When the Cameras Stopped Rolling
“The View” through the lens of alumni memories
Story by Jackie Hopkins
Images courtesy of Campus History Collections, Special Collections Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections Western Washington University.
News anchors gear up for a news story on the Miller Hall site, as the scene production team gives orders in 1972. | Image courtesy of Campus History Collections, Special Collections Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections Western Washington University.
Inside the buzzing broadcast newsroom, the air crackled with urgency. Anchors perfected their hair and makeup, producers gave last-minute instructions and everyone worked in harmony as the countdown began: three, two, one… action. The typewriters stopped clicking and the room fell silent as the spotlight dimmed. Behind the scenes, newswriters spent countless nights behind a computer, digging for sources and characters in the community.
Until the 1990s, Western Washington University broadcast communications majors participated in Western’s broadcast news station — The Western View. The station provided a daily dose of all things Bellingham and prepared students for professional careers post-grad, giving them insight into how a newsroom operated.
The Western View ran from the 1970s to the ‘90s and was discontinued shortly after the retirement of faculty advisor Al Smith. Al Smith’s connections to the news industry and equipment transformed students’ experiences on and off camera.
Journalism professor emerita Carolyn Dale watched the well-loved program’s demise from Western. “As I recall, after he retired, that connection [King-TV] died, and basically so did the show. The broadcast equipment became outdated and on-air technology was changing rapidly,” she said. These changes scrapped the broadcast track of the communications major, and the newsroom closed its doors forever.
Al Smith produced the TV show, operated the class and handled the technology aspects of the department, while communications professor Alden Smith advised on-camera work and headed many other classes in the department. A 1991 Western Front article, "Cuts Could Cost Program," by Charity Proctor attributed the program’s demise to a lack of consistent funding and to being unable to replace outdated equipment. The department was unable to find a replacement for Al Smith, and the program was cut soon after.
Al Smith from The View ponders over some of the behind the scenes equipment on the television set. This Miller Hall news station pictured in 1978. | Image courtesy of Campus History Collections, Special Collections Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections Western Washington University.
The broadcast communication major required students to work for The View, both on and off camera. Western alumna Laura Willis paid her dues, working on air and behind the scenes to showcase soft news events in the community. “I liked being behind the screens. I was horrible on camera. I mean, for some reason, I just get very nervous. You have to ad lib and stuff and I was just the worst at it,” Willis said.
Although Willis feared the spotlight, the uncomfortable work pushed her to explore a wide variety of careers after graduation. Willis’s investigative eye on soft news stories in the community made her more confident in her unique voice and self. From interning at KOMO News, where she learned the ropes of the newsroom, to thriving in dynamic sales roles, she found herself stepping up to new challenges at every turn.
The journey has shaped her career in different ways, teaching her that discomfort can lead to growth. After graduating in 1990, Willis worked in a variety of sales roles and now excels in commercial financing.
“[Reporting] taught me a lot that made me learn how to be self-confident. I actually had to go out there and knock on doors and call people to try to get interviews,” Willis said.
Though the program is gone from Western, the stories and collaboration students completed during their time at The View will not be forgotten. The View created a digital storytelling platform for Western students that paved the way for many students’ professional careers and sparked investigative creativities to better understand and seek out all that Bellingham has to offer.
Alumna Ann Grimm worked under Alden Smith at KUGS, Western’s student-run radio station, and worked for The View during 1984-1985, her junior and senior years. On The View, she worked as an anchor and behind the scenes.
“Must have been my final quarter where I was picked for the female anchor and won the ‘most tolerating anchor’ award. My co-anchor was obnoxious and usually tried to steal the show,” Grimm said.
Grimm loved the grind of the newsroom, finding her voice and the confidence to take on the spotlight. While it was nerve-racking for Grimm, she learned she loved being an anchor and creating scripts and stories off-camera. Although she does not currently work in the broadcasting field, the skills she learned and the stories she gained make her proud of her Western education.
Telling stories of the past is crucial to understanding how our technologies have adapted and how we have taken many elements of the past with us today. From old vinyl records to vintage clothes, the alumni’s stories mirror the students of today, leaving even more digital platforms for people to share their thoughts, stories, music and voice.
The different Western media gave students a taste of the fast-paced environment in the news media field. Many of Grimm’s colleagues worked for publications such as Klipsun or The Western Front and learned valuable skills in the reporting industry.
