Once upon a time the competition was bitter. Would you see it on the evening news or the next morning's paper?

But in the new age of media convergence this competition is only within the newsroom, according to TV-2 adviser Gary Hanson.

"It's all inside baseball," Hanson said. "The really progressive media components are starting to realize that the distinction is artificial."

Soon if a story breaks, more than likely broadcast and print reporters will go cover it together. After all, TV-2 and the Daily Kent Stater will be working out of the same newsroom once Franklin Hall is renovated.

"There will be more eyes and ears on news coverage," Hanson said. "It's all part of media convergence. Print folks will be doing some TV and vice versa."

By combining forces, Hanson said people are able to get their news not only on TV screens and newspapers, but on cell phones and personal digital assistant technologies.

Convergence is an emerging trend in the business. Hanson said the Franklin Hall project will resemble the newsroom at the Columbus Dispatch, which works with WBNS-Channel 10.

In the near future, TV-2 hopes to take steps to improve its programming both in news and non-news.

In fact, negotiations are taking place to expand TV-2s audience to all Time Warner Cable networks in Northeast Ohio. Then the station will have a 24,000-household potential in Portage, Stark, Summit and Mahoning counties, said Lori Cantor, student media manager.

Cantor said that student media hopes to have all the networks broadcast Kent State basketball games live beginning next season. Later next year Cantor said they hope to carry all TV-2 programming.

"It would give the TV-2 students a boost knowing that they're reaching more viewers," Cantor said.

This will bring in more revenue, which will allow TV-2 to hire more paid reporters and expand their news coverage. With the exception of 12 paid board members, everyone else at TV-2 works for free, said TV-2 General Manager Chuck Thornton. By working with the Stater, TV-2 will be able to better focus their resources.

Also, with the expansion of the electronic media production and video and film programming majors, Hanson expects to see an increase in non-news programming.

They're looking to get new technology too. Cantor said the station is looking at robotic cameras, which don't need to be tracked and panned and are an evolving technology in the business.

The new Franklin Hall will bring together all JMC units under one roof.

Cantor said that if student media keeps up with the latest technology, it will help graduates make a seamless transition into the professional world.

"Once it is the standard for the TV industry, we have to make it the standard," Cantor said.

Moving to Franklin Hall is the biggest opportunity for change, Hanson said.

"It gives us permission to change everything," Hanson said.

But TV-2 didn't need a new building to start converging. This semester TV-2 started streaming their newscasts online, and they expect to start streaming non-news programming soon.

Because the news stays online, instead of just being aired and forgotten about, it motivates the staff to be more professional, Thornton said. It also has a snowball effect that has brought more viewers.

"The TV-2 staff shows their roommate, who shows the people down the hall," Thornton said.

Jeff Fruit, director of the school of journalism and mass communication, said the Web streaming is a step toward convergence.

As the Franklin Hall project draws nearer, Fruit said he plans to take the emerging student leaders to converged professional media outlets so they can see how these outlets, which the new newsroom will be based on, operate.

Read more about the Franklin Hall renovation.

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By Jessica Alaimo