Low-cost sets and off-the-cuff jokes characterize an untapped source of local entertainment for students and by students - cable access television.
Whether it is an overly dramatic college soap opera, a cheesy sketch comedy show or a politically oriented talk show, more effort is thrown into these student productions than meets the channel surfer's eye.
Behind the low budget, actors, directors, producers and cameramen all are trying to balance school and scripts to create entertainment for students on campus.
But not all students are tuning in.
Economics senior Nick Spina says he only watches cable access shows when the programs look promising.
"Sometimes, I think (the actors) are just entertaining themselves," he said. "They are pretty low-quality in terms of technical stuff, and when you look at it, you know it's a local TV show."
But cable access criticism doesn't stop members of the MSU Telecasters, a student group that produces "Upfront," "Sideshow," "The ShoW" and "Apt Six," from taking advantage of campus resources and studio time to build up experience to work their way toward Hollywood.
All the shows are performed, filmed, produced and directed by MSU students who mostly major in telecommunication, information studies and media, engineering, English, communication and theater.
Justin Weinrich, a journalism junior and producer of "Upfront," a "Politically Incorrect"-style talk show, said he associates public cable access television shows with the antics of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey in the cult classic "Wayne's World."
"I don't think people take cable access shows seriously because anyone could have one," Weinrich said. "So, that's lowered the bar and the reputation for cable access."
ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, provides funding for air time, studio space and equipment on campus MSU Telecasters shows, which are taped on location or in studios in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building and appear on University Housing Channel 12.
Judith Taran, director of communications for the city of East Lansing, said public access and cable access channels are part of the franchise agreement with the community, which requires the company to provide local access and information for residents.
Local cable access television is available through the MSU Telecasters only for students who want to create their own show. East Lansing public access television is open to any resident who wants to start a show and has taken instructional classes through the television station.
Both forms of access television lend camera equipment and studio time to the producers of the show.
Studio and camera access is available to community members at the East Lansing Comcast station, WELM-TV.
"If people want to learn how to be trained on equipment, they can have their own show," Taran said. "Lots of college students do that."
"It's a soapbox format for someone to provide information that wouldn't be covered by the news," she said.
While many cable access shows, such as call-in programs, are shot in a live format, other students on the screen set aside a minimum of four or five hours each week for script writing, studio rehearsals, filming and editing, said Kyle Hines, producer of "Sideshow," a student-created, on-location sketch comedy program.
"This is part of the school, and there's people who take it seriously," said Weinrich, a fellow MSU Telecasters producer who hopes to break into the entertainment industry.
"'Upfront' is about campus issues affecting students, and people put a lot of time and effort into it," Weinrich said. "We try to make it more appealing to someone just flipping through the channels."
He said most members of the "Upfront" cast and MSU Telecasters are working toward a career in what they are doing on the show, whether it's acting, producing or filming.
Economics senior Chris Girdwood, one of the producers for the two-year-old college drama "Apt Six," said he joined the program for a creative outlet.
A few MSU Telecasters members, Girdwood said, have moved onto jobs with Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno.
Andrew Handrich, director for "The ShoW," a sitcom for and about college students, said it seems like they put in the same amount of hours it takes to produce a regular sitcom.
"It can be quite intense at times for everyone involved in making it," said Handrich, a telecommunication, information studies and media senior. "But it's a comedy show, and you have to have fun with it."
And there is no limit to how far the students can take their raunchy jokes or outrageous skits.
The actors and the crew rarely have too much fun, since the content restrictions for MSU Telecasters shows and local cable access shows mainly vary from slim to none.
"We try to keep it clean and wholesome, but we are college kids," MSU Telecasters Programming Director Steve Oliver said.
In an effort to reach more viewers, a few MSU Telecasters shows have begun webcasting old episodes online to increase publicity.
However, some people still will keep channel surfing or Web surfing right past the local productions.
"They are just silly because they are generally not well-constructed enough for me to take them seriously," anthropology senior Sarah Spromberg said. "I can't imagine anyone that would watch them and take them seriously."
Hines said people don't understand that the creators are full-time students working on a low budget.
"We try our best," Hines said. "You can't go on to expect to see ABC primetime work.
"Those people get paid $100,000 a year and spend a whole year preparing scripts for the shows. We do this a couple hours a weekend with a camera I bought at Best Buy."
