Students met at the Institute of Politics (IOP) on Friday to outline their plans for Harvard’s first student-run entry into the field of TV punditry.

If all goes according to the plans that Leslie S. Bishop ’05 described last week, the first few episodes will be shot by the end of the year and will be initially broadcast over the Internet, then on New England Cable News.

She said the show, which is still unnamed and would be financed by the IOP, would provide an outlet for the broad spectrum of opinions resident at Harvard.

“In many ways, we have trouble getting these views past the gates of Harvard,” Bishop said. “While this is a great opportunity to get some television journalism experience...it’s also a service to the public.”

The thirty or so students who have already signed onto the project will start by learning the basics of production needed to make the show.

Those segments would first be broadcast on-line, like the IOP’s ARCO Forum events.

Because Harvard students don’t have cable, the program can’t be piped into students’ rooms, as is common at other universities.

The streaming shows would only be temporary. Next year, after gaining some television experience, Bishop and company hope to present their show to the New England Cable News (NECN) for syndication.

“The producers at New England Cable News know about our project, and know it’s coming,” Bishop said.

The show would fill an important niche in New England broadcasting, Bishop said.

“Why is it important for young people to have their voices on TV?” she asked the crowd at Friday’s meeting.

She cited a survey which said that only 37 percent of adults think that today’s youth will be productive when they grow up, and she blamed television for distorting perceptions of young people.

According to Bishop, the new television show would represent youth in a field dominated by adult views.

“Lack of a voice can lead to young people being misrepresented,” she said. “Young people struggle to get attention for the projects they do think are important.”

The show faces an uphill battle if history is any guide.