New Radio Advisor rocks WRDL

WRDL, JDM's student-run radio station got a makeover this summer thanks to the department's newest faculty member Professor Steve Suess. Suess joined the JDM staff from Illinois State University in May and along with Operations Manager John Skrada, spent the summer reformatting WRDL's music playlist, updating equipment and new production elements. In addition to all the work reformatting the station Suess and Skrada also had to deal with mother nature's wrath as several summer storms knocked out some equipment in the radio studio.

"I couldn't have anticipated the work that would go into changing the format. Usually, launching a brand new format is a job for an entire staff of people working 40 hours/week. John and I were able to work together and get it done with a staff of just two. That's something I'm really proud of, and John was a priceless resource throughout the entire process." Suess said.

Besides Top 40's music, the station is also working hard to rebuild bridges inside and outside the AU community. For a commercial and non-commercial radio veteran like Suess, outreach is this year's top priority.

"One of the first big changes at WRDL is the establishment of a positive relationship with AU Athletics. WRDL worked out a deal with athletics allowing the station to acquire four tickets to every Eagle home football game in exchange for on-air promotion. In the future, we hope that similar deals will translate into tickets for basketball and other sports. A solid relationship with campus athletics is a must for any college media organization." Suess said.


Pop music, sports ticket giveaways, community news and information? For JDM students, our department and radio listeners all over Ashland county, it sounds like there's a new kid in town! Check out WRDL at 88.9FM.

JDM produces documentary on Ashland Balloonfest

For one weekend in the summer, Freer Field in Ashland transforms into THE place for great music, food and of course, hot air balloons! To help promote Ashland's famous Balloonfest, JDM captured all the sounds and high flying sights in a new documentary. The department's second documentary film produced by the Ashland Film Group features amazing point of view aerials shot during a high flying balloon ride taken by JDM Operations Manager, John Skrada who (naturally!) brought along an HD video camera.

"I thought I was going up on a short, tethered ride." Skrada said. "I was concentrating on working the camera and wasn't paying attention at the beginning, when I looked up, I realized we were really high!"

Skrada's "short hop" turned into a two-hour long flight over fields and farms surrounding Ashland. Skrada says he and pilot Greg Miller soared up to 11,000 feet.

"We were so high I could see Cleveland!" Skrada said of his once-in-a-lifetime flight. Skrada's aerial footage also features an amazing sequence when they were skimming just feet above houses and farm fields.

Your can check out Balloonfest now airing on AU-TV20 and here on the JDM YouTube channel:

Up, up and away!

The JDM crew is putting the finishing touches on a cool documentary featuring Ashland's famous Ballonfest. This year's festival lifts off June 28th! Bring a chair, sunscreen, sunglasses, an appetite and a pair of binoculars to see the balloons. It high flying fun for the whole family.

Check out the TV promo!

JDM recognizes outstanding students for 2011-2012

Journalism & Digital Media is proud to announce the recipients for outstanding student achievement for 2011-2012! Students in the department worked extremely hard this academic year producing 19 different AU and area high school sports and entertainment remotes, creating a 9/11 documentary, 17 news and sports updates, several films in 48 hours and won a slew of Journalism awards.

Collegian Award Winners
Outstanding Senior…… Justine Ackerman
Outstanding Contributor…… Tyler Remmel
Outstanding Newcomer…… Teresa Williams

AU-TV20 Award Winners
Outstanding Senior…… Dan Shade
Outstanding Contributor…… Tim Hawk
Outstanding Newcomer…… Elizabeth Bucheit

WRDL Award Winners
Outstanding Senior…… Marcus Walsh
Outstanding Contributor….. Tim Hawk
Outstanding Newcomer…… Kevin Stoicovy

Congratulations to all of our winners!

And the winner is...

JDM, in association with the Ashland Film Group held it's first annual 48-Hour Film Contest in April for majors and non-majors alike. 48-Hour film contests have grown in popularity with independent and student filmmakers because they offer high intensity environments to show off film-making skills.

In a 48-hr film contest, filmmakers receive a set of instructions that include various aesthetic "ingrediants" they must include in their films; things like specific lines of dialogue, props, locations even specific characters. Filmmakers then have 48-hours to develop an idea, write a script, shoot, edit and deliver a film in the correct digital format.This year's contest began March 30th at 7pm and ended April 1st at 7pm.

For JDM Assistant Professor Dr. David McCoy, a 48-hour film contest is the ultimate learning tool for our digital media department, "The 48-hour film contest requires our students to synthesize all that they've learned about story, aesthetics in lighting, framing and composition in class and in labs, and then apply that by producing something in a mediated environment under a deadline." McCoy said.

This year's joint JDM/AFG project drew four teams of three students. The winning film entitled, 5-2-12 was produced by JDM juniors Dan Griffin, Tim Hawk and Sophomore Hilary Neal. Winning team members each received a $25 gift card from the AU Bookstore.

Check out the contest winner and runner-up below. (Note the creative way the two teams connected their two films!)






Films were judged by a committee of JDM faculty that included Dr. Gretchen Dworznik, Dr. David McCoy, Interim Chair Tim McCarty, Operations Manager John Skrada and JDM major freshman Chris Beisel. Judges viewed and scored the films using a rubric that included use of contest ingredients, aesthetics and technical merit.

JDM/AFG plans to conduct another 48-Hour Film Contest in the fall!

2012 Women's Basketball Highlight reel produced by JDM

It is with special pride and thanks to Head AU Women's Basketball Coach, Sue Ramsey and her 2012 D2 National Runner-up women's basketball team that JDM proudly shares these video highlights from this year's historic season. A season for the ages that began with a loss to Minnesota State Mankato in their very first game, a string of 33 straight victories including a GLIAC tournament win, a Regional tournament win and a National Championship run.

During this history making season, JDM produced a regular season game for Sports Time Ohio in January and the Regional Final game hosted in Kates Gymnasium that aired on our newly launched Armstrong TV channel, AU-TV20. In addition to producing those multi-camera games, JDM student Dan Shade shot highlights at all of the regular season and playoff home games and made the trip to San Antonio to shoot highlights at the Elite Eight, Final Four and National Championship games.

For our newly launched media department, these were unexpected, unique and extremely valuable learning environments for our media students and for that we're especially grateful to Coach Ramsey and her team. It was indeed a run for the history books and we're proud to have been a small part of it.

Roll the highlights!

JDM leader receives Emerging Leader of the Year award

JDM congratulates sophomore Broadcast Communication major, Hilary Neal for receiving the Emerging Leader of the Year for 2011-2012 at the AU Leadership and Service Award Ceremony recently.

Well done Hilary!