The Daily Universe celebrates 50 years

By Craig Shields

BYU has once again become the topic of discussion on the national scene. Only this time it’s not who’s No. 1, but who’s banning MTV.

Controversy has swept over the campus lately surrounding the banning of MTV by managers of Carriage Cove and Raintree apartments. Hyde Taylor, manager of Raintree, said his decision to pull the plug on MTV was purely a business decision. “If a majority of the residents want it back they can have it,” he said.

Taylor said he pulled MTV because some local bishops had expressed concern over the type of programming MTV was providing. He said he received a number of complaints upon complying with bishops’ request. But since Sunday church services when the bishops addressed their members of their ward, opposition has been minimal.

One of the bishops, Lop Weidner, is part owner of Carriage Cove. Weidner said it was really a simple decision because BYU Housing guidelines state; “Gambling, pornographic and indecent material and disorderly and obscene conduct or expressions are not permitted in or about the premises of BYU-approved student housing.”

“I made a mistake putting MTV on in the first place. I had no idea what was on it,” Weidner said. He also said he felt the constant watching of MTV had a direct effect on lower morality standards.

Jack Christianson, a local authority on the effects of music, said MTV has a definite affect on morality. “You see it in the way kids dress these days.” He said there are many students at BYU who are not following the dress code and MTV has a lot to do with it.

Some Carriage Cove residents, led by BYU student Rolf Wallengren, a senior from Hollywood Hills, Calif., majoring in English, are planning a “mock funeral service” for MTV Saturday morning in the Carriage Cove courtyard. Wallengren said he has sent a petition around the complex to help gain support in bringing MTV back.

“The issue is censorship … they are taking away our free agency,” he said. “How old do we have to be before we can make our own decisions?”

Despite the views of some people, BYU officials claim they had nothing to do with the decision to censor MTV. Paul Richards, director of public relations at BYU, issued this statement; “BYU was not involved in the decision of some local apartment owners and managers to pull MTV from their complexes. BYU’s continued emphasis is to teach principles of proper Christian conduct and human nobility. It is our intent to provide students with information which they can use in being selective when making decisions in their own lives.

Richards said BYU is not planning on making a policy regarding MTV. He added, “What they (bishops) do as ecclesiastical leaders is separate from what we do as a university.

Wallengren had earlier contacted officials on MTV and asked them to have their commentators ask students across the country to wear arm bands in protest of the banning.

Don Bridges, vice president of corporate communications at MTV, said, “We are not planning on doing anything at this time. We hope the problem can be solved right here.” He added, “We do appreciate the support of the viewers.”

In setting up for the demonstration Saturday, Wallengren has placed various posters around Carriage Cove with sayings such as, “Give us MTV or give us death” and Weidner’s favorite, “The USSR loves Leo – they don’t have MTV either.”

Wallengren said there was mention of a plan to wear black arm bands to church by some residents, but this was canceled because it is not an issue with the LDS Church.

He said he feels sorry that the LDS Church and BYU have become a part of this, because this was not his intentions.

The local and national media have shown interest in covering the story. Wallengren said he has contacted KUTV in Salt Lake and they were thinking of sending a crew to cover the demonstration.

But KUTV, in an interview with The Daily Universe Thursday, said it will not make a decision on covering the demonstration until Friday.



Copyright Brigham Young University 30 Nov 2005