From sports teams to student-run magazines, Pine Crest has it all. One thing that Pine Crest is known for is its amazing film and broadcast program. Pine Crest Television, or PCTV, is a student produced show filled with news stories, sports updates, interviews, entertainment, and more. The show is aired monthly, with pieces that cover current events in and around school.

PCTV is very popular among students and faculty. While most students enjoy watching, a few have recently expressed dissatisfaction with the content of certain episodes. Social media such as Twitter and Facebook has been used to express positive feedback as well as some discontent. In order to figure out what was producing these mixed reactions, I decided to ask a few students what they thought about PCTV.

Regarding news pieces, PCTV has definitely focused more on the community this year, branching out to different events outside of the Pine Crest environment. Senior Maya stated, “I like that they always do a full recap of all the arts events that aren’t usually well-attended. Same with sports games…so that way people can see what they missed.” Although she enjoys PCTV, Maya explained that some segments haven’t been relevant to the Pine Crest Community. “…like when they had segments on ipic and the fashion show…and the tattoo parlor. They seem like advertisements and time fillers.” Sophomore Mahlet expressed a similar thought; “I like when they give us updates about school,” Mahlet stated, “but not stories on random tattoo parlors and food events that have nothing to do with Pine Crest”.

Other important elements of PCTV are the entertainment and film pieces, which seem to be extremely popular. Junior Erin said, “I really like the stories and the comedic aspect of it.” After asking a few others what their favorite part of the show was, it became obvious that the film segments were the winners.

Mr. Burgess, the film teacher, gave his feedback;  “It’s a shame that some students are quick to criticize things and post the kinds of negative feedback we’ve seen on social media.” “What we are seeing is that those posting usually know nothing about what it takes to put on the kind of show that we do.  They think TV just sort of ‘happens’.”

Compared to last year, this year’s broadcasts have definitely been running more smoothly. Every year the show progresses, but there is always room for improvement. “I am very pleased with our progress so far,” Mr. Burgess stated.  “We are being recognized nationally up against some other impressive student broadcasts, and we are only in our fourth semester.”

PCTV makes an effort to cover a large number of current events while adhering to a strict time limit, so sometimes it can be difficult to include a lot of entertainment pieces.”Students have to realize that PCTV can’t just be a collection of inappropriate sketch comedy segments that make everyone laugh.  The program is striving for a professional look and feel,” Mr. Burgess explained.  He encourages everyone to give feedback on the show. “We want students to be a part of it by offering insightful remarks and assertive feedback.  We want students to come to us with story ideas and suggestions.  That’s what PCTV is supposed to be all about.”

If you have any suggestions or comments, don’t hesitate to let the PCTV crew know.

What are some of your favorite segments? What would you like to see again? Do you have any good ideas? Let them know! Email them at [email protected].