Day 17: Time to think

A start of another week at Sports Radio 610 and I was looking for something to do. The Astros were out of town in San Diego and there was not much to do. The team was looking better as of late and it was good that they were starting to turn things on the upswing. Mondays though should be busy days. Days where you can start something, begin a project for the week, layout what you want to do; but in radio it is not really that way. Events come to you. You do not really wait for them though, you have to go out and find them. That's where the work really comes in. The problem with Monday is that the biggest news really had nothing to do with the Houston area. So the only audio we had to use that day was Tiger woods interviewing himself after winning his tournament, Roger Federer winning Wimbledon and the last Astros game.

I was pretty much left to surf the internet, and help where I could. Not too much to do. It gave me some time to think though. Think about how KSHU is like KILT or any other radio station there at CBS radio. I thought about the management system that each station has how at KSHU things have recently fallen apart. It came to my attention recently that certain priorities at KSHU are being put to the back burner AGAIN and other ideas are being thrown around. Ideas that are valid, but should not be considered at this time. It is amazing to think that KSHU survives during the summer with most students away on summer vacation away from the campus or on summer internships or with jobs that pay.

I have been involved with KSHU for nearly three years and from day one to today. I have seen improvements in some areas and I have seen declines in others. Quite frankly where those declines are, cannot happen. For a station to feasibly have a viable working staff of DJs who want to be there, they need a radio format, a plan, a program that people will buy. It's funny to me when I tell students I run into on campus that I am with KSHU, the campus station, and I have a weekly sports show. Because their first response is not "when can I listen?" it's, "The campus has a radio station?" sometimes followed by "what music do they play?" and even "where can I find them on the dial?"

That to me is embarrassing. For a campus radio station that has survived getting kicked out of a press box at sporting events to participating and DJ-ing live for consecutive Relay for Lifes, this school of over 16,000 students and community of over 35,000 people still seems to only know one local station and its not ours. That sucks to me. Its not that station's fault. It's not the student's fault either. It all falls back on the radio station. Lack of promoting: Who are we? If we are the only ones who know who we are, how will anyone else find out? There are not signs all over campus advertising KSHU...why not? The only time a banner goes up on campus is when we are trying to get people to join. That's less time than some frats try advertising. AND WE HAVE AN OUTLET!!! I don't want corporate sponsors, let the frats, soros, and other pee-wee groups advertise on the station like the bulletin board. BUT LETS ADVERTISE!!!

We can no longer be closed minded to what could be or what might be because that has only led us to nothing. I have seen dreams of some people who have come and gone be great at this radio station, and others who were not so great, but the thing is they were dreams that they put forth and tried. A great core group of individuals who can come together, work hard, be on the same page and really want to care about KSHU need to be apart of management. KSHU does not need people who are not dependable, lack time management, and are hard to reach.

Over the summer I have thought about some things for KSHU, not only sports related, but covering all bases. I hope some of these ideas are great for all.

-Adding sports reporting to the sports group giving students involved another outlet to increase skills.
-DJs blogging and adding playlists to blog allowing readers to see and comment on what is being played online.
-Videos. This can be done. I know how to put a video on the main page and can teach anyone if necessary. I would love to put a video section on the main page. Videos of us in the DJ booth, On air, maybe previews of games/shows.
-promoting the website and updating it more.
-more promotional stands. With items to give away.
-A few signs around campus.
-Cross promotion between TV/radio.

I would love to hear some of your ideas. Thanks for reading my rant.