KTRU

Infobox Radio station
name = KTRU


city = Houston, Texas
area = Texas college
slogan =
branding = "Rice Radio"
frequency = 91.7 MHz
repeater = 91.5 (Houston)
airdate = 1967
share =
share as of =
share source =
format = college radio
power =
erp = 50,000 watts
haat = 150.0 meters
class = C2
facility_id = 72685
coordinates = coord|30|3|54.00|N| 95|16|10.00|W|region:US_type:city
callsign_meaning = Texas Rice University
former_callsigns =
owner = William Marsh Rice University
licensee =
sister_stations =
webcast = [http://bang.rice.edu/listen.shtml Listen Live]
website = [http://www.ktru.org ktru.org]
affiliations =

KTRU (91.7 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Licensed to Houston, Texas, USA, the station was founded and run by the students of Rice University. The station is currently owned by William Marsh Rice University. [ cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=KTRU |title=KTRU Facility Record |work=United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division ] [cite web|url=http://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=SU08&band=fm&callLetter=KTRU|title=KTRU Station Information Profile|publisher=Arbitron] .

Programming includes a wide variety of genres including modern classical, reggae, indie rock, spoken word and local experimental noise bands. During evening hours, the station broadcasts specialty shows exclusively devoted to particular musical genres and themes.

KTRU promotes and sponsors independent and local music through sponsoring shows at local venues and on the Rice University campus. The station organizes a Rice battle of the bands and an outdoor show featuring local and touring bands during the spring semester.

Translators

In addition to the main station, KTRU is relayed by an additional translator to widen it's broadcast area.RadioTranslators
call1 = K218DA
watts1 = 10
class1 = D
freq1 = 91.5
city1 = Houston, Texas

History

The roots of KTRU began in February 1967 in a residential college at Rice, Hanszen College, where several students broadcast music in the Old Section part of the dorm as am unlicensed 2 watt AM station, using the call sign KHCR (Hanszen College radio) and the wiring of a buzzer system. The next fall, the station transformed into an AM carrier current station with wires running through the steam tunnel system connecting the dormitories to a studio located in the basement of the Rice Memorial Center using the call sign KOWL, a nod to the Rice University mascot. [cite news|url=http://www.rice.edu/projects/thresher/issues/88/00.10.27/current/feature/theevolution.html|title=The evolution of Rice radio|date=27-OCT-00|publisher=Rice Thresher|accessdate=2008-08-31]

The station moved to FM after a license was granted by the FCC to the Rice University Board of Conveners. Since KOWL was already in use at the time, KTRU was chosen as a substitute. KTRU begam FM operations in 1971 initially at 10 watts, increasing to 50 watts in April 1974 and 650 watts in October 1980. The broadcast day also increased from the initial evening only hours to 10 to 12 hours a day on weekdays and most of the weekend. In 1981, the station expanded it's broadcast hours to 24 hours per day. In 1987, a major of expansion of the student center was completed and the station's studios were relocated to the 2nd floor of a new wing.cite news|url=http://www.houstonpress.com/2001-01-11/news/spin-control/1|title=Rice University's slow, systematic makeover of KTRU is just the latest example of a college determined to pattern itself after corporate America|last=Kern|first=Lauren |date=January 11, 2001|publisher=Houston Press|accessdate=2008-08-31]

In 1991, KTRU's transmitter was moved to the north of Houston, increased in power to 50,000 watts and presented with an operating endowment by Mike Stude, the owner of Houston-area radio station KRTS and an heir of the founders of Brown & Root. This move enable KRTS to increase from 3,000 watts to 50,000 watts without interfering with KTRU's signal.

In 1997, a university committee released a report recommending expanding coverage of university programs to 12 hours of the broadcast day, the hiring of professional staff, and increasing marketing of the station, in addition to studio expansion and technology upgrades. At the recommendation of the committee, a professional General Manager was hired in 1988 with the Station Manager still staffed by a student volunteer. [cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19991009050210/www.riceinfo.rice.edu/projects/reno/rn/ktru.html |title=KTRU Format Changes Will Benefit Students|last=CINELLI |first=MICHAEL |work=press release|publisher=Rice University]

In 2000, KTRU more than doubled the number of sports games it broadcast at the request of university administrators. This after administrators threatened to withhold financing and other resources the station receives through student fees levied by the university. On 2000-11-30 student volunteer DJs protested the preemption of their music show by a women's basketball game by playing punk rock music concurrently with the game during its last hour. When the student manager refused to reprimand those DJs, the university administration responded by locking students out of the station and replacing its programming with a satellite feed from the World Radio Network. The administration cited the stations by-laws which gives the university president ultimate authority over the station. The lock-out lasted 8 days before the station was returned to student control with joint oversight from the university administration.

Notable station alumni

* Stan Barber - a significant contributor to Network News Transfer Protocol and Vice President of Engineering Operations, NTT America.
* John Doerr - venture capitalist with Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers
* Scott Hochberg - Representative to House District 137 since 2003 and co-founder of Logitek Audio.

References

External links

*FM station data|KTRU