WGSU and GSTV Begin Weather Partnership

by Mike Saffran on Feb. 21, 2015

SUNY Geneseo's campus radio station, WGSU-FM (89.3), and student-run television station, GSTV (Channel 4), have partnered this semester for on-air weather forecasts. Through the collaboration, which began this month, GSTV weathercasters are providing daily weather forecasts on WGSU's weekday evening newscast.

GSTV/WGSU weathercasters Lexi Lovric and Megan Metz present the forecast on WGSU's "Genesee Valley News Report," airing at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

"This partnership with a fellow media outlet is great because it allows us to inform students on current weather conditions while simultaneously increasing the presence of both organizations on campus," says GSTV News Director Katie Trabert, a junior biology major from Amherst, N.Y.

WGSU Faculty Director Michael Saffran says the alliance is a “win-win” collaboration.

"Teaming with GSTV offers visibility for GSTV while giving Lexi and Megan radio experience," Saffran says. "Plus, the partnership fosters a real-world experience for WGSU news anchors because professional radio newscasts often feature TV weathercasters. This alliance with GSTV enhances an already excellent newscast."

Lovric, from Binghamton, and Metz, from Yorktown Heights, Westchester County, are both freshmen who double-major in communication and political science.

"When we were first asked to do the partnership, it was a no-brainer for me," Lovric says. "It benefits us as students to get hands-on experience, but also our respective organizations. I feel that it's so important for news outlets to work together to provide quality news."

Metz adds, "The weather alliance has given us the possibility to work with both the radio and television stations. To have the opportunity to work with multiple media outlets on campus has been a great experience that I hope more students in the future can take advantage of."

WGSU News Director Jia Sha, a junior communication major from Staten Island, agrees the collaboration benefits not only the two stations, but also both outlets' students by giving them experience with a media partnership.

WGSU's "Genesee Valley News Report" airs 5-5:15 p.m. Monday through Friday. In addition to local, national and world news, sports, and GSTV-provided weather forecasts, the newscast also features "The Academic Minute," which highlights college and university research explained by professors in layman’s terms.

GSTV's "NewsScene 4," featuring campus and world news, airs at 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays on Channel 4 on the SUNY Geneseo campus cable system.

Other recent WGSU programming additions include:
"A Way With Words" (9-10 a.m. Saturday) -- Billed as the show for "word nerds," it covers language and how it's used (usually in an entertaining and humorous manner).
"The Media Project" (10 a.m. Saturday) -- Features a weekly discussion about issues confronting journalism and news journalists.
"RadioBANG!" (10:28 a.m. Saturday) -- Highlights innovations in sustainability, science, lifestyle and corporate responsibility.

All WGSU programming is live-streamed at wgsu.geneseo.edu and http://bit.ly/wgsu-live.

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