Now for the first time, KBYU-News can be heard live over the Internet. NewsNet@BYU, the combined web site for The Daily Universe and KBYU-News, airs the newscast each weekday at 4:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time at newsnet.byu.edu/audio/kbyunews.html.
“This means that we have one more outlet to get information out to the world,” according to NewsNet City Editor, Jay Spear. “It’s really exciting, it’s a window on the future of broadcasting. The students involved here will leave BYU with cutting edge, no, other side of the edge experience,” said Spear.
Other recent additions to the NewsNet web site are free e-mail updates sent twice each day, and a breaking news page that allows people to stay up to date on the latest BYU-related news. In addition, the site also features daily video clips from the KBYU-Newscasts at newsnet.byu.edu/video.cfm.
“Because of the advances in technology and the support we receive from the department of communications and the university, we are able to provide a unique learning environment for the students,” said NewsNet Editorial Director, Scott Johnson.
“What this means is that our graduates will have a huge head start on graduates from most other institutions,” said Johnson.
Some of the interesting tools developed by NewsNet include a fully database driven intranet that allows student reporters and editors the ability to communicate regardless of type of computer or location. “The technology itself is very easy, very convenient for students,” according to Elisa Ball, comms 333 student.
“Its nice to go to one computer and access e-mail, the Internet, the intranet and NewsView (the software used at KBYU studios). It’s exciting to me that the convergence to multimedia is starting to happen all over. Its also neat that BYU has a jump start on it too,” said Ball.
Other features of Newsnet@BYU include a fully database-driven web service. As people connect to the site, various databases are searched and HTML pages built on the fly. This allows the latest news and information to be displayed.
“One of the many changes seen in the program this past year is the employment of student programmers,” according to Johnson. One of the students who has been instrumental in the development of some of these new media products and tools is Jym Mealey, a computer science major.
“Jym is a talented programmer. He can program in something like 13 different languages. I think he’s been programming since he was 7 or 8 years old. Having students like Jym on board has made a huge difference in the tools we have been able to develop,” Johnson said.
Some of the planned features of Newsnet@BYU include searchable classifieds and customized news views. These two new services will allow people to choose what information they are most interested in by selecting a set of preferences. Each time they visit the site after that they will be given customized information. Kind of like their own personal version of the web site.
