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Prize-winning “Election Connection” to air two previews and Nov. 6 election night program: WCSU students, faculty to broadcast live news and election coverage

image of Election Connection logoDANBURY, CONN. — Western Connecticut State University students and faculty members will present a four-hour live broadcast of the award-winning election night program “Election Connection” from 8 p.m. to midnight on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, from the high-definition TV studio on the university’s Midtown campus in Danbury.

Now in its eighth year, WCSU’s “Election Connection” will reach viewers across western and central Connecticut on Charter Spectrum Cable Channel 192, Comcast Xfinity Channel 97, WTXX-TV Channel 32 and WRNT-TV Channel 34. A radio simulcast of the program will air on WXCI-FM (91.7), with live web streaming of the broadcast provided at www.wcsu.edu/live and www.wxci.org.

Coordinated by executive producer Dr. JC Barone, professor of communication and media arts at WCSU, this year’s election night broadcast will provide up-to-the-minute coverage of Connecticut’s U.S. Senate and House races as well as contests for governor and other state offices. The 2018 edition of “Election Connection” also will broadcast pre-election programs from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, and Tuesday, Oct. 30. All programs will offer discussions of topical issues facing Americans today, featuring “Election Connection” reporters and analysts, professional journalists, and local Democratic and Republican candidates.

Viewers are invited to participate directly by submitting comments and questions on Facebook at “WCSU Election Connection,” sending tweets on Twitter at “@ElectionCT” or calling in at (203) 837-9182. The program’s Facebook page will feature additional stories and interviews, as well as a live stream showing the production team at work behind the scenes in the studio control room during the broadcasts.

The production will be directed by Samantha Saalborn, a media arts major from New Fairfield, who heads the crew of 40 appearing on-air and working behind the scenes. Producers for “Election Connection” will include Rebecca Burton, of New Milford; Alanna Hill, of Ridgefield; Richard Lee, of New Milford; Leon McIntosh, of Bridgeport; Thais Paixao, of Bethel; and Dion White, of Ridgefield.

Anchors offering commentary and analysis will be political science major David Kuhn, of Sherman, and media arts major Jason Ferenczy, of Southbury; Corey Paris, of Stamford, a 2014 WCSU alumnus; Dr. Jacqueline Guzda, assistant professor of communication and media arts; John Roche, assistant professor of journalism; and Dr. D.L. Stephenson, professor of philosophy and humanistic studies. Journalism major Ryan Yursha, of Danbury, will present voting results for congressional and state races during the election night broadcast, and six field teams will deliver live reports from party and candidate headquarters around the state. A student crew under the guidance of Adjunct Professor of Marketing Tom Zarecki will be responsible for monitoring and reporting social media submissions from viewers.

The significant IT and other technical requirements for production of the live broadcasts from studio and field locations will be handled by User Services Manager Jason Esposito and Assistant Director of Media Services Scott Volpe. WCSU 2016 alumnus Nicholas Hossan, of Danbury, will assist with studio operations. Patrick Carlone will be the audio engineer.

WCSU’s “Election Connection” has earned numerous recognitions from professional organizations in the communications field, including first place and second place honors over two consecutive years in the category of Studio Multi-Camera Production in a nationwide college competition for the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts. Previous recogntions include Telly Awards for Live Coverage and a Communicator Award of Distinction from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.

WCSU students and faculty have collaborated every election night since 2011 to produce continuous live televised coverage of voting results for local, state and national elections, along with reporting and analysis on major political, economic and social issues affecting the electorate. Since 2015, “Election Connection” has been produced on the university’s Midtown campus in Danbury at an HDTV broadcasting studio complete with control room, audio and lighting equipment, green screens and anchor desk on set.

For more information, contact Barone at baronej@wcsu.edu or the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

 

 

Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.