Internet site gives good excuse for study break

By Barbara McGuire

Daily Bruin Contributor

When it comes to studying in college, the most important thing
isn’t necessarily learning the material, it’s finding a
distraction. Whether it be checking your e-mail every two minutes,
or suddenly engaging in a philosophical conversation with your
roommate, the less studying accomplished, the better.

College Broadcast, a new college-based Web site, is the perfect
place to visit in those desperate times when a distraction is
needed. If your roommate’s not home and you’re not
getting anymore e-mail, check out cb.com.

With its headquarters located right in Santa Monica, College
Broadcast is dedicated to providing college students with anything
their heart desires. College Broadcast is a multimedia
entertainment and marketing company that concerns itself with the
demographic of 18-24 year-olds, mainly those in college. College
Broadcast consists of three different branches of college focused
energy: Online, On Cable and On Campus.

Their Web page is the world’s first broadband
entertainment location that uses this type of technology to make
visiting the site like watching television. Everything moves much
quicker than it does on some other pages, so visitors will not need
the speed of Ethernet to survive. College Broadcast also boasts
fewer distortions and less waiting for files to download.

There are more than 12 different channels on the site to visit,
ranging from Film, Travel and Games to Animation, Music and Sports.
In addition, there are many more channels within the site,
providing endless hours of that valuable distraction. There is even
a “Goodwill” link which provides important information
on how to get into contact with groups such as Amnesty
International, the Red Cross, and the Surfrider foundation.

College Broadcast has also gathered more than 66 content
providers such as SonicNet, House of Blues and the Hollywood Stock
Exchange to entertain site-goers.

One of the more interesting aspects of the site is its section
entitled “Three Black Chicks” which features movie
reviews by three African American women who write reviews with
“flava.” This link evolved based upon the fact that
there were no nationally known African American movie
reviewers.

As with every Web site, College Broadcast is not without its
share of contests and prizes. Currently the site is offering a
chance to win $20,000 towards paying off student loans, as well as
a surround sound stereo system or Sony Playstation (other items
useful for distraction).

College Broadcast, however, is not solely focused on its
comprehensive Web site. The On Cable division has earned College
Broadcast No. 1 ratings as the top college network in the country.
The company has set up relationships with more than 200 college
cable affiliates reaching about 1.4 million students and making it
the country’s most watched college cable network.

The cable content is focused on what students want to watch,
with advertising geared toward college- age students. The ads are
representative of various interests and are placed with
corresponding shows.

Both through television and the Internet, College Broadcast is
entirely dedicated to providing useful information and activities
to college students. Most recently, College Broadcast launched its
On Campus division. This division is a nationwide College Student
Representative Program consisting of 50 student members from
various colleges who make sure that College Broadcast is
consistently up-to-date.

These representatives not only ensure College Broadcast’s
timeliness, but also host local events and activities. They are
vital in maintaining a bond between College Broadcast and its
audience. One such event occurred this past Monday, when College
Broadcast hosted the largest pancake breakfast ever on national
television, which was held in New York and aired on CBS’s
“The Early Show.”

College Broadcast is all about providing college students with
everything they need from online services to television
entertainment. Expanding into new and different media every day,
College Broadcast offers a wide variety of opportunities as well as
a place to just go and hang out, especially when you should be
studying.