Media Crossroads moves to Anschutz Library

LAWRENCE — Media Crossroads has a new place to call home. The student media organization recently completed its move from the Kansas Union to the second floor of Anschutz Library.

Cal Butcher, director of Media Crossroads, said the move is beneficial for several reasons, but mostly because it is more centrally located on campus, it will increase the organization’s visibility with students.

Media Crossroads started planning the move in 2015 when the organization was notified that the Union was planning a renovation of the space it was occupying on the main floor.

“A lot of places wanted us – Anschutz was a good fit. The libraries are looking for things that bring people into the library and can be supportive for students,” Butcher said.

The space in the library has been undergoing renovations for several months in preparation for the move. Crossroads tried to re-create the space in the Union, with a studio complete with green screen, control room and reception area. But the new space also has improvements such as taller ceilings that accommodate better lighting, a curtain in the studio and several internal windows that will allow passers-by to watch the shows live.

“People will see us doing these live shows. Maybe they will stop and watch, and maybe they will want to get involved. Maybe we can build on that somehow and do more interactive things, and maybe we will just change the type of shows that we do,” Butcher said.

The move took about a week and a half, which delayed Media Crossroads programming at the start of the semester. A handful of shows aired last week, but everything should be back to normal and with a full slate this week, including a new game show.

As Media Crossroads approaches its fourth anniversary, it continues to evolve, Butcher says. When Crossroads started, it didn’t offer student programming, and now students create and produce about 20 shows. Crossroads also will continue to offer all of the services it has been providing, including the live-shot LTN service, basic videos and live-streaming events.

Butcher hopes that Crossroads’ growth, the new location and its new website help attract more students to want to become involved.  

“We are kind of going to be a recruiting tool because students are going to say, ‘Oh, that’s kind of cool, what is that?,’ and then they might want to get involved on a small level or they might want to transfer into journalism,” Butcher said.

Students don’t have to be journalism students to be involved, though. Any KU students who are interested can show up and participate, as long as they show a commitment and want to learn.

That’s what’s most important about Media Crossroads, Butcher said, not how many people are watching the shows at any given time.

“Sometimes there’s a lot and sometimes there’s none, but that’s not why we’re doing it," he said. "If you are here in front of the camera and you are doing your thing, it doesn’t matter whether there is one or a hundred or a thousand or a million. You are still doing it.”

This semester’s programming schedule*:

Monday

• 10 a.m.: "Good Morning KU"
• 11:30 a.m.: KU E-News
• 1:30 p.m.: "KU Sidelines"
• 4 p.m.: KUJH News
• 5:30 p.m.: "Jayhawk Sports Report"
• 6 p.m.: "The Playmakers"

Tuesday

• 10 a.m.: "Good Morning KU"
• 4 p.m.: "Her Campus TV"

Wednesday

• 11:30 a.m.: "Let’s Take a Break"
• 4 p.m.: KUJH News
• 5 p.m.: "Good Evening KU"

Thursday

• 10 a.m.: "Good Morning KU"
• 2:30 p.m.: "Starting Lineup"
• 6:30 p.m.: "The Playmakers"
• 7 p.m.: "A Slice of Cheese"
• 9 p.m.: "Late Night with Sam Olla"

Friday

• 10 a.m.: "Good Morning KU"
• 11 a.m.: "Triple OT"
• 1 p.m.: "The Shpiel" or "Greek TV"
• 3 p.m.: "Next"
• 4 p.m.: KUJH News

* Some shows are weekly; some are every other week.