfaces. Doing what can be done to honor the six feet social distancing in the booth.” The Broadcasting Department is working on what it’s going to take to keep everyone safe. Everyone is doing their part to uphold the suggested guidelines the CDC, Iowa Lakes Community College itself, and the Athletic Conference expected everyone to follow to stay safe.

Even with LIVE broadcasts following these guidelines for broadcasting sports games, it helps enable these opportunities to happen. White added that there are still restrictions beyond those guidelines. “The games themselves, won’t have any crowds…overall following those CDC guidelines,” said White.

Although broadcasting LIVE sports games are seeing their chance to have an audience, the music department at ILCC is finding their options for audiences to view their performances with the broadcast program’s help. As the Broadcasting Department’s instructor, White was able to condense down what is different for the music department to broadcast their LIVE performances versus those from sports games, from his point of view.

White understands that the music department follows the standard CDC guidelines, but one policy sticks out differently. “The performers can only be on stage for a certain period of time until they have to clear the stage. This is why the Broadcast Department can only record the performances in segments and not showcase them LIVE,” said White. It has been a big difference there between the sports and music venues.

Music Department following COVID-19 guidelines to perform their
2020 Veterans Day program.

Compared to last year, there is a new found sense of confidence that the program will thrive in its promise curriculum. The Broadcast Department is looking at doing its first LIVE broadcast on February 13th. As long as everyone follows those guidelines and tries to bring in that normalcy of how the crew would usually do a broadcast, if these restrictions weren’t in place.

White did point out that generally, after a game, coaches and players would come up and do interviews. Although this presents new challenges for broadcasting, White is still working out the kinks to somehow make this former tradition work with today’s standards.

Hagenson points out that everyone within the broadcasting program is still doing their part. “We are running the cameras, doing commentary, or even just setting the cameras up before the games/events start, etc. It’s going to be the same thing broadcasters will do at all of these games and events except with no crowd.” It’s going to be interesting, to say the least, without that audience.

Broadcast student; Morgan Larson recording on one of the cameras the Jazz Convocation, Fall of 2020

It seems that these upcoming events will prove to be beneficial as ILCC begins to do LIVE broadcasting again and continue to do segmented recordings. These events usually attract crowds and bring back the built-up viewership, especially with the basketball games over the last several years for the program itself. White couldn’t agree more.

White continues with, “I think it’s now more important than ever because parents or significant others are not even allowed in to view the games.” It’s essential to have the broadcasting department provide good storytelling with their productions and still create an atmosphere that brings intensity to the ball games as well as the rhythmic satisfaction is more crucial now more than ever.

The most important part of this segment is watching these LIVE events being broadcast at ILCC. All events will be located at the college’s website, http://www.iowalakes.edu, where you can see the LIVE action in real-time. The college website also stores the sports games after they are LIVE so viewers can replay them as well as other pre-recorded events. Other events at the college White also provided information where the games are rebroadcasted within six other states at Mediacom Cable.