CAPE STUDENTS TO PRODUCE MEETINGS OF SCHOOL BOARD

Cape Girardeau Central High School broadcast students will show their work later this month when they assume video production of the school district's monthly Board of Education meetings.

The district plans to equip a television studio at the Career and Technology Center under construction on Silver Springs Road where students will learn to produce programs. The class was offered this year for the first time at Central High School.

In the past, the cable company videotaped the meetings as part of the city's franchise agreement. The tapings are broadcast on Channel 5, which also carries council meetings and public service announcements.

District Superintendent Dr. Dan Steska said students will record the Jan. 22 meeting for broadcast on Jan. 30.

Monthly 'Tiger Time'

In addition to the regular meeting, students will begin producing "Tiger Time," a monthly 20-minute educational highlights show.

The first 'Tiger Time" will feature Carol Reimann, Clippard Elementary School first-grade teacher and Missouri Teacher of the Year.

"We'll use this as an academic experience for our kids and handle this for ourselves," Steska said. "We plan to make this an interesting, classy presentation."

Steska said school officials decided to give students a chance to hone their new skills after hearing viewers complain of poor sound quality and a single camera view that rarely showed frontal views of speakers addressing the board.

The students' presentation will "hopefully improve the quality and help our patrons know exactly what's going on during the meetings," he said.

Although she has no firm numbers regarding the size of Channel 5's viewing audience, city public information officer Tracey Glenn thinks any improvements made to the broadcast will be noticed and appreciated.

She said the city has no preference for who tapes the meetings as long as the service is provided.

"I have heard comments about trouble with the audio, and I know there are audiences out there watching and wanting to watch them," she said..

WHEN TO WATCH

Cape Girardeau Board of Education meetings are broadcast monthly on cable access Channel 5 at 8:30 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month.