Texas Student TV

What Texas Student TV does

Texas Student Television (TSTV) is a student-run, FCC-licensed, digitally broadcasting college television station operating as a unit of Texas Student Media at the University of Texas at Austin. Founded in 1987 with over-the-air broadcasts beginning February 3, 1995, TSTV produces news, sports, entertainment, narrative, and web-series programming across five operational departments. It is the only student-run, FCC-licensed, digitally broadcasting college television station in the country, holding call sign K32OJ-D on UHF channel 32.1 with two subchannels (32.2 simulcasting KVRX radio and 32.3 airing infomercials).

The station's underlying technology stack centers on broadcast infrastructure atop the UT Tower transmitter, supplemented by dorm cable channel 15.1, a website-based HTML5 live streaming platform (with Video.js fallback) at watchtstv.com, and an extensive YouTube distribution network across 20+ show-specific channels. TSTV operates a year-long Incubator Program in which students pitch and develop narrative pilots, with the Web Series department functioning as an FCC-regulation-free testing ground for new content formats. The organization has produced notable alumni including Mark Cuban, Jimmy Fallon, Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson, Robert Rodriguez, and Pauly Shore.

TSTV is structured as a nonprofit student organization under Texas Student Media rather than a standalone commercial entity. Participation is free for student volunteers, and programming is free for viewers. Revenue is generated through advertising sold by Texas Student Media and donor contributions to the Texas Student Media Excellence Fund (which features a matching donation mechanism). The organization is effectively a single-institution operation, with all participants drawn from UT Austin students, geographic coverage centered on Austin and Central Texas, and no disclosed enterprise customers or external revenue streams.

Name

Texas Student TV

Legal name

Texas Student Television (operating as Texas Student Media)

Website

https://watchtstv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Texas Student Television (TSTV) is the only student-run, FCC-licensed, digitally broadcasting college television station in the country, operating as a unit of Texas Student Media at the University of Texas at Austin. It produces news, sports, entertainment, and narrative programming for UT students and the Austin/Central Texas community, funded through advertising and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Television Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV) (MPABACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Media & Publications (Newspaper, Radio, TV) (EDALAHAE), University/College-licensed Public Broadcasting (TV & Radio) (MPABADAD)

Keywords

• Student television broadcasting
• College media production
• Campus news programming
• Student sports broadcasting
• Community television station

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: TSTV accepts advertising through Texas Student Media. Contact for advertising is [email protected] for TSTV and other Texas Student Media entities.
2. Donations and Fundraising: TSTV accepts donations through the Texas Student Media Excellence Fund. Donations are matched to support hands-on experiences for generations of students.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Texas Student Television operates a student-run, FCC-licensed digital television station that produces and broadcasts news, sports, entertainment, narrative, and web series programming for the University of Texas at Austin campus and the broader Austin community. Programming is delivered over-the-air on UHF channel 32.1, on dorm cable channel 15.1, and via live streaming and YouTube. Students produce all content as volunteers, gaining hands-on experience in broadcast journalism, production, directing, and on-air performance.

Product overview

Texas Student Television (TSTV) is a student-run, FCC-licensed, digitally broadcasting college television station at the University of Texas at Austin — the only such station in the country. The organization operates as a multi-department media operation producing live and pre-recorded content across five main departments: News (Good Morning Texas, Texas News Channel), Sports (TSTV Gameday, College Crossfire, College Pressbox, 1-0 Sports), Entertainment (Sneak Peek, Longhorn LateNight, Next Week Now, Local Live, Video Game Hour Live), Narrative (Down To Film, Keep Austin), and Web Series. TSTV also runs an Incubator Program for developing narrative pilots and offers live streaming via TSTV Live on dorm channel 15.1 and antenna channel 32.1. The station has produced notable alumni including Pauly Shore, Mark Cuban, Robert Rodriguez, Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson, and Jimmy Fallon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TSTV News: Home of award-winning UT and Austin news stories covering local politics to student life and Austin culture.
• Good Morning Texas
• Texas News Channel
• Sneak Peek
• TSTV Gameday
• College Crossfire
• College Press Box
• Longhorn Latenight
• Local Live
• Video Game Hour Live
• Incubator Program

