STUDENTS from Forth Valley College’s innovative student broadcast media channels recently launched a new website platform.

Connect Forth – which offers impressive radio, filmed podcasts, social media platforms and a striking newly designed brand – have developed an online option to bring all the streams together for students to develop, as they study for their BA in digital media.

Students spend two years at FVC as part of their degree before moving on to complete their degrees at the University of Stirling.

Forth Valley College Principal Dr Ken Thomson was present to officially launch the new website at the Stirling Campus broadcast studios on Friday March 23 and was also interviewed by 19-year-old Nastassia Beara, deputy programme controller for Connect Forth Radio.

Dr Thomson said: “The whole college should be extremely proud of what has been created and developed by the college’s Department of Creative Industries.”

Complete with a full management, social media and production structure – as would be found in any industry radio or TV station – Connect Forth offers second year students the opportunity to apply for management and production roles to create the perfect content which can be broadcast to the full Forth Valley College student body.

This year’s class have been instrumental in helping the station to take the next step forward and leave a legacy for new students to improve upon even further, in the future.

The four student managerial roles are taken by executive producer Josefina Jarosova, 20, programme controller Ellie Donald, 20, social media manager Shannon Goundry, 19, and web manager Meghan Bain, 19.

Meghan, who oversaw the creation of the new website, said: “I loved being involved in this project. I am very proud of my team who worked on this and the best bit for me was working together and self-teaching ourselves how to produce computer codes.

“It will provide another platform for Connect Forth and for students to showcase their work.”

Ellie added: “I have really enjoyed being a part of Connect Forth as it gives you a lot of creative freedom as well as industry experience as we are working as part of a proper management team.”

Josefina, said: “It has been a great experience. My advice to the next cohort of students would be to not be afraid of taking on the extra workload at Connect Forth as is integrated into the degree.”

The Connect Forth team have also just completed two documentaries about their broadcast station, which can be heard at the following links.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPucHx6rnbU (TV) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl2G48fPaZ0 .