“Woodturning Workshop,” a locally-produced weekly series dedicated to the craft of woodturning, returns to RSU Public Television for its second season Tuesday, Oct. 2.
The weekly “how-to” series is dedicated to woodturning, which has become one of the fastest-growing hobbies in the nation.
RSU Public Television has developed 13 episodes of the 30-minute program, which will premier Tuesday, Oct. 2nd at 7:30 p.m. Future episodes will air at 7:30 p.m. each Tuesday and repeat at 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
This season includes all-new projects, plus interviews with well-respected turners. The heart of the show, however, is still about the step-by-step process of using a lathe to turn a block of wood into a unique piece of artwork or useful household item. Each week, viewers can watch the entire process unfold and receive hands-on advice about the project.
This season, the series will be presented in high definition where available.
The station is based on RSU’s Claremore campus, reaches 1.2 million people within a 75-mile radius of the campus and is Oklahoma’s only full-powered television station operated by a public university.
RSU Public TV broadcasts on UHF Channel 35, Tulsa and Claremore cable channel 19, DISH TV channel 35 and satellite systems across northeastern Oklahoma.
The program will once again be distributed nationally through the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA), a professional association that serves public television licensees and education entities in all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Through NETA, the show will have access to the 349 national PBS stations, which combine for nearly 87 million viewers each week.
Since “Woodturning Workshop” was introduced to a national audience, it has been carried by nearly 100 stations nationwide including the three largest markets in the country: New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.
The show’s host, Tim Yoder, has been woodturning for more than a decade, and was named the 2004 “Woodturner of the Year” by the Northeastern Oklahoma Woodturners Association. He has also taught woodturning at Tulsa Technology Center.
With more than 25 years experience as a television photojournalist and producer, Yoder has been nominated twice for regional Emmys, local television’s highest award of achievement. He has worked at RSU Public Television as a producer and director of photography for more than a decade.
“We’ve gotten out of the shop to interview some great turners,” Yoder said. “We don’t want to lose the basic instructional part of the show. But it’s important to get advice from a variety of people.”
Dan Schiedel, RSU Public Television general manager, said he is excited about the new season of the popular program.
“This is one of the few times that a host brings such a combination of experiences to the table,” Schiedel said. “Tim’s television background combined with his woodturning skills really helps translate the projects from the workshop to the screen.”
Bryan Crain serves as the director and photographer for “Woodturning Workshop.” Crain has more than 15 years experience in television journalism, including serving as a news photographer and senior promotions producer for Tulsa’s NBC affiliate. Crain joined RSU in 1997 and currently serves as the station’s promotions director, in addition to his producing and directing responsibilities.
Yoder credits the teamwork with Crain as crucial for overcoming the technical challenges inherent to bringing a “how-to” show to the small screen.
“The biggest challenge is accurately representing the visual aspect of the woodturning experience,” Yoder said. “So much of teaching woodturning depends on showing exactly how a cut is made and ensuring that there are no misconceptions during the process.”
More information about the program and RSU Public Television is available by calling (800) 832-7210 or visiting www.rsupublictv.org.