U of H looking to purchase radio station to supplement KUHF

[johndavis]

Whats wrong with TSU? It has the state's second or third best law school.

From a 2007 Texas Monthly article:

Texas Southern University, its supporters frequently say, was created to fail. That it has succeeded all too well in this mission is one of the saddest stories in Texas. Now in its sixtieth year, it has hardly known a time when its fiscal affairs were not in chaos, when its board of regents was not dysfunctional, when its graduation rate was not shockingly low, and when exasperated white politicians in Austin were not talking about putting it under a conservatorship or ending its status as an independent institution...

http://www.texasmonthly.com/preview/2007-08-01/btl

 

[yragha]

And I wouldn't be at all surprised if all UH football and basketball games follow the all-news station, moving from 790AM.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I think we can forget about separate programming on the 91.5 translator. The first adjacent spacing was only allowed because it was co-owned with the primary, which was willing to allow any slopover issues in the reception area for 91.5, along with the programming being identical. Separate programming on 91.7 and 91.5 would enhance interference issues in the area around Rice University. So 91.5 will either simulcast KUHC, or be shut down.

Although, I will admit, on a decent receiver, the separation issue is irrelevant. In the Rice Stadium parking lot I can receive both 91.7 and 91.5 quite well with no slopover issues, and that's on a run-of-the-mill car radio. Crummy radios in that area would have problems separating the two.

 

[Mediafrog+]

For those of you interested in trying to save KTRU, they are having a rally tonight at 7pm on the campus. Also a website has been set up at www.savektru.org to blog about the possible sale.

The "Save KTRU" effort will have the same amount of success that the "Save KIKK" and "Save Rock 101" petitions had. ;D

 

[stan]

Rice might as well sell the school as well as the radio station. ;D

 

[KTN Corp]

From a 2007 Texas Monthly article:

Texas Southern University, its supporters frequently say, was created to fail. That it has succeeded all too well in this mission is one of the saddest stories in Texas. Now in its sixtieth year, it has hardly known a time when its fiscal affairs were not in chaos, when its board of regents was not dysfunctional, when its graduation rate was not shockingly low, and when exasperated white politicians in Austin were not talking about putting it under a conservatorship or ending its status as an independent institution...

http://www.texasmonthly.com/preview/2007-08-01/btl

Don't forget about the 80's too!  One more Priscilla Slade shopping in the town Neiman Marcus within the next 20 years and the Legislature might want to end the ordeal and nip the problem in the bud by finding a reputably managed university to take over.  Three Strikes is a popular concept in the Legislature.

Luckily KIKK wasn't being given away by CBS (but that might be the third station for student-run programming if they do).  The Board of Regents has high taste in searching and acquiring an FM station instead of an AM station (maybe audiophilia or a DXing is a hobby for one or more of the regents).

 

[johndavis]

And I wouldn't be at all surprised if all UH football and basketball games follow the all-news station, moving from 790AM.

That's about as likely to happen as all UH football and basketball games being televised on KUHT.

 

[mrbeasley]

The "Save KTRU" crowd of students is about to get a dose of the reality of the broadcasting business. Stations are bought and sold all the time. And, the end result is almost never what the staff (or listeners) wants or thinks it should be. Sitting around belly-aching about it , or starting a petition drive, won't change a thing.

At least they can still operate a student internet station. And, if they put a good product together, instead of that awful chinese or middle eastern crap they play at night; maybe another station will pick them up and put them on their HD-2. Judging from what is out there on the commercial HD-2s right now; I'm sure one them would welcome some quality content.

 

[TexasTuner]

Re: What about 91.5 translator?

YEs, KROI and KTRU are short spaced. KTRU used to "boast" that it had less wattage than a microwave, back when it was running under 500 watts (not sure what the wattage was) but then the owners of 92.1 wanted to up their power and some deal was brokered where the 92.1 folks basically paid for the KTRU upgrade to 50,000 watts and the move of the KTRU transmitter to a site in or near Humble. As a Rice alum, I am saddened by the loss of KTRU but Rice University never deliberately set out to operate a 50,000 watt radio station.

