At least they are up-front about it.
“This is what we want” reads the bold-lettered text, placed over the picture of a $1 bill.
While one dollar would not be enough to satisfy UCLA Radio’s fundraising wants, the hidden niche of broadcast media in our campus wants to continue reinventing itself and its efforts are worthy of your dollars. Yes, your dollars.
The fact that a large number of UCLA students have not been exposed to our campus radio should not deter music enthusiasts from investing in this hidden gem of student life.
The station is launching a heavy-duty fundraising campaign that includes a light jab at the university’s administration.
“Why do we want your money? Because we get absolutely no funding from the university and thus need it desperately,” argues the front page of UCLAradio.com.
The campaign does not actually demand any type of institutional support from the university, but it reveals the station’s funding woes and the need for substantial student support for this small yet effective developer of radio and media personalities all over the Southland.
“UCLA has a long history of college radio, and we just want to make sure that we can set a solid foundation for the next batch of radio personalities,” said Felix Danbold, a third-year psychology student and assistant general manager of UCLA Radio.
Since 1962, UCLA’s radio station has had on-and-off times, and spent years bouncing around AM dials. Born in the basement of Dykstra Hall, it is now housed in a semi-secret cave-like studio in the back of Ackerman Grand Ballroom. Its walls carry the graffiti memories of hundreds that have roamed its premises through the years ““ as well as the signatures of distinguished visitors.
But 10 years after the FCC shut down its predecessor, KLA 91.9 FM, UCLA Radio wants to begin a long march back to the promised land of broadcast radio. “It’s almost like a perpetual dream, but we think that fund drives like this can make it happen somewhere down the line,” said Danbold.
Despite the constant need to foster listeners in such an indirect online medium, the station staff has proved its ability to manage itself, discover rising rock stars before they reach mainstream relevance and attract big-name guests for interviews, such as Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and funnyman Jon Lovitz.
This months’s fundraising drive is centered on campus concerts, donation pledges and the trademark step in UCLA student group money-drives: a Rubio’s fundraiser.
The highlighted guest, French duo Herman Düne, performs tomorrow in Kerckhoff Grand Salon.
They ““ and their anti-folk genre ““ sure do not ring a bell for music illiterates like me.
Nonetheless, their music ““ including their single “I Wish That I Could See You Soon,” which was named as one of the best songs of 2007 by Rolling Stone magazine ““ exemplifies the station’s potential in expanding musical horizons for all Bruins and increasing the profile of our campus as a desired stop for local and international acts.
While the grassroots fundraising initiative seems promising and provides donors with the ability to be well compensated through prizes and drawings, it also reflects on the lack of support UCLA Radio has historically had. The school across town enjoys campus-wide radio broadcasting on KSCR, partly because of alumni donations that are channeled exclusively to the radio station, acknowledging its value to student life.
Granted, our station has work to do in areas such as marketing enhancement and programming improvement if it wants to be relevant to the student body.
Getting substantial support could be accompanied by certain concessions, such as airtime for book-launching faculty or a collaborative effort with the university’s ongoing emergency response programs.
Yet, despite looming fears of disappearing year after year, UCLA Radio will always have enough music lovers to keep it afloat.
But if you want UCLA to enjoy the experience of a strong college radio station, you might have to follow the directions on the flyer and give them what they want.
To help Ramos fight his music illiteracy, e-mail him at mramos@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.