KTRU's role undergoes re-evaluation
KTRU may no longer be as independent of the administration as it has been in the past -- if the suggestions made in the Strategic Plan are implemented.
Under Section V: "Beyond the Hedges, Community Education," the plan calls for greater "interaction with the community ... making the University's educational presence felt throughout this region" and proposes the formation of a group of students, faculty and staff to explore KTRU's potential influence.
KTRU is currently the only blanket-tax organization exempt from student body elections.
Station Manager Andy Campbell is "very unhappy" about the plan. "Forming a committee to govern a student organization makes no sense. [The administration is] ignoring the fact that KTRU is a student organization. Either KTRU i s a student-run station or it is not a student-run station."
On behalf of KTRU, Campbell wrote a letter addressed to members of the Strategic Planning Committee expressing discontent with the station's mention in the plan.
The plan points out that the University of Wisconsin has a successful radio program, WHA. Campbell's letter, however, says that WHA is a "classical station ... staffed by paid professionals [that] allows for little if any student involvement."
KTRU was started 25 years ago by students who wanted to see a student-run radio station at Rice. However, the actual FCC license is owned by the Board of Governors.
Campbell's letter points out that KTRU already does many things proposed in the plan, such as broadcasting news, lectures and interviews with "writers, musicians and scholars."
Some of the Strategic Planning Committee's suggestions for KTRU's expansion are logistically and financially difficult. Broadcasting Shepherd School concerts, for example, is not legal because the University of Houston's KUHF owns the broadcasting rights to Shepherd School concerts. The "broadcasting of language courses" would also be a legally sticky issue because KTRU's current license is for English broadcasts only.
Campbell also mentioned that a committee similar to what is proposed already exists in a different form . At the time of the station's founding, a committee known as the FM Committee was set up.
Article AH-1 of the Student Association By-Laws designates the FM Committee's purpose as "determining the general programming and operating policies of KTRU." The committee is composed of the university president, KTRU's faculty adviser, a member of the Association of Rice Alumni, the station manager and a KTRU staff member appointed by the station manager. In addition, the SA president is an ex-officio member. The FM Committee has not met since 1991, according to SA President Maryana Iskander.
Bill Wilson, KTRU's faculty sponsor, said, "[Director of Student Activities] Sarah Nelson Crawford and I have been keeping abreast of station activities, and since there were no major policy decisions to be made, there was no need to convene the FM Committee.
"As per the charter, the FM Committee deals with overall policy issues and lets the students run the station otherwise," Wilson said.
President Malcolm Gillis said that the new KTRU committee will actually exist for the purpose of advising him as to KTRU's future, and it will examine the station in all aspects. "There is no hidden agenda here," Gillis said. "This committee will look at much more than programming and operations; it will look at KTRU as an asset to the university." The committee, Gillis said, is not meant to govern KTRU so much as to make recommendations.
Serving on the committee will be two undergraduate students -- one of which must have KTRU experience -- and one graduate student, plus two alumni, four faculty, four staff members and one member of the Board of Governors.
This item appeared in the News section of the May 17, 1996 issue.
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