So, the nation’s oldest and largest student-run TV station has been disbanded by the chancellor of Syracuse University (without the hearing guaranteed to it by the Student handbook, I might add) because, apparently, it is genocidal.
(Here’s a good video story of what happened. And a fairly crappy one.)
I worked at HillTV (then, UUTV) for all five of my semesters on the SU Hill. I wasn’t really as into it as many people; I didn’t go to the TV parties and I was never an officer of any kind. Still, I put in quite a lot of time there. As a non-communications major, it was one of the only places to get some good hands-on experience in TV, and it brought together great peer-groups to learn from. It’s a shame to see it go. It especially hurts when you realize that HillTV probably airs around 10-12 programs, and only one was offensive. Out of the 200 or so kids involved in the station, maybe 20 had anything remotely to do with that show. One rotten apple, I guess.
I know it will be replaced and, logically, I’m sure good will come out of this (after all, any publicity is good publicity, and only a dozen or so people watched our shows before), but it is sad to know that my station is no more. Moreover, the way the campus community responded was disappointing. I just can’t understand why they were so quick to pass judgement on everyone at the station, even though the vast majority had nothing to do with Over the Hill. (Honestly, I don’t even know whether the show was around when I was on campus).
Still, I was done with UUTV.
What REALLY hurts is my job. The show I am currently working on has lost three of its top four people this week, and everyone expects that to expand to four of its top five by next week. And we premier November 15.
Walking through our office today, you would have thought someone died. And I am not exagerating that a bit.
In the short-run, this is probably good for me. It’ll give me opportunities to work on more stuff, out of sheer neccessity. Still, in the long run, the lack of high-level people to develop under won’t be good for me. The idea of bringing together five really senior people to help along a bunch of young people with lots of potential was good. It’s a damn shame it didn’t work out.
The one thing we do have is the strength of our reporter/producer team. We all genuinely like each other, respect each other, and acknowledge just how much potential we all have. I guess that’s something.
We could have put out the best show Pakistan had ever seen. Now, we’ll put out the best show we can.
Filed under: College, Life, Syracuse, TV, Whine and cheese
