Cable 8 has been the first step into broadcasting for hundreds of students since 1986, and it’s still booming.
The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University’s many clubs and organizations help students achieve their goals but there really is only one Cable 8. The student club broadcasts shows from a variety of genres: sports, comedy, drama, podcasts, non-fiction, mystery, film, live shows, and much more.
Over the past 40 years, WSU students created endless hours of content dispensing comedy or advice, fiction movies or daily news, and ESPN-style sports.
The first show to get Cable 8 off the ground was Live at 8. Viewers attended live tapings of the weekly news show. Current club president and senior Gus Marceau took part in a Cable 8 movie last year based on the very first show from the 1980s.
“The most important thing was Live at 8. The club would not be who it is without it,” Marceau says.
Nick Krupke (’04 Comm.) saw a new future from Cable 8. After graduation, he reported for nearly two decades in Oregon sports and is currently the sports anchor for KPTV Fox 12 in Portland, Oregon. He credits his success to his professors, Marvin Marcelo and Glenn Johnson, who encouraged him to dive into the TV side of sports.
“I was on the radio path and heavily invested into KUGR before Marvin Marcelo and Glenn Johnson encouraged me to give TV a try, and the rest is history. Cable 8 gave me the confidence to pursue my true passion and 21 years later, I love what I do more than ever,” Krupke says.
Sam Taylor (’24 Comm.), a sports reporter for the Lewiston Tribune, also credits success to Cable 8 involvement.
“Cable 8 showed me what was possible in a shifting media landscape. I had a rigid idea of what I wanted to do: ‘I’m a writer, there’s no place for me in the TV club.’ I quickly and gladly learned how wrong I was. In my first job out of college, I use the skills I learned through Cable 8 every day. On top of that, I met many of my great friends through Cable 8, one of which is my co-worker!” Taylor says.
Since Professor W. Neal Robison founded the club, Cable 8 has been a jumping point for careers as well as a safe haven for community, building skills, and networking.
Cameron Limes (’21 Comm.), a reporter for ABC News 4 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, agrees that there is no club like this one.
“Cable 8 fundamentally changed the way I look at broadcast. I originally thought TV production was so strict, but I learned with enough determination you can make it anything you want it to be. It’s the best club on campus by a mile and I hope it never changes,” Limes says.
WINK reporter Brinkley Hill (’23 Comm.) in Fort Myers, Florida, was able to break down barriers as a woman in the field of sports journalism. She focused on building connections with the male-dominated community around her. She gained a group of lifelong friends and met her future husband.
“The group that I got to work with are some of the most self-motivated and inspirational people I’ve ever worked with. I can’t remember a week in college that we didn’t share a meal, watch a game, or complete assignments together,” Hill says.
She is so proud to watch so many young women after her continue on the journey of sports broadcasting and journalism through Cable 8.
Alex Huddleston (’23 Comm.), now a sports reporter for KCAU Channel 9 in Sioux City, Iowa, says Cable 8 was home and he will cherish that part of his life.
“That team we built was exactly what I needed. I spent every hour I could in the studio, the editing bay, the scene storage, reorganizing the equipment room, editing, working on the social media presence, and brainstorming ideas,” Huddleston says. “I lived in that studio. I pushed for creativity and energy. That was just Coug on the Clock.” He put out 92 episodes in his two years with Cable 8.
In the club’s 40th year, students are still engaged and gain beneficial experience they will carry through their careers. Every year fresh ideas spring from new generations of creators who bring new shows to join Cable 8 legacy shows, such as Coug Zone.
“Cable 8 has been so important to me because it provides hands-on skills and extra experience independent from a classroom, while also building my portfolio,” says junior Avery Anderson.
“I came to college with tunnel vision on the different avenues someone could take in the film industry but after getting involved with Cable 8 and speaking with alumni, I realized I could expand my production skills to sports broadcasting, video game corporations and don’t have to stick to one career path in standard news,” says junior Olivia Soliz.
Assistant Dean Sara Stout sees the club as an amazing place for students to learn and grow and has seen the positive outcomes for alumni who are successful in the industry today.
“Cable 8 Productions provides students with a creative outlet outside of their courses and curriculum that can add depth and experience needed for breaking into the entertainment industry,” Stout says.
Cable 8 is dedicated to getting students heavily involved in their first year of school. Two freshmen shared that they have been exposed to many educational opportunities in their first year alone, and because of it, have been able to determine potential paths post college with valuable resources in their toolbelts.
“Cable 8 is so important to Murrow as it gives students a way to learn outside the classroom,” says freshman Addison Mitchell.
“The meetings and filming days are always something I look forward to and give me hands-on experience on a real set. The people I’ve met through Cable 8 are some of the most wonderful, dedicated, and kind people I’ve met so far in my college journey. It was one of the main reasons I chose to come to WSU to be able to work in a film studio on the first day of school,” says freshman Grant Chisholm.
“I’m forever grateful to Cable 8 and my peers for being a defining pillar of my Murrow and WSU experience. Cable 8 is Cable Great!” Taylor says.