The proposed Mississippi State University radio station could begin playing to the tune of $2 per student, senators decided Tuesday in the Student Association Senate meeting.
In a meeting marked by approximately half a dozen absences, the senate voted unanimously to give MSU students voting privileges in decisions regarding the implementation of a campus radio station.
“A lot of people are tired of the small selection of music that is available in the Starkville area,” Rob Witthauer, senator from Suttle and member of the Student Affairs committee, said. “I think it [the campus-wide vote] is the best way to do this.”
The senate measure will let students vote on a $2 increase per semester in university fees. The money raised would first go towards the purchase of needed equipment. Under the resolution, the fee increase would be subject to review by the senate in approximately two years, since the money required for implementing the project is much less than money required to keep the program on its feet.
Costs for implementation of a full scale broadcasting station are expected to run as high as $100,000 for sound booths, transmitters and antennas. Gibson Prichard, a leading member of the campus radio committee, said.
Since it would take from one to three years to obtain a broadcasting license, the radio station would first begin cable casting, or broadcasting over cable television. Cable casting does not require a license. Northland Cable Television, the company responsible for on-campus cable TV, has agreed to the idea and has promised the effort will require no fee increase for cable subscribers, Prichard said.
“It’s kind of a long and drawn out process,” Prichard admitted. “We have worked long and hard on this for six or seven months.” The administration has expressed interest in the radio proposal, but lacks sufficient funds to back the program, he said.
With no current financial support from the Communication Department, the proposal is now in the hands of the senate, he continued. After the first two years following the fee increase, the $2 amount could be dropped to $1 to allow the radio a continuing budget since the programs are designed to be commercial free. Prichard said he sees this funding amount as a “very workable figure,” adding that after implementation the station could be operated for as little as $13,000 a year.
Although MSU has operated a campus radio station in the past, Prichard said most of the old equipment is either in such bad shape that it is not usable” or it has been “pilfered and stolen.” When the old station ceased to function, workers simply divided station albums among themselves, Prichard said. The radio committee has located 3,000 to 4,000 old albums, yet are unsure if the present holder of the albums will return them to the university.
Members of the committee are anxiously awaiting the student vote. “The committee will have a publicity campaign to activate student support,” Prichard promised. “We’re planning to inform the students.”
The radio committee has been raising money for the program for quite some time and will continue to do so in the future, according to a “course of action” document released by Prichard to the senate. In the past, the committee raised $1,745 through a support concert at Southfork, a local nightspot.
Steven Cooper, MSU SA president has expressed some disapproval of raising money in the nightspot, however was convinced by committee members of the advantages of doing so, the course-of-action document reads.
One resolution which failed during the senate meeting involved the construction of a new crosswalk between Sessums and McKee halls. Senators expressed their beliefs that the area in question was an unsafe crossing place, due to the nature of the sharp curve located between the stoplight and the MSU dry cleaning and laundry building.
