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| Nancee Simms To: University of Evansville, President Jennings, administrators, and other concerned individuals From: Alum - Nancee Simms, UE Class of 1976 e-mail: ncsimms@aol.com Concerning: SAVE WUEV! Dear University of Evansville, I have never written a letter protesting an event, or on behalf of an entity, in this case, the sale of WUEV. In this instance, I feel the overwhelming need to stand up and fight to SAVE WUEV. I graduated from the University of Evansville in 1976. As a student, I was very active at the University. I was a member of Student Congress, Union Board, and a cheerleader. I have lived and worked in Evansville the entire 30 years since graduation. For 35 years, WUEV has been the only station I ever listen to. I love the format of the station. Yes, I am a "jazz lover" and the commercial free station is a bonus. Through my United States travels, I have compared WUEV to many other large city jazz stations, and UEV always remains at the top of my list. WUEV is a very progressive station, as far as I am concerned. How lucky we are in Evansville, Indiana to have a progressive jazz station! And we can even listen to it worldwide on the Internet ---Wow! The Deejays are young students they do a fabulous job! I am very proud to have a such quality station in Evansville. Please consider these points: 1. UE should be ashamed of entertaining the thought of selling the station. It provides Evansville regional radio listeners, and college students with an entertaining music format unheard on any other station, but maybe even more importantly, it has an educational emphasis! Personally, I learn about old and new recordings every day. The station has broadened my education in jazz music. And just think how you are helping the students who deejay and work at the station. You may not have a "broadcast journalism" degree anymore, but you do have some sort of communication, engineering and theatre degrees. Maybe the university should revive the Broadcast Communication degrees. 2. Many communication and engineering graduates who were WUEV workers have become national and worldwide successes. For example, my cousin, Michael Orsburn, received his undergraduate degree from UE, Communications in 1976. He became head engineer at WUEV and WNIN during and after graduation. His experience and training at WUEV and WNIN trained him for a life-long career in the television industry. Before he retired at age 45, he owned 3 major television post production companies in Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Miami Florida. He was the inventor of the world-wide standard editing machine, DaVinci, color corrector, (which among other things,and to simplify it, is why he have "perfect color" in all video). Additionally, he also initiated and was owner of the television networks -- MTV-Latino, and Discovery Channel- Latino that are based in South Beach, Florida. Both networks produce shows that are televised to all Spanish speaking countries in the world. His success allowed him to retire at age 45, when he sold his company to the publicly held company, Viacom. Others in his class, as I am sure there are many other students in the 30 years since their graduation, have accomplished great success. And all because of the hands-on experience they received at UE, and the WUEV radio station. 3. WUEV keeps UE alive and in front of the public. If you sell the station, UE will lose it's sophisticated voice in the Evansville region. UE administrators obviously are not appreciating the positive subliminal public relations and potential recruiting of students this vehicle produces. Instead of wanting to sell the station to "generate additional income", maybe you should direct more funds to the station. Use its' voice to recruit students. Here are a few ideas: * Do fund raising events on air to raise money for the station. * Develop a "listeners' database" and do mailings for donations. 4. As far as the "advantage of selling the station to "reallocate space in the Administration building for other programs". I've heard the station only takes up a very small area anyway. Why don't you use the empty baseball field that adorns Lloyd Expressway for nine months out of the year. It's nice to drive by --- but it takes up valuable space that you could "allocate for other programs" I believe WUEV is working most hours of the day, 365 days a year! 5. Hmmm...I'm wondering who wants to buy the station? ...probably not, but USI, maybe? They've already taken many programs away from UE, why not the radio station! In fact, it would be a great idea for USI to have an Eastside campus. All they would have to do is move the E from UE two spaces, and add SI, and you have USIEast. I bet USI would love for you to get out of the radio business! Don't you know that they'd really beef up their station. (maybe they don't even have a station anymore, but if not, let's start one!!!) In conclusion, I love UE, but if UE SELLS THE RADIO STATION --- SELL THE UNIVERSITY WITH IT! Don't lose your strong voice! Use your strong voice to your advantage! Please, for the university's sake, DON'T SELL OUT. It will be a major mistake to sell the station! Has the university fallen so low that they have to sell a little, but mighty radio station to generate income, and allocate space? After all, WUEV is one of the very best attributes of the University of Evansville and the Evansville region. Keep it that way! We will survive! Sincerely, Nancee Simms |