Cable 8 Productions has long been a staple of media and TV production for WSU students. One branch of Cable 8, Wazzu Sports Network, has allowed students to gain real-world experience in creating sports shows, working on the sidelines of games and getting studio and on-camera experience.

Sophomore Alex Dorfler said Cable 8 Productions was one of the reasons he decided to join WSU. As a broadcast productions major, he liked the freedom the Murrow College provided for students to create content.

He was then hired as a production assistant for the WSN show “Coug on the Clock”, an unscripted sports show where students talked about their opinions on sports.

“It was one of the best decisions I’ve made in college,” Dorfler said.

After one year of being an assistant for Coug on the Clock, Dorfler took the reins in his sophomore year as the show’s director.

“I’ve got to be able to be myself and express the creativity that I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise,” he said.

Some of the skills he gained over the course of his time with WSN are comfortability on camera, talent coordination, studio setup, editing and marketing, Dorfler said.

He likes being the director of the show because it challenges him to be a role model to his assistants and do his best work. This year, Dorfler made some changes and turned Coug on the Clock into a trivia game show for some episodes.

“It feels really good when you create something,” he said.

Coug on the Clock is not the only sports show, however. Sophomore Carly Ostrem joined Cougzone and Wazzu Recap in January. Cougzone provides students with the opportunity to talk about WSU sports as TV anchors and Wazzu Recap goes on the sidelines of games to record and report on the game.

As a marketing major, Ostrem focused on the social media for WSN as a whole, along with helping write scripts and assisting in the studio.

“I feel like it is very collaborative and everyone has a say…they’re totally heard in the environment,” Ostrem said. “And it’s very creative and everyone brings something to the table that’s a little bit different – makes us a stronger team.”

She said although she learns the business side of her major in the classroom, WSN has provided the opportunity for her to explore the more creative side of things. She has had the opportunity to make TikToks with other students and members of the team and be on the sidelines of basketball games to update Instagram and create content from there.

Ostrem said she thinks she is more confident in her social media skills because of WSN.

“I wouldn’t have been doing any social media stuff hadn’t it been for Cougzone,” she said. “But I’ve definitely found that I’ve got some skills in it.”

Both Ostrem and Dorfler credit WSN for giving them real-world experience and new opportunities.

“WSN really has that niche for people who love sports,” Dorfler said.