By Franklin D. Murphy
FSU Communications Group
Florida State sports fans who live in Florida have watched important games on the Sunshine Network for the past four years.
That exposure to regional and sometimes national television coverage is about to expand to more sports and beyond sports.
Under a new contract just signed between FSU and the Sunshine Network, FSU will produce television programs for broadcast on the Sunshine Network, Florida's leading regional sports and public affairs network. Sunshine provides programming to 97 percent of Florida's 3.8 million homes that have cable television.
The contract is an exciting step forward for the FSU Communications Group and the College of Communication which will cooperate on the programming.
Sports fans get a lot more out of the deal. There will be more football, baseball and basketball games and more programs about sports. For the first time, FSU's "Olympic sports" -- such as track, soccer, softball, volleyball, golf and tennis -- will be broadcast, bringing great improvements in coverage of women athletes.
But the benefits aren't just for sports fans. All FSU's friends will find something new and interesting to watch.
FSU President Sandy D'Alemberte and others on campus have wonderful ideas for programs that you will be able to see down the road.
The university is looking at everything from an issues-oriented, sports-magazine show to a program D'Alemberte has dubbed "Innovations."
"Innovations" could report the latest developments in technology, new horizons in research, science and teaching, and even performing arts. The litmus test for this type of programming will be the question: "What difference does it make in the everyday lives of people?"
Answering that question will be the best possible training for FSU's communication students, who will compete one day in a world of dizzying variety and choice. But first, they will work on real productions with real audiences who have the freedom to look elsewhere if they aren't captured. And when the work is superior, communication students will have the chance to see it broadcast nationally.
Under the agreement, Florida State gets one-and-a-half hours per week for broadcasting programs at its own discretion.
We believe the agreement is another example of how success in athletics can lead to greater exposure for the outstanding accomplishments in other academic areas.
It was negotiated by Athletics Director Dave Hart, after conferring with the university president and considering input from the FSU Communications Group and the FSU General Counsel's Office.
"FSU is one of this country's most recognized and respected institutions, both academically and athletically and we look forward to working with them for years to come," said Jim Liberatore, the new Sunshine Network general manager.
Sunshine began broadcasting programs last month, with several telecasts of the Seminole Football Kickoff Luncheon and the university's Seminole Videogram, featuring such stories as that of Miss America's visit to campus and her speech recounting her treatment here as a child through a College of Communication program for the deaf. Future dates for these programs are listed in a box in the Compression column on page 4.
As FSU programs are produced and scheduled for telecast, we will tell our readers about them through the pages of the Florida State Times. Keep reading, then keep watching. We want people everywhere to know about the great things that are happening at Florida State University.