The department helped alumni Stuart Frothingham find his footing in future careers, landing an internship for KIRO TV. “I was more well prepared than the kids that were coming in from WSU, UW, Pacific Lutheran- any of the other schools,” Frothingham said. He worked on KUGS Radio to deliver sports reports and worked multiple roles with The View.
Frothingham recalled a turning point in his professional career when The View reported on a plane crash in 1987, in which Western President G. Robert Ross and several other administrators were killed. The View was one of the first to report the crash after passing the flashing lights and was one of the first reporters on the scene, an experience Frothingham will never forget.
Frothingham was not actively reporting the scene but the entire team had to be cautious of the information disclosed and how to approach such a tragedy. This emotional reporting shook Western’s publications. “[I] had to be really thoughtful about it because we didn't want to say anything before it was premature. But I remember that was a very stressful day on campus as a whole,” Frothingham said.
Western's publications and media outlets bring real student voices to the community, focusing on local community issues. On KUGS, students share musical and sports interests with their campus community.
These opinions and ideas "serve as a bridge between the campus and the community,” KUGS general manager Jamie Hoover said.
The radio station premiered in 1974 as a source of music and conversation for the Western population. Students from a diverse range of majors gathered together to showcase their favorite music with Western students.
KUGS is a pivotal music station in Bellingham, tuning listeners in through its use of music commentary and unique perspectives from its hosts.
“30 years ago, 1995, KUGS was the second radio station to webcast in the country,” Hoover explained. Webcasting and broadcasting have led to many adaptations within the radio sphere, allowing for different points of access for student listeners. KUGS has continued to thrive through new media challenges, a favorite music outlet to many in Bellingham.
Many of the technologies have stayed the same, from the vinyl records and CDs used to play the daily radio to teaching students how to use the production equipment. They have also increased digital sources to play the radio directly from the website, allowing students from different platforms to be able to tune in for daily coverage.
“We just have to keep updating our digital content. I see more students investing in CDs and embracing the physical equipment,” Hoover said.
Willis and Frothingham participated in radio broadcasting and produced PSAs on KUGS radio station. KUGS functions as a digital and radio outlet for students to learn the ropes of broadcast communications.
As the day starts in the newsroom, Al Smith sets up broadcasting equipment, showing students the ways of all things media. The Miller Hall newsroom at Western is shown in this image in the year 1978. | Image courtesy of Campus History Collections, Special Collections Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections Western Washington University.
Alumna Ann Grimm worked under Alden Smith on KUGS and the Western View from 1984 to 1985, her junior and senior years. “Our ‘radio’ professor was Alden Smith. He was a stickler and returned your stories or scripts with his comments or grading in red ink. We used to joke about the bloodshed in our hard work,” Grimm said. She loved being on the radio, pursuing radio work on KPUG AM and KNWR FM on weeknights and weekends. Grimm enjoyed her show with another anchor entitled “Ann-Squared Jazz Show.”
While the program was grueling for Grimm, she gained essential hands-on experience and communication skills whilst working for The View and KUGS.
Though the Western View’s camera went dark, the Digital Media Center located in the Western Library gives students access to all things digital: from a green screen, a TV studio, virtual reality technologies to production and lighting, the DMC has it all for any student’s media needs, regardless of major or track.
“The DMC equips students with practical experience and knowledge in media production, making them more competitive and better prepared for the demands of the modern workplace,” Deran Browne said from the DMC. Students eager to try these resources can use them by visiting the DMC website or sending an email to dmc@wwu.edu.
“Understanding video as a communication medium and storytelling tool is crucial in today's society,” Browne said. Students use media to fulfill all kinds of needs, from education and hobbies to relaxation and unwinding.
Whether students are reporting stories for the community, sharing music on KUGS or working on a creative video project at the DMC, Western has resources for all to explore.
Pre-professional journalism experiences can shape the paths many choose to pursue after graduation and prepare students for the cutthroat job market. “Staff experience helps students in two major ways,” Dale explained. “One is sheer discovery: once they try reporting, or editing or doing photography and design for a publication, they have a connection to a new realm they haven't tried before.”
Whether students are reporting on hard-hitting plane crash stories like Frothingham’s staff or the tanning craze of the ‘90s that Willis investigated, every story matters. It’s the storytellers themselves that put the story out there for people to digest, regardless of its medium.
Though The View is gone, the way the staff shaped student media and voice at Western will not be forgotten. There is space for everyone within Western media. The alumni sat in the same seats you do, determined to understand the student body. Find your voice and share it with the students of Western — you never know where it may lead you.