The seeds that would grow into the Woodland Hills Football Network were planted when Lee Schaeffer Jr. was hired at Churchill High School in 1965 as a Physics teacher. He soon discovered everything he liked about Physics was related to communications and began a Masters degree program through Syracuse University.
In 1970 the school district bought cameras, a switcher, and video recorders and Mr. Schaeffer began teaching television production classes and supervising student produced broadcasts of home football and basketball games. CTV (Churchill Television) was born, and as early as 1973 the school was producing live content on the local cable company. The students would also learn while recording the spring musical, concerts and other events.
Almost every member of the Woodland Hills Football Network broadcast crew got their start by taking part in these student run productions over the years.
In 1981 Churchill School District merged together with surrounding districts to form the Woodland Hills school district. Joe Slick, a key member of our broadcast crew, took part in these productions and graduated from the district in 198_.
Woodland Hills High School was formed in 1987 and CTV was converted to WHHS-TV (Woodland Hills High School Television). Mr. Schaeffer’s son, Lee III, began working as a team videographer as a freshman during the Wolverines first season.
After Mr. Schaeffer retired from teaching in 1998, the student produced productions soon came to an end. However, he continued to work as the team videographer and would often merge the video with a local radio broadcast of the game when available.
Starting in ___ the default broadcast being used for these videos had a familiar voice. Adam Gusky, a 1997 graduate, who played for the Wolverines and was a student announcers for WHHS-TV. Gusky started his own production company and began radio broadcasts of games as well as a weekly interview with head coach George Novak.
Larry George III, a ____ graduate, began directing a multi camera broadcast of games in 20__ as he had done for WHHS-TV. Soon Adam and Larry would join forces and the Woodland Hills Football Network had begun.
The Woodland Hills Football Network provides coverage of the Wolverines on cable and online. Now produced by a team made up of alumni, current students, members of the district, and one retired teacher that has never stopped teaching.