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CampusNewsRadio station KUOZ hits airwaysRadio listeners in the Clarksvillearea discovered a new option on theirradio dials when university stationKUOZ went on the air during the Springsemester.KUOZ 100.5 FM is a low-power(100 watts) station that is transmittedfrom the first floor of Walker Hall. Thenonprofit, community radio station isthe university’s first FCC station.Ozarks has sponsored closed-circuit andcable access radio stations on campus inthe past.The station went on the air for thefirst time in late December amid littlefanfare. Station Manager Susan Edenshas coordinated university efforts to getthe station on the airways for the pastthree years.“It's been a long, sometimes tediousprocess, but we’re finally seeing resultsfrom the efforts of a lot of people,” saidEdens. “We’ve received a lot of positivefeedback from the community about thestation. I think it’s providing a goodeducational alternative to mainstreamcommercial stations.”The station, which has a receptionradius of about 10 miles from campus, isrun by students when the university is insession. It operates 24-hours-a-day,seven-days-a-week. The music format iseclectic, ranging from classical, to jazz,to Big Band, to blues, to collegealternative. Students also help Edensproduce and co-host numerous talkshows and news and sports reports.“We went on the air on a weekend,and by Monday I had several calls fromthe community telling me how muchthey liked the format,” Edens said.“People were very excited to hear BigBand music and other types of musicthey couldn’t hear before.”Another popular music genreplayed by KUOZ is Americana.“Americana music is gaining a lotof radio listenership in large, musically-KUOZ Station Manager Susan Edens (left) works with students Jessi Kidwell andDustin Parsons during a talk show production. The KUOZ studio is located on the firstfloor of Walker Hall.oriented cities like Austin, Texas,”Edens said. “Being a noncommercialstation gives us a lot of programmingfreedom and provides greater variety toour listeners.”Edens got a firsthand look at thepopularity of having a radio station oncampus when 20 students signed up totake her Radio Practicum class in theSpring semester. The students receivedhands-on experience in running astation, taking part in everything fromon-air responsibilities, to publicrelations, to fund-raising. By the end ofthe semester, she had 13 students whowere handling on-air duties and servingshifts as disc jockeys.“It is important that theyunderstand how all the programmingelements fit together to make aproduct,” Edens said. “I believe thisphilosophy is right in line with theuniversity’s tradition of teachinganalytical and critical thinking skillsalong with hands-on techniques.”Dustin Parsons, a sophomorecommunications major from Lamar,Ark., serves as the student manager forthe station.“It’s a wonderful experience to takewhat you learn from a textbook andactually apply it at a real radio station,”said Parsons. “Having a station oncampus that students can be a major partof has certainly sparked interest in radioand the communications program as awhole.”Edens said she would like to seethe Clarksville community eventuallyget more involved in the operation ofthe station.“As we continue to makeprogramming and volunteer staffadjustments, we will look at forming alocal advisory board that will help withcommunity volunteer management andwith outreach programs as well as fundraising,”she said. “I would love to havesome people from the communityeventually audition for talent slots.”12 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2004