The CalTV Project – UC Berkeley’s Online TV Station

At CalTV, we’re bringing the possibilities of digital video and citizen journalism to the students of UC Berkeley. By combining the talents of energetic and dedicated undergraduates, we have set up an online television station viewable 24x7 at http://caltv.berkeley.edu. To Cal students, we provide a unified platform for distribution their new media content globally, as well as a forum for discussion on this material. The members of CalTV spearhead a unique effort in the area of citizen journalism where they work to shed light on the impact of international, national and local politics on the community, bringing the spirit of Free Speech Movement into the internet age. And at a time when established institutions are still grappling at how to handle this new type of journalism, CalTV journalists are on the ground gaining real world experience in what could be a perfect example of what broadcast journalism will be in 5 years.

Through these efforts, we also provide Cal students access to cutting-edge web technology and digital media tools – technology that would normally be out of reach for college students.

We believe we embody the best of Cal – interdisciplinary, entrepreneurial, educational, and socially committed. We invite you to join us.

Project mission:

To create an outlet for students to produce multimedia content, teach them about digital media tools, and push the boundaries of video on the internet.

Potential impact:

CalTV has the potential to impact the Berkeley community at a number of levels. By providing a free, Berkeley-centric outlet for student made digital media we foster an environment where artistic creativity, insightful political analysis or even fascinating entertainment discussion can interconnect with cutting edge web technology thereby building a more informed community.

From an education standpoint, CalTV teaches students about journalism, filming techniques, video editing, story telling, producing shows, graphic design, and web programming. These are skills that are taught through in-house training and on the field.

For campus administrators, we see a popular channel for connecting with today’s tech-savvy undergraduate population for the purposes communicating campus events, course offerings and much more.

Required resources:

1. Total project needs: $10,000
2. In-kind contribution needs: We see the project growing in the short term and to support that we would need 2 HD digital video cameras, a second editing station, video editing software, web development software and a marketing budget.
3. Other:

   We would also appreciate the facilitation of industry contacts especially in the web/internet, media/entertainment, mobile communications and electronics industries. This would allow us to remain on the cutting edge of online television.

Project page URL:

• http://caltv.berkeley.edu

Links to other projects by the same organization:

• http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=214021122