"Watch 'The (Brown Athletic Review)' for hardcore pornography," said Nick Musurca '06, co-manager of Brown Television. Musurca, along with his BTV counterpart Ariana Nobles '06, promised this, and much more, for the student-run television service's coming season.
BTV, now nearing its 20th anniversary, was created to give students the opportunity to produce and star in their own programs as well as entertain the student population at Brown.
This year the station is making a greater attempt to fulfill its original two goals of providing opportunities and entertainment, Nobles said. As far as entertainment goes, quality and options are on the rise with better reception on the residential cable system and the option of watching BTV over the Internet, she said.
In previous years, BTV diluted its pool of original student programming with movies and nationally syndicated TV shows, such as "The Sopranos" and "Sex and the City." "Before, the ratio of movies to student programming was 80-to-20," Nobles said. "This season, we're aiming for about 60-to-40."
Nobles said BTV plans to accomplish this goal by completely replacing nationally syndicated shows, which are expensive to air, with more student-produced shows. This is part of a plan to "refocus the objectives of BTV to help students get experience, internships and course credit for their dedication outside the classroom, and for the station to gain more credibility," she said.
Although there will not in fact be hardcore pornography on the BAR, a live sports show that has been airing on BTV for three years, Musurca still encouraged viewers to check out the edgy and witty program. Because the station is closed circuit, BTV is not subject to broadcast regulations. Therefore, the BAR and other shows have the green light to break Federal Communications Commission rules, such as the one banning profanity, to which national networks must adhere. The air date for the BAR is still pending.
"Elected," which Nobles called a "mockumentary" about student government, is set to air this year as well. According to its creator, Herald Graphics Editor Matt Vascellaro '07, "Elected" aims to deliver "a lot of laughter and a compelling story." Vascellaro was one of the minds behind last year's "White Brown Friends."
Although much of the cast of "White Brown Friends" is returning for this new project, Vascellaro said the show would bring a lot of new faces to the small screen. "Elected" is set to air by the end of the semester.
A few shows will not be returning this season. Although "Thayer Street" will not be releasing new episodes because it is on a one-year hiatus, BTV still plans to air episodes of the show from last year. One of the creators of "Thayer Street," Luke Harris '07, dubbed it a "merge between 'SNL' and 'Sesame Street.' "
One more program to look forward to is "The Eric and Diana Show: The Movie: The Show," a 50-minute comedy movie that intertwines several storylines into one climactic ending, tossing in plenty of funny along the way. The project premiered last Friday after over two years of planning and production. BTV plans to air "Eric and Diana" on Thursdays at 10 p.m.
With all the shows planned for BTV, Musurca and Nobles said that now is as good a time as any to tune in. "Good television, great entertainment - there's still a good reason to watch," Musurca said.
