It’s only too bad that we weren’t quite fast enough to pass the tax last year – but then again, it seems very unlikely that winning two-thirds of the vote would have changed anything about the sale, considering the administrators’ blatant disregard of student opinion when they can get away with it. They are, after all, “all the time acting like an enterprise,” as Leebron said, and student input apparently weighs very little in the scales of business. Please prevent the administration from getting away with this sale, for even if KTRU means nothing to you, the next atrocity might hit closer to your heart – visit www.savektru.org to see what you can do to help.

Carina Baskett
Martel ’10
former KTRU DJ director

Read the full article here.

I recently heard about the planned sale of KTRU, and applaud your efforts to save it.  I was a KTRU disc jockey from 1979-1982, and it was a great experience.  While many college radio stations allow some student involvement, KTRU was unusual in that it was completely student run, and open to everyone.

During my first semester at Rice, a fellow student at Hanszen College talked a lot about KTRU, and I remember thinking, “I’ve got to try that!”  This was unusual for me, because I have a fairly quiet personality, and a radio show is a sort of public performance.  The audience isn’t right in your face, though, and I loved the idea of having a musical conversation with them.  Back in those days, the FCC required DJs to have a license (third class radiotelephone operator license with broadcast endorsement), so I checked out a bicycle from the Hanszen bike room and rode it downtown to a government office where I could take the test.  Within a few weeks, I had mastered the basics at the station and I was on the air.  How many 18-year-olds get that opportunity?

Did I mention that it was a lot of fun?  I even ended up playing a regular part in a silly comedy series.   President Leebron’s letter to alumni hinted that KTRU has outlived its usefulness, but I find that hard to believe.  It got me involved in both the Rice community and the greater Houston community in a way that simply wouldn’t have happened otherwise.  And I truly believe that KTRU has been good for the community outside the Rice hedges as well.  It provides a level of diversity that commercial stations will never match.  Its value is primarily cultural, not academic or financial, and is not fully appreciated by President Leebron and the Board of Trustees.

I can’t say I’m surprised.  For decades now, Rice University’s leaders have been chronically insecure about its prestige and reputation.  Rice students don’t have this problem, but the Board of Trustees does.  They desperately want Rice to be always mentioned in the same breath with Harvard and M.I.T., and are willing to pay any price necessary to get there.  Their core strategy has been to add more graduate programs and top research talent so that Rice can make national news more often with announcements of exciting research discoveries.  That’s not inherently bad, but it comes at a price.  It takes a lot of money to fuel that growth.  They’ve been able to raise some of it by increasing tuition and the undergraduate population, but they are always hungry for more.

Of course, Rice isn’t only as good as Harvard or M.I.T., it is in some ways actually better.  There are many reasons, but some of my favorites are Rice’s small size, unique culture, and historical emphasis on the undergraduate experience.  KTRU is a beautiful example of Rice’s culture, but the trustees don’t care about that.  To them, it is simply a $9.5 million asset that isn’t making Rice famous.  Their quest for world recognition has required many sacrifices in what were once Rice’s core values, and you may be sure that more such sacrifices are planned for the years ahead.  If there were a way for them to sell Beer-Bike for $9.5 million, they would do so with no regrets.  Yes, change is inevitable, and Rice needs to keep moving forward, but some traditions really are worth keeping.

Greg Cagle
Hanszen 1982
KTRU 1979-1982

Faculty, students and alumni from both sides are outraged at both UH and Rice administration’s secrecy. Since the news broke on Aug. 17, Rice students and KTRU supporters have risen up in protest with rallies, meetings and petitions. Now some of UH is stepping up to show the administrations that Rice students aren’t the only ones opposed to the sale.

A group of UH alumni and students have created their own online petition specifically targeting President Renu Khator and the UH administration for their involvement in the “secret deal” to buy KTRU.

In the petition it states, “by voting to authorize the purchase of KTRU without informing students or the general public prior to the vote, we believe that the UH Board of Regents failed in its responsibility as the governing body of a public institution to keep the community informed of important University decisions.”

UH and Rice alumni have voiced their intent to cut funding to the universities if the deal goes through.

“I love public radio, but Houston needs the diversity of KTRU,” Christopher Spadone wrote on the petition’s website.

Read the full article here.

In 1967, students at Rice University set up a two-watt radio station, broadcasting news, music and covering notable local events. Over the past forty-three years, the station has grown to a 50,000-watt powerhouse, a model for college programmers everywhere, and the greater Houston area’s alternative to the Clear Channel, Z-Rock, Power Country wasteland that is American radio today.

The station was built by the students, was grown by the students and is maintained by the students and a large community of supportive listeners throughout the Houston area.

… university president David Leebron entered secret negotiations to sell the station’s broadcasting license and frequency to the University of Houston, which would relegate KTRU to internet-only status. But Rice students and fans of radio diversity are having none of it.

Students have organized a strong effort to block the sale of the license. They are supported not only by the larger community, but even students at the University of Houston, who like KTRU’s eclectic programming just the way it is.

