What’s On TV?
By Matt Leonard
How many times have you been in the cafeteria, looked up, and wondered just what it was that you were watching on those TVs?
What
you are seeing is the College Television Network (CTN), which is broadcast
to hundreds of colleges across the country, including 16 in New Jersey.
Among them are Rutgers, Kean, Ramapo, DeVry, Monmouth, The College of
New Jersey, and for the past five years, RVCC.
Who broadcasts it, you might wonder? CTN is actually part of the MTV network,
and also partners with CBS News and CBS Sports.
CTN is not paid for by the school; it is provided free to the school.
The four TVs that you see (down from eight at one point) in the cafeteria
are not college property, they are property of CTN. CTN was actually sending
$1,000 a year until four of the TVs were removed when a quiet section
was needed in the cafeteria. Now CTN is giving $500 per year. That money
is used as scholarships to student leaders and is awarded at the student
activities awards banquet in May.
“It’s a win-win situation for CTN and RVCC,” says Mary
Sullivan, director of Student Life & Civic Engagement.
For those who have taken the time to watch CTN on their lunch break, they
might see, but not hear, that CTN actually offers very good programming.
The volume is at a low level.
In one 15-minute segment of CTN, you might see a music video, updated
news, sports news, weather forecast, and even segments about campus life
at different schools. “It’s something for the kids to watch
while they eat lunch,” said Sullivan.
CTN broadcasts news from around the world that is updated hourly. As per
the agreement with CTN, you will not see any commercials that involve
cigarettes or alcohol.
CTN is also running a contest called The Best Music on Campus Contest,
in which college students who are in bands across the country can submit
their music video, which then gets aired and then voted on by other students
watching. They can vote online. The winning band gets the chance to make
it big, and be played on MTV.
Next time you are sitting alone eating a cheeseburger in the cafeteria,
take a minute to check out CTN. You might see something interesting, maybe
a new band, or maybe that your favorite sports team made a huge trade.
Or maybe its just something to do when you don’t feel like studying
anymore.
If you are interested in finding out more about CTN check out the Website
at www.collegetelevision.com.
