First, there was “citizen journalism,” the practice of allowing anyone with a camera to replace professional journalists. Now, GrandStadium.TV is using high school students to shoot their school’s sports teams for broadcast television.
GrandStadium.TV, an online site covering high school sports and tournaments, has made deals with Sunflower Broadcasting’s KWCH-TV in Wichita, KS, Cowle’s KHQ-TV in Spokane, WA, and Hubbard’s KSTC-TV in Minneapolis to feature local high school sports in each market.
The TV stations keep 100 percent of the sponsorship revenue from GrandStadium.TV. The website URL can also be embedded onto the station’s site to create additional traffic. In addition, the station is able to crosspromote and feature the local participating high schools on-air and shares in the pay-per-view fees with each school.
Each participating high school produces their games using students for the crew. Their broadcast journalism teachers lead the students with lesson plans written by JDL Horizons and others.
The high school students collaborate to produce, direct, shoot and capture interviews in a live sports arena setting. Last November, students from Eagan High School shot 12 semifinal championship games in two days under the lights of the Metrodome where the Minnesota Twins and Vikings both play.
Over the next four years, KSTC in Minneapolis will offer every high school tournament. On GrandStadium.TV they will also promote regular season games on a pay-per-view basis using the Internet.
KWCH and KHQ, both WorldNow-affiliated stations, have each launched new specialty sports channels, CatchitKansas and SWX, respectively, and are also offering games on a pay-per-view basis.
GrandStadium.TV said it can simultaneously broadcast up to 4000 games at once, which are available through pay-per-view or DVD purchase.