What about the 91.5 translator operated by Rice? Is there any way they could keep that open, or can that not be used for independent programming? What about getting a low power FM just for the campus?

It was Mike Stude (the original owner of KRTS 92.1) that made all of that happen. He's the one that bought Rice a new transmitter site, paid for all of the work (legal and otherwise), and even agreed to pay Rice's light bill at the transmitter site for a period of time (I think it was something like ten years). So KTRU got upgraded from a low power low height class A, to a fully spaced C2 in order to accomodate KRTS' upgrade from an A to (eventually) a C1 from their new site north of Angleton. Both stations made out on this deal, and as history's about to prove, money spent back then will have been returned many times over by the end of this year. KTRS (now KROI) and KTRU tower sites are 65+ miles appart per FCC spacing requirements-that's why KTRU is up north, and the old KRTS is way down south.

 

[HoustonListener]

I wonder what KUHF is going to do with its HD -2 stream now. Now they program classical music during the news on the main channel, and news/talk/public affairs during classical music on the main channel, but with the purchase of KTRU I assume that they will migrate the news/talk stuff to KUHF as they move all the classical music to the KTRU/KUHC frequency. What will they have left to run on the HD-2 channel? OR do they have new stuff?
I

 

[Interstate4Jammer]

As many of you are probably aware, the reason for this signal shakeup is simple: It will allow the station(s) to increase memberships/contributors. Here in the Tampa/St. Petersburg market, the same thing will happen September 15, as NPR affiliate WUSF-FM will begin it's control of what had been Sarasota-based Christian station WSMR-FM (89.1). This will allow WUSF (89.7) to air NPR programming during the day, with jazz at night; WSMR would air classical music full time with it's local content supplemented by NPR's Classical 24 service.

From the August 4 St. Petersburg Times:

WUSF general manager JoAnn Urofsky said the moves are an investment in the public radio station's future, expanding their potential audience by 500,000 people and expanding programs for news and information fans -- which tend to outnumber classical music fans at public radio stations across the country...

At a time when the economy has battered stations which rely on listener contributions like WUSF, Urofsky is hoping the larger footprint of two station will bring more contributors to fund the increased programming costs and WSMR purchase.

 

[FilioScotia]

Houston and Tampa/St. Pete ? --- hmmm

WUSF at the University of South Florida buys another FM to split its news and music programming. Now comes KUHF doing the same thing.

Care to guess what else WUSF and KUHF have in common? More correct, WHO they have in common?

Dr. Renu Khator. She was Senior Vice President and Provost at USF before she became President and System Chancellor at U of Houston several years ago.

Coincidence? You decide.

 

[fredcantu]

Re: What about 91.5 translator?

that's why KTRU is up north, and the old KRTS is way down south.

IIRC-- KRTS was way down south because it started off as a little class A licensed to Seabrook.

 

[johndavis]

Re: Houston and Tampa/St. Pete ? --- hmmm

WUSF at the University of South Florida buys another FM to split its news and music programming. Now comes KUHF doing the same thing.

Care to guess what else WUSF and KUHF have in common? More correct, WHO they have in common?

Dr. Renu Khator. She was Senior Vice President and Provost at USF before she became President and System Chancellor at U of Houston several years ago.

Coincidence? You decide.

I know what you're trying to say, but my hunch is coincidence.

Pretty much every NPR station in the country has been moving towards this model ever since stations like WBUR and WAMU found success with it in the 1990's. Why else have NPR stations been pioneers of multicasting with HD? The prevalent thought was that once HD takes off, you could put the talk (which attracts a younger, lucrative audience) on the main channel and move the music (which attracts an older, but still important audience) on the subchannels and make both audiences happy.

Only problem is, the only people who own HD radios work for radio stations, and it's really tough to buy one. Last week's Radio World had a spectacular rant from WOR's Tom Ray (who engineered if not the first, an early HD radio station) detailing his frustration in trying to buy a factory HD Radio in his new Ford Escape.

