GSU’s Channel 97 to Broadcast Live Election Night Coverage

STATESBORO, Ga., Oct. 31, 2008 – GSU’s Channel 97 Eagle News Network will be broadcasting live coverage of election night results on Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 9 p.m. to midnight.  “This will be the only live television coverage of the election for Statesboro and Bulloch County,” according to faculty producer Dr. Susan De Bonis. 

According to Assistant Producer Tyson Davis, “The election night coverage will again feature the latest voter information as well as voter turnout for the local, state and national races.”  

The coverage will be anchored by Dr. Reed Smith, Professor of Communication Arts and Broadcasting; Dr. Patrick Novotny, Professor of Political Science; and Paul Floeckher, from the Office of Marketing and Communications.  During the broadcast, they will conduct interviews with experts in the field of international relations, African-American issues, the economic crisis, military and terrorism, especially as they apply to this local region.

According to Smith, “This is a major effort on the part of the students in the Broadcast Applications class and faculty from Communication Arts, Business, Political Science and International Studies.  Representatives from all those areas will be involved in interviews that evening, sharing their expertise with the audience. Students will actually be presenting the returns for the national and state races as they are available.”

Student ENN anchors for the broadcast will be Lyndell Nelson and John Ring, with Crystal Jones reporting from the field.  Other students and faculty members will be behind the scenes working in the control booth and studio, or in the lab monitoring voting returns.

Election night coverage is sponsored by the Department of Communication Arts, Department of Political Science, Northland Cable and the City of Statesboro.
De Bonis indicated that if residents are unable to receive Channel 97, the show will be simulcast on AM 1240.

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