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| Ryan Priest Dear Ms. Dowell: As the city of Evansville and the Tri-State as a whole continues to grow, the University of Evansville has become less relevant. Selling WUEV and replacing it with a carrier current or low power radio station would silence UE's only direct contact with the community at-large, further reducing the school's relevance. What other pipeline does UE possess to take its message to the community it calls home? The Crescent isn't distributed off campus. UE Magazine is sent to students and alumni, but can't be picked up off a newstand in town. It doesn't have a television station. Outside of UE basketball broadcasts on radio, a visitor to town would hardly know UE exists. WUEV gives the University of Evansville that relevance. Through its signal -- both over the air and via the internet -- listeners hear what makes UE tick. Listeners hear that UE students appreciate jazz, care about providing quality programming to children, and are committed to giving music deemed "not commercially viable" a place to be heard in an increasingly cookie-cutter radio market. No amount of money the university receives for WUEV can replace the potential wealth that UE stands to gain from it. However, UE (and specifically University Relations) has never taken the necessary steps to realize that potential. Over the past five years, WUEV has lost its way. It has become less student-oriented. The core group of people needed to give the station a voice have been denied opportunities given their predecessors. An award-winning news department no longer has a place on the schedule. Students are no longer allowed to have a place on UE athletic broadcasts. Even the jazz programming, WUEV's cornerstone, is automated -- songs fed into a computer and spit out at random. The voice of the UE student has disappeared. I've been told that UE receives multiple offers from organizations wishing to buy WUEV every year. However, those offers have never been given much serious consideration. It makes me wonder, why now are you seeking input? Is this offer really THAT good? And what's the rush (as referenced in the 2/3/06 Courier and Press article)? The cynic in me says it's already a done deal and you're just going through the motions to make sure everyone feels like they had a say. When you consider selling WUEV, you're considering selling the school's soul. I certainly hope that UE realizes its soul is much more important than turning a quick buck. (But, again, the cynic in me says that's not very likely given who's running things these days.) Sincerely, |