VCU news

By Anne Buckley

Virginia Commonwealth University's student-run television production operation, VCU-TV/HD, has been nominated for three regional Emmy awards for television excellence.

The National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced the 2007 nominations, and VCU was the only university with a nominee.

"It's great to be recognized alongside such seasoned professionals like WTTG," said Dan Brazda, VCU-TV/HD executive producer. "We're only in our second year as a student-run, HD production facility, but this is the kind of thing that motivates us to push the envelope even more."

Nominated for Best Documentary: Historical was "Cinemaphiles: Byrd Theatre," produced by senior film student Alexander Germanotta. Nominated for Best Public/Current/Community Affairs Program/Special were "VCU Inside Out: Planet Bonnie," produced by senior film student Michael Bell, and "VCU Medical Center: Trauma," produced by Kinetic Imaging student Xi Lin.

The nominated programs can be seen online at the Web site. Winners will be announced in Washington, D.C., on June 14.

VCU-TV/HD in April was nominated for a prestigious Webby Award, known as the "Oscars of the Internet." 

VCU TV/HD is one of the first student-run operations in the country to produce TV programming in high-definition format. The students handle everything from preproduction through postproduction. Its regular 30-minute programs are produced in cinéma vérité, non-narrative style.

A partnership with Community Idea Stations, owned by Commonwealth Public Broadcasting, the VCU TV/HD programs air two Mondays a month on WCVW.