Months after Ball State University's $20 million iCommunications grant ran out, leaving two NewsLink Indiana facutly members without jobs, another NewsLink faculty member has decided to move on.
Terry Heifetz, NewsLink's managing editor and news director of Indiana Public Radio (IPR), will leave Ball State after Oct. 7 to become assistant news director for WRTV-TV Channel 6 in Indianapolis.
"It's a station that has a lot of potential, and I think that I can help it out," Heifetz said.
Heifetz, who has been at Ball State for three years, arrived as managing editor for NewsLink Indiana, a television convergence program designed to provide immersion experiences for students. His responsibilities as IPR news director were added on after nine months.
He told NewsLink students on Monday during their morning meeting that he was leaving, he said.
Though Ball State's iComm grant ran out June 30, NewsLink Indiana secured enough money to continue this fall. The College of Communication, Information and Media, however, could not find the money to renew two of the faculty contracts.
Wright Bryan, the former Web news editor for NewsLink, now works in Washington, D.C. as Web editor for npr.org. Former anchor Chris Bavender is freelancing at WTHR-TV Channel 13 in Indianapolis, said Tim Underhill, who remains on staff as NewsLink's production manager.
With NewsLink's future funding in question, moving on to a job with more security is beneficial, Heifetz said.
"I'm going to a more stable environment," he said. "This is a great program, and I think it will continue to be a great program. But when funding is in question and a great opportunity comes along, you have to think seriously about it, and this is the right opportunity."
Heifetz said he wasn't sending resumes all over the country trying to find a new job.
"I really wasn't looking for other opportunities actively-this one kind of came around," Heifetz said. We started talking in August."
Heifetz, who has worked in Indianapolis before, said he looks forward to going to Channel 6. Heifetz worked with Jason Heath, news director for Channel 6, at WISH-TV Channel 8 more than 10 years ago.
"When I heard about the opportunity to work with him again, it seemed like a good fit for what I could do down the road," Heifetz said. "Sometimes you work with someone and you say 'I would really like to work with that person again,' and that's what this situation is."
Underhill said Heifetz's departure provides students with real-world experience.
"These things happen in the real world," Underhill said. "You work at a station and the news director goes on to work somewhere else ... It's a taste of the real world, and that's exactly what we're doing."
Underhill said he is not concerned about his future at NewsLink. He is sure Dean Roger Lavery and the Center for Media Design are continuing to explore new forms of funding to keep NewsLink running past the spring semester, he said.
"It's always in the back of my mind, but I'd like to think that it will continue," Underhill said. "There's too many things going well, going right for me to imagine they will make drastic changes. I expect to be here for a long time."
Lavery said the college will work to obtain funding for NewsLink.
"NewsLink Indiana is a priority for the college, which means we will make sure it gets the resources it needs," Lavery said.
He said the college will work to replace Heifetz for the academic year and, in the meantime, he will look to get the authority to do a national search.
Telecommunications faculty and staff have offered to fill in whenever a NewsLink faculty member was on vacation. Although the work load will shift when Heifetz leaves, Underhill is confident the department will continue supporting the program.
"Just about all of them have offered to help fill in when needed," Underhill said. "We have great support from staff and faculty. The faculty realize the importance of it."
Seeing NewsLink Indiana develop throughout his time at the university has been encouraging, Heifetz said.
"When I first started three years ago, there was no NewsLink-it was just an idea," Heifetz said. "It's great-that's kind of why it's a little bittersweet why I'm leaving. We put a lot of sweat equity into this place to make it what it is. It's kind of like if you have a kid and watch it grow up, then it has to go on its own."
Senior Brandt Showalter, who is in his first semester at NewsLink Indiana, said Heifetz' decision to pursue his new job will be better for him in the long run.
"If he has the opportunity to get into a situation where he has that security, I'd say go for it," Showalter said.
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