J-school dedicates HD studio with major gift from Capitol Broadcasting

The UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media announced Friday, Sept. 24, that a $400,000 gift named the school’s newly converted high definition television studio for two long-time Capitol Broadcasting Co. (CBC) executives.

The gift from the CBC/WRAL Fund at the Triangle Community Foundation honors John Greene and Ben Waters. Greene retired this year as the company’s vice president for special projects, and Waters is a former vice president who died in 2008.

The gift funded an upgrade of the school’s teaching studio and field equipment with high definition cameras and control room equipment. CBC – which developed the nation’s first HDTV station, WRAL-HD, in 1996 – provided engineering expertise and support during the transition.

“We want to invest in the future of broadcast journalism,” said Jim Goodmon, CBC’s president and CEO.  “This gift honors two longtime friends and colleagues for their contributions to the field of broadcasting.”

The journalism school dedicated the Greene-Waters HD News Center at a ceremony in the Carroll Hall studio where broadcast students produce the Carolina Week television newscast and the Carolina Connection radio show.

Carolina’s broadcast program has placed in the top three in the Hearst Journalism Awards – known as the Pulitzers of collegiate journalism – every year since 2005 and has taken the top spot twice. A second-place finish in the broadcast competition this year helped the UNC journalism to the overall championship in the Hearst Awards.

“Jim Goodmon is a visionary in the broadcasting industry,” said Jean Folkerts, dean of the journalism school. “We’re grateful that he is extending that vision to our student broadcasters and helping ensure that they are prepared to enter the profession in the age of high definition.”

Greene became station manager of CBC’s WRAL-TV in 1976. He was named senior vice president in 1984. He originally retired in 1990 and taught broadcast journalism at UNC before returning to CBC in 1994 as vice president for special projects. In that role, he managed the development of WRAL-HD.

Waters joined CBC in 1977 as WRAL-TV’s news director, and he was promoted to corporate director of special projects in 1980. He retired in 2003 as vice president of administration. Waters was a former president of the N.C. Associated Press Broadcasters Association, and a former board member for the Radio Television News Directors Association.