MSA to pay for KCOU's new tower

MSA wants to give up ownership of KCOU within the next five years.

By Amber Wade

Published Oct. 24, 2008

After several weeks of discussion, MSA will pay for the KCOU/88.1 FM transmitting tower without asking for any repayment.

On Wednesday, Missouri Students Association Vice President Chelsea Johnson requested a $30,000 transfer from the MSA equipment fund to pay for a new transmitting tower for the radio station.

This sudden action from MSA leaders was discussed during a meeting between MSA and KCOU leaders Tuesday night.

During the meeting, MSA President Jim Kelley said MSA would also gradually give up ownership of the radio station.

Kelley said after talking to other student body presidents within the Big 12, he couldn't find any other student government that owned its radio station. Because of this discovery, MSA wants to slowly decrease its commitment to KCOU until the station is able to survive on its own.

Johnson said a preliminary plan has MSA decreasing KCOU's yearly budget by 20 percent for five years until it is self-sufficient.

This year, KCOU's budget was $37,000, but KCOU General Manager John Dobson said that number would most likely change.

"Right now there are things included in the budget that could be cut and there are others that should increase, like our equipment budget," Dobson said.

Johnson said with MSA no longer owning KCOU, the radio station would be placed under the Department of Student Life until it is completely self-sufficient, but the Federal Communications Commission license would still be owned by the UM system Board of Curators.

Kelley said this would give the radio station more independence and responsibility.

"KCOU will be assuming a larger amount of risk than in the past, but the trade off is a larger amount of freedom," he said.

Although the financial details remain uncertain, Johnson said a student fee would pay for operating KCOU until the station is self-sufficient. She also hopes the station can come up with its own yearly budget in five years through donations.

KCOU Program Director Jonathan Hutcheson said KCOU can make more money by creating public and private partnerships, reaching out to alumni, selling merchandise in the bookstore, offering mobile DJ services and including more underwriting.

Although this new solution involves some risk, Dobson said he is sure KCOU will make it work.

"I am very confident that KCOU will take care of business," Dobson said. "Most college radio stations operate under this type of a system, so if we follow those plans, there should be no problems."

Dobson said KCOU is going to consult with multiple college radio stations across the country and set up a similar formula to follow.

MSA Senate Speaker Jonathan Mays said KCOU might also get a professional adviser who knows the radio business and can make suggestions.

A professional advisor means more expenses, but Dobson said it would be a huge benefit to KCOU.

"It would be a phenomenal element in the growth process of KCOU," Dobson said. "It would be a better system for students, because there wouldn't be the organizational memory loss when people graduate every year."

Although the new solution addresses the immediate dilemma with the tower, it does not address the funding for KCOU's move to the new student center.

The Student Fee Capital Improvement Committee has set aside $45,000 for KCOU's use, with $39,000 of that going toward new equipment and $6,000 toward new furniture, Dobson said.

The SFCIC budget won't cover all the new equipment needed, but Dobson said KCOU will not need $168,000, the original estimate that included all brand new equipment.

Dobson said the station is developing a more realistic proposal.

He said KCOU has already started buying new equipment with extra money from its yearly budget. The station also plans to use some of the SFCIC money to buy new equipment.

MSA and KCOU leaders will continue to meet during the next few weeks to sort out the details.