A.S. President Christopher Sweeten has publicly spoken out against the university’s “appropriate use policy” for Triton Cable, which bars graphic images of sexual activity and, during certain hours, profanity on the campus’ cable network. Sweeten communicated his concerns to Chancellor Marye Anne Fox in a meeting last week.
The guidelines, which could be formally adopted after a month of public comment, bar sexual nudity, defined as “sexual organs engaged in sexual activity such as but not limited to intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus or masturbation.”
The policy came in response to Student-Run Television’s broadcast of pornography in November, which resulted in its shutdown. SRTV co-Manager Andrew Tess has long criticized the vagueness of the university’s justifications for keeping the station off-air.
“[The university] tells us that ‘graphic depictions of sexual activity involving nudity’ isn’t allowed on campus channels,” Tess said in January. “What does that even mean? They don’t define it in any way.”
The new policy — drafted by acting Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Life Gary R. Ratcliff, Administrative Computing and Telecommunications, campus lawyers and the Student Affairs office — finally specifies what kind of nudity is banned from Triton Cable, according to Ratcliff.
“There’s not much room for interpretation anymore,” he said.
The new policy, however, creates a double standard for content on other stations on the network, according to Sweeten.
“[The policy] is contradictory to what already airs on the network outside of SRTV,” he stated in a report to the A.S. Council. “I will not allow this hypocrisy to continue at the fate of students getting shafted by the administration.”
Sweeten referred to airings on the Sundance Channel and HBO, which are both broadcast over Triton Cable, and would be prohibited under the latest policy. In January, Tess also cited HBO as an example of the administration’s bias against SRTV.
“HBO shows ‘Real Sex’ every week,” he said. “I’d say that that show is crossing the university’s line for permissible broadcasts.”
Ratcliff doubted that the show’s sexually explicit content violates the appropriate use policy. However, ‘Real Sex’ regularly broadcasts segments titled “masturbation workshops,” which would breach the university’s rules.
Regardless of other channels, the university is holding campus-based channels to a higher standard, Ratcliff said.
“The policy doesn’t apply to HBO, just to campus departments that are broadcasting on Triton Cable,” he said. “SRTV is funded by the A.S. Council, which is a campus department, so it is a product and reflection of our campus. We will not have sexually explicit material be a reflection of our campus.”
In addition, the policy gives Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Joseph W. Watson the power to cut access to the network without “notice, to halt or prevent suspected violations of this policy,” the proposal states.
The placement of power in Watson’s hands is a dangerous violation of students’ rights, Sweeten and Tess said.
“[Watson] has the entirety of all decisions, including interpreting what is in ‘the best interest of the university,’” Tess stated in an e-mail to the A.S. Council. “[Watson] can decide that anything is a violation and thus be able to enforce policy that is not written, meaning they need no real reason and can do what they are doing now, and keep the target moving.”
Sweeten communicated his disapproval of the policy to the chancellor in a meeting on March 10. Fox, who has not taken a firm stance on SRTV since it was shut down, did not offer a concrete opinion on the rules at the meeting, and instead said she would wait until after the 30-day period to hear others’ comments.
Sweeten, however, already took his stand in an e-mail to the council.
“I will not give in to the administration’s tactics,” he stated.
