From left to right: Dave Williams, Matt Johnson, Don Leighton at a UWS basketball game in the Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium. Williams is is the co owner/announcer/co-founder of iFan TV. Johnson and Leighton are Yellowjacket Athletics Announcers on KUWS FM 91.3 and iFan TV. Leighton is also the iFan TV Business Manager.

Photo by Promethean Staff

By James Kaska

A University of Wisconsin-Superior alumni’s live video-streaming service will become a platform for students taking part in the school’s new multimedia journalism program, which launches this fall. Chippewa Falls native Craig Morrissey started putting together iFan TV nearly two decades ago as a way to stay engaged in athletics after his collegiate playing and coaching days were finished.

For Morrissey, the opportunity to extend his service beyond event coverage of UWS campus and athletic  events into becoming part of the experience on campus was an easy decision. “Being a graduate, it’s nice to be giving back,” said Morrissey. Morrissey, who graduated from UWS in 2006 with a degree in business administration, said that becoming involved with covering Yellow Jackets athletics in the 2014-15 school year was a big moment for his service. “We had been streaming all of the stuff for high schools,” said Morrissey. “It was a natural progression to do college events next”

A new multimedia journalism program at UWS is another opportunity for iFan TV to grow, said Morrissey. “I’m hoping to be a big part of the new program,” said Morrissey. Morrissey said that iFan TV will offer students the chance to work in announcing, production, film, live events, graphic design, and social media, as well as opportunities to publish work and build portfolios as they look for work after graduation. Morrissey added that for students adept at producing short videos or graphics, their work will have an opportunity to be featured during Yellow Jackets events.

“It’ll be real-life experience right away,” said Morrissey. iFan TV is largely operated by volunteers, sometimes numbering over a dozen, said Morrissey. Usually, the volunteers are either students or parents of students who are participating in the events that the service covers.

Morrissey earned his degree after a long journey that took him from Rice Lake, where he played basketball and then graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Barron County in 1993, to Superior, where he earned his bachelor’s degree after serving as the interim coach for the women’s basketball program in 2005-06.

Morrissey is eager to give back to his alma mater. “I have a great sense of pride in the new program,” said Morrissey. “It’s nice to move things forward, and to be helping with it.” The new multimedia journalism program at UWS begins in the fall. Craig Morrissey – craig@ifan.tv – 218-348-6762