La Salle 56

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La Salle 56
La Salle 56 logo
Type cable / educational access
Country Flag of United States United States
Availability Philadelphia
Owner La Salle University / City of Philadelphia
Launch date 1991
Website http://www.lasalle.edu/lasalle56

La Salle 56 is an educational access cable television station run by La Salle University and carried within Philadelphia’s city limits on both the Comcast Cable and Urban CableWorks systems. The station reaches over 300,000 homes and attempts to serve the La Salle University community and its neighbors with educational and entertaining programs. The station also serves as a hands-on teaching facility for students interested in the communication field.

La Salle University gained the cable channel in 1991 as part of the franchise agreements between cable providers and the city of Philadelphia. Although originally operated by the Academic Computing and Information Technology Department, the channel was transferred to the Communication Department in July 1997, allowing the station to use the department’s technical facility and access more students majoring in communication.

La Salle 56 features a variety of student-produced programs, ranging from collegiate sports to entertainment to social issues. Original student films are broadcast in addition to interviews with local and national authors, actors, musicians, athletes, and television personalities. As a service to those people who are unable to attend church, WPVI-TV's Mass is shown every Sunday during a late morning rebroadcast.

One full-time employee runs the station year-round with help from a small group of work-study students during the academic year. La Salle 56 receives its funding through a portion of the Communication Department’s budget.

Contents

[edit] Programming

La Salle 56 features a variety of shows, ranging from sports to movies to Sunday mass. During the typical academic year, the station generates nearly 100 original episodes, most of which result from eight regular programs. In addition, La Salle 56 carries five regular programs produced outside the University.

La Salle 56 airs programming about 16 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. The station usually plays programs from 10:00am to 2:00am and then switches over to the message board (see below) when programs are not airing. During the academic year when the majority of new programming is produced, each show is assigned a specific timeslot. Two-hour station masters containing non-dated material fill the remaining time. The hours between 8:00pm and 12:00am are used mainly for La Salle-produced programs only.

[edit] Original programming

  • 56 News
  • Backstage Pass
  • Focus on Philly
  • Healthy Neighborhoods
  • Insight
  • Lampoonery News
  • Q&A
  • SportsLine
  • Sports Talk Philadelphia
  • This Is It
  • Upon Further Review

[edit] Public service announcements

La Salle 56 uses public service announcements (PSAs) as the station's commercial breaks. These PSAs include a wide range of non-profit and service groups, from the U.S. Armed Forces to Volunteers of America. In addition to using PSAs from outside organizations, La Salle 56 also records its own PSAs that are produced by campus organizations and classes.

[edit] Message board

The La Salle 56 Message Board is used to present information about the channel and non-profit organizations when programs are not being aired. La Salle 56 uses this space to promote shows, give contact information, and acknowledge that it is public property of the City of Philadelphia. Other messages are displayed for non-profit organizations, including La Salle, that wish to reach the public. Music typically runs in the background while the message board runs at night or between programs. La Salle 56 typically runs the message board each night from 2am to 10am.

[edit] External links


LA SALLE UNIVERSITY

Academics

Schools: School of Arts and Sciences • School of Business Administration • School of Nursing & Health Sciences

Athletics

A10Explorers • Frank Wetzler Track • Hank DeVincent Field • Hayman CenterMcCarthy StadiumMen's BasketballTom Gola ArenaWakefield Park

Campus

Art Museum • Carriage House • Christian Brother's Residence • College Hall • Connelly Library • Japanese Tea Ceremony House • Peale House • Philadelphia

Student life

Adult Student Council • AIDS Outreach • Alliance • Anime Club • APDAST • ATA • AXP • Branch Out • CAOS • CARECircle KThe CollegianDSPDPE • Explorers for LifeFIJIFOCUS • Foster Care Tutoring • GPBGSS • Interfraternity-Sorority Council • La CycleLa Salle 56 • LOCK • MPWA • Neighborhood Tutoring • Neighbor to Neighbor • NSP • Panhellenic Council • PBSRSASGATKE (not recognized) • SPESPLWEXP

Miscellaneous

La Salle University (book)