Viewers want to see Kenny die during every episode of “South Park.” They want to watch Joey toy with the emotions of a new male character in every episode of “Dawson’s Creek.” They want to watch actual music videos on VH1 rather than countless reruns of “Road Rules” on MTV.

However in Ames and at Iowa State, the viewing public lacks these options. AT&T, cable provider for Ames and Iowa State does not currently offer the stations that carry this programming.

Students have complained that they cannot watch their favorite shows but have done little to change what is offered to them.

A petition authored by Rodney Jones, member of the Black Graduate Student Association and graduate student in forestry, has changed all of that.

Jones has created a petition that calls for certain stations to be included in Ames’ cable programming once AT&T finishes rebuilding the cable system. The Black Student Alliance is aiding Jones in his quest for the additional channels.

Black Entertainment Television and the WB network are the two channels specified in the petition. The reasons that Jones named BET and the WB as necessary for Ames’ cable service involve more than just the desire to watch a favorite show.

For some time, Jones had pondered doing something to improve the cable situation. It was an article in the Daily that finally spurred him on to write the petition. He noticed students quoted in the article desired the WB to be part of basic cable so they could watch shows like “Dawson’s Creek” and “WWF Smackdown.”

However, the shows mentioned were not racially diverse — a fact that bothered Jones. He felt the real problem was that AT&T did not provide programming that catered to all groups at Iowa State.

“A whole group of people can’t see anyone, any faces on TV that look like them,” Jones said.

Roxanne Smith, BSA president, felt the speech given by NAACP Director of Communications John C. White to ISU students on Feb. 8 in the Memorial Union helped inspire the writing of the petition.

In his speech, White dealt with a national issue — the lack of black representation in television shows, both as actors and behind the scenes. During his speech, White identified the written word as a powerful tool through which to accomplish change.

“We were telling him about our problem, and he said, ‘you need to get something down in writing, not just calling,'” Smith said.

This led Jones to create a petition, something that White advised as the next option for students concerned about the available programming.

Both Smith and Jones felt that the cable situation is representative of Iowa State’s limited diversity. The overall intent of the petition is to see if Iowa State is really committed to diversity, Jones said.

“This is one way that diversity can be increased on campus — by starting with the things you watch on TV,” Jones said.

The students planned to speak at Wednesday’s Government of the Student Body meeting to garner more support for the petition, which has around 800 signatures right now, according to Smith.

Jones and the BSA plan to speak with as many other campus groups to talk about the petition and how it pertains to diversity on campus. However, they are not stopping with student groups. They intend to speak with Dr. Thomas Hill, Vice Student for Student Affairs.

Hill had not yet heard of the petition. His feelings about the issue fell into two perspectives, a professional one and a personal one.

As Vice President, Hill felt that the university needs to be concerned with meeting the viewing needs of a diverse population.

“We pride ourselves about Ames and Iowa State University attracting diverse people,” Hill said. “When you get these people here, we need to address their needs, their differences.”Apart from his university persona, Hill personally identified with the concerns of the students.

“It’s almost like missing a basic,” Hill said.

When he has traveled, Hill has seen shows that aren’t available here in Ames. Shows that his family is familiar with are foreign to him.

“Something will be on TV, and it will be brand new to me,” Hill said.

He will ask family and friends about various television shows that seem new to him, though they have been on air for awhile.

“They look at me like, ‘Where have you been? Have you been on the moon someplace?'” Hill said.

He felt that he has been missing out on a lot of programming that he would enjoy viewing if it were available. The addition of BET and the WB would help make television more enjoyable, Hill said.

Smith and Jones hope that Iowa State will back them in their desire to increase television viewing options.

“I think the university would be very supportive of doing things that would make being in Ames pleasurable for the diverse population,” Hill said. “I think [getting those channels] would be something that would help.”

Hill agreed with Jones that this petition is only a small step on the way to increasing diversity throughout Ames and at Iowa State. From a personal perspective, Hill said he will definitely support it.

He actually had a personal experience with the cable company when he moved into his apartment.

“I went down to the cable office and requested BET,” Hill said.

He was given reasons why it was not offered, but that has not curbed his desire for diverse programming.

“I wish we could get it,” Hill said.

AT&T is currently in the process of rebuilding its cable system. The company was unaware of the petition, according to Debora Blume, AT&T Communications Director for the State of Iowa, who stressed that the programming decisions will not be made until later in the summer.

“We have to look at the community as a whole,” Blume said.

She identified surveys and customer letters as influential on programming decisions, though she has not received any letters or calls from students.

The WB will be a broadcast channel in central Iowa when that affiliate is up and running, Blume said. Cable providers are required to carry broadcast channels.

“According to federal law, broadcast channels are a must-carry,” Blume said.

Communication between ISU personnel and the Ames AT&T cable service offices is necessary for the desired changes of students to take place, Blume said.

Ankeny and Des Moines both already receive the stations that are requested in the petition. In these communities, the channel bandwidth is larger, allowing AT&T to add channels, Blume said.

There is no guarantee that BET will become part of basic cable. Petitions and concerns will be considered, though programming is not near the top of the list of priorities for the general manager of the Ames AT&T office right now, Blume said.

Jones also intends to bring the petition to the city of Ames, though he has no plans beyond this petition. AT&T has given Jones and other interested parties conflicting answers about future programming, but the petition’s supporters are trying to think positively, looking to Iowa State for help, Jones said.

“If they don’t comply, then we will begin to realize that Iowa State is not really serious about diversity,” Jones said. “If they don’t back us and support us on this issue, then the skeletons will begin to come out of the closet.”