January 2001

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RTVMP alumni pay tribute to Wynn

When the late Earl Wynn set out to create the UNC-CH Department of Radio, Television and Motion Pictures (RTVMP) in 1947, little did he know what an impact his actions would make in the field of mass communication. More than half a century later, alumni, media professionals and educators gathered to pay tribute to his legacy as part of RTVMP Alumni Day, held Oct. 20 at the University.

For 46 years, communicators learned their craft in the department Wynn started, which would one day become the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Department of Communication Studies.

Dozens who attended the event toured Carroll Hall, the home of the School of Journalism of Mass Communication, and Swain Hall, the former home of the RTVMP department. They had lunch at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center and ended their day with the first Earl Wynn Distinguished Lecture, given by Larry King.

At the luncheon, long-time friends mingled, chatted and made new acquaintances.

"I think it's wonderful," said Nick Didow (BSBA '70). "What a great way to celebrate the contributions of such a great person."

"And yes, I'm a big Larry King fan," he added, displaying his suspenders.

The RTVMP department was the first communication department at the University, and it granted degrees to nearly 3,000 students before closing in 1993. When it finally shut it doors, the department's curriculum was divided between the Department of Communication Studies and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

"(These are) two facets on the campus that are trying to carry on what we started," said Carl Venters (AB '55), chairman of Communication Enterprises Inc.

Bud Vaden (AB '51), past president of the National Broadcasters Promotion and Marketing Executives Association, told the gathering that Wynn laid the foundations of radio on campus and left a "tremendous impact in the communications industry." The crux of Wynn's vision, he added, was that "it was necessary to prepare people for careers, focus on learning to do something you couldn't take away."

Although the first journalism course was taught in 1909 in the Department of English, the Journalism Department was not founded until 1924, Dean Richard Cole told the group. Today the School is the third largest major on campus and is often rated as the number one school of journalism in the United States. It is the only school of journalism and mass communication in North Carolina and covers all the media fields.

Bill Ballard (AB '57) said for him the reunion was an acknowledgment "that broadcast has a place in journalism."

"It's something I wished to happen a long time ago," Ballard said.

Also at the luncheon, several faculty members presented work done by current and former journalism and mass communication students. Assistant Professor Charlie Tuggle showed the sixth broadcast of "Carolina Week," a student-run weekly television news show. Professor John Sweeney presented advertisements created by former students for such diverse companies as Pizza Hut, Saturn, Nike, Aetna and Budweiser. And Professor Rich Beckman showed footage of documentaries and photo shoots from as far away as Kosovo and Israel.

Larry King then briefly addressed the group before leaving to present his lecture in Memorial Hall.

"I'm very happy to be here to see this impressive work," King said of the students' accomplishments. He took questions from the audience and spoke about the presidential debates and polling practices.

Following the lecture, several alumni toured Carroll Hall to see how things have changed since the days of the RTVMP Department.

"It's very impressive compared to what we had in Swain Hall," said Rick Bruning (AB '76), president of Bruning Enterprises.

RTVMP Alumni Day and the Earl Wynn Distinguished Lecture series were made possible by contributions from alumni and friends of Earl Wynn and the School.

"It's the best reunion I've ever had," Venters said. "The start of the lecture series is very significant. It's a big deal. The work that Earl Wynn did with students is being felt throughout the media community."

Tricia McCauley is a senior in the news-editorial sequence.