Fox 25 Boston will be broadcasting its morning news show live at the University of Massachusetts this Thursday, the fourth stop of the television network’s six-part “FOX25 College Tour” that is highlighting select New England area colleges and universities.
The broadcast will air live from 6 to 10 a.m. on the lawn in front of Goodell Hall. Planned segments include a live performance from the UMass marching band and an interview with Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy as well as several interactive activities with students, who are being encouraged to wake up early and participate on the broadcast.
In the event that weather conditions force the broadcast to air indoors, the show will move to Hampshire Dining Common.
Video: Fox 25 Boston visits UMass from Daily Collegian on Vimeo.
The live broadcast will “showcase the campus in many ways,” Subbaswamy said in an email to The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, “and it will set the tone for the UMass Amherst sesquicentennial celebration in Boston the next day.”
Fox 25 hosts Elizabeth Hopkins and Brett Connolly will make the trip to UMass and “plan to mingle with the crowd and interview students,” according to an email UMass sent out to students last Thursday that announced Fox’s visit to the school.
The “FOX25 College Tour,” which is the first of its kind, kicked off at Holy Cross on Oct. 3, then to Bentley University on Oct. 10 and Mass Bay Community College last Thursday. After UMass, the tour will move to Southern New Hampshire University on Oct. 31 and conclude at UMass Lowell on Nov. 7. The series was spawned from the popularity of the station’s “Zip Trips,” a Fox press release said, which were a series of live summer broadcasts that aired every Friday from select cities and towns across New England.
The college broadcasts try to “get a snapshot of the school’s unique college experience including student life, popular majors and admission facts and figures,” the Fox release said. “The takeaway for viewers is a true glimpse of life on campus and the value each college and university offers students.”
Connolly also contributes to each tour stop with his “Campus Tour” feature, in which he travels to the tour site in advance to try getting a grasp of student life and points of pride among the community by interviewing students.
“You can read about college admission requirements in a book, but getting a feel for the right school can be the toughest challenge for students,” Connolly said. “To know what it’s like at a school you have to ask the students who go there, and that’s exactly what we do in the campus tour segment.”
Students who visit the broadcast will have the chance to receive free coffee, food and T-shirts as part of the show. The first 200 students will receive a free T-shirt, according to last Thursday’s email. Show sponsors Dunkin’ Donuts, Tedeschi Food Shops and Teddie Peanut Butter will provide free food and other giveaways. A contest will also be held for free tickets to “Screeemfest” at Canobie Lake Park, according to the email.
Stephen Hewitt can be reached at [email protected].
