The Post-Crescent from Appleton, Wisconsin • 82

I I rfli I -SdU I Student voice in community but many work for personal satisfac GREEN BAY A community-responsive radio station is a goal of WGBW, the latest newcomer to the FM frequency at 91.5. The idea for the station was the brainchild of several students at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay By Maureen Blaney Potl-Cmcent ttaff writer here who felt that a more effective means of communication was needed among the students and between the students and the community. Rick Conn, one of the originators of the idea and now the student station manager, pointed out that the students who operate the radio station are aware of their positions as representatives of the university. "We realize that often we may be the first or only contact that people in the area have with the university. We add a new light to public opinion of the university," he said.

"The university is what we are and we are very conscious of that and are very professional-minded." Conn explained that the community often may have no basis on which to draw an opinion of the university or may former negative opinions from misinformation. He recalled the controversy stirred up when it was announced that a university would be built in the city. Citizens expressed concerns about demonstrations, increase in crime and radical students, he said. The UWGB senior pointed out that a line of communication was also needed to draw the student population together. The largely commuter character of the student body has destroyed many attempts to draw the students together.

Students had to rely on a struggling newspaper and bulletin boards for information. "We serve a purpose as a cohesive unit." To insure that they would fulfill the needs of their several audiences, they surveyed the community for suggestions and then added several features not usually available in the area. The red tape, much of it technical details, took several months and was largely accomplished by the UWGB administration for the Federal Communications Commission and the UW Board of Regents. New equipment had to be purchased and UWGB bought the defunct Suring radio transmitter, which now sits atop one of the buildings. Students, meanwhile, were busy detailing the reasons their station should exist and learning more about the operation of a radio station.

They had to learn about traffic control, and the handling of programs, music, news. Third class operators' licenses had to be tested for and received. Dry runs had to be made for several months before the debut. Finally, WGBW signed on the air Aug. 26,1974.

It operates from 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It soon hopes to go stereo, awaiting only the arrival of necessary equipment.

The station operates on 3,000 watts of power, which gives it a 40- mile, line-of-sight range enough so that it can be received from Oshkosh to Peshtigo. Interested students run the entire operation, with engineering assistance provided by the UWGB chief engineer, and advice from academic staff person Annabelle Hitchcock. Her credentials include work in stations in Madison, the University of California at Berkeley, Cleveland, New Delhi and Florence, Italy. "Management-wise, this situation is ideal," she said. "Not many people have the chance to start from scratch on a radio station and I probably won't get the chance again." She was enthusiastic about the attitude of the approximately 50 students volunteers.

"There have been no letdowns. They follow through on their responsibilities." She pointed out that she is particularly pleased with the amount of expertise and professionalism that has developed in the students. "It doesn't sound like college freshmen horsing around. It's a lot more sophisticated," said the young woman, who does not look far removed from college herself. The smooth, efficient operation is admirable considering most of the students receive no academic credit for their efforts and many of the top personnel are not interested professionally in mass communications.

The radio station is not presently connected with any university course in mass communications but Hitchcock pointed out that classes may develop around the operation of a radio station. Several students have arranged for independent study credit for their time tion. Jeff Kowalchuk and Dan Cordoza, the two program directors, are examples. Kowalchuk is a junior focusing on modernization processes while Cordoza is concentrating in philosophy. Yet, Kowalchuk is interested in progressive rock as a hobby and has the chance to promote this interest during his Saturday night shows.

The station also offered alloted time segments in classical, blue grass, jazz, folk, Broadway musicals, film sound tracks and blues selections. It aims away from the conntry and top 40 music offered by two of the Green Bay AM st offered by the FM stations in the area. The young music library holds about 1,500 albums presently, many donated by a local AM station. The station is also attempting to reach beyond music into areas of audience concern consumerism, pollution, marrriage and family relations, aging, in general, "the quality of life." They hope to eventually have locally-originated talk shows and on-campus interviews will soon appear. To fill another gap, explained Kowal-cnuck, the station also hopes to have the only soul show in the valley and "anything any other stations aren't doing." But, Hitchcock pointed out, it would be silly for people to think they won hear anything that is offered on other stations on WGBW.

"But it's not that things are set one said Cordoza, "we are more interested in doing what the people wantK".