What began less than a year ago as an honors thesis idea has turned into a full-fledged game show.
"CRAM!," produced by telecommunications student Jon Shaner, airs each Monday night off campus on channel 43 at 9:30 p.m. and on campus on WCRH Channel 57 at 7:30 p.m.
The show is built around a semester of college. Teams choose categories or classes and then must choose whether to answer an A, B, C or D question. If they answer an A question correctly, they receive four points; for a B they receive three; for a C they receive two; and for a D they receive one.
If they fail to get the answer correct, they do not gain any points. The team's score is then averaged, and it is their GPA.
The final-round question is played in the style of "Name that Tune." Teams bid back and forth on how many answers they can get in 20 seconds.
"It gets dramatic during the final round," Shaner said.
The show, put together and run by volunteers, ran into legal trouble in January when Shaner received a notice from the GameShow Network informing him that they were producing a show titled "Cram!," and that he must either change the name of his show or stop production.
Joe Misiewicz, Shaner's faculty adviser, talked to the network several times over a three-week period, and Shaner was able to produce documents stating that he had been working on the project with the name "Cram!" since September.
The GameShow Network has agreed to allow Shaner to produce and air the planned seven shows but after that, anyone continuing the show must change the name, Shaner said.
Eight teams of two contestants are competing for the grand prize of $300 donated by the Student Government Association. Other prizes were donated by several area businesses and groups including Domino's Pizza, Ashcraft Jewelers and the University Programming Board.
The teams are Spectrum, the Rugby Club, Residence Hall Association, the Asian-American Student Organization, the Ball State University Storm Chase team, the Ball State Daily News, Alpha Omega Pi and Schmidt-Wilson Hall.
The final episode will air during final's week.
"The show is creative, just the kind of show local cable needs, and has set a standard for all future local game shows that come after it," Misiewicz said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
