Spring Break
KTXT-FM to rally outside Student Union Building
Tina Arons/Features Editor
Issue date: 1/8/09 Section: La Vida
Radio station KTXT-FM supporters continue to fight for the revival of the student-run radio station despite the Texas Tech Student Media Department's resolve to follow through with the decision to pull the plug.
Those who support the movement to put the station back on air plan to rally from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today between the Student Union Building and the University Library. The rally will include bands such as One Wolf, Thrift Store Cowboys and spoken-word artist Paul Bullock.
"This is an incredible learning tool and a piece of Texas Tech and the community," said Blake "Wombat" Porter, the former station manager. "KTXT has been around for those 47 years of Lubbock centennially. It's valuable to this community and Texas Tech. It's Texas Tech's loud speaker."
The department took the student-run station off the air Dec. 2, citing high maintenance costs and an evolving media industry as its primary reasons for closing the radio station in a December statement.
Susan Peterson, student media director, said the decision to eliminate KTXT-FM was a hard but necessary decision.
"What we are looking to do is converge print and broadcast," she said. "And we can offer more without radio."
Peterson said the department examines student media as a whole every year and decides if any changes are necessary to improve the opportunities available to students. Last semester changes included switching the focus from a radio station to a converged broadcast department that focuses on Web broadcasting.
Streamed music with disc jockey segments may be part of the new direction, she said, but a student-run radio station will not return.
"You have to make some tough choices," said Jan Childress, associate vice president for student affairs at Tech. "Media changes are just everywhere. Look at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, the New York Times. Things are changing everywhere. I don't think it's unusual to make some changes in media."
Childress said the Division of Student Affairs has "no plans to put KTXT in it's current format back on the air."
Those who support the movement to put the station back on air plan to rally from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today between the Student Union Building and the University Library. The rally will include bands such as One Wolf, Thrift Store Cowboys and spoken-word artist Paul Bullock.
"This is an incredible learning tool and a piece of Texas Tech and the community," said Blake "Wombat" Porter, the former station manager. "KTXT has been around for those 47 years of Lubbock centennially. It's valuable to this community and Texas Tech. It's Texas Tech's loud speaker."
The department took the student-run station off the air Dec. 2, citing high maintenance costs and an evolving media industry as its primary reasons for closing the radio station in a December statement.
Susan Peterson, student media director, said the decision to eliminate KTXT-FM was a hard but necessary decision.
"What we are looking to do is converge print and broadcast," she said. "And we can offer more without radio."
Peterson said the department examines student media as a whole every year and decides if any changes are necessary to improve the opportunities available to students. Last semester changes included switching the focus from a radio station to a converged broadcast department that focuses on Web broadcasting.
Streamed music with disc jockey segments may be part of the new direction, she said, but a student-run radio station will not return.
"You have to make some tough choices," said Jan Childress, associate vice president for student affairs at Tech. "Media changes are just everywhere. Look at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, the New York Times. Things are changing everywhere. I don't think it's unusual to make some changes in media."
Childress said the Division of Student Affairs has "no plans to put KTXT in it's current format back on the air."
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 68
Jason Rhode
posted 1/07/09 @ 11:37 PM CST
With a half-century of proud tradition, KTXT 88.1 FM belongs to the students and alumni of Texas Tech, not to any single person. The attempt to close down an important part of the University and its past is one that the community of Lubbock and Raiders past and present aren't going to stand for. (Continued…)
Vazz
The Vazz
posted 1/08/09 @ 12:59 AM CST
Jason - I love how you wrote the comment. Words such "tradition", "alumni", "history", "community", and other sound bites are surely going to appeal to many students. (Continued…)
Johnny Ray
posted 1/08/09 @ 6:46 AM CST
My name is Johnny Ray. I ran The Crazy Atomic Jazz Show in 1990-91. Won Best Program Production. Im shocked to hear KTXT was shut down like it was. Sounds like good ole boy Lubbock style conservative element thought control to me! (lets go to the strip!) Ive lived in Key West, FL for 13yrs now. (Continued…)
jon
posted 1/08/09 @ 8:47 AM CST
the station was not set up to raise funds, if that is the student media department's gripe- they should have begun fund raising events...i think this situation is a product of the people in charge not digging the programming. (Continued…)
Hobbes
posted 1/08/09 @ 9:17 AM CST
Actually The Vazz, I am pretty sure our tuition goes to pay for such things like KTXT just like most things at the university so nice try, and the things that are not are made possible by the fact that money does not have to go elsewhere because of our tuition. (Continued…)
The Vazz
posted 1/08/09 @ 9:28 AM CST
If some of our tuition somehow reaches the department, they allocate it in a way to fit the needs of the everyday student, which apparently does not include KTXT anymore. (Continued…)
The Vazz
posted 1/08/09 @ 9:39 AM CST
Seth:
1) That's like saying Ford belongs to the first couple of hundred workers who worked in its factories and they have a direct say in what happens to it now. (Continued…)
"Look at the New York Times"????????
posted 1/08/09 @ 10:05 AM CST
Did Jan Childress REALLY just excuse murdering KTXT by saying, "Look at the New York Times"?
HA HA HA.
Anyone else notice this and find it disgustingly irrelevant?
Jason Rhode
posted 1/08/09 @ 10:43 AM CST
I agree with the above commenter -- I've never seen the Lubbock AJ, the NY Times and KTXT grouped together before. It's an interesting justification.
Hahaha, I'm sorry, Teh Vazz. (Continued…)
The Vazz
posted 1/08/09 @ 11:04 AM CST
1) I unjoined the group after posting my opinion so my friends wouldn't make fun of me for supporting some student ran pretend radio station. I never checked back if anyone replied though. (Continued…)
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