In an era where culture is dictated and airwave diversity is shrinking, please help maintain this bastion of aural freedom.

Read the full article here.

As a longtime Houston Music Professional, former staff of alternative weekly “Public News,” co-founder of the Houston Music Council and former Talent Buyer for Fitzgerald’s nightclub, I feel I have strong standing and an opinion to be valued in this matter. Having represented musical artists from Houston, two of which were voted “Band Of The Year,” I must make the point that the success of these were due in large part to exposure and support by KTRU. Without such a venue, promotion of young and new artists from our area will suffer greatly, if not falter.

College Radio has been the proving ground for new music/performance artists in the U.S. for decades.

While KACC 89.7FM, the Alvin Community College station, does provide some limited local artist support, their signal footprint does not reach a majority of the Houston listening area AND does not subscribe to a “college” radio format. Rather the majority of their airtime is devoted to “out of copyright/royalty reach” classic/old rock. KPFT 90.1FM by non-profit status charter must divide their airtime among community/public affairs programming which is then again subdivided into cultures and issues. The total “music” airtime is thereby severely limited and even that is mostly relegated to folk/country/singer-songwriter fare with only ONE two-hour show per week strictly devoted to NEW artists. Most of the other music programming is at least fifty percent “old copyright/royalty free” content if not more.

The sale of KTRU, our last remaining, nationally recognized and lauded “college” radio stations to KUHF, another Houston market university who by the way has no plans to retain the format, much less integrate station operation with any part of the student curriculum or utilization as an educational entity as KTRU has always maintained, is a non-starter. KUHF even recently gave up its NPR subscription to UPenn’s World Cafe show!

When it comes to the consolidation of media outlets in our multi-million consumer market of Houston, there is great danger in reduction of diversity. Our vast physical and listener market represents one of the World’s most internationally populated multi-cultures. KTRU’s format has always recognized and honored this community as reflected by various music shows. From Reggae, to Americana, to Experimental, and Hardcore the offerings provide something for just about everyone. Not to mention the recent live symphony programming of Classical concerts offered through Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

Broadcast radio may seem to be in a technological decline, but I assure you that most of us cannot afford subscription satellite radio. We are in strong local (with even some international and a great deal of Alumni) support, when we say we treasure KTRU.

The corporate university entities went about this transaction under veil of utter secrecy, perhaps in violation of the law, because they knew there would be a huge public outcry against the sale. That alone should speak volumes to the FCC and give cause to reconsider permitting the sale. Please do exactly that. Please block the sale and preserve what little remains of the diversity of our media culture in Houston.

Thank You,
Melissa C

Come out and support KTRU at two benefit shows:

Thursday, September 9, 9:00 p.m.
Fat Tony, Giant Princess, & B L A C K I E
Rice Memorial Center, Grand Hall
Rice University (campus map)
free! all ages!

Friday, September 24
Golden Axe, The Roller, The Energy, Venomous Maximus, Omatai, 2 Star Symphony, & DJ Meshak
Fitzgerald’s
$5 (free for 21 and up / 10% proceeds go to save KTRU)

On Saturday 9/4 at 8PM, a group of KTRU DJs, alumni, and student leaders discussed KTRU’s mission and history vis-a-vis the recent sale controversy.

Download a recording of their discussion.

Run time: 78min
File size: 38MB (mp3)

View the forum on the rtv5 website.

A group of UH alumni is organizing a petition addressed to the UH administration. UH students, alumni, faculty and staff are especially encouraged to sign, but signatures are welcome from everyone who cares about KTRU and wants to share their opinion with the UH administration. Sign the petition.

I just received an e-mail from Rice President David Leebron explaining the sale of KTRU’s spectrum, transmitter, and antenna to the University of Houston. This will give KUHF two powerful transmitters for their NPR and classical music snoozefest, replacing the eclectic voice of Rice. Leebron pointed out that KTRU’s Arbitron numbers were invisible, that the $9.5 million from the sale would help fund the new East Servery (kitchen), and that the station would continue on the Internet at ktru.org.

I was a KTRU DJ from 1979 to 1981 and I helped install the new antenna on top of Sid Rich that finally got the signal beyond the hedges.

I sent him this reply.

Something important has been lost—students volunteering their time to operate a station that meets FCC regulations. An internet station cannot provide that. It is the difference between playing sports in a refereed league that enforces penalties and a pickup game on the quad. This is the same as dropping a varsity sport and pretending that intramural sports are the same thing. No one fines you $7000 per swear word on the internet.

Taking on real responsibility outside of class should be available to every undergraduate at Rice. I was on the Will Rice Diet, The Thresher, and at KTRU and I learned different things at each of them. When Rice gives up one of those opportunities, the undergrads lose out. You cannot measure the undergraduate experience with Arbitron.

