CitrusTV recently announced plans to expand and renovate a newly available space in Watson Theater. The student television station will occupy what was formerly the home of FoodWorks.

“It’s really exciting, not just for the organization of CitrusTV, but for the entire campus,” said CitrusTV General Manager Brad Slavin, a junior television, radio and film and information management and technology major.

Slavin and fellow CitrusTV members have worked for months planning the construction of the new space. Slavin said he began working with the Office of Campus Planning, Design, and Construction last winter.

Slavin said it is his mission, along with that of the executive staff, to make changes and look to the future of CitrusTV.

The expansion in Watson Theatre is the first major construction project of its kind that will be seen through solely by a student organization, Slavin said.

The idea became a reality due to support from Syracuse University administration, such as Chancellor Nancy Cantor and Senior Vice President for Public Affairs Kevin Quinn, and donations from parents and alumni, Slavin said.

“They are looking forward to it being completed just as much as we are here at CitrusTV,” he said.

In hopes of having the newly developed Watson Theatre space up and running by the start of the spring semester, CitrusTV needed an alternative space to continue its production.

“Temporarily shutting down CitrusTV during construction was never an option; it wasn’t even something we thought about,” Slavin said.

With 300 students participating in the organization and relying on CitrusTV for professional experience, the program simply could not be temporarily shut down, Slavin said.

The production program also had to keep its commitment to Orange Television Network.

CitrusTV produces the only live SU postgame show, “Orange Press Pass,” and also provides a lot of sports coverage to Time Warner Cable, Slavin said.

To prevent backing out on these commitments, Slavin and his staff came up with the alternative idea to set up temporary productions in Studio B of Newhouse II.

Regardless of the location of the studio, Slavin said, CitrusTV remains confident that it will still be able to maintain a high quality of production.

Although the organization will be working around classes held in Studio B, Slavin said, it will still produce full shows.

Said Slavin: “When it’s done it’s going to be extremely beneficial for the students who get to use this space to call home, but will also benefit the campus community, because we can produce that much more content, and at a much higher level than in the past.”

Published on September 13, 2012 at 12:27 am

Contact: Taylor: tlbaker@syr.edu