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by David McFee
WKMC-TV is a student-run organization serving the Mount Carmel Area and alumni via Service Electric channel 13 and this website. Our media center has evoled out of ever-changing technologies beginning with the vision of our founder, Mount Carmel Area High School art teacher George McFee. Mr. McFee began this program in 1968, when he embarked on a joint venture with cable company owner and Mount Carmel businessman Steve Jepko to form WJPM-TV. The pioneer station was staffed by mostly high school students learning to operate the new facility in the production of community and school programming. The value of the program for its student operators was two-fold. In order to produce a variety of programming, they became skilled in many technologies and crafts that were state-of-the-art and in high demand. Secondly, they became exposed to a variety of issues including education, politics, science, and culture working side by side with professionals in different fields and areas of expertise. Finally, their work became generative as community support for their programming was a positive force in rewarding them and reinforcing a solid work ethic that expressed both team and individual accomplishments.
So where are we now? Forty-three years later, students from WKMC are still at it. Now in a different world, as commercial media has recognized what Mr. McFee knew 50 years ago... that local programming is important to people, students at WKMC participate in a marketing challenge using their television station and website to develop skills while covering local news, events, and sports. In the past ten years, students have worked cooperatively with PCN (Pennsylvania Cable Network) and WNEP-TV Scranton, Wilkes Barre to bring Tornado football live to a statewide audience. Each day of the school year, the students produce their own programming which is cablecast throughout a 35mile stretch via Service Electric Cable. The productions include high school sports, school and community events, concerts, and expert feature interviews. The topics cover a variety of subjects from innovative school lesson plans and preparing for college to features about unique and talented people within the community. All the while the underlying goals remains the same. Students learn, become responsible workers, and produce quality programming that is of interest to the community around them.
The 21st century has brought new challenges to WKMC and Mount Carmel Area School District. Recent cuts in state funding for public education affected most public schools in Pennsylvania. While solid planning and grant support has positioned WKMC to survive, sacrifices have been made to continue this valuable and unique experience for Mount Carmel Area students. In September 2011, one of the largest groups of students in the history of the program will begin their learning experience at the George McFee Studio in Mount Carmel Area High School. Teachers and staff have put in place a rigorous curriculum to challenge students in areas of journalism, technology, and communications. While many educational programs today focus on specific tasks geared toward successful test scores, WKMC uses a creative-reflective team approach to find solutions in real-world situations. This integrated multi-faceted approach allows students to experience the latest communication technologies in an effort to produce a quality product that actually competes on a world stage. A student at WKMC writes, assembles, operates, discusses, evaluates, compares, measures, interprets, controls, commands, produces, prepares, designs, draws, collaborates, delegates, persuades, decides, adjusts, composes, connects, anticipates, explains, displays, delivers, describes, codes, troubleshoots, captures, compresses, shoots, edits, downloads, develops, organizes, analyzes, improves and directs within the programming and often in front of not only classmates but a live audience. WKMC students become doers who take ownership of the problem.
We encourage you to watch, listen, and read WKMC student-produced media on the web, Service Electric, and the Tornado Times periodical. Please do not hesitate to drop us a line or give support through a monetary donation that helps us accomplish our goal of establishing a generative learning experience for Mount Carmel Area students while providing a service to their followers.
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