19
Aug
2010
- Rice University is trying to sell KTRU 91.7 FM's license and transmitter! We need your help to keep independent, locally programmed student-run radio on Houston's airwaves.
Please see the How to Help page and follow our easy steps for saving KTRU! Thanks! Stay in touch
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Of KTRU:
Rice owes it to the mutual owner of the station, and the reason for the station to begin with: the Student body of Rice University (and Alumni) to PRESERVE this form of access and the unique programming which has come through KTRU
Both UH and RICE owe it to Houston and the surrounding area communities to preserve this UNIQUE, NONcommercial station for Talk AND Music programs on FM radio
Imagine hearing NOTHING on KTRU…that is what would be happening for the community that has developed on the FM air waves at KTRU
To HOUSTON: We cannot afford to lose ANY of our THREE NONcommercial stations
Some of the UH directors(and others who kept this arrangement in privacy) do NOT have the arts communities and the listenership which make radio stations unique.
A UH director has complained about this decision to buy KTRU, but his/her comments belie the underlying severity of the problem. The comment goes something to this effect: ~KUHF does not bear the
name or promotional qualities needed for UH, thus a radio station would not be a good investment
Renu Khator stated something to the effect that this purchase of KTRU will be “a contribution to the arts”
— if UH believes this, then it should act to preserve the VERY limited diversity that is Houston’s 3 NONcommercial radio stations
She has also spoke of having two stations would help to get ~”tier 1″ status for UH.
Houston must NOT sacrifice its artistic diversity through radio community outreach in planning to attain higher distinguishing accomplishments.
I personally applaud the UH and RU negotiation. The Houston community as a whole will benefit more so from NPR, PRI, and local news than by the current line-up of pretentious art that today’s KTRU tries to perpetuate. 🙂
I agree with Tzil. Houston is not losing a radio station. It is gaining more programming, than someone’s IPOD playlist. The fact that ratings are absent or unmeasurable for KTRU should be a huge wake up call. The purpose of radio is broadcast. If no one is listening, then something needs to change (and this does not include current or former DJs of KTRU. To reach this small audience, a podcast would serve the listener better). I applaud Rice and UH for finally doing what should have been done years ago. It is a gift Houston can actually use.
I started listening to KTRU in the mid-90s, continued listening on-line while attending college out of state and then while working abroad, and currently I am happy to be able to listen during my daily commute to the med-center.
Please do not let this unique and valuable part of Houston’s culture be diminished in any way.
Shem: “The fact that ratings are absent or unmeasurable for KTRU should be a huge wake up call.”
Actually, all that means is that KTRU, being a noncommercial radio station, doesn’t use the Arbitron ID tag in its broadcasts, since Arbitron costs money and only really benefits stations who want advertisers.
Y’know who else doesn’t show up in the most recent Arbitron list I’ve seen? KPFT, KACC, KTSU, and, lo and behold, KUHF, the very station that supposedly has so many more listeners than KTRU. And I’d be willing to bet that it’s because those are *all* noncommercial stations who don’t get regular ad revenue.
The Rice administration (and you) pointing to KTRU “not registering” in Arbitron’s ratings is a bunch of crap intended to make it look like they’re doing the students a favor by selling off an “under-utilized” resource. It’s a total and complete fabrication. The reality is that *nobody* knows what the actual numbers are for KTRU’s audience.
Jeremy,you need to get your facts straight.
Actually, KTRU does encode for Arbitron and this has been previously stated by their engineer publically. And Arbitron provided the encoders to the stations, no charge.
KUHF and KPFT do show up in the ratings. Almost 371,000 weekly cume for KUHF, around 81,000 for KPFT. KTSU has quite a large audience as well, aproximately 250,000. KTRU—Nothing. And it has nothing to do with non-commercial or not. Even the religous stations have a measured audience.