Swift Success
The hard work and dedication of a group of students in the College of Media & Communication has resulted in quick success and regional attention. “Double T Insider,” the sports program produced by these students, has evolved from an initial idea to airing on a regional sports network in only three years.
The Texas Tech Department of Athletics has partnered with CoMC to run the program, also known as “DTI,” in the athletics department’s timeslot on Fox Sport Southwest and Fox College Sports. The program began airing on both networks in September 2014.
Joshua Koch (BA Journalism, 2013), sports editor for Houston Community Newspapers, was creator, host and producer of “Double T Insider” during its first year. He started “Double T Insider” in the fall of 2012.
“It took many all-nighters,” Koch said. “But, at the end of the first season, we had produced 30 episodes. We were picked up by KWES-TV in Midland in January of the first season. We were also nominated as one of the six best college sports television shows run by students by the College Sports Media Awards at the end of the first season.”
David Hougland, director of broadcast services with the Texas Tech Department of Athletics, said he has been impressed with the program. He said a relationship between the CoMC and the athletics department is a win-win situation. He said he sees the quality and production value of the program continuing to grow in the future.
“The show has come a long way in three years,” Hougland said.
“Last year, we saw tremendous production quality and talent. We wanted to bring this student-produced show into the athletics department and make it part of our production package that airs on Fox Sports Southwest and Fox College Sports.” - David Hougland
“After discussions between the athletics department and the College of Media & Communication, it was decided that a partnership made perfect sense,” Hougland said. “This program will educate the student body on what we do here. It will also give these students real- world experience on a national scale by taking this show and having it seen by Red Raiders across the country.”
Blake Silverthorn (BA Media Strategies, 2015) served as director and student manager of “Double T Insider.” He said the opportunity to run the program on Fox Sports Southwest is a great opportunity for students and alumni of the college.
“Partnering with Fox is great,” Silverthorn said. “In terms of Big 12 schools and the state of Texas, Fox Sports Southwest is a major player. Being able to give our alumni access to see this is great.”
Josh Robinson, media production manager, oversees student productions in the College of Media & Communication, including “Double T Insider.” Robinson helps with the quality of the program and making sure deadlines are met. He said the new relationship between the athletics department and the college could possibly lead to new stories in the future.
“It opens a few avenues with the athletics department that we did not have before,” Robinson said. “In the past, we were working as an external entity going into athletics. Now, we are going to be a more internal entity with athletics. Hopefully, that may lead to different concepts and different stories that we may not have been able to approach before.”
Chris Humphreys, gameday and video board producer for the athletics department, serves as liaison between the department and the staff of “Double T Insider.” Humphreys also taught an electronic media and communications course in the fall that allowed CoMC students the chance to volunteer with “Double T Insider” and earn class credit.
“I have added my real-world experience to help the students produce a better show,” Humphreys said. “My experience has helped establish the production value that Fox Sports fans and Red Raider fans expect out of our shows.”
“We wanted to make modest improvements to the show,” Humphreys said. “In terms of production quality, it is really good. We wanted to continue to improve that and follow the established trend where every year the program gets a little better.”
Koch said the reason for the quick success of “Double T Insider” is due to the hard work and dedication of the student staff. He said there has been no drastic change in production value of the program due to the quality of the staff that takes over once the previous staff graduates.
“It has been an incredible rise,” Koch said. “I think that is attributed to the people who we put around ourselves when we started the show and the people we have been able to hand it off to. It continues to grow and it has been very exciting to see that.”
Erica Taylor, assistant director of multimedia in the office of student media at George Mason University, served as director of “Double T Insider” in the fall of 2013. Taylor worked with “Double T Insider” from September 2012 until December 2013 while earning a Master of Arts in Sports Media from the CoMC.
“I felt really proud when I heard the news,” Taylor said. “I could not help but just smile. I am glad I went to Texas Tech and worked for ‘Double T Insider.’ So, I really feel a strong connection to hearing their accomplishments.”
Kaitlyn Kravik, (BA Journalism, 2015), serves as host and content producer for “Double T Insider.” Kravik said she appreciates the teaching ability and career direction that “Double T Insider” has provided her.
“Being able to teach other students is just so cool,” Kravik said. “I am giving them what our former director, Erica Taylor, gave me. I am just learning so much about interviews, writing and being able to work a camera. I have also gained a sense of professionalism due to communicating with the sports directors.”
Kravik, Robinson and Silverthorn all agree that the students-interviewing-students aspect of “Double T Insider” is what makes the program stand out. Local news stations in and around Lubbock follow Texas Tech sports daily, so the storytelling element has been enhanced for the program in order to stand out among other athletics coverage.
“We dig a little deeper,” Kravik said. “We don’t just do a recap. Our main focus is on the student athletes and their stories. I really like that. You find out so much about the athletes. That is what we add to the program. We don’t just put numbers on them and say where the team placed. We are giving each athlete a voice.”
Robinson said, “We get responses in interviews that a sportscaster would not get. This is because the interviews are peer-to-peer. This is a student interviewing a student. They can get the athletes to open up in ways that even the local sports media might not even be able to do.”
Silverthorn agreed.
“There have been times when I have interviewed guys I sit next to in class,” Silverthorn said. “We can use this to our advantage when we are talking to athletes. Sometimes they can open up more or we can think of questions that others don’t ask because our staff is going through a lot of the same things that they are.”
Taylor said the program could also be used as a recruitment tool for the CoMC. She said the program could allow students to decide whether they want to pursue sports broadcasting as a career while there is still time to decide.
“It can really help students who are looking for a college to go to,” Taylor said. “The chance to work at ‘Double T Insider’ and with Fox Sports Southwest could seal the deal for some students to come to Texas Tech University.”
Hougland said one of the greatest outcomes of this new partnership is the chance for students to show their work to family and friends who do not live in Lubbock. He said any family member, friend or alumnus will be able to turn the television on when the program is airing and be able to see what students have accomplished.
“It is tremendous to see students involved like this,” Hougland said. “They have something to show for their work. They can turn the television on and see their work. Parents and friends, no matter where they are, can see the work from these students. Everyone wants to see their work shown, and it is a great opportunity to have their hard work shown.”
Koch said he is very proud of the success that “Double T Insider” has achieved in just a few years. He is also excited to be able to keep up with the program on a major network while living across the state.
“It is an amazing time to be a part of ‘Double T Insider,’” Koch said. “Down here in Houston, I will be able to turn on Fox Sports Southwest and see ‘Double T Insider.’ That makes me so happy for the show, so happy for the College of Media & Communication, and so happy for the students of Texas Tech who are getting to enjoy this experience.”
(Preston Redden graduated in 2015 with a Master of Arts degree in Mass Communications and in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. Jay Crain is a senior electronic media and communications major from De Kalb, Texas.)