Waynesburg Community Television (WCTV) announced the hirings of three new producers to their staff for the beginning of the spring semester. Sophomores Sara Clegg and Brady Donovan alongside freshman Stone Manges have been hired to be producers for WCTV.

“One thing the Department of Communication has done well is that when you work hard, when you show your dedication and you do not mess up in your roles, you will get rewarded for that,” WCTV general manager Joe Chirillo said. “I’ve been blessed with that opportunity and I’ve been able to give that opportunity to others here and I’m very excited to see what they do.”

Clegg, a Sports Information and Public Relations major, steps into the producer role for WCTV’s Newscast after serving as the assistant producer for Michael McKenzie during the fall semester. Clegg wants to gain more experience not just for herself, but also all around her.

“I applied for the Newscast because I wanted an opportunity to get more experience in the news field and live productions,” Clegg said. “I hope to bring a more scheduled timeline of our production, as well as changing some of the long-standing traditional methods and making the production a more collaborative experience.”

The Newscast, which runs every Thursday at 5 p.m., is the only WCTV that is live weekly. The Newscast includes local and national news alongside segments for business and entertainment, sports, and a weather forecast. Students have opportunities to not just be on camera, but also to work behind the scenes in the studio or creating packages for local news to be displayed and covered by Waynesburg students.

“When hiring Sara, it was evident not only with her learning ability, but also her ability to stay calm was one of the factors when hiring her,” Chirillo said.

Donovan and Manges are both Sports Media (Announcing) majors and will be co-producers of The Buzz, a variety show in which you will see games, discussions and more in order to keep you entertained.

Donovan emphasized the importance of building connections and helping others by being a producer for WCTV.

“I hope that we really build some good connections with people around campus and throughout the communications department,” Donovan said. “I want everyone to get a chance to be on the Buzz because I want everyone to enjoy being here at Waynesburg.”

Manges echoed Donovan’s sentiment.

“Being a producer is a great way to get your feet wet and learn first hand,” Manges said. “Getting off the floor and talking to different people, and getting other parts of the university involved in your show.”

Donovan and Manges have been quick to hop on trends such as on their latest episode, “2016 Music Edition,” in which contestants compete in two games: Guess the Song and Finish the Lyric. The co-producers saw an opportunity to capitalize on the new trend of going back 10 years to 2016.

“Brady and Stone have seemed to be two amazing gentlemen throughout their class but also amazing students,” Chirillo said. “Brady and Stone bring in a very new element of what is popular but also what is entertaining.”

The duo knows that there will be struggles and that it is part of the job, but they are excited for the upcoming challenges.

“Having done three shows already, I really now have a new found appreciation for the producers here at Waynesburg and producers of bigger television shows and all the aspects that go into planning a show,” Manges said. “I think through the first three weeks it has been a lot of fun and I am really excited to see where it goes from here.”

You can catch the Newscast live every Thursday at 5 p.m. and the Buzz on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Additionally, WCTV posts four other shows weekly on both their YouTube channel and locally to Waynesburg residents on cable channel 14.