The
transition of KCCR College Radio from the Center for Instructional
Telecommunications (CIT) to the Mass Communications curriculum is
in the process of being completed.
After the disbandment of CIT, negotiations with the Communication
and Performing Arts Dean Claude Mathis and Former Associate Vice President
of CIT Jenny Giron led to the compromise allowing Mass Communications
take over the radio KCCR Radio. Mathis said the radio station will
be as good as it’s ever been once the transition has been made.
“We
have big plans for our radio station with the intention of making
the program as good and strong for students as it should be,”
Mathis said.
As soon as the transition occurs, KCCR Radio will be streamed and
broadcast online through the EPCC Web Page. Anybody can then listen
to the program instead of only those within the three mile radius
that the radio station currently has. Advertisements, flyers, posters
and billboards will help encourage listeners to tune in to the college
radio station.
Part
time student and Mass Communication major
Edgar Saenz has been a DJ for 9 years.
Photo by Leslie Council
Other
plans include are a new home for the radio station, along with all
new promotional and advertising to get a target audience. The architect
class has already designed a new lab for the radio station. The total
construction cost will be $50,000.
Meanwhile, the advertising graphics and design classes are creating
a promotional design for a billboard. A market survey will be taken
in order to know what the proposed target audience between the ages
of 16 to 22 (the average college student) wants to listen to. This
would lead to a program growth generating revenue which will eventually
lead to paid positions within the radio station, instead of having
students working there voluntarily. Then with time a satellite could
be bought to broadcast live to a larger radius throughout the city.
Some students like the new direction that the radio station is moving.
DJ Jerry Gonzalez said he believes the change will be for the best
for the radio station.
“The transition will be good for business and getting paid to
work as a DJ will be good if it’s implemented,” Gonzalez
said.
Other students disagree with the program. Former DJ Jesus Escobedo
said he doesn’t like the change because he said anybody working
within the radio station will only want to work there because they’ll
be getting paid and it’s just another job.
“I really don’t think it’s a good idea to pay DJs
because when you volunteer, you put your heart into it and when you
get paid it’s because it’s a mandatory job,” he
said.
“People are going to want to DJ just because of the money and
not because they want to. I don’t know why there’re changing
anything at all. If students wanted to go into broadcasting they could’ve
come here and volunteered, even if it wasn’t part of their classes.”
Steps have already been taken for the renovation of the radio station;
with the help of many different areas of EPCC and with the team effort
between students and faculty members the reestablishment of KCCR radio
will be a success.
Current Radio Station Manager, Tony Garcia said the station was created
10 years ago for students wanting to learn about broadcast.
“The radio station was put in place for the students to come
in, be DJs and enjoy themselves. Not only that, but also to disseminate
music, information and at the same time to teach students about broadcast
although it isn’t part of curriculum,” Garcia said.
Garcia will remain as station manager until the transfer is finalized
and somebody else is put in place to oversee the radio station. Mathis
said that he really has high hopes for the radio station because it’ll
be built together by faculty and students and they’ll be the
ones that continue to run it.
“Communications majors will have real world experience. Instead
of students listening to lecture, they’re working hands-on with
it. It’ll be connected to instructional area of the curriculum,”
Mathis said.
Dr. Douglas Carr, Instructional Journalism/Mass Communication professor
said he and everybody in the curriculum anticipate the arrival of
the new production lab.
“Everyone in journalism and mass communications is looking forward
to having KCCR become part of our program,” Carr said.
“I anticipate we’ll be making full use of the radio station
as one of our production labs.”
