Students Hope to Start Harvard TV Channel

If two rising sophomores have their way, a "Harvard channel" will someday be nestled among MTV, ESPN and NBC.

Emily E. Brodsky '95 first conceived of a Harvard television network last year. Her roommate for the upcoming year, Cynthia B. Phillips '95, is helping her to organize the project.

Phillips said a Harvard television station is needed as both an information source and a unique extracurricular activity for students.

Television's "immediacy" makes it a valuable source of "campus-wide information," Phillips said. "We think it would serve a real purpose for distributing news and information around the campus," she said.

To gauge student interest in a TV station, Brodsky and Phillips issued an invitation via electronic mail to students who would like to help out with the endeavor. Phillips said they received 70 to 80 responses, indicating the channel would serve as a necessary "place for students' creativity."

The extracurricular would operate "along the lines of WHRB," Phillips said. It would rely on students for programming, production, and writing. The station would have two faculty advisers. Allan Symonds, technical director at the Agassiz Theater, has already agreed to serve as an adviser, Phillips said.

Phillips said the channel might feature a news program that focuses on the college.

"We want to get a good Harvard news program going--sort of a MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour type thing," said Phillips. The program would outline the top news headlines of the day and examine one of those stories in depth, she said.

Other programming might include broadcasts of student animation projects, student film theses, musical performances and Harvard sports events.

"You don't want to trek all the way [across the river], but you might watch [sports] on TV," Phillips said.

This summer, the Phillips and Brodsky have been researching other college TV stations and looking into

the facilities available at Harvard. "We'restill in the 'is this feasible' stages," Phillipssaid.

Phillips said she and Brodsky must decidewhether the station would be a regular broadcastchannel--which would require a transmitter and anFCC license--or a cable channel. The latter wouldonly be possible if all dorm rooms had cablehookups, she said.

A TV station would be an expensive undertaking,Phillips acknowledged. She said that ideally, sheand Brodsky would like to find a corporatesponsor.

"Possibly, some company will see the chance tostart from scratch" and help out the fledglingstudent organization, she said.

And Phillips said she and Brodsky are alsooptimistic about using College alumni asresources

the facilities available at Harvard. "We'restill in the 'is this feasible' stages," Phillipssaid.

Phillips said she and Brodsky must decidewhether the station would be a regular broadcastchannel--which would require a transmitter and anFCC license--or a cable channel. The latter wouldonly be possible if all dorm rooms had cablehookups, she said.

A TV station would be an expensive undertaking,Phillips acknowledged. She said that ideally, sheand Brodsky would like to find a corporatesponsor.

"Possibly, some company will see the chance tostart from scratch" and help out the fledglingstudent organization, she said.

And Phillips said she and Brodsky are alsooptimistic about using College alumni asresources