KTWU has been broadcasting local public television in eastern Kansas and portions of Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma since 1965. KTWU is a valuable resource to Washburn University and our local and national communities. Through the support of Washburn, our licensee, we have been able to produce and distribute multiple KTWU-produced content initiatives. Through your generosity, KTWU will continue its mission to provide programs and services that enrich the lives of those we reach. Your gift will help make an impact in these areas:
Student Scholars:
It’s important for KTWU to offer experience to students in the fields of Production (running camera, lighting, audio, graphics, documentary filmmaking, producing), Marketing & Promotions (promoting local and national content, and social media), and enhancement of non-profit knowledge – in particular for public television (understanding difference between non-profit and for-profit, how funding process works, FCC rules and requirements for public television, understanding importance of networking and relationship-building to maintain and grow member data-base, etc.). KTWU has multiple projects in the works for 2022 and would appreciate the opportunity to create up to 2, fully-funded student scholar positions. The student scholar would receive a well-rounded year of non-profit and public television knowledge through their work with a national content project, local content initiatives, and regular run-of-schedule series like Working Capital, IGI, and !nspire.
Technology:
Technology in the world of broadcast and content production is a constantly-evolving process. New content projects and the COVID-19 pandemic is creating a need for new technology, that will allow KTWU and our student scholars to work with remote technologies to feature interviews from all across the country in our local content and utilize field cameras and time lapse technology for national content initiatives. Your gift to KTWU will assist with our abilities to create opportunities for learning with new technologies, utilizing updated technology for filmmaking, and understanding the challenges and opportunities the ever-changing environment of technology can create for public television stations.
TopZooKTWU:
KTWU takes great pride in being a leader of new content distribution initiatives, including our livestreaming project with the Topeka Zoo. For the past 3 years, KTWU and the Topeka Zoo have partnered together to provide 6 livestreams, known as #TopZooKTWU, featuring the giraffe exhibit, patas monkey exhibit and tiger exhibit. These 6 livestreams have brought together audiences of all ages to witness 2 live giraffe calf births, the birth of 4 Sumatran tiger cubs and the birth of 2 patas monkey infants. KTWU has achieved over 8.5 million views with over 2.3 million hours viewed around the World. Your gift to KTWU would assist in our ability to purchase new technology needed to maintain the visibility of the #TopZooKTWU cameras within the new giraffe exhibit, which will open in Summer 2022; and will allow us to send out KTWU and student scholars to go out to the Zoo on a regular basis to feature Facebook live videos on the happenings of the zoo animals, interview zoo keepers and allow interactions with viewers to ask their questions during the live feed, and promote the availability of the 6 #TopZooKTWU livestreams.
Continued Support of KTWU Content Projects:
It is important for public television stations to be connected to their communities and provide content that addresses community issues, highlight community talent and feature community accomplishments. Through our local content, we provide our viewing audiences real-world knowledge on business ownership and entrepreneurship through Working Capital; give viewers an idea of how timely national issues impact our local communities through IGI (I’ve Got Issues); feature issues that impact women and highlight women making moves in their communities, with !nspire; and feature the talent of our community and Washburn University students through Capital Holiday and Washburn Holiday Vespers. Your support will assist in our efforts to maintain our connection with our viewing communities through our local content projects, all of which would incorporate the assistance from our student scholars and student volunteers.
