Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor disbanded the student-run television station HillTV on Thursday.

Cantor spoke to former HillTV General Manager Rich Levy, the department heads and the former sports director at 4:30 p.m. to tell them of her decision to disable the station. Cantor also told the HillTV representatives of the administration’s decision to create a new student-run television network on campus.

The HillTV Web site, HillTV.com, was removed Thursday evening.

Cantor did not allow the former HillTV members to speak in defense of the station.

‘The meeting was organized so she could tell us her decision, so no, there was no room for discussion,’ said Emily Wasco, former HillTV entertainment director.

Cantor delivered the same news to the campus community at ‘Speak Out,’ the open meeting designed to address the recent HillTV content issues in Hendricks Chapel at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Cantor began her speech by saying she felt personally wounded as one of the many victims of the ‘Over the Hill’ entertainment show.

‘Others who were disparaged live on this campus,’ Cantor said. ‘They’ve been made to feel excluded and unwelcome … This is unacceptable.’

She explained how the Office of Greek Life and Experiential Learning asked ‘Over the Hill’ to desist, but it did not comply.

Students on other HillTV shows do not hold the same mentality as ‘Over the Hill’ and have been doing good work, Cantor said. She said she does not want to take the experience of working at a television station away from those students, so she is forming a committee to create a new student-run network.

‘She is very adamant about us being part of the committee,’ Wasco said. ‘We all appreciate that.’

In addition to the new network, Cantor said the former HillTV studio, located in Watson Hall, will still be open for student production use. With the supervision of Orange Television Network General Manager Andy Robinson, students will still be allowed to use the equipment and studio located in the Robert B. Menschel Media Center.

‘I do (think the disabling of the station was too harsh) to some extent, but I can understand where the chancellor and the community is coming from,’ Wasco said.

Cantor said she encourages all students to get involved with the new station. She said she wants to build television shows that represent everyone on the SU campus and wants to take the opportunity to ‘build a better community.’

Published on October 20, 2005 at 12:00 pm