Products and services

• Texas Student Television (TSTV) Broadcasting Station The core FCC-licensed digital television station serving UT Austin and Central Texas with multi-department programming (News, Sports, Entertainment, Narrative, Web Series). Free over-the-air and streaming content for students and the Austin community.
• TSTV Live Streaming Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the largest student-run television sports departments in the country
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Alamo DrafthouseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Alamo Drafthouse hosted a screening event for TSTV's Incubator Program pilots in Spring 2019. This provided student filmmakers with a professional screening venue and audience.
• KVRX (UT Austin Radio Station)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKVRX and TSTV collaborate on Local Live, an hour-long block of pure live music featuring up-and-coming Texas artists. Local Live airs Sundays at 10pm Central and is simulcast on both kvrx.org/livestream and watchtstv.com/live. This is an ongoing programming partnership.
• Austin Public (formerly Austin Community Television)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership: In June 1991, TSTV began operating on time allotted by Austin Community Television (now Austin Public) while awaiting City Council approval of a dedicated public access channel. This provided initial broadcast access before TSTV secured its own license.
• Texas Student MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSTV is a unit of Texas Student Media (formerly Texas Student Publications), which oversees all student media at UT Austin including KVRX, The Daily Texan, Cactus Yearbook, Texas Travesty, The Drag Audio, and BurntXOrange. Texas Student Media handles advertising sales for TSTV.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• KAMU TV (Texas A&M Public Broadcasting): Public television station licensed to Texas A&M University in College Station. Comparable to TSTV as a university-affiliated, FCC-licensed TV broadcaster in Texas, though professionally staffed rather than student-run, and operating from a different city within the state.

Direct peers

• Annenberg Media (USC): USC's premier student-run multimedia organization spanning news, sports, and entertainment. Among the largest and most established college media outlets in the US, comparable to TSTV in scope, multi-platform distribution, and pipeline into media careers.
• Cactus Yearbook: Long-running UT Austin student yearbook and fellow Texas Student Media unit. Comparable as a peer student-run content operation under the same parent organization, sharing advertising and facilities infrastructure with TSTV.
• The Daily Texan: Flagship student newspaper of UT Austin and fellow Texas Student Media unit. Comparable as a peer student-run media outlet operating under the same parent organization, sharing advertising sales, governance, and the same volunteer talent pool.
• KVRX (UT Austin College Radio): Sister FCC-licensed student broadcasting outlet at the University of Texas at Austin. TSTV simulcasts KVRX's radio signal on its 32.2 subchannel and co-produces the Local Live music program, making KVRX the closest operational peer for cross-format college broadcasting.

Emerging players

• Northwestern Media (Studio 22, Nites): Northwestern University's student media hub covering television, film, and journalism. Comparable to TSTV as a large, established student-run broadcast and production operation at a major US university, though without TSTV's FCC license.
• NYU Local / NYU TV: Student-run digital and broadcast media operations at New York University. Comparable to TSTV as a peer student media organization producing news and entertainment content, with comparable volunteer-driven structure though different geographic and digital-native focus.
• UCLA Student Media (Daily Bruin, UCLA Radio): Collection of UCLA's student-run media outlets anchored by the Daily Bruin. Comparable to TSTV in operating student-led news and broadcast programming at a large public research university, serving as a parallel model for college media operations.

Broad incumbents

• Austin PBS (formerly KLRU): Established public television station serving Austin and Central Texas. Comparable in geographic broadcast footprint, nonprofit status, and educational mission, but operates as a professional incumbent rather than a student-run organization.
• Austin Public (formerly Austin Community Television): Local public access television provider in Austin. Historically gave TSTV its first broadcast time in 1991 before the station secured its own FCC license; comparable as a community-focused, nonprofit local TV outlet operating in the same Austin market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TexasStudentTV
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/texasstudenttv
• Facebookfacebook.com/texasstudenttv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/texas-student-television
• Instagraminstagram.com/texasstudenttv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Texas Student TV