The Miner Morning Show is a 10- to 15-minute twice-weekly student-produced news and information show. It airs at 9:09 a.m. on the PCHS Live YouTube channel.
The show is the product of the high school’s TV broadcasting class. It’s supervised by teacher Kyle Fish. He has been teaching the class for nine years.
Fish said that the Miner Morning Show started in the late ‘90s as a way to inform students about current and school-related events. It was broadcast over closed-circuit TV campuswide and became a staple of the school culture and identity.
The show transitioned to YouTube in 2015 when PCCAPS took over the library because the system used to broadcast over closed-circuit TV was removed.
The show used to be produced in a studio in the back of Fish’s classroom in the basement, but due to construction, he temporarily relocated to the lecture hall.
Fish said the best part of overseeing the Miner Morning Show is watching students develop.
“I really enjoy seeing students grow in their own capabilities. And personally, I've got a lot of great stories of students who were extremely shy and nervous, who grew into leaders and just grew in their confidence immensely.”
Colin McCarthy is one of the members of the show's cast and crew. He is taking the class because he used to do a lot of acting and this is different from anything he has done before.
“I kind of wanted to maybe deviate from the traditional acting the shows and acting the role of maybe the Grinch, or Iago in Aladdin, whatever, and kind of go more into trying to be talent on desk and like reading news.”
McCarthy said he also enjoys the variety the program provides.
“All the jobs are pretty fun, and there's a lot to do and, and just everything combined, is just enjoyable. And the fact that I get to do something different every day, and or every other class period is awesome. And gives me some variety.”
Another cast and crew member is Martina Cavieres. She said she loves the creative freedom Fish gives the class and the different ways she has explored that freedom.
“So it's been like script writing, throwing some fun jokes into the script or decorating this like the desk and the set, along with music and videos that we can put in. I know last year, second semester, my friend and I did a lot of videos for the Miner Morning Show. We did a lot of finishing the lyrics, we did some weather sections as videos, and just some silly videos asking the student body questions.”
The show also gets help from the video productions class. Students in that class will come up with a theme or segment idea and then go out and film it. The video will then air on the show after being edited.
Past videos have included skiing montages, the Next Month Today segment where students preview upcoming events, and the newest segment called Toasting Bagels where students share their personal experiences in a warm, comforting ambiance.
The show is growing - next school year it will air every Monday through Thursday.
Fish said his goals for the program are threefold.
“I want the show to have a balance of information, entertainment, and positive school culture. That's always been the three goals of the morning show and I just hope we can focus in on those three goals.”