Rock Canyon Broadcasting Network live streaming school events
Article and photo by Maddy Merritt, RCHS intern writer
Pictured left to right: Zachary Lipfield, James McHenry, Sage Wheeler, Matt Mejia and Myles Rubin as they live stream the Rock Canyon High School boys basketball game against Douglas County High School.
Seniors at Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) Matt Mejia, Sage Wheeler and Nick Quam started a club called the Rock Canyon Broadcasting Network (RCBN) when they were sophomores. The three started and ran a similar program when they were students at Rocky Heights Middle School.
“Due to our love for film and broadcast, we decided to continue to spread our knowledge and started the program at RCHS,” Mejia said. “We all hope that the program will continue to grow after we leave, and [we] plan to teach students with the same passion as us so that we have a solid foundation to continue it.”
Mejia said RCBN provides experience to members who are potentially interested in a career in live broadcasting.
The team runs a mixer box that controls the three cameras set up throughout the gym. Each camera is run by a member of the club and is turned on and off throughout the game as members controlling the mixer box change camera feeds.
The mixer box also allows the team to add graphics to the screen and stream it on the club’s YouTube channel, RCBN.
“They’re trying to encourage fans to watch the game without really being at the game, and [with the live stream], fans can support their Jags from home,” Zach Lipfield, a sophomore at RCHS and member of RCBN said. The RCHS basketball games that took place on February 11 were Lipfield’s second time working a camera for an RCBN live broadcasting event.
When covering sports events, in addition to live streaming, two members provide context for the game. One provides play-by-play announcements and the other supplies commentary as well as the team’s season statistics. In addition, those announcing keep score, updating a score box that is present on the live stream throughout the game.
RCBN’s goal was to allow members of RCTV to cover more sporting events, assemblies and other school-related events, as well as establish and maintain a webpage with all the live streamed events for people to find.
“My favorite part is working with underclassmen to continue to expand the club. It’s great to see so many younger students interested in broadcasting,” Wheeler said. “I hope to see RCTV students and anyone interested in sports, anchoring or producing continue to bring events to the community!”
