The talented SHS Media students are asking if you are ready for your close-up. If you are, then tune in to Villen TV, premiering this Sunday on Somerville Education Channel 15. - Photo by Jimmy Del Ponte

By Jimmy Del Ponte

This Sunday, June 19, Villen TV makes its debut on Somerville’s educational channel 15. The brainchild of Department of Communications director Michael Meehan, VTV will be a forum for original Somerville student film projects. Craig Leach is the TV Media instructor for Somerville Public schools. The students from his TV Media I, and TV Media II classes at Somerville High School contributed to the VTV show.

Leach says the enthusiasm level is very high among his students. “The bell rings at 7:53 and the first thing students say to me as they come through my door is ‘are we going to the studio today?’ It is a great asset for Somerville High School TV Media students to have a partnership with Education Channel 15. Through the partnership students are able to use Education Channel 15’s professional TV studio, while many schools’ media programs use converted closets. I always like to tell my students that if they are proactive about learning in the studio, after they graduate they can apply for jobs at local TV stations and hit the ground running.”

Michael Meehan adds, “We’ve got this entire educational access station that needs programming. What could be more educational than having the youth in our community develop, write, and produce their own shows? It’s a chance for us to deliver on the mission of our educational access station and I think what you’re going to see over time is some pretty good and unique television.”

Instructor Craig Leach adds, “We have received so much support from the Education Channel 15 staff. They’ve trusted us with their equipment, met us early in the morning to open the studio, and inspired us to be creative. Without this partnership the TV Media program at Somerville High wouldn’t be what it is today.”

Meehan adds, “The launch is really just a first step. It will show that we have a forum where the youth of Somerville can have a positive, constructive voice in the community. Our hope is we can unleash some serious creativity. It also doesn’t hurt that these students will be honing technical skills that will serve them well in the professional world when they get older.”

VTV will air its first episode on channel 15 on Sunday, June19, at 7pm.