Students Tap Cable TV

Harvard may not be wired for cable but that isn't stopping some students from following Wayne and Garth's lead by tapping into the world of local access television.

During the past few weeks alone, two Harvard organizations have "partied on" at Cambridge Community Television and Neighbor Development (HAND) will film its tutoring and after-school activities for a program to be shown on CCTV and CityStep is producing a documentary on their recent show to be broadcast next fall.

Since 1988, Cambridge Community Television, a non-profit organization located at One Kendall Square, has provided Cambridge residents with the equipment, training, and vehicle for the production and presentation of programs for public access cable television.

And now many Harvard students are beginning to take advantage of this new, and until recently, unexplored from of media.

The CityStep film short will be a 10 to 15 minute documentary in the style of a weekend news show. It will profile its public service program and will, of course, be produced by students.

"It will have scenes of teachers teaching kids how to dance, a little bit of the historical stuff, and the work that goes into it--composing the music, choreographing the movement, what the producers do," said City Step producer Peter D. Pinch '94.

Tapping for the show has been completed and Pinch is currently working on editing. The process, according to Pinch, is a long one in which every minute of actual air time requires about an hour of editing time.

Pinch said he will complete editing within the next two weeks, although the program probably will not be shown until June.

"CCTV provides access to an incredible amount of stuff," said Pinch. "It is a great idea."

HAND's mini-show will also profile their organization and will include footage of the Lowell House piano lessons, Quincy House chess, and creative writing minicourses, said Angie S. Lee '92, central co-coordinator of HAND.

The video, which will be shown in several of the houses, will be used as a recruitment tool for new volunteers, said Lee.

Editing will be completed over summer, and the program will probably run on CCTV in the fall.

"We want to educate the Cambridge community about what we do," Lee said.

Past programs on CCTV have included, shows on entertainment, legal issues, art, children, women's issues and community news. There have also been programs targeted at the Portuguese, Greek and Spanish communities, in their native languages.

"Anybody can get on," said Irwin J. Hipsman, executive director of CCTV. "[We] support freedom of expression."