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University of Washington Assigns KEXP license to "Friends of KEXP"

F

FMSteve

Just when you thought nobody was looking, the UW assigns it's KEXP license to "Friends of KEXP", a non-profit corporation formed to benefit.......KEXP. But why? And furthermore, isn't that the final nail in the coffin of the Husky ASUW KCMU? KCMU (KEXP) was originally formed as a 10 watt class D station to benefit the STUDENTS at the University of Washington. Then Paul Allen gave them some money, moved down to Dexter, and affiliated with Allen's EXP museum.

But what about the UW students? They got royally screwed in the process. As a consolation prize, the UW Bothell campus recently obtained an LPFM license. Look for a Bothell operation soon to a radio near you on 104.9 FM.

But let's get back to the assignment news. So why did the UW pull the trigger? Attached is an article from Radio Survivor that offers some more detail: http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2014/06/17/university-washington-transfer-kexp-license-friends-kexp/
 
From TFA

"Although the proposal calls for the sale of the license..."

When did licenses become something which could actually be bought and sold?
 
I noticed this too over the weekend. They REALLY slipped this one through.

But I always got the feeling the UW Board of Regents never really liked KUOW's bratty stepsister. Which was why they brought in all these slick programmers in the late '80s and '90s to "mellow" KCMU's scrappy mix of college rock, local and indie punk/metal and crazy student DJs. They were a mess, but a lovable mess back on 90.5. Then they got their first major power increase to 404 watts and bumped down to 90.3 to make room for KSER in 1986.

And slowly, KCMU was changing in ways that were really irritating. Misfits, Metallica, Flipper and Dead Kennedys off. AAA guitar players and WOMAD music on.

It was a genteel and blander sound that pissed everybody off (the syndicated World Cafe show from WXPN was the last straw.) And led the formation of opposition groups (C.U.R.S.E or Censorship Undermines Radio Station Ethics, anyone?) who wanted to restore the indie punk and metal that people loved KCMU for.

Student DJs out, paid polished announcers in.

And needless to say, KCMU wasn't fun anymore. And they were floundering around pretty badly. Enter Paul Allen, the call letter change to KEXP and 90.3 goes off campus.

It's a shame the UW never really supported KCMU for the gem it was back when it had some edge to it. They had some real creativity. And while KEXP is OK, it's only tolerable for so long. KCMU had some genuine people and great music. KEXP is run entirely by hipsters, for hipsters. And it shows. It's also VERY annoying.

It's coming to it's logical conclusion I guess. But something's been sadly missing from the Seattle airwaves since KCMU's heyday.
 
This is part of a national trend of colleges getting out of the radio business. Rice University, Vanderbilt, University of Buffalo, and many more have sold their student-run college stations to non-profit organizations that specialize in operating radio stations. The colleges get cash, and are freed from operating costs, plus they get a more professionally run operation where students can intern and learn a career. Lots of positives from the college POV.

One of the more recent sales happened at Georgia State University in Atlanta, where student run WRAS was sold to a non-profit. You can read about it on the Atlanta board.
 
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TheBigA said:
This is part of a national trend of colleges getting out of the radio business. Rice University, Vanderbilt, University of Buffalo, and many more have sold their student-run college stations to non-profit organizations that specialize in operating radio stations. The colleges get cash, and are freed from operating costs, plus they get a more professionally run operation where students can intern and learn a career. Lots of positives from the college POV.

One of the more recent sales happened at Georgia State University in Atlanta, where student run WRAS was sold to a non-profit. You can read about it on the Atlanta board.
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Depends. In the case of WFMU, Upsala College went out of business, but their freeform radio station was saved. In the case of KUSF, not so good. Because students, nor volunteers run the USC classical stations and it was an orchestrated three-way deal to help Entercom get out of the classical format on 102.1 in SF.

But with that said, I really don't think the UW are going to get rid of KUOW anytime soon. While the license is a goldmine in cash - especially from a commercial outfit, they know if they got rid of KUOW it would be a public relations nightmare from hell.
 
UW Bothell operating on 104.9 will kill The Brew anywhere near Bothell or Kenmore. That's a close rimshot semi-local. Next thing you know, LPFMs will be on IBOC frequencies.

And here in Yakima, YVCC killed off their local KYVT-88.5 to Northwest Public Radio so they could have their NPR News Service (like KMWS 89.7 in Mt. Vernon) in Yakima. Slight gain because I can finally hear "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me" on the weekends (and Peter Sagal is hilarious), but loss for college kids wanting to work in front of a microphone with headphones in their ears, spinning music. I am *shocked* that KASB 89.9 is still alive and well in Bellevue. Kudos to them at BHS.

-crainbebo
 
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We also lost KVTI this way. KZAZ Bellingham was only on a year before selling out to NWPR (They have a translator for KZAZ's HD-2 signal with runs the NWPR News Channel on 104.7.) Always makes getting CFUN 104.9 a chore in Bellingham. We already have KQOW (a former translator turned repeater station for KUOW.) as well as a translator for KUOW on 90.7. Not sure why except to KILL all reception of CBCV because both KQOW and their 90.7 translator are on the SAME tower!
 
Bongwater said:
as well as a translator for KUOW on 90.7. Not sure why except to KILL all reception of CBCV because both KQOW and their 90.7 translator are on the SAME tower!
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They probably just don't want you listening to those stations, just like LP religions stations have killed KZOK and KINK in Chehalis.
 
Already told everyone this already, but 102.3 KACS IS NOT NEEDED!! It is an absolute WASTE of frequency when the 90.5 is right in the same city of license.

-crainbebo
 
fordranger797 said:
I don't know why the FCC allows for this.
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. It's all about agenda and $$$$. Micheal Powell set this up 10 years ago by giving LP permits to so called 501-3c who claim religious exemption, bumping true community broadcasters from gaining licenses and set up the &^* storm that is over saturation of the spectrum. If we had broadcast engineers at the FCC in the administrative and regulatory end of the office, it would of had a different outcome. Have you ever called the FCC back in Dee Cee? They have some really stoopid people answering the phone. The ass in N Seattle who is supposed to be the field officer doesn't want you calling him even though his number is public. I cant think of any new LP lately that were not bible banger related.
 
Blatherwatch said:
. It's all about agenda and $$$$. Micheal Powell set this up 10 years ago by giving LP permits to so called 501-3c who claim religious exemption, bumping true community broadcasters from gaining licenses and set up the &^* storm that is over saturation of the spectrum. If we had broadcast engineers at the FCC in the administrative and regulatory end of the office, it would of had a different outcome. Have you ever called the FCC back in Dee Cee? They have some really stoopid people answering the phone. The ass in N Seattle who is supposed to be the field officer doesn't want you calling him even though his number is public. I cant think of any new LP lately that were not bible banger related.
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Most of those christian rock LP's have a format that is similar, if not identical to KCMS.
 
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