Spring Break
SFRB approves student media fee for FY10
Erin Smith
Issue date: 4/14/09 Section: News
As the Student Fee Review Board approved student media's budget presentation for fiscal year 2010 Monday, Associated Students of CSU President Taylor Smoot insisted that agreements should be made to ensure future presidents have no power over editorial content for the media group.
Last semester, CSU administration requested that ASCSU absorb student media's portion of student fees after the media group severed its ties with the university and became a non-profit corporation over the summer.
Student government officials said that because private companies can't be funded directly from student fees, ASCSU now has to approve student funding that goes to student media, now operating under the company title, Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation.
Smoot said he is in the preliminary process of creating a clause that would protect student media funding. Smoot said the clause would ensure that there is no threat of government infringement on student media's day-to-day operations.
"I want to get this done before I leave office," Smoot said.
Student government officials said amount of fee dollars allocated to student media -- about $10 per student per semester -- will remain the same.
Previously, the student media budget was funded by the university's pay system, making student media a public institution.
Student media employs five different entities, including a TV station, a radio station, the Collegian, the student-run magazine College Avenue and the Colorado High School Press Association.
RMSMC President Larry Steward expressed confidence in the new model, saying that the entity's operating contract with the university protects RMSMC from ASCSU oversight.
"I'm not concerned about student government interference … our agreement with the university includes a content-neutral provision," he said.
Steward said he has not yet heard of the early stages of Smoot's proposed clause, adding that student media would be open to hear any proposals protecting editorial content.
Last semester, CSU administration requested that ASCSU absorb student media's portion of student fees after the media group severed its ties with the university and became a non-profit corporation over the summer.
Student government officials said that because private companies can't be funded directly from student fees, ASCSU now has to approve student funding that goes to student media, now operating under the company title, Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation.
Smoot said he is in the preliminary process of creating a clause that would protect student media funding. Smoot said the clause would ensure that there is no threat of government infringement on student media's day-to-day operations.
"I want to get this done before I leave office," Smoot said.
Student government officials said amount of fee dollars allocated to student media -- about $10 per student per semester -- will remain the same.
Previously, the student media budget was funded by the university's pay system, making student media a public institution.
Student media employs five different entities, including a TV station, a radio station, the Collegian, the student-run magazine College Avenue and the Colorado High School Press Association.
RMSMC President Larry Steward expressed confidence in the new model, saying that the entity's operating contract with the university protects RMSMC from ASCSU oversight.
"I'm not concerned about student government interference … our agreement with the university includes a content-neutral provision," he said.
Steward said he has not yet heard of the early stages of Smoot's proposed clause, adding that student media would be open to hear any proposals protecting editorial content.
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