When I was a teenager, I used to watch this obscure Canadian TV show called “Radio Free Roscoe.” The premise of the show was this: Four racially-diverse, attractive teenagers get fed up with their school’s radio station and decide to start their own “pirate” radio station. Conveniently, one of the friends has extensive knowledge about FM broadcasting and sound engineering and another has access to a abandoned recording studio. The four friends set out to create their own radio station, independent of any authority.
HERE is a link to the first episode including the awesome, Canadian bubblegum pop theme song.
You can guess what happens next. In spite of virtually no marketing, the radio station is a huge success, RFR becomes the voice of the students and the four students that pioneered the station become instant celebrities. Lily, the token girl of the cast (who has one of the coolest DJ names I’ve ever heard; “Shady Lane”) starts dating Ray (The leader-of-the-bunch stereotype), and everyone lives happily ever after.
I blame “Radio Free Roscoe for two misconceptions that I have had for the past several years: 1. Station Managers never get girls that look like Kate Todd, and 2. Building an FM radio stations take a lot more work than what that show would have me believe.
Here are five things that USU students should know about Aggie Radio’s FM station:
1. The Process has been a long one, but there is a finish line:
Aggie Radio applied for a liscence to broadcast over a year ago. For nearly eleven months, we waited for the FCC to approve our application. We were awarded the approval to begin construction in September of last year. Contrary to what RFR would have me believe, you can’t just build an FM station with parts you have lying around at home. Construction takes time.
The most common question I get from students is “When will Aggie Radio be on FM?” Well, that’s a hard question to answer. We have a lot to do before we begin broadcasting. We need to improve our programming, hire an engineer to build a station and obtain a call sign) from the FCC (You know, those four letters that identify the station. We would already have one, but the FCC won’t let us use oscenities in our call sign, so KPOO was out). All of that will take time.
But our goal is to be up and running by September 23, 2015. We have a long way to go, but we will be broadcasting by that date. If that date seems far away to you, remember, you can still listen to Aggie Radio in the TSC or online at radio.usu.edu
2. We have been awarded a frequency, but we get to pick the call sign:
The FCC awarded us the frequency 92.3 FM. That’s why we are going live on 9/23/15. Do you get it now? That means that you can already pre-set your radio station in your car to 92.3, because that’s where we’ll be. The next step is determining our call sign. We will give you more information about that later, but know that we at Aggie Radio are working to get a call sign that represents the student body and the identity of the University.
3. The FCC Awards FM liscences because they expect stations to represent the community:
Anyone that applies for an FM liscence or even broadcasts on an FM frequency must comply with certain guidelines. One of those guidelines is that the station must address issues that concern and interest the community. Because Aggie Radio represents the student body and is recognized as a student-run radio station, we are legally bound to give attention to issues that concern students. We will lose our liscence if we don’t. The FCC makes us represent the student body, and no one in the administration can, or will, tell us not to comply with the FCC.
Aggie Radio has been and always will be the voice of the students. Our motto is “for the students, by the students.” We represent the student body. We will cover things like student fees, campus sports, and events happening around Logan.
Here’s an explanation of what the FCC expects from HBO’s “The Newsroom” if you need a further illustration of our responsibility to our listeners:
Here is a link to the video
4. You will be able to text in and tell us if we suck:
Part of going FM for Aggie Radio is setting up a text message line for students to let us know how we are doing. Our mission to represent the student body will only work if students are involved in the process. You can text us requests, respond to questions, and tell us if you don’t like what we are doing. We hope that students will want to interract with us, in fact, we can only function as a student service if students let us know how we are doing.
5. We need people to help; especially DJs:
Maybe you are like me and you grew up watching “Radio Free Rosco.” Maybe your dream has always been to be a radio DJ. This will probably be your best chance to get on the air. You can join Aggie Radio now. We will train you in exactly what you will need to know to be on the air. We love students who want to share their thoughts and ideas. We don’t tell people what to say on their shows, we prefer to let students share their voice. If you want your voice to be heard, sign up.
In September, Aggie Radio will be heard all through Cache Valley. Students will have a voice that rings out throughout this great city and beyond. We want you to be a part of it.
Join by emailing me personally at Aggieradio@usu.edu or by clicking the link below:
Click here to join Aggie Radio
