At this point most students know that cable is not largely available across the Boston University campus. However, while people know they’re missing out on shows such as “The Real World” and “The Sopranos,” they might not know that they are missing out on coveted shows produced at BU by students.
Starting in April, Boston Neighborhood Network Television (BNN-TV) will begin airing the four television shows produced here on campus by BUTV. The shows will be aired on the two BNN-TV channels.
“Inside Boston,” a magazine format show based on Boston and cultural events and activities, will be aired on Channel 9, the News ‘ Information channel, at a time and day still to be determined.
The remaining three shows will be aired on Channel 23, which is reserved for local producers. “Bay State,” a college-themed soap opera, will be shown Monday nights at 11 p.m. and re-aired Friday mornings at 2:30 a.m. “Shadows,” a science-fiction serial similar to “The X-Files,” is set to air Thursdays at 11 p.m. and Sundays at 3 a.m. BUTV’s sketch comedy program, “Overexposed,” will air right after Shadows, on Thursday at 11:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:30 a.m.
In February Professor Chris Cavalieri, who serves as faculty adviser for BUTV, and a core group of students made a presentation of the BUTV shows to BNN-TV’s Cablecast Manager Rob McCausland.
“BUTV is focused on developing viable distribution vehicles for their shows and the Boston Neighborhood Network is an appropriate outlet,” Cavalieri said.
After the presentation, BNN-TV decided to air all four BUTV shows. “The students are very excited. This is the fruit of their labor,” said Cavalieri, adding some involved students had been working for BUTV for as many as three or four years but have never had such a “distribution vehicle.”
Since 1983, BNN-TV has been operated by the Boston Community Access and Programming Foundation and is funded mostly by cable television subscribers. The two channels reach nearly 20 neighborhoods which make up more than half of Cablevision’s subscribers, or about 57,000 people.
“The students’ interest is genuine. Even in recent years, when campus screenings were the only way to see the shows, the students continued to work hard with the hope of having their shows picked up,” he added. “This is a significant step forward [for BUTV].”
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