Several Charles Sturt University (CSU) alumni were recently named in a Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) list of the 75 most influential people in the Australian television industry.

Those named are SBS CEO Mr Michael Ebeid, who did a Bachelor of Business at CSU, and, from the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries, Mr Angelos Frangopolous, the CEO of Australian News Channel (Sky TV News), and actors/writers/directors Mr Brendan Cowell, Mr Phil Lloyd, and Mr Trent O'Donnell.

The Head of the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries, Associate Professor Chika Anyanwu, said, "I am not surprised that we have several alumni named on the list as the School has a very strong reputation for producing not only job-ready graduates but leaders in their respective disciplines.

"Mr Cowell and Mr Lloyd are fine examples of our many talented theatre/media graduates who create and perform in a range of productions, as is 2006 Bachelor of Stage and Screen (Acting) alumnus Mr Seth Leslie, who is now appearing in a UK season with the Royal Shakespeare Company," Professor Anyanwu said.

"Our journalism degree, of which Mr Frangopoulos and Mr O'Donnell are graduates, has provided journalists and editors for newsrooms around Australia and around the world.

"A 2009 graduate, Ms Stephanie Broulet, was a finalist in the 2014 Walkley Awards, and in 2013 students Ms Siobhan Fogarty and Mr Darcy Hay were two of the three national finalists in the Walkley Awards Student Journalist of the Year category.

"In November last year our two advertising student teams, Kajulu Blue and Kajulu Red, were co-finalists in the International Advertising Association (IAA) 2013 'Big Idea' competition in Sydney, which Kajulu Blue won. This was a unique achievement for Charles Sturt University to be the only university to have two teams reach the finals four years in a row. It is remarkable that CSU Kajulu teams have now won this national student advertising competition eight times out of the 11 competitions held since 2003."

Professor Anyanwu said that it has been a dynamic year for the School following a review of its courses in 2013 and implementation of changes in 2014 to adapt to the demands and expectations of the fast-moving industries the School serves.

"We are offering new postgraduate courses, and in 2015 we will be extending course offerings at the new Charles Sturt University campus in Port Macquarie," Professor Anyanwu said.

"In June we launched the Creative Regions Lab to drive the development of creative enterprises and activities in regional Australia, and we will be extending our international presence when we sign Memorandums of Understanding with four universities in India and China.

"In mid-May the School hosted a TV Industry Summit in Wagga Wagga to enhance our connections with this global industry. Our public relations students successfully pitched promotional campaigns to Bathurst Regional Council as part of the Bicentenary celebration of the city of Bathurst which they will now undertake. All our commercial radio students have secured final sponsored placements with stipends with many of the Commercial Radio Australia networks around the country."

Professor Anyanwu also noted the creation of See See Eye, an online news platform to showcase the work of journalism and communication students at CSU.