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KUCB HISTORY

1993-1994: The Referendum

During the fall of 1993, KUCB attempted to get a referendum question on the fall ballots to ask students whether they would support a student fee increase to buy a transmitter for KUCB. UCSU rejected the ballot question. KUCB decided to petition the student body so that we could put a question on the spring ballot asking students to increase fees by $1.72 per semester for four years to purchase a full-power AM transmitter.

The following spring semester, during budget hearings, UCSU decided to put on the spring semester ballots a referendum asking students if they would be interested in increasing student fees by $15.00 for two semesters in order for KUCB to go full-power within the year. While KUCB greatly appreciated the sudden show of support from UCSU, we were concerned for several reasons. First, we now would have two competing ballot issues, each for different amounts of money. Second, we would only have two weeks to campaign for the second increase. Third, the $15.00 question would require not only a majority to pass, but 25% of the student body would have to vote, something which had NEVER happened in a UCSU election. (KUCB still managed, with only those two weeks, to get the most students to vote in a UCSU election in almost ten years, and the second most students to vote in a UCSU election ever). (see Bills file)

The $1.72 referendum passed easily, and the $15.00 referendum got a majority of votes but the election did not pull in the required 25% of the student body. Brandon Nicholson, the sponsor of the $15.00 referendum and the College of Architecture and Planning Representative, wrote a bill asking UCSU to pass the higher referendum anyway, on the grounds that it would benefit more of the students who were paying it. The bill passed in Legislative Council after a 4 or 5 hour meeting, but was vetoed by Negar Ayromloo and Stephanie Escher, two of the Tri-Executives, in what we were told was a revenge scenario for an earlier chastening Stephanie received from UCSU (due to an unfortunate incident involving Hillary Clinton and a pair of men's boxer shorts). She told us it was because she didn't see a clear student directive in the referendum votes. The third Tri-Exec., Patrick Riley, said he supported the KUCB bill and did not veto it. (see Support/Articles file)

At this time KBKS came up for sale. Brief talks occurred, but the timing wasn't right; KUCB did not yet have the funds and the station sold.

May 1994

KUCB comes in third in the Colorado Daily's award for Best Radio Station in the Boulder's Most Wanted Student Choice Awards. (see Support/Articles file)

Late April 1995

KBOL (which sold a mere year ago as KBKS) in Boulder goes up for sale. Realizing that the radio market in the Denver Metro area is extremely tight, KUCB and UCSU looked for an inter-campus loan to cover the money that would be collected through 1998. KUCB, UCSU and Tri-Executive representatives met with Chancellor Park. Chancellor Park told KUCB to try to negotiate an agreement with the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) before he would consider the loan. (see J-School Negotiations file)

May 1995

KUCB again wins a Boulder's Most Wanted Best Radio Station mention (4th place). (see Support/Articles file)

Summer 1995

KUCB and Jackie Lasky, one of the Tri-Executives, entered negotiations with the SJMC, represented primarily by Steve Jones. While a great deal of progress was made, negotiations broke down over several points: the makeup of the governing board of the new radio station, should one be created; the extent to which students would be allowed to participate in the running of the station; the hours allotted for UCSU versus SJMC programming; whether or not the station would be a National Public Radio (NPR) station; and how many full-time positions the station would support.

The major discovery during the negotiations with the SJMC was that the SJMC was not actually interested in having any student involvement at the radio station at all. When asked directly, they said that "maybe" they would eventually use the station for one or two classes. Primarily Dean Rowland was interested in having a community radio station that broadcast prerecorded NPR shows and possibly some shows by professors. The SJMC also insisted on having control of 12 of the 24 hours that the station was on the air, relegating student involvement to the hours of 8pm to 8am. They did not foresee any student involvement in the management of the station other than redundant positions overseen by full-time managers. This came as quite a shock to KUCB representatives, who were expecting to negotiate a situation that would be most beneficial to the student body.

Additional frustrations arose when Dean Rowland would not attend any of the meetings but decisions could not be made without his approval, and also when UCSU and KUCB representatives were often told he had not looked at the changes. While it was felt that Steve Jones, the SJMC representative, was negotiating with UCSU and KUCB in good faith, it was frustrating and ineffectual to be developing an extensive agreement that hadn't been properly or regularly reviewed by one of the most important members of the negotiating process.

KUCB ceased negotiations with the full consent of UCSU at the end of the summer. (see J-School Negotiations file)

KUCB also at this time finally received the money for flood damages incurred in 1991.

January 1996

KUCB and Jackie Lasky resumed negotiations with the SJMC with the understanding that the focus would be on the points of contention from the summer. After one meeting that did not focus on the points at all and several cancelled meetings, KUCB again ceased negotiations, again with UCSU's consent.

The year beginning in January of 1996 saw KUCB greatly increasing its promotional efforts with a revitalized Program Guide and promotions in conjunction with outside venues, such as our sponsorship of a free showing of the film Trainspotting.

January 1997

This document is created in order to help keep people informed about KUCB's rather complex history.