YTV was launched in Fall 2003 by a group of seniors and one junior who were shocked at the lack of student television at Yale and resolved to fix that. The Yale administration, in control of a number of Comcast cable channels, devoted Channel 24 to the group's aims. They plugged a cable into the basement of LC, which transmitted to every television in every dorm room on campus, and the result was: A channel full of offbeat variety shows, poorly lit Master's Teas, and abstract films about people who spin with paintbrushes in their hands. Content was typically on repeat for 24 hours.
HBO this wasn't.
But there surely were some interesting shows and films which, through their overexposure, gained a little notoriety on campus. The students knew we existed. This was Year 1.
Year 2 brought a primetime format to YTV, 9 to 11 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. Over the course of the year, 13 original series were produced, numerous films were premiered, and more talented, energetic people signed on and contributed their gifts. We held a Film Festival for all our favorite student films, and attracted a good 200 ladies and blokes to Whitney Humanities Center in the pouring snow in the middle of January. We made and sold a bunch of T-shirts for the Harvard-Yale game (they were funny at the time), partnered with PBS to produce a public access series, and set to work on acquiring non-profit status so that alums and advertisers could love us just that much more.
Yes, there were still camera, lighting, sound, programming, marketing, financial, and Web problems to solve. Yes, we still had 22 hours of break dancing on repeat as opposed to 24. But hey, no one's perfect, baby. Were you getting straight A's at the age of 2? Wait... I'm sorry, I'm sorry; was I being defensive? No, please come back. I'm just saying we were proud of Year 2 regardless of what we still had to achieve. It made sure the next year would be exciting and full of promise. And indeed...
Year 3 promised to continue the upward surge. The site had been upgraded. We had incorporated ourselves (that's YTV Inc., thank you) and gained the capability to transmit live, meaning a more diverse set of options for what we could air. We were digitizing our line-up to create a 24-hour programming schedule which the kids could benefit from any time of the day. We were also developing greater partnerships with the Athletic Department, the Council of Masters, Media Services, the Dramat, and other campus institutions to bring you the events you wanted to see. We aimed to give more students and student organizations the opportunity to be heard on the air in whatever way they choose. We were implementing a new advertising program and seeking other great ways to fund ourselves, as our evolutionary needs cost quite a bit. Finally, we planed to continue the Film Festival, begin a Speaker Series, and more.
Now in 2007-2008, 5 years later, we are relaunching with a new format, new staff, and new ideas.