Vitebsk students organized their own TV

Not every higher education institution can boast its own media outlet, but VSU named after P. Masherov has two of them: a newspaper and TVU – the television of Vitebsk University.

While the print publication has existed for over 10 years, interactive television broadcasting can be considered a novelty in the university's media space. The idea of creating its own TV had been around for a long time, but it only began to be implemented in 2011, when, under the leadership of the Dean of the Philological Faculty, Sergey Nikolaenko, the student council developed the regulations for university television, determined the name, frequency, themes, and sections of future programs. Only a few months passed from the decision to create it to the release of the first broadcast. The Information Technology Center provided the necessary support, and in November 2011, students and faculty members had the opportunity to appear on the "blue screen," or more precisely, on the official VSU website on the Internet, where the entire archive of university television is posted, and in the social media group.

Since the debut release, much has changed: new correspondents have joined, and necessary professional equipment has been acquired. The local TV even got its own studio, converted from the former projection room of the cinema. Over time, the broadcasting format was also adjusted: monthly full-length programs (lasting from 30 minutes to an hour and a half) were replaced with short videos by category. This allowed for greater speed and relevance. Among the regular and viewer-favorite programs are the news releases "All at Once", reports from important university events, "VSU Destinies" – an analogue of the well-known program "While Everyone is at Home": student reporters visit professors, interview them in an informal setting, and also "Live with Taste". In the latter, international students share national culinary secrets. The correspondent of "VV" also managed to peek into the university's television kitchen and meet part of the TVU team. Andrey Kravchenko, a graduate of the VSU Faculty of History, is involved in shooting and editing segments, and also acts as a host and correspondent. 5th-year philology students Daria Baumann and Ekaterina Polotskaya participated in the preparation of the first releases and continue to record programs now. As the girls admitted, they do not plan to pursue a career in television in the future and will work in their specialty, but they are confident that the experience gained will be useful to them.

Natalia Kamlyova, "Vitebskiye vesti"