17
Aug
2010
Save KTRU! Sign the Petition!
Click here to sign the Online Petition!
Excerpted:
KTRU is a Houston institution. Without it, one of Houston’s most precious independent media sources is gone, and Rice and the city lose a great asset.
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Don’t let Rice sell KTRU!
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It’s so sad when MBAs take over a university. They sell a long-term valuable property for short term money. The loss lasts forever, the money does not.
Does Houston really need another NPR station? A satellite run station pushing out students and a unique identity and tradition? Houston, you have a problem!
Response to president of Rice University on notice of termination of KTRU.
Sorry David but I do lament this decision. Some of the most creative people at Rice in the 70’s and 80’s were DJ’s at KTRU. This is an important avenue and expression outlet for creative music and journalistic reporting. I may agree it was underutilized but my challenge to you if to consider how much of that was do to undersupport of the administration. I do realize the world is changing but I hope this is not a backlash against a “leftist Leaning Liberal college radio station’. KTRU kept a numer of students sane and probably saved lives and college careers of many. To take the measly $9.5 million legacy of KTRU and put it into the side building project capital fund for a :”servery” is an affront to all Rice Alumni.
Dont insult your alumni base, take that money and fund permanent blog reporting and creative music, and journalism programs at rice for the students. Pay for cafeteria annexes out of the building fund. Truly insulting.
Dont ignore the legacy of KTRU.
Do a better job and research the legacy of KTRU so you understand what you have killed.
You may now force me to to start a blog against any future alumni donations to the permanent fund until KTRU services in kind are restored to the studen body.
Please reconsider at least part of your decision. The priorities as outlined dont respect KTRU’s legacy.
John Bins, P.E.
Baker 83
Hello Fellow Listeners
I was born and raised in Houston Texas. I have been living in Buenos Aires Argentina for the past 4 years, and everyday I listen to KTRU through the internet, and I believe it to be one of the best things to come out of Houston. Its a beautiful station, perhaps I cannot stand every song they put on, I love thier openess and variety. PLEASE DONT GO KTRU!!!
I cannot believe it has come to this. KTRU is only public radio station in Houston that I listen to. KPFT has changed so much over the years it no longer holds any interest. I can’t stand commercial radio with its inane commercials that repeat telephone numbers ad nauseum. KUHF is fine if you want to listen to classical music. But KTRU is the only station that broadcasts truly new and adventurous music to Houston.
Houston doesn’t need another 24 hour news station. It looks like it is a done deal now. All that is left for KTRU is internet radio.
This marks an end to an era for Rice, KTRU, and Houston.
Henry Schneider
Space Physics and Astronomy 1975
WE MUST SAVE IT!!!!!!
I think this is probably the best decision for KTRU, which has been struggling in the new media environment, even more than ever. It is great for Houston, which will get a full time public radio news outlet, in addition to added HD channels on both stations for even more services. With students listening more on the ‘net than over the air, this is a logical step for Rice. The students will gain more experience with paid internships, and more freedom of expression they love without the FCC baggage of rules and regs.
I signed the petition, and it asked me for a donation. Is the donation thing a legitimate part of this movement to save KTRU? Or is it a Petition Spot thing to defray their costs? It really wasn’t clear.
@Kat – I’m not aware of any donations being involved. It may be something unrelated on the petition site. Someone else who knows more about the petition set-up may want to jump in, though….
@admin — thanks. Whoever set up the petition site might want to look into that right away. At the time that I signed the petition yesterday, it looked like a fair number of people had already given donations.
I suggest that in dealing with the administration emphasis should be placed on the shoddy way this has been handled. No doubt the board is convinced that it’s decision is appropriate, and to be fair, there are some decent arguments in support of the sale. However, there are NO good arguments for leaving the Rice community out of the decision process. Many elements of this issue are complex and open to debate, but acting without consulting the community is black and white–it’s a mistake. The administration knows this. Leebron already offers a weak apology in his letter. Thus the best bet for action is to emphasize this mistake loudly and repeatedly. Here is my letter to the president:
Dear President Leebron,
I was a grad student at Rice from 1994 to 2001. I’m disappointed to hear that there is once again controversy on campus over the radio station. I do not know whether the proposed asset sale is right or wrong, however, it’s abundantly clear that the issue is being handled poorly.
In 2004 when Rice was faced with hard questions about the future of its athletics program, the McKinsey report was made available to all members of the community. That was a smart move. I’m sure it wasn’t easy, and I’m sure it generated lots of heated debate, but it was the right way to proceed. Decisions behind closed doors strike everyone in the wrong way, even those who might be inclined to agree with the action.
I have no doubt that the board has made this decision with the best possible intentions. But President Bush took us to Iraq with the best possible intentions. Indeed, I suspect that the “corruption” that comes from power is little more than a too confident belief in one’s own perspective.
When you write that confidential negotiations were a necessity I feel sorrow. I do not believe you. I want to, but I can’t.
You have a made a mistake, but there is still time to right this error. I encourage you to postpone the sale and open the issue to campus wide discussion. Let the stakeholders be informed. If the sale is appropriate then this will become apparent, and it can be done with a clear conscience.
Sincerely,
Curtis Haaga
PS-If you’re curious about the McKinsey report it’s still online at
http://professor.rice.edu/images/professor/report.pdf
Among the more interesting facts is that in 2004 Rice had athletics related expenditures of 12 million and income of only 2 million. That means athletics was costing 10 million a year (which is the reason for the report). These figures help to put the 9.5 million in perspective.
@ curtis–that is both an excellent letter and an excellent strategy, thank you.
@ fred–very confused by your post (paid internships?) but it does get me thinking–why does an NPR station have to poach a fellow non-profit frequency? why couldn’t it look for less gentle/vulnerable prey? there are a couple sites up about this very problem (NPR ate my local public radio station, for example), so we’re not alone…