One of the nation's oldest and most widely-acclaimed educational television projects for high school students will begin its 1973 season on WNDU-TV, Channel 16, Saturdays January 27 at 6:00 PM EST.
Twenty-seven high school students representing 11 Michiana area high schools, have formed a television production company under the guidance of advisers from the staff of WNDU-TV, the University of Notre Dame's NBC affiliate station in South Bend, Indiana. Meeting since mid-September, the members of the company have been learning and putting into practice the numerous operations necessary to the production of a weekly half-hour television program--from learning to operate television cameras, audio consoles and videotape recorders, to selling television commercials within the show to area businessmen.
Their organization functions administratively as part of Junior Achievement, a nationwide program of learn-by-doing economic education for high school students. The South Bend television company, founded in 1960 by Wm. Thomas Hamilton, Executive Vice-president and General Manager of the WNDU Stations, is actually a working model of a complete corporation, with stockholders, corporate officers, a Board of Directors, sales goals, and a unique product: a television show called Beyond Our Control.
Created in 1968, Beyond Our Control uses the television medium as a springboard for parodies on a variety of facets of American culture. Vintage pop music underground movies, high school social life, TV commercials, soap operas, politics and more are subjects which might be "Beyond our Control" in a given week. With its title derived from the familiar broadcasting phrase which announces technical problems, Beyond Our Control is literally a TV show about TV. Furthering its television orientation, many of the shows parodies involve WIMP-TV, Channel One, a mythical small-market TV station created as an archetype of all low-budget/big-idea broadcast operations.
Already slated for appearance on the program this season are a beach party movie, a silent movie serial based on the life of St. Mohab, a drive-in theater intermission, music by the likes of Jim Nabors and Walter Brennan, an ethnic-appeal Television show, a Japanese science-fiction movie and more things which will be announced as soon as they are thought up.
Produced on film and color videotape Saturday mornings at the campus studios of WNDU-TV, Beyond Our Control is probably the most complex and ambitious program produced in the market. It has been the subject of national attention on numerous occasions and has inspired a number of imitators among similar student projects around the country.
WNDU-TV Director Mark Heller will direct the program again this season. With the exception of Heller and a few technical engineers, the production is entirely in the hands of the students, who do the writing filming, acting and videotape production. Dave Bashover, a Senior at Jackson High School, is the program's production Manager this season, and is assisted by Keith Kepler, a Junior at Penn High School.
Advisers to the project this year have been Joe Dundon, Kim Guidi and Dave Williams.
The company membership is:
ADAMS HIGH SCHOOL - Tim Hanlon, Kathi Kimbriel and Eric Tweedell
BUCHANAN (MICHIGAN) HIGH SCHOOL - Rich Frantz and Liza Moon
CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL - Debbie Hoblik
CLAY HIGH SCHOOL - Teri Jacobs
ELKHART MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL - Paul Gassera
JACKSON HIGH SCHOOL - Dave Bashover, Poduction Manager; Kevin Garbacz, Secretary; Sheila Gramenz, President; Mary Kocy; Kevin O'Brien, Art Director; Pat O'Brien; Geoff Roth, Sales Manager and Kurt Stevens
LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL - Maryalice Janowiak; Julie Ratkiewicz, Property Manager
MARIAN HIGH SCHOOL - Pat Pritchett
MISHAWAKA HIGH SCHOOL - Attea Guidi and Kevin Zimmerman
PENN HIGH SCHOOL - Keith Kepler, Assistant Production Manager
RILEY HIGH SCHOOL - Karen Woodfork
ST. JOSEPH'S HIGH SCHOOL - Mark Cybulski; Lynn Patrick; Zip Rowe;and Diane Werts, Personnel Director
