Penn Video sees additions and upgrades

ResNet has added new channels and an interactive website in response to increased viewership. Controlling the days and nights of thousands of unsuspecting University students, a "faceless" organization plans its schemes out of a small, three-room complex in Graduate Tower B. Five men, armed with 16 VCRs, have spent the last five years developing the video program of the multi-million dollar ResNet system -- and ravaging many students' study plans with television and movie options. And with several new channels, an interactive website and greatly expanding viewership -- 1,500 Quadrangle residents will have access by next year -- Penn Video remains a dynamic program, according to the Network Services Coordinator Chris Cook. New to the program is SCOLA Channel Two, offered on ResNet channel 58. The channel compiles current entertainment and cultural programs from around the world, using native languages without subtitles. "The new SCOLA comes out of Iowa, of all places, but it really presents great stuff -- like this week's news from Korea or Slovenia," Cook said. "And this is very important for Penn, with its large international community." The additional SCOLA channel -- which complements the SCOLA general news station on ResNet channel 5 -- will provide necessary information for international students, while providing a "valuable service" to students studying foreign languages, Cook said. Funding for SCOLA Channel Two was provided by the Linguistic Data Consortium, a University program designed to promote native language sources for linguistic study. Also new to Penn Video is the Discovery Channel's Animal Planet, which will replace WWOR on ResNet channel 18, Cook said, adding that he hopes to make the temporary contract with Discovery permanent in the near future. Cook, the University's only full-time Penn Video employee, said the stations require constant updating to adjust to changing student needs. This semester Cook plans to complete a market analysis to gauge student interest in channels. Right now, he said he believes the two most popular channels are CNN and the Movie Channel -- but emphasized that the network does not run like a popularity contest. "A number of stations have small viewership, but are very crucial to those people," Cook said. But one perennial headache is determining the movie channel schedule. Cook says the process is not "mysterious" and encourages all students to express their opinion by calling 898-VIDEO, sending e-mail to video@pobox.upenn.edu or accessing its page on the World Wide Web at http://www.upenn.edu/video. The schedule is available on Channel 2. In addition, Cook said requests from University professors for academic-related movies are on the "upswing," and many campus groups organize movie weeks on a specific subject. For example, ACELA and the Video network presented a Latino movie week. Cook said he is constantly trying to obtain as many popular recent releases as possible, relying on a student advisory committee to determine schedules and times of showings. College sophomore Ryan Rutledge said he has become very popular with his friends as a result of his work-study job at the ResNet Video program. "This job is a lot of fun -- I'm really into graphic art and all my friends like to tell me what movies they want to see," Rutledge said. "Our audience decides what is playing for us."

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