Glasgow University Student Television
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| Glasgow University Student Television | |
|---|---|
| Media Type: | Television |
| Launched: | 1964 |
| Website: | http://www.gust.tv/ |
| Member of: | NaSTA |
| University: | University of Glasgow |
| Availability | |
| On campus | Various points throughout the campus on private RF cable network. |
| Online | Video on Demand streaming and downloads |
| Union screenings | Weekly screenings at the Queen Margaret Union |
Glasgow University Student Television or GUST, is the student television station at the University of Glasgow. Founded in 1964, it is the oldest student TV station in the UK and the second oldest in the world [1]. The station is run entirely by students and produces a wide range of content, including: news, drama, comedy and documentaries. The station is funded by the GUSRC but remains editorially independent.
Contents |
[edit] Programming
[edit] Regular programmes
GUST News
The station's weekly news programme features stories from on-campus and international news which affect students. Like most GUST programmes the exact format of the show depends on the tastes of its current editor, but it usually consists of three to four pre-recorded segments and a brief summary of other news stories. Occasionally it features an in-studio debate.
GUST Sport
GUSA results and fixtures, and profiles of University sports teams. GUST Sport was incorporated into GUST News until 2004.
G-Spot
G-Spot is GUST's fortnightly light entertainment programme. The content of the show shifts according to the tastes of it's current editor, and tends to alternate between being a student guide to events in Glasgow and a far more ecclectic variety show featuring comedy sketches, celebrity interviews and live music. One-off themed G-Spots have appeared in the last few years, including Blue Peter G-Spot, CBeebies-spot and Cheese-Spot. The show was originally known as GUST Arts.
True Views
A monthly film programme for reviews and previews of upcoming films. The show also features reports from Glasgow film premieres and segments which pay homage to famous films, directors or actors.
Seven Suns, Seven Sounds
The monthly music programme, featuring bands in-studio, gig guides and reviews of the Glasgow music scene.
[edit] Other programmes
Daft Thursday
A four-hour long live broadcast from the Queen Margaret Union, held annually just before the christmas break. Daft Thursday usually takes the form of a variety show with live music, comedy, quizzes and appearances from minor celebrities.
Freshers Guide
Each year GUST produces a short introductory guide to student life in Glasgow, which is screened at the freshers address ceremony. The guide is usually around ten minutes in length and has possibly the highest production standards of any GUST programme. It is traditionally produced by more experienced GUSTies in their final year.
ReFreshed
Since 2005, GUST has made a daily show during the Universities freshers' week, which is a day-by-day round-up of events on campus.
Dodgeball
Glasgow University Union's dodgeball tournaments are regularly filmed by GUST using their multi-camera live rig.
Gag Reflex
GUST's comedy programme was a regular show between 2004 and early 2006, but is currently on hiatus after the removal of the Comedy Editor position. The show appeared monthly, was often themed, and was not filmed in-studio. Links were pre-recorded in a different location each episode. Now that the show is not being produced regularly, comedy sketches have returned to their traditional home as part of G-Spot.
Biscuits
Biscuits was a showcase for student drama, which ran during the same period as Gag Reflex. It was put on hiatus when creating new material every month proved too time consuming. The programme initially consisted of one or two short films and an improvised segment called 'Jammy Dodgers'. However, by the time the programme went off-air, it usually included only one short. Any short films produced by GUST members are now broadcast as stand-alone shows.
[edit] Organisation
GUST is run by a team of around twelve editors, headed by the 'top three' of station controller, head of programmes, and technical co-ordinator. The remaining editors take responsibility for the individual programmes. The station has no official membership beyond the editorial team, but there are an additional ten to twenty regular contributors each academic year, known as 'GUSTies'.
[edit] History
GUST was founded in 1964, which makes it the oldest student television station in the United Kingdom, and the second oldest in the world. [2] Initially, programming was limited to one hour-long show a week which was broadcast live across campus on the university's RF cable network. Originally, this network was owned and maintained by the British Relay company, and stretched to every building on campus. These early shows were not taped, so the earliest footage in the GUST archive is from 1970.
The station turned colour in 1979, and a few years later the decaying RF network was purchased by the University from British Relay for £1. It then recieved a substantial series of repairs which saw it function on some level until 2005.
GUST won the NaSTA award for Best Broadcaster in seven consecutive years between 1996 and 2002, cementing it's reputation as the best student TV station in the United Kingdom. Recently GUST has failed to maintain it's winning streak in the face of increased competition from newer stations.
GUST set up it's first non-linear editing suite in 1999, and truly entered the digital age over the next few years with the aquisition of a DVCPro camera, miniDV camcorders and the beginning of on-line broadcasting.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Ithaca College Television in the United States was founded six years earlier in 1958.
- ^ Ithaca College Television in the United States was founded six years earlier in 1958.
