Dear President Glassman and WEIU GM Mr. Jack Neal,

The recent news that WEIU was considering selling its spectrum in the upcoming FCC auction has left me very disappointed in both a program, and university that I was very proud to be a part of.

While I was never a part of the Emmy-winning News-Watch program, some of my friends were, and I myself proudly worked for WEIU-FM for four years. During my time, I worked closely with the student-journalists who were a part of this television entity, and the commitment to excellence and pride in their work easy to see. They air a professional-quality news broadcast every single weekday, that rivals professional outlets in the Champaign-Decatur-Springfield market. All while keeping full class loads.

The same can be said for the professional staff whose futures are all in jeopardy. The staff at WEIU truly feels that the students are the number one priority within the facility. The leadership of Kelly Runyon at News-Watch is truly amazing. The office staff provides the best support, and the crew of technicians that keep the station running are some of the best I’ve worked with.

The number of EIU graduates that have jobs within the television, radio, and video production fields is astounding considering the size of the university. EIU graduates can jump right in at the professional level, because their university gave them the most realistic real-world experience possible. Don’t rob future students of that opportunity.

Save WEIU-TV.

Orion Buckingham

EIU Class of 2010