Visuals by Lauren Howe, Preston Jenkins and Brett Phelps
In a white truck outside Diddle Arena and Houchens-Smith Stadium sits a team of 13 people that turns WKU games into ESPN and local broadcasts. Audio, graphics, replay, directing and visual teams rely on each other to create professional productions, and it’s all run by students.
WKU alum and freelance technical director Josh Niedwick from Georgetown said the process of creating a broadcast is similar to an orchestra, with five different sections coming together to create one broadcast watched by millions.
“Everyone has a unique role that’s vital to a production,” Niedwick said. “It’s what makes this whole thing what it is.”
Jordan Basham is the director of content for WKU Public Media. During games, he serves as executive producer and oversees the entire production from beginning to end. He said the student-run and staff-guided Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network, the sports broadcast sector of WKU Public Media, has packaged over 70 game broadcasts for this school year for ESPN, a jump from last year’s 30 total.
Replay specialist Dave Rowton from Paducah said it’s easy to overlook what goes into a broadcast.
“It’s easy to take it all for granted when you’re watching at home or in the stadium,” he said.
Replay
In the production truck, Rowton sits in the back right, eyes darting across the screen as he circles a small dial repeatedly. He has worked with WKU Public Media for 15 years creating real-time highlight reels and playback during sports games.
“When you see the audience react, it’s like being the Wizard of Oz,” Rowton said. “You think, ‘I just put that together.’”
Rowton’s job as a replay specialist is to keep track of the game and predict what clips the audience will want to see again. Any time audiences react to a game-winning touchdown or last-minute 3-pointer, Rowton must have replay ready to play seconds later on the director’s command.
“It’s like getting a jigsaw puzzle out of the box and you don’t even know what the pieces are. You are looking at the pieces as you go along,” Rowton said.
For example, on a Lady Toppers volleyball end point, he pulled up three recordings of different camera angles, all having separate perspectives, or “looks.” Game cameras showed the plays, but lower angles and cutaways showed different, interesting footage, Rowton said.
Using a T-Bar on his NewTek 3Play, he controlled the speed of the clips, when to start and end the clip, and dragged the final footage to a corresponding folder for each quarter. He built a playlist of the endpoint by piecing multiple looks together, uploaded the reel to either the “red” or “gold” feed, and waited for the director to say “roll red.” The crowd goes wild.
“I tell people that it’s my drug of choice,” Rowton said. “I mean, this never ever gets old. I’m just as excited to do it today as I was 10 years ago, because it’s a creative outlet.”
Freshman journalism major Libby Simpson from Hopkinsville shadowed Rowton as an intern and, she said she was learning from the best. She wore his headset and created her own set of looks, announcing over the internal comms that she was ready to “roll red,” just like Rowton does.
“It’s such a fun atmosphere. It’s professional but they understand that it’s educational. They want us to make mistakes and learn how to do this,” Simpson said.
Rowton also must predict what footage the director and producers want. He’s planning for down the road, he said, and always monitoring recordings from the camera.
“What I do is important, but everybody is a very vital puzzle piece to the overall what goes out over the air,” Rowton said.
Video Board
As Rowton creates a replay, to the left of his two-man production sits the video board staff, which displays a graphic saying “touchdown” or “goal.” Their role is to control all in-between play content like advertisements and audience interaction graphics.
Film production alumna Paige Murphy is the video board director and has been part of WKU Public Media since her freshman year.
“It can get crazy, but it’s cool,” Murphy said.
Murphy worked alongside her staff occasionally, slightly separate from the other parts of the “orchestra.” ESPN broadcasts differ from WKU in-stadium and highlight board content, which is where she said she takes the reins. On the director’s command, the game went to break, and Murphy told her colleagues to pull up an ad, graphic or wireless footage of whatever Big Red was doing in the stadium at the time.
Brenna Hagan, a junior from Henderson is the display studio operator on the video board. While Murphy overviewed what happened and communicated with talent and other local stations in the truck, Hagan took the reins on the display of the media.
Hagan said she typically follows a printed second-by-second timeline to display media. So, if a timeout took 30 seconds, she uploaded a corresponding ad meant to fill that period of time.
She explained that in the video board team’s role of displaying media for the stadium, they can be as biased as they want during most breaks in the game. Content relevant to WKU’s audience, as opposed to ESPN’s national audience, was broadcast on the stadium screens.
“We do anything to get the crowd reacting,” Hagan said.
With the press of a button, Murphy made the executive decision to take footage from the wireless camera of a student making a shot during halftime, or a sponsoring business’ chicken mascot performing a dance.
The team laughed and counted down back to the game. Then, the video board team awaited more direction from the director and continued adapting to the game.
“We are always paying attention,” Hagan said. “Keeps us on our toes, that’s for sure.”
Finally, the video board team returned to join the full ESPN broadcast on the director’s command.
Directing Board
Student director Ben Taylor, a senior broadcasting major from Louisville, counts down to return to the game and announces on the internal communications that it’s back to showtime.
Taylor has been directing broadcasts since the end of last year and said he has to make constant split-second decisions.
“It’s a lot of time and practice, really,” Taylor said. “I’m constantly making mistakes with it. But through those, I’m learning quite a bit.”
Several hours before the game, Taylor led facs, or facilities check, to ensure cameras were up and headsets ready for a successful game broadcast.
“The more you watch TV, the more you see what works and what doesn’t,” Taylor said. “I have an understanding of what my pattern is, knowing myself and how I direct, but also generally speaking what looks good.”
As soon as the game started, Taylor began communicating with cameramen, game announcers and all staffers through internal communications. He said he directs the cameras to position correctly, getting the perfect shot for viewers to watch on the broadcast.
“Football or basketball are currently my favorite, just because of how exciting and how big those games can be,” Taylor said. “And there’s so much that can happen with them too. It keeps me on my toes.”
Between breaks, Taylor bantered with the staff.
“You can kind of make a few jokes with the people in the front bench, and have a good time with it,” Taylor said.
Taylor has been in and around video production since his freshman year of high school and said he’s loved the craft since then. When he joined WKU Public Media his freshman year, he worked as a camera operator and as staff and gained the skills he needed to step into his role as director.
He said that learning the ropes through those positions and hearing what was going on around him helped prepare him to direct.
“Now, it’s just been fine-tuning my skills,” Taylor said.
Outside of sports, Taylor is currently making a documentary through WKU PBS and finishing his time here on the Hill. Before his final football game broadcast on Nov. 25, he said his experience in the program had been surreal.
“I haven’t even really had time to realize that this is the last football game for me,” Taylor said. “Looking ahead, just thinking, like I’ve had all this… within three and a half, four years. What can be ahead of me?”
Taylor said he looks forward to the fast-paced baseball season and plans to end his student director career on a high note.
“It’s an insanely intricate, yet interesting, surprising and somewhat simple orchestra of how this all works,” Taylor said.
To the left of Taylor sits staff member and producer Ethan Carlson, whom Taylor said he works closest with. Taylor said Carlson has a wider view of the production and is more creative, knowing what’s happening and what the talent, or ESPN broadcasters, want to see. Carlson communicates that vision with Taylor for him to work with while also constantly communicating with ESPN through Zoom.
“With that vision, I’m able to segment my mind into which situations I would need who for,” Taylor said. “Once that situation arises, I’m able to turn that switch on and go to that person.”
Carlson sat next to the score bug operator who updated the broadcast scoreboard with new scores, fouls and other game information on Carlson’s command.
Right of Taylor sat Niedwick, the technical director. Before him was a large system that controls what feeds into each ESPN broadcast.
Working mostly on command from Taylor, Niedwick has a button to press for every instruction Taylor tells him.
When Taylor says “ready one” followed by a quick “take one,” Niedwick has received edited footage from the video engineer that he displays. He controls all of the visual aspects of a director’s command.
“You have to glance at the board and know what’s happening and what to do quickly,” Niedwick said.
From a camera angle to a replay, Niedwick said he is constantly overlaying transitions and graphics.
In the front of the truck are seven screens, including a program and preview screen that connect back into Niedwick’s system.
“I used to call it ‘flying the Death Star,’” Niedwick said. “This job is just like ‘Star Wars.’”
He said once he finds his groove, it becomes easy. When WKU Public Media moved to the truck in 2012, Niedwick was completely new to the system and someone flew down and trained him for four days before throwing him into the job.
“I used to joke that every game I did, I lost a year of life just due to the stress,” he said. “Now it’s to a point where I glance at the board, and I know exactly what to do.”
Video Engineering
Feeding into Niedwick’s camera feed and isolated in the far left corner is video engineer Steven “Rosie” Rosenberg; he has been editing visuals on broadcasts since the ‘80s.
“I always loved playing with toys as a kid, and the toys were electronic,” Rosenberg said. “I just kept going, got into radio and worked up to the biggest stations.”
Rosenberg has worked for Patti LaBelle, Black Entertainment Television, Stevie Wonder, at former president George Bush’s funeral and elsewhere during his career. He said his work has been amazing and the experience of a lifetime.
Since retiring and beginning work for the Hilltopper Sports Broadcasting Satellite, he has found enjoyment in teaching his craft to students.
“I’ve been doing this for 45 years; I can tell you what you need to do,” Rosenberg said. “It’s fun. The people I’m working with are the best in the business.”
When Rosenberg arrived, he collaborated with his colleagues to make a game plan. He said every person’s got a piece.
