In a time when website redesign was on the brain, ISUtv won Best Student Media Website at the 2011 National College Media Convention in Orlando, Fla., in October. 

The day they decided to revamp the website was the day they found out they had won the award. Hardly anyone knew they were nominated.

The award was applied for last spring. The student production awards received approximately 580 submissions for the various awards — 47 of which were chosen as finalists. ISUtv competed against three other schools for the award. Judges’ criteria for the award ISUtv received were: the navigability of the site, if the site is first-user-friendly and if it is a destination or resource for viewers.

“It’s an honor for the station,” said Rachel Begle, senior in journalism and mass communication and ISUtv executive producer.

Begle said they appreciate the recognition and are happy their hard work is finally paying off, especially when other schools do what they do through a class and have more access to funding.

“We don’t have any money to do anything,” Begle said.

With hardly any money to buy new cameras or other production equipment, ISUtv is different from others nominated for the awards because it is a club and cannot pay its members.

“It’s hard to get people on campus to care about your organization,” Begle said. “Now maybe everybody will tune in more.”

With a tough time putting shows up on its website last fall, ISUtv hired a few people to assist in posting the shows after they were broadcasted and the website started producing more content quickly.

David Derong, senior in journalism and mass communication, started as the online director in spring 2011.

Now, the website is organized according to show and category.

“It was a team effort,” Derong said.

Although he refers to him as “Josh-of-all-trades,” Derong said Josh Larson, last year’s promotions manager who graduated last year, and Zach Heilman, senior in computer engineering who currently works on the site, did most of the work last fall.

“We realized it’s our main source of audience,” Derong said.

For next semester, Derong said ISUtv is readjusting its focus on getting individual content and stories on the site rather than posting mostly shows.

“Hopefully that means more student involvement, but we’ll see,” he said.

Derong discussed the ways the site can benefit students’ futures.

“[The site] is a great way to get work out to potential employers,” Derong said.

This week is the last of the fall semester for live broadcasts by ISUtv. Derong said he hopes ISUtv will have everything ready by spring semester and will then launch its shows soon after.

“We’re definitely not letting it get to our heads,” Begle said.