As students turn to Web sites like YouTube and Hulu to follow their favorite shows, Cable 13, Duke’s student-run television station, is trying to draw those viewers to its own online content.
Since its creation in 1976, Cable 13 has been a major venue for students to showcase their original broadcast work. Now, its production team is expanding programming to a Web-based platform.
“We are updating our Web site to make our programs more accessible and to allow students to upload their own content, sort of like YouTube,” said Cable 13 co-President Stephanie Shyu, a senior.
Students will soon be able to access Cable 13 in three ways—via Duke’s cable network, on a live stream on the Cable 13 Web site or on-demand through its video archives, said co-President Merideth Bajana, a senior.
With the new Web site, Cable 13 will be able to showcase different student events, such as the step show that took place during Homecoming and performances by local musicians. Content would also include student-produced shows and other works.
The site will also allow Cable 13 to expand its coverage. As one of their initiatives to broaden scope, Cable 13 members will attend sporting events to post live feeds on the site, said junior Maddie Burke, co-vice president and director of sports for Cable 13.
“This will help students get familiar with the broadcasting and editing process,” Burke said. “Our mission is to give kids interested in multimedia the tools they need to take it to the next level.”
Shyu said Cable 13 has received interest from students planning to pursue television production as a career.
The crew is facing technical difficulties with the Web site, But Cable 13 members said they have greater hopes for a stronger production team this year because several people have expressed hopes to create their own shows.
Additionally, interest in production has increased, but Cable 13 members said television viewership has declined. They attribute this change to a decrease in the number of students who have televisions in their rooms and an increasing shift toward online viewing.
Shyu said that although Cable 13 continues to face difficulties in membership retention, it is expected to some degree.
Retention is not a new issue, said junior Wonnie Song, a former Cable 13 board member in charge of promotion, adding that last year it was difficult for the station to keep regular viewers.
“We had a good proportion of viewers that found our station while they were surfing channels,” Song said. “They just wouldn’t sit down to watch it.”
Bajana said she believes that the Web site’s launch will help Cable 13 serve students wishing to showcase their own work and to reach out to the larger Duke community.
“This is a way for us to make sure that we are able to become important for students in the way that they need us to be,” Bajana said, “We are putting in foundations this year for what can happen in five or 10 years down the road.”
Currently, the Cable 13 Web site is under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of October, Bajana said.
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