The Har-Ber High School TV program is making big plans to leave all the mediocre, off-brand, generic high-school news programs in the dust. Several big changes, namely a talk show, cooking show, and the use of an interactive board similar to something you’d see on ESPN, are all in the mix.
TV teacher, Travis Sherman, expressed why it’s so important for Har-Ber Wildcat News to evolve.
“We’ve got to keep up with the evolving technology,” said Sherman. “What’s interesting to the students? What’s making them want to watch the show? People are watching more towards Conan as opposed to straight-up news programs.”
Sherman is in his second year of teaching at Har-Ber, and last year he lead HBTV to a spot on the Arkansas Scholastic Press Association’s Hall of Fame along with many other individual awards.
Senior Cole Brothers is in his third year of TV and is Co-Anchor for Har-Ber Wildcat News (HBWN.) He sided with Mr. Sherman in terms of Har-Ber’s necessity to stretch beyond their comfort zone.
“We wanted to transform out of the stereotypical ‘just deliver the news from one story to the next’ format to something that’s more interesting, especially to high school students who get bored pretty easily,” said Brothers. “Just trying to break out of our old mold a little bit and put more variety in the show.”
But what changes is Har-Ber making? What plans are being cooked up to set Har-Ber above the competition? Mr. Sherman revealed a few possibilities that are being pondered.
“Doing a talk show comedic type of thing with a host and everything– that is a possibility,” stated Sherman. “We were thinking of taking an approach of a ‘Day in the Life Of:’ where we would follow certain students around all day. It would really help the students gain some perspective.”
Speaking of gaining perspective, senior Kasie Wade, also a member of the HBWN team, has particular ideas in mind that she would be interested in seeing the TV program approach.
“I would want to see them using the green screen more for the interactive stuff,” said Wade. “Like with weather, they’re wanting to have a weather thing— we used to have that and it turned out really bad.”
All of these ideas are lovely to ponder, buthowwouldtheybenefittheprogram- which is the question behind the changes in the first place. Kasie Wade continues:
“People will actually watch it more,” said Wade. “People say that it’s just the same thing over and over again, like fake smiles and scripts. We think it’d be good for variation.”
Brothers shares Wade’s vision: that the program’s growth begins at home, and that means making it more interesting for the students.
“We’ve already achieved the excellence that we wanted to in the realm that we’re in, which is the news,” said Brothers. “We want to reach out and really impact the students to where they’re excited to watch it when it comes on. We want to make it to where people are just dead silent, or laughing, or whatever.”
Whatever changes HBWN decides to adopt, the Wildcats can expect the program to continue on its path to excellence.