“It’s an orchestra,” Rosenberg said. “It takes all of us.”
Once cables, cameras and wires were hooked up, Rosenberg tested out cameras on his monitors and adjusted them. According to the setting of the game, Rosenberg said he will ensure the buttons are in the right place and adjust the color temperature of each camera to make it look pleasing to the eye.
Before a basketball game, Rosenberg used the main screen to adjust a light preset. Seeing the daylight settings from the football game prior, he switched to studio light that illuminated Smith Stadium.
“Something is different every time – the weather, the people, anything,” Rosenberg said. “Every day I go to work, I’m learning something.”
During the game, Rosenberg listened to the director’s commands to make his split-second decisions. When Taylor directed camera one to move elsewhere, the way it appeared changed. So, Rosenberg made adjustments as the camera settled into its new setting. When Taylor said “ready one,” Rosenberg’s visual on camera one is ready to broadcast.
Rosenberg said it takes a while to memorize and understand what each button does.
“It’s hard. Sometimes you’d give anything to be somewhere else. But I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else,” Rosenberg said.
Whether in a truck or a studio, Rosenberg said his job stays constant but is always changing.
“I’m still out there having fun,” Rosenberg said. “I mean, why would I want to do this if I’m not enjoying myself?”
Audio Engineering
In front of Rosenberg’s station sits engineer-in-charge Allan Stokes, the owner of Stokes Productions. Stokes created the trucks WKU Public Media uses.
Stokes has been working in productions since the ‘70s and typically works sound. Each day is different and everyone always needs to be paying attention, he said.
With an audio mixing console, Stokes creates all the sound heard on broadcasts. Camera microphones are all connected to his system, from the arena floor to sound effects mics to announcers.
In the middle of his setup was a screen for sound frequencies.
“I’m always paying attention. Things constantly change, and if an announcer gets loud, you need to bring players’ mics up, and if the director and producers say it’s time to go to commercial, sound needs to go off,” Stokes said.
If a person with a deep, booming voice began to speak, it was Stokes’ job to adjust the lower frequencies out of his voice to keep it more midrange.
Each microphone, whether on the ground to catch the squeak of players’ shoes or the small mics attached to the net, needs different frequency settings and volume adjustments that Stokes is constantly fixing by watching his monitors.
“People don’t realize that audio is art. Yeah, the band and performers on stage, but you’re the one blending the sound together for 60, 70 or 80 thousand people to hear,” he said.
Stokes said he’s worked all over the world with ACDC, Kiss, Johnny Cash and former president George Bush.
“Next concert you go to, remember you’re not hearing the singer on the stage, you’re hearing some guy in the back creating the art of what you’re listening to,” Stokes said.
Stokes said the art presents itself in how he blends the sound together for games. How the crowd, band, announcers and players sound is all synthesized by the audio engineer.
“It’s different every day — whether it’s in a stadium or outside; a singer with a sore throat or clear; a ball game with a packed or empty house,” Stokes said.
Stokes said he grew up working audio in the 70s with a company that created the system he still uses today. While it has updated adjustments, it’s virtually still the same, Stokes said.
While there, he worked directly under pioneers of updated sound systems. Through those connections, he created his own audio company in Cleveland, and then another in Nashville with his wife. He then began creating and distributing trucks just like the one he now works in at WKU.
Stokes said he’s loved the time he’s had at WKU working with interns, teaching them the world of sound he’s grown up into.
“It’s worked out well for everyone,” Stokes said. “I don’t plan on retiring; I’m having way too much fun.”
WKU Public Media’s future
With playful banter, game commentary and a fast-paced nature, the truck and WKU Public Media are an interesting place. Interns and staff members alike create productions on live national broadcasts and do it in style, Taylor said.
Basham said his role to oversee gives him the opportunity to watch students grow into their roles. Students wanting hands-on experience can find a place, Basham said.
“I get to literally watch the growth,” Basham said. “I just keep my mouth shut. They’ve been doing a really good job.”
Basham said his favorite broadcast is simply the one he’s doing. Whether it’s WKU NewsChannel 12, a PBS documentary or TV productions, Basham said he loves to see WKU Public Media students in their element.
“This is a place you can come and prepare for your career,” Basham said. “There’s a time and place for lecture, but it does not get more real-world and hands-on than this. It’s real.”
Basham said he gets excited for new crew members to join and become the next leaders, and he knows they always will.
“It always ends up being an individual path they take,” Basham said.
With mentors and hands-on experience, interns turned directors like Taylor are hopeful for the future of WKU Public Media and their careers.
“We remember ourselves going through everything,” Taylor said. “Remembering that and just looking forward to who knows what will come. It’s like I said: surreal. It really is.”