St John’s to launch university’s first student TV organisation
The college hopes ‘SJCTV’ will encourage wider participation
St John’s College is to pioneer the creation of Oxford’s first student TV organisation in an attempt to encourage wider involvement in College life. The television programme, known as SJCTV, will include sections on sport, college gossip, news items, entz reports and debates. Proposed features include “Oxford hotspots” and “Fighting for a cause”, as well as interviews with college staff.
It will be screened every fortnight in St John’s auditorium from Saturday of third week, with a shorter preview show planned for first week to encourage wider interest amongst students. St John’s Male Welfare Rep, Waqas Akhtar, who proposed the college programme, said that he saw the introduction of student television as an exploration of avenues in the media which are traditionally ignored at a university level.
“It can work as a taster for students considering a career in television,” he said. Akhtar, a second-year Medic, will co-produce the programme alongside second- year English student Kelly McAree. Students from all years have been invited to become involved in the project, and auditions for presenters are scheduled to take place on Saturday of noughth week.
Several members of the College’s JCR committee have voiced an interest in participating, including Environment and Ethics rep Laura Putt, and Academic Affairs officer Harry Kretchmer. McAree told The Oxford Student the technical aspects of the project have already been organised by a “team of computer experts” who will edit and produce the show. A logo is currently being designed, and a theme tune has been composed.
Though permission has been granted by the College authorities for SJCTV to go ahead, the project will be entirely independent and run only by students. However, Akhtar said, “once it gets established, we will hopefully be getting some help from the BBC’s local TV project.” He suggested that the show might spread to become university wide, but rejected any idea of personally co-ordinating such an expansion.
SJCTV will be funded by the College’s welfare budget, but plans are underway for a JCR motion to provide independent resources. Martha Burgess, JCR President of St John’s, said: “SJCTV is an exciting new idea. We’re all looking forward to seeing how the first show will turn out. It creates an opportunity for all the undergraduates at St. John’s to get together.”.
12th Jan 2005