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| Michael Black Dear Ms. Dowell: I am familiar with WUEV and the University of Evansville, having been to your campus and the station many times, in conjunction with helping your students with former station manager Len Clark. I am also one of the founding members of Collegiate Broadcasting, Incorporated, a student media services organization, affiliated with College Media Advisors. Needless to say, the news of a proposed sale of WUEV is distressing, on many fronts. Universities, many times faced with budget difficulties, have sold a priceless asset: their radio station. In many instances, the quick influx of budget relieving funds is rapidly forgotten, and the loss is realized, maybe not right away, but it will impact generations to come of alumni, members of the Evansville community, and future students. WUEV is truly a priceless asset: limited spectrum that will no longer be available once it is gone. It is a training ground for future journalists and media professionals. It is (or should be) a voice of the university, more so than athletic events. WUEV has a long, rich history, both in terms of longevity, as well as award winning, in terms of its ability to provide the students and the community with programming of quality. I know Len promoted this and I am sure that his successor subscribes to similar ideals. WUEV will not be easily replaced. Some at the university may argue that radio is no longer relevant, we don’t have curricular ties anymore, or that new technologies are where the future is heading. To this, I quote Eric Rhodes of Radio Ink magazine "Radio is Everywhere!" The resource of WUEV provides training and an outlet for students now and in the future for these emerging technologies, and gives them a power to interact with their community at large for four years while attending the university. This in itself is a valuable community service. WUEV provides practical application of liberal arts coursework, in communication through music programming, news, and other types of on air and behind the scenes activities. It provides an outlet for coverage of university events, such as athletics, that would not get coverage. As for radio not being relevant, just ask the residents of New Orleans what their lifeline was during the recent Hurricane. Evansville is not immune to tragedy, as evidenced by the tornados that struck in the past year. Some very serious questions need to be considered before any sale is considered: 1. What is the impact to the students and the University? My response would be very negative. The students would lose another activity and outlet in their overall educational process, and so far, the publicity the university is receiving is far from glowing. This will only continue, and likely will impact the perception the school receives on the national scene, at a time when money is getting tighter and students are in a buyers market. 2. What is the economic impact WUEV has on the University? A full time staff member and operating expenses. In the past, the university has handcuffed WUEV from fundraising for its own expenses, effectively punishing any income initiatives, by rescinding budget allocated for its operation, in like amount. This has not allowed the station to grow effectively, but more importantly for this discussion, does not cost as much as one would lead to believe. If WUEV raises $10,000 and the university cuts its budget by a like amount, that is a savings! Some have raised the issue of athletic broadcasts. WUEV is a 6100 watt station, with internet streaming. With this asset, and plenty of volunteer help, why does the school pay a commercial station to carry its games? This seems redundant, at best. That money could be a huge savings, and still generate the audience response. And the signal coverage area, at least where the population matters, is not that significantly different. In fact, WUEV gives you good radio coverage, and internet streaming, something the commercial station does not. In terms of the publicity, it is far beyond the tri-state media covering this story. It already has reached Radio & Records, All Access, Shoptalk, the Associated Press, Current Newspaper, and numerous online discussion boards, all with negative coverage of the university. It will only get worse if the university sells the station. 3. What is the University saying about its priorities? By selling WUEV, the university is clearly sending a message concerning where it stands: It is looking at the economic impact over the concerns of students and the community in which is lives. The response to date is overwhelmingly negative on the proposed sale. Will the university listen to this response? From the Universities own Mission Statement students will "Acquire a broad foundation in the liberal arts and sciences through the General Education Program together with a depth of knowledge in one or more disciplines of their choice", " Master communication, organizational and critical thinking skills", "Understand the global nature of our world, learn about other cultures, and appreciate diversity and tolerance", "Understand the necessity of being actively involved in their communities through involvement in study, internships and extracurricular activities", "Develop skills and competencies to be productive team members and leaders", and "Seek and use available resources, including technology, to answer questions and solve problems. " WUEV meets all of these goals and more. Selling WUEV, a priceless asset, for budget relief, shows a lack of commitment to a resource that meets these goals. It would indeed be a tragic loss to sell WUEV. It sends a message well beyond your borders that the institution is not concerned with its community or its students, and it also follows in the mistakes of the past, which many universities that have followed, regret having made a similar decision. Long after the cash is gone, the decision will likely haunt the school for some time come. I encourage you to think long and hard about the implications of this decision, as it can have impact upon not only Evansville, but on student media worldwide. I hope you will make the right decision. Michael Black General Manager, WEOS(FM) Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY |