Posted on 11/02/2005 11:10:21 AM PST by ZGuy
Pornography has returned to the airwaves of a UCSD student-run television station, despite a student leaders' vote earlier this week to ban nudity and sex.
In a broadcast late Thursday night, Koala TV host and UCSD senior Steve York replayed footage of himself engaging in sex with an adult-film actress. This time, however, he retaliated against the student council members who are trying to limit his content. The actress' face was covered by the superimposed image of a student senator who was vocal in her support for the nudity and sex ban.
York, 22, has said the episode is a form of civil disobedience, and that he will deal with the consequences. Meanwhile, the university administration is sticking to its decision to let the elected student leaders deal with York and the television station, which is funded by student fees.
The student senator shown in Thursday night's broadcast said she was angered by the show, but does not regret her decision to vote for the ban.
"I'm not going to lower myself to his level and come back with attacks," said Kate Pillon, a senior studying history and political science. "But something's going to be done because we need to make sure members of our community aren't defamed and attacked flagrantly."
Pillon said she believes the managers of Student-Run Television need to more proactively enforce the rules, something that the council seems to be in disagreement over. The Associated Students Council will likely discuss the matter at its regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday.
Station managers at SRTV say they have always had a policy of remaining content-neutral, and that offended students can file complaints. So far, station manager Tiffany Rapp said, the station has received no complaints about Koala TV this year.
UCSD's student council members have struggled in recent weeks to resolve the controversy over Koala TV, which has played intermittently since the spring. The council's 14-8 vote on Wednesday night to temporarily ban nudity and the "graphic depiction of sexual activity" from SRTV follows two other votes, one that had a different outcome.
The council has been criticized by its own members for flip-flipping on the matter, and being unable to enforce its decisions. However, some say it's a tough situation and that they are learning in the process.
York has claimed that the council's latest vote is "highly illegal." He said he believes the vote wasn't official as of Thursday, because it had not been signed by the student body president. He also questioned its legitimacy because a simple majority, and not two-thirds' majority supported it, as he believes is necessary.
Even if the ban is in effect, York added, "I'm willing to face the consequences. This is the purest form of civil disobedience."
Thursday night's show replayed footage from the previous week, which showed an unidentified actress pose as a UCSD student struggling to pay for the university's rising student fees. The actress agreed to go home with York and perform sex, which was shown in great detail for 30 minutes. The show was broadcast in campus dorms and on a campus-affiliated Web site.
UCSD administrators said yesterday they've been impressed with how student leaders have handled the matter, and haven't considered whether and when it will intervene.
"The administration has faith that the Associated Students will resolve the matter," said Gary Ratcliff, acting assistant vice chancellor for student life. University officials are researching whether York violated the UCSD student code of conduct or acceptable practices of its computing services.
"The student senator shown in Thursday night's broadcast said she was angered by the show, but does not regret her decision to vote for the ban."
she might have a legal cae, if it fooled people into thinking it was really her.
Update on the porn school, the University of California at San Diego.
The television station re-aired the porn movie made by and starring a UCSD student. But it superimposed on the woman the face of a critic of the film.
Let me count the liabilities: Appropriation of likeness, intentional infliction of mental distress, defamation?
To which the Vice Chancellor of Student Life Gary Ratcliff responded:
The university will allow the A.S. Council to ultimately decide what course of action will be taken in this matter, Ratcliff said.
“The university hasn’t been passive,” he said. “We’ve made resources like campus counsel available to [the council], but there haven’t been any plans formulated to intervene. This is a council matter.”
If there is a law in California against obscene material on the public airwaves, slam dunk this dork and show him what he is doing isnt some game.
Scumbag students. Kick em out of school.
When the school and the deans are named in a lawsuit they will pull the plug on this.
ummm. where can I get this channel....for the educational value of course.
iirc it's on cable, not broadcast over the airwaves.
Sounds like some guy who was trying to use this to have sex with a porn actress (meaning he probably paid for it) instead of making a political statement.
You already hav the internet what else do you need.;)
That's one way to put it.
Try to broadcast a student bible study session. Then we'll see if they are as censorship-averse as they claim.
Despite the constant use of "broadcast" and "air" in the article, the channel is cable-only, and therefore not subject to regulations concerning public airwaves.
Yes, but when the put the girls face on the porn star they opened up a new can of worms.
What kind of parents send their kids to these schools?!?!
I am sure Steve York paid money to make this movie. That is soliciting for prostitution. Have him arrested and use the movie as evidence...
Absolutely. She's gotta helluva a civil case against him, if nothing else.
Another scholar from the Larry Flint School for Constitutional Studies.
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