ICTV celebrates its first half century in style.

Did you know that Ithaca College Television is the oldest student-run television station in the world? That’s quite a distinction. The station officially began on March 3, 1958, and in the 50 years since then it has been home to hundreds of Ithaca College students producing and staffing news and entertainment shows.

ICTV alumni are a loyal bunch who have stories galore to tell about their time behind and in front of the station’s cameras. More than 100 of them came back to campus on a glorious October Saturday for a golden anniversary celebration that featured a barbecue; a student-alumni mixer; student-guided tours of the current ICTV studios; screenings of clips from past and present ICTV shows in Park Auditorium; a visit to the Bombers football game, which current ICTV students were producing live; and an evening dinner during which current ICTV students played their original 90-minute show honoring each decade of the station’s history.

The program included clips from news, sports, comedy, drama, variety, and game shows, as well as a series of live interviews with people associated with the station’s history. Among them was Roy Colle, who as chair of the TV-R department in 1958 was responsible for getting the station up and running. Altogether some 200 people joined in the celebrations.

See more photos and celebration broadcast online at the Park School’s website: https://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/community/gallery/2167/ and www.ictv.org/show/ClassicICTV/.