UH found itself in the midst of a media disagreement recently over their decision to purchase the broadcast tower and FCC license of KTRU from Rice University.
Faculty, students and alumni from both sides are outraged at both UH and Rice administration’s secrecy. Since the news broke on Aug. 17, Rice students and KTRU supporters have risen up in protest with rallies, meetings and petitions. Now some of UH is stepping up to show the administrations that Rice students aren’t the only ones opposed to the sale.
A group of UH alumni and students have created their own online petition specifically targeting President Renu Khator and the UH administration for their involvement in the “secret deal” to buy KTRU.
In the petition it states, “by voting to authorize the purchase of KTRU without informing students or the general public prior to the vote, we believe that the UH Board of Regents failed in its responsibility as the governing body of a public institution to keep the community informed of important University decisions.”
Both the Rice and UH administrations are being accused of negotiating in secrecy, and disregarding the need for student and public input in the decision.
“This is a blemish on the University,” UH Psychology junior Lauren Colmer said. “Taking this channel away from the students not only makes us look bad, but also deprives the Houston music scene of the eclectic music broadcast on KTRU.”
Colmer and other KTRU advocates believe that the student-run format of Rice radio allows for a diverse and enjoyable listening experience, unlike the commercially viable music played on most other FM stations.
UH and Rice alumni have voiced their intent to cut funding to the universities if the deal goes through. Whether or not the public disagreement will be enough to stop the agreement is still unclear.
The petitioners for UH for KTRU have called on the University to “restore openness and transparency to the university’s administration by ending all negotiations with Rice University for KTRU.”
The signatures of the petitioners are from a ranage of different areas across the nation.
“As a Rice alum, I am deeply disappointed by the decision to eliminate a distinctive piece of Rice and Houston culture,” online petitioner Frederick Gray from Colorado said on the KTRU petiton website. “I hope that UH will use more careful thought than Rice’s shortsighted administration has done here.”
Some of the local petitioners were specific with their complaints, targeting the fact that UH would change the content of the radio station.
“I love public radio, but Houston needs the diversity of KTRU,” Christopher Spadone wrote on the petition’s website. “Additionally, I would prefer not to have a 24 hour news feed. I love KUHF’s current balance.”
UH alumni who signed the petition shared their thoughts on being longtime listeners.
“I have been listening to KTRU since I arrived in Houston in 1980. I understand the reasons why the Rice board sold (the station) and the reasons why KUHF decided to buy. Those reasons are rational,” UH alumnus Daniel Massey wrote. “The problem is that a creative non-establishment open-minded voice has been silenced.”
So far, 195-plus signatures have been collected toward the overall goal of 1,000. The online petition is available at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/UH-for-KTRU/.
(Cont…) With respect to your point about donations to KUHF not being very likely to also result in donations to UH; I agree with you. The “support” of older, affluent, politically connected individuals I was referring to was more in the nature of the kind of support (grants and corporate money) mentioned in the paragraph above as opposed to direct personal contributions. (Cont…)
As for acquiring another station, possibly from Clear Channel; my understanding is that the FCC designates certain frequencies (the lower dial ones) for educational and non-profit purposes and others for commercial purposes (higher dial frequencies). So if UH wanted to expand their presence in radio, it has to be with a station similar to KTRU or KACC (Alvin Community College).
Lastly, with respect to the secrecy that everybody hates (including me); very few business transactions are deliberated in public. It is almost impossible to execