WSOU and SHU TV Collaborate on Election Night Coverage

On November 5, 89.5 FM WSOU and SHU TV joined forces to cover the 2024 United States Presidential Election both on the FM airwaves and in the University Center’s TV studio on campus. The election night coverage began at 6 p.m. and ran into the middle of the night as the broadcast (which lasted over eight hours) saw members of WSOU and SHU TV take numerous shifts, swapping in and out for each other during commercial breaks. The team consisted of 44 members — 20 on-air analysts and 24 technical staff members — that helped produce this successful broadcast, which aired on the radio and on SHU TV’s YouTube channel and has received over 1,600 views to date. The coverage was simulcasted on TVs throughout the university center so the student body could watch their fellow classmates provide around-the-clock updates as the future of their country took shape in real time.

WSOU News Director Dovid Holtzman directed the event, Assistant News Director Jorge Rivera directed the technical operations side of the event on the TV side, WSOU Programming Director Bobby Steiner engineered the broadcast on the radio side, and SHU TV Executive Producer Graham Marshman was on the air for a majority of the night alongside Holtzman. “It was a landmark victory. For the college, for the student body, and for the program, it was a resounding win,” Rivera said about the election coverage. “When faced with obstacles in bringing this broadcast to life, our capable team did not hesitate in overcoming them. It was an honor to have directed such a dedicated team for the near-nine hours we were on the airwaves.”

Chris Aurilio, director of production and facilities in the College of Human Development, Culture, and Media, hopped on the show in the early stages of the broadcast. He expressed his appreciation for this groundbreaking moment for Seton Hall’s on-campus media outlets. “I am so proud to see this unprecedented live simulcast coverage from SHU TV and WSOU working in our new media studio space amongst the students all watching live in the University Center,” he said.

WSOU’s Sound and Media Engineer Gary Susalis praised the broadcast team on being able to maneuver through any technical obstacles that were thrown at them throughout the night. “This experience is sure to spark a new creative path for both the students and the college at large,” he said. “I’m very proud of all who were involved and I’m honored to have been a part of the broadcast.”

The coverage was advertised on both WSOU’s and SHU TV’s Instagram pages so that students, faculty and family could tune in on YouTube for this unique broadcast which hopefully has started a yearly tradition of collaboration to cover Election Night.

“It was a joy to lead our Election Night initiative that saw the joint efforts of around fifty students and members of the professional staff realized in an eight-hour livestream,” said Holtzman. “Talent of every type participated in this show, which utilized broadcasters, analysts, technical specialists in audio and video, social media and graphic design experts and — most of all — the joint work of 89.5 FM WSOU and SHU Television on this tremendous project.”

 View the election broadcast on SHU TV’s YouTube channel.

Categories: Arts and Culture