Students accuse UTV13 of misconduct

The first ever college-run South Asian television show, Entertainment India, made its UTV13 debut on February 6 of this year. Unfortunately, the show has not been broadcast since. The show's creators said yesterday that UTV13's newly elected general manager, College junior Heather Dorf, made it impossible for the show to be produced. Entertainment India's creator, Wharton sophomore Toral Mehta, said last night that Dorf has constantly created new "policies" and requirements which the show's producers cannot meet -- in affect canceling the show. Dorf was out of town and unavailable for comment last night. But UTV13 Director of Sales and Video Services Jared Minsk, a College sophomore, said last night that every new group must go through proper training before they are allowed to broadcast. "The producers must be trained," he said. "I know when I started my show [Business Unplugged], I had to be trained. That's standard policy." College junior and Entertainment India Production Manager Sapna Sheth said the problems started when the group borrowed a camera from UTV13 and was put on probation when it did not return it immediately. Sheth said, however, that UTV13 management had not specified the deadline for returning the camera. "They have these rules that they conveniently conjure up after we break them," she said. The most recent example of the allegedly unprofessional requirements occurred when Dorf told Mehta that for her staff to produce an episode, it would have to be supervised by either herself or one of three other UTV13 board members, Mehta said. Dorf then added, however, that none of these people have enough time to help Entertainment India this semester and they should postpone production until next fall. Minsk said that in regards to Entertainment India, "the equipment has to be used with responsibility." Mehta said she does not understand how waiting until next fall for training will help the current situation. "I don't know where these rules are coming from," she said. "[Dorf] said we can reconvene in the fall. But what's going to change in the fall?" Sheth said that when the group suggested contacting the three board members themselves, Dorf said she would prefer they not and that there was really nothing to be done. "She has no win-win situation," said Mehta. "She's more like, 'I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do.' " Mehta said she is past the point of tears and almost ready to give up. "I am just completely and totally frustrated with this issue," she said. "I started this out of nothing. My dream's, like, gone. It's something that you wanted, your vision. And here's this obstacle and I don't even know how to overcome it." Creators added that there is a demand for their show --which addresses concerns of the South Asian community and culture -- and that the South Asia Society is currently passing a petition advocating the continuation of the show. So far, about 60 South Asia Society members have signed. "People in the South Asian community support our show," Sheth said. Mehta said she hopes UTV13 will be able to help her and her television program. "A lot more people watch this than some of those stupid shows on there," she said. "Just give us a chance, that's all we're saying."

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