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Second-year students Ruben Castorena and Susanne Chea eat in front of the Cooperage’s new b

Students lunching on campus might soon find themselves watching shows produced by fellow students if a plan to expand the student-run television channel is successful.

UCLA Student Media hopes to broaden viewership of UCLAtv Channel 29 by placing television screens at campus eateries. A new 54-inch television screen has already been placed in the Cooperage dining facility, using funds provided by the Associated Students of UCLA Communications Board.

Currently, UCLAtv is available to residents living in on-campus housing.

Channel 29 airs several programs run by students, including news broadcasts, a comedy show and screenings of student films.

The television screen at the Cooperage will start broadcasting programs on Channel 29 within the next few days, said Student Media Director Arvli Ward.

Student Media is also interested in implementing the program at other campus locations, Ward added.

While the current plan of installing television screens requires funding from the Communications Board, Ward said he hopes increased exposure of the programs will make UCLAtv more attractive to advertisers.

Student Media’s program was approved during the ASUCLA’s services and enterprises committee meeting in November 2003. Its proposal was chosen over one from CTV, an outside vendor who presented plans to provide television spots for student groups to publicize their activities.

Though both proposals are similar in encouraging student involvement, committee members said there are advantages to choosing Student Media over CTV.

“There is a greater potential to branch out the product to other locations on campus and to maintain better control over the concept of the brand,” Student Union Director Jerry Mann said.

The approved proposal also includes provisions that allot daily four-minute advertising spots for ASUCLA’s own events, such as the Professor in the Union program which gives students the opportunity to have lunch with professors from various departments.

“Student Media is part of the family ... and with them we would have more latitude to also broadcast other activities taking place on campus,” Mann said.

In addition to attracting advertisers to fund the program, increased exposure of UCLAtv programs may raise student involvement in Student Media, which oversees campus publications such as the Daily Bruin, print and online magazines, the Bruinlife yearbook, and radio and television stations.

Student groups may also use the opportunity to advertise their events and presence on campus or submit a proposal to produce their own shows.

Barry Friedman, a fourth-year communication studies student, said he thinks airing student-run programs at campus food facilities would increase interest in campus events and activities.

“Whenever I pass by Bruin Walk I always avoid those people who are flyering, even though I realize that sometimes I might actually be interested some of those activities ... it just gets annoying after a while,” he said.

Friedman said he would be more receptive if the programs are shown on television while he is having lunch.

Mann said he hopes Student Media will decide to branch out its program and install more television screens broadcasting Channel 29 at dining facilities.

“Placing a screen in the Cooperage is a chance to see whether or not (the program) works. ... The challenge will be for Student Media to generate new programs on a regular basis to keep students interested,” Mann said.