His Digital Media Classes are "Real Life" Serious | WTCS Skip to content

His Digital Media Classes are "Real Life" Serious

Students may think Chris Kuborn is a strict instructor, but they usually thank him later.

 

“I am serious about everything we do here,” he says. “What we do is related to employment. We move and we move fast. There is no dilly-dallying. “Deadlines are important in the workplace in our industry and so we make them important in the classroom.”

 

Kuborn knows what is required in the world of broadcasting and audio production. His Jazz Odyssey program can be heard on Wisconsin Public Radio and nine other stations around the US and Canada. A percussionist, Chris performs with a steel drum band, “Island Magic.” His radio show features emerging jazz artists. “Not smooth jazz,” he says.

 

Anxious to give students real-world experience in audio production, Kuborn worked over the summer to establish a student-run Internet radio station, tccampusconnection.com. The station started with pre-recorded shows, but Kuborn hopes to replace those with live broadcast programs produced by students, staff and alumni.

 

Eventually, he hopes the station will have paid internships for students in Web Design, Digital Media Technology, Marketing, Administrative Professional, Accounting and Graphic Design programs. “Another long-term goal is to partner with local radio networks and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association to create a certificate program in radio production,” Kuborn added.

 

A business management class produced a show called “Awesome Boss,” with a discussion of what it takes to be a good supervisor and interviews with local bosses. Kuborn hopes to have more class-based shows in the future. He’s also looking for advertisers for the station who will support this real-world student experience.

 

“My students do come back and tell me they are glad I pushed them,” Kuborn said. “The world is really like that,” they tell him.