So, if the future of public radio is to serve both the fine arts and news/talk audience full time and the public is slow to adopt HD radio, then you have to acquire more than one station and serve it up in glorious analog. Which is exactly what Colorado Public Radio, Vermont Public Radio, and many others have been doing for several years.

Rice put KTRU on the market. If UH didn't buy it, it would probably be poised right now to be the flagship of KSBJ's forthcoming youth-targeted format. But the seeds for KUHF acquiring another station were sown long before Dr. Khator moved to Houston.

 

[johndavis]

I wonder what KUHF is going to do with its HD -2 stream now. Now they program classical music during the news on the main channel, and news/talk/public affairs during classical music on the main channel, but with the purchase of KTRU I assume that they will migrate the news/talk stuff to KUHF as they move all the classical music to the KTRU/KUHC frequency. What will they have left to run on the HD-2 channel? OR do they have new stuff?

From the FAQ I just found on KUHF's website:

Will I be able to hear classical music on 88.7 FM?

* Classical music will be heard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on KUHC Classical 91.7 FM and online at www.kuhc.org, and on 88.7’s HD Channel 2.

Makes sense, as 88.7 HD2 is strongest where 91.7 is weakest.

 

[FilioScotia]

I know what you're trying to say, but my hunch is coincidence.

I was just making some feeble humor, and I succeeded. It was pretty feeble.

I know and I agree. Everything you say is true. What's happening with KUHF and KTRU is the wave of the future for stations that want news AND arts programming.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Re: Houston and Tampa/St. Pete ? --- hmmm

Rice put KTRU on the market. If UH didn't buy it, it would probably be poised right now to be the flagship of KSBJ's forthcoming youth-targeted format. But the seeds for KUHF acquiring another station were sown long before Dr. Khator moved to Houston.

Wonder if KSBJ was ever in discussions with Rice for the station? You know they've wanted a second outlet for many years now. What is the status of KSBJ's youth effort?

But you're right, it is probably surprising that KTRU didn't wind up as another EMF satellator station.

* Classical music will be heard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on KUHC Classical 91.7 FM and online at www.kuhc.org, and on 88.7’s HD Channel 2.

The www.kuhc.org site appears to already exist, but you need a password to access it. Probably will go live soon as a run up to the actual station launch.

 

[johndavis]

Re: Houston and Tampa/St. Pete ? --- hmmm

What is the status of KSBJ's youth effort?

Last I heard, the studios are under construction now and it's expected to hit the air in the fall.

 

[purpledevil]

Re: Houston and Tampa/St. Pete ? --- hmmm

What is the status of KSBJ's youth effort?

Last I heard, the studios are under construction now and it's expected to hit the air in the fall.

Where on earth would this end up on the Houston dial? Is the KSBJ youth format going to be a commercial station or a non-comm?

Noticed yesterday that there are no DJ's left on KTRU, wall to wall music, and a simple "You are listening to KTRU-Houston" every top of the hour.
Has anyone noticed that 91.7 is now running in mono? Why has that happened? Is it that much of a power saving measure?

 

[johndavis]

Re: Houston and Tampa/St. Pete ? --- hmmm

What is the status of KSBJ's youth effort?

Last I heard, the studios are under construction now and it's expected to hit the air in the fall.

Where on earth would this end up on the Houston dial? Is the KSBJ youth format going to be a commercial station or a non-comm?

Noticed yesterday that there are no DJ's left on KTRU, wall to wall music, and a simple "You are listening to KTRU-Houston" every top of the hour.
Has anyone noticed that 91.7 is now running in mono? Why has that happened? Is it that much of a power saving measure?

Based on what they've put on Facebook, the KSBJ youth format will run on 89.3 HD2 and it will be non-commercial. They already have an iPhone and Android app for KSBJ, so adding one of each for this format is a no-brainer. Whether or not it will end up on any of the other signals they own, I don't know.

The DJ's are at KTRU today. If nobody is scheduled or if the scheduled person doesn't show, they run automation, and that's what "Robo" sounds like.

If 91.7 is truly running in mono, it's not intentional. Outside of the studio equipment that was donated earlier this year, most of KTRU's equipment was state of the art in 1983. Old stuff breaks.