Response to the Colotado Daily

If you are totaly confused by the following post. Check out: Orginal article and posts in question. The new article ran in the Daily this morning.

Alright so here is goes. I figured since it all started with a public forum....it should stay on the public forum.

To understand the relationship of USCU and Radio 1190, (to which by no means am I am expert) you have to understand how Radio 1190 - KVCU opperates.

First the basics, the process to get a show on radio 1190 (since the UCSU issue is conserned with this part the most). Each potential DJ has to do a minimum of 6 volunteer hours. After your volunteer hours, you sign up to train to run the boards and other air room equpiment. You do two late night training sessions. Once you've completed the late night sessions, you "shadow" another DJ which give you further oppritunity to learn the FCC regulations and more about how radio 1190 works. You sit in on their show and get some time on air to practice running the board. After you've completed this, you are a trained DJ, you then spend one semester "subbing" or filling in for DJ who need someone to cover their show. After subbing for a semester, you have to submit a DJ application to get your own rotation show. Rotation are the shows that are a mix of all different generes of music and the top 40 independant CDs of the week. After rotation, you can try to sumbit an idea (if it doesn't already exsist and is well thought out) for your own speciality show to the programming manager. Speciality shows include, funk, jazz, world music, j-pop (Japanese pop), etc. You can also choose to work in the sports or news departments at 1190. Radio 1190 is entirely student run, (with exception to our Professional General Manager) and all volunteer with the exception of managers. Radio 1190 is commited to bringing independant music, sports and news.

The worst thing that could ever happen to 1190, is we were forced to follow the agenda or programming of another entity outside of the station. A great example of how this is done, is when a corporation buys a pre-existing station and changes the format of the station to play music that is dictated to be profitable and very rarely gives DJs a say in what to play. Radio 1190 DJ pick the music, we don't do this for money, we do it because we love the music. Now I am not saying that UCSU is going to take over 1190 and dictate everything we do. Everybody loves being at the station because it is a family that loves what they do. To be a part of the station, you have to have an understanding of what we do. If UCSU really wanted to be a part of 1190 more than our funding, then they would have work with us just like any other group, volunteer, or sponser does.

We get half our funding from UCSU, but we also raise half the money to keep the station going. We do a pledge drive twice a year, to ask listeners to give back, It is a intense time and we never ask for more than what we need. During pledge drive you will see some deticated volunteers, DJs and managers not leave the station all day or spending every free moment between classes helping out.

Now the question came up, why should UCSU continue to fund us? I think that we are a wonderful opprutunity for students to be exposed to the way a broadcating and radio productions works. There are some at the station that plan to go on in communication or music production, there are others like myslef that love the music and independant radio. Although there are many students that don't even know we exsist, we continually try to promote 1190. We have dedicated listeners not only in Denver and Boulder, but all over the country and the world.

The part of the orginal article that is most inaccurate is "The station is commonly known as the "voice of CU,"..." I have never once in either the 2 years I have worked for 1190 or the 4 years I have listened to the station, ever heard it referred to that. We are not funded by CU. We are student run, but we do not spefically cater to students. In the simplest sense, we are a independant AM radio station.

In my opinion, we wouldn't be able to move or break off from UCSU. "During the last month, sources close to the station have told the Colorado Daily that KVCU staff have discussed the idea of moving off campus, severing ties with the university and becoming a fully independent radio station." I hate to say this, but I have to doubt the sources that say we are going to move off campus. I have to ask as a KVCU staff member, where would we go? How would move all the equpiment? Pay the bills? Have the money for our liscense? Sure, we are going to run out of room for our music cause all the CD racks will be filled, and that summers really are bad when you have to DJ for 3 hours and it's hotter and muggier than it is outside, etc.. But honestly, breaking off from UCSU and up and moving, seems a bit extreme. If we had the money and support, it'd b e a viable oprion but it's not like we can pack up and be out of their tomorrow.

And lastly NO reporter worth his weight uses a 'blog" as a source. If he did that in the field of science he'd be laughed out of town. Any good researcher and reporter uses much more relaiable resource to write their articles. The secondary article written by the Daily just rehashes the first article, provides no new info (except the fact that Ben and I are mentioned in it). A reporter is never rude to the people he tries to interview either, that is bad manners as well.

[edit to respond to a few things]
Well Ben, you hit the head on the nail with you comment, already got an e-mail about it. *laughs*

So since when can you publish someone's screen name in a news article? Hmmm...hope I don't get more stalkers who are now actually able to find me. That's what you get when are a female DJ.

Geez this whole thing totally got blow out of proportion, that is the only that really gets me. My friends and other RAs think is funny that I was called egotistical for the first time in my life...and it was in the newspaper. *laughs* I guess that is what you get when you dedicate yourself to waking up every Saturday and Sunday to do your show at 7am and then spend extra hours volunteering for various things, and then trying to stand up for the place you work for.

Alright I'm done, back to the hum drum world.