Photo by Clara Pettem

Promotion director Sean Davis (left) and Nate Harris drape the KVCU banner in what used to be the KUCB station

CU students
lead the way
for 'Revolution'
By Chris Joeckel

Nov. 4, 1998, was a landmark day in the history of the University of Colorado as its fledgling Front Range radio station took to the air.

Broadcasting at 5,000 watts in the day and 110 watts at night, KVCU, known as "Radio 1190 — The AM Revolution," hit the airwaves. Before the Dec. 30, 1997, donation of the station by Jacor Communications, CU's only radio station was unlicensed KUCB, an FM-cable outlet heard only in the dorms or through a local cable provider.

With a listening area that spans from Castle Rock to Fort Collins, KVCU will project the CU-Boulder campus along much of the Front Range.

Photo courtesy Larry Harwood/The Carillon

Andrew Murphy works the KVCU Switchboard

"It's a mix of news, information and music," Musil said. "It's sort of close to MTV — not in the music we play, but MTV is largely seen as a music station, yet they have so many other things and they tackle issues, and they do it in sort of a fresh, different way."

KVCU covers CU sports, but because of its increased frequency range, it doesn't do live CU football or basketball games; KOA radio in Denver holds broadcast rights. KVCU sports director Jordan Maness said the station continues to incorporate sports into its programming.

"We do sports talk shows and report on the sports events," Maness said. "We are still going to get the experience by going and covering the games, but we just won't be able to broadcast the games live."

The station is staffed by student volunteers. It is operated by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, so students could soon begin to earn credit for their work at KVCU.

Photo courtesy Larry Harwood/The Carillon

Dean Rowland talks to News Director Amy Nigrini

In addition to the $145,000 the station will receive this year from student fees and the office of Chancellor Richard Byyny, KVCU was recently granted $325,763 from a 1994 student referendum. Because this money was originally intended for buying a transmitter, students agreed to allocate the funds to the new station for capital expenses only.

Musil said he hopes to use the money to replace the Jacor-donated transmitter within the next five years.

In the future, KVCU will rely on underwriting, grants and fund raising for financial support."We are getting quite a bit of money donated from friends of the University and alumni," Musil said