I’m glad that my efforts to make KTRU successful have been so profitable for Rice, because I’m not inclined to donate again. I hope my college mates at Will Rice enjoy the new 91.7 Memorial Servery.

wunder
Walter Underwood
Will Rice 1981

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Dear President Leebron and the Honorable Members of the Board;

I know you have received many letters on this subject, so I’ll attempt to be brief. I love Rice University and would not be the person I am today if I had matriculated at any other school. I write to let you know that you have made a grave mistake both by authorizing the sale of KTRU and the manner in which you have handled this transaction.

When I was a high school senior in the mid 90s in suburban Houston, I stumbled upon KTRU. They were playing the song “Underground” by the group Ben Folds Five, and I fell instantly in love with the shambolic song and station. It would be several years before commercial stations throughout the country would catch on and make the band a household name. I decided to see the group in concert. Not knowing any other fans of the band and not wanting to go entirely alone, I reached out to a message board and was instantly befriended by a group of Rice students, many of whom also happened to be KTRU DJs. They were intelligent and quirky and creative and basically everything I, a somewhat dorky high schooler, wanted to be. To this day, 14 years later, that group includes some of my best friends.

When it came time to go to college, I was choosing between Rice and some other schools that frankly were more affordable. But I had already met the kind of students that attend Rice, and listened frequently to the eclectic and broadening and do-it-yourself student-run radio station that called out to all of Houston: “This is what Rice is about.” I knew that Rice was the only place I could really see myself.

And that proved to be entirely true. Rice was such a welcoming environment for intelligent, different, open minded people and encouraged one and all to get involved and expand their limits. Despite having no background in theatre, I performed in and directed several plays. I never played highschool sports, but was on dozens of intramural teams. I had no background in student government, but became president of Wiess College. And I definitely had no broadcast experience, but there was KTRU, student run and operated and a place where I literally found my voice.

And that, by anecdote, is what is unique about Rice. There are a lot of good academic schools in America and in Texas, of which Rice is one. But there are no schools that I know of that encourage or even allow that kind of expansion of who you were to who you can become as a person.

That is no longer the case. With your sale of KTRU, you have signaled that the institutions that made Rice unique are for sale to the highest bidder, without notice and without paying any respect to the intelligence or hard work of the students. KTRU as a web-only presence will whither and die on the vine without the community that terrestrial radio provides, or the music and access to artists provided by record labels to FM stations. Some people came to Rice strictly because of KTRU; others came to Rice because it was the kind of school where student-driven institutions such as KTRU could exist in the first place. Nonetheless, you have determined that it was an “underutilized asset” and it has been sold off like so much chattel. It’s reasonable for any other organization on campus to wonder who may be next.

There’s little I can say about the sale of KTRU that hasn’t already been written to you more eloquently, or with more detailed analysis of why a student built and operated station run on donated equipment isn’t yours to sell, or why the secretive nature of the sale is such a betrayal of the student trust.

I write to tell you this: Given the extreme cost to attend the university (somewhere over $45,000 per year for undergrads), I can’t imagine recommending to anyone that the school is worth the price, or that it provides an environment for learning that is much different or more special than its rivals. I also can’t imagine supporting the school with donations after the callous and disrespectful way that it has sold off an institution built up by the labor of its students and donors with only the flimsiest of pretenses. If a capital campaign to fund the new serveries failed to meet its objectives, why must students pay the price?

It’s painful to write this, because I loved Rice and did all I could to shout that love from the rooftops. But the Rice that I felt that way about seems to now be gone.

Sincerely,

Joshua Katz
Wiess ‘01

I am a proud alum because Rice University is not like any other school. Rice attracts some of the most intelligent, capable, mature and well-rounded people in the world. By excluding them from the KTRU decision-making process, President Leebron and the board have communicated to all of us that they don’t trust the students to be discrete, mature and adult. If we cannot trust Leebron and the administration to understand this on relatively small issues like what to do about KTRU, why should we trust him to make the larger decisions affecting the larger Rice community we care so much about?

Doug Farry is a former Will Rice College president (’92).

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This week’s Student Association meeting introduced a resolution entitled “To Disapprove of the Secretive Process Employed During the sale of KTRU-FM; To call for a Collaborative Dialogue between Student Stakeholders and the Rice Administration” (see story, page 11). … [T]he SA’s support of student organizations is commendable. Though they are understandably powerless to take any action stronger than passing a non-binding resolution, their demand that “the Rice administration provide a concrete assurance … that the decision to confidentially appraise and sell KTRU-FM was indeed not a precedent” properly engages decision-makers to come to the table and share future plans with the student body. In a place where institutional memories rarely reach back further than four years, it is important that the administration carve in stone their commitment to students.

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“We’re really disappointed,” Yang said. “So many students came out with questions for the administration, and they weren’t here to answer them.” Director of National Media Relations David Ruth said that instead of attending the forum, Rice administrators will continue to meet with KTRU and various student leaders about their concerns and future opportunities. Yang and KTRU Music Director Kevin Bush were seated at the front of the auditorium alongside two empty chairs that were marked for “Administration Representative[s].”

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