Students Hope to Begin TV Transmission Soon

The debut of "Harvard 02138" could soon beam into television sets all over Cambridge.

A 90-member campus group is steps away from successfully launching a student television channel, if it can get official University recognition within the next month.

Cynthia B. Phillips '95 and Emily E. Brodsky '95, who began designing a Harvard-based broadcasting station last spring, are waiting for a second faculty adviser to oversee their project.

According to University regulations, in order to be officially recognized, all new campus organizations must find two faculty members to advise them. The group has already secured Allan Symonds, technical director at the Agassiz Theater.

Phillips says she hopes to find a second adviser within a week, citing faculty members from the Visual and Environmental Studies department as likely prospects.

The group cannot apply for grants until it receives official recognition, but in the meantime is seeking access to Cambridge cable station equipment and is generating program ideas, Phillips said.

The group's organizers said they are pleasedwith the amount of student interest that hasalready been generated. In addition to some 120people who contacted Brodsky and Phillips viaelectronic mail over the summer, approximately 90students have already signed up this fall and 40are already active in the project.

"[The group's founders] seem to really have ittogether in terms of getting everythingorganized," said Mike D. Last '95, who plans to beinvolved with programming. "They just need thegreen light."

The group hopes to start broadcasting onCambridge cable within the next few months. Itwill start with news and informationalprogramming, but could expand to include game showor even a Harvard soap opera, according toPhillips.

"We want programming that will be distinctivelyHarvard, with a student flair to it," Phillipssaid.

Even if the group succeeds in broadcasting onCambridge cable, Phillips said it will need toseek alternative methods of distribution since theonly student residential buildings connected tocable are North House and the DeWolfe Streetcomplex. "We would definitely be advocates forhooking dorms up to cable," she said.

Possible alternatives include broadcasting onHarvard's closed circuit network and distributingprograms on videotape to students.

Last feels limited viewership is notnecessarily a large problem. "Even if everystudent couldn't receive the station it would benice for people to be able to work in TV," Lastsaid

The group's organizers said they are pleasedwith the amount of student interest that hasalready been generated. In addition to some 120people who contacted Brodsky and Phillips viaelectronic mail over the summer, approximately 90students have already signed up this fall and 40are already active in the project.

"[The group's founders] seem to really have ittogether in terms of getting everythingorganized," said Mike D. Last '95, who plans to beinvolved with programming. "They just need thegreen light."

The group hopes to start broadcasting onCambridge cable within the next few months. Itwill start with news and informationalprogramming, but could expand to include game showor even a Harvard soap opera, according toPhillips.

"We want programming that will be distinctivelyHarvard, with a student flair to it," Phillipssaid.

Even if the group succeeds in broadcasting onCambridge cable, Phillips said it will need toseek alternative methods of distribution since theonly student residential buildings connected tocable are North House and the DeWolfe Streetcomplex. "We would definitely be advocates forhooking dorms up to cable," she said.

Possible alternatives include broadcasting onHarvard's closed circuit network and distributingprograms on videotape to students.

Last feels limited viewership is notnecessarily a large problem. "Even if everystudent couldn't receive the station it would benice for people to be able to work in TV," Lastsaid