Each year, University Media Services (UMS) uses its talent, time and equipment to provide services for the State of the State Address delivered by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb. This year, UMS delivered the pool feed for news stations and the network feed for Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations (IPBS).  

During the late 1990s, IPBS offered to broadcast Gov. Frank O’Bannon’s State of the State Address as part of their public service mission. Ball State PBS (previously known as WIPB) had the resources to complete this project and has been doing this annually since.  

UMS prides itself on providing “state-of-the-art media-related services” to Ball State through video productions, professional broadcast services and much more. Additionally, UMS also gives back to East Central Indiana with public television and radio programming.  

“This event puts us in front of the governor, legislators, and other influential movers and shakers,” said UMS Production Manager Keith Huffman, who has been a camera operator, technical director and producer for this production. “It’s great PR for us and the station.” 

Continuously showing that Ball State University, specifically UMS and IPBS, gives back to its community and creates services to keep everyone informed is a top priority through this project.  

There are many people, roles and talent that come together to make this event so successful. For example, Huffman is only one of the many talents on this team. UMS Producer and Director Ben Yonker has worked on the State of the State Address numerous times since arriving at Ball State in 2011.  

“Aside from the obvious benefit of keeping Indiana residents informed, the event puts a spotlight on Ball State PBS and Ball State University as a whole,” Yonker said. “I think it keeps our station relevant throughout the state, and our participation serves as a reminder not only of our presence but of our leadership among other institutions.”  

Watch the 2024 State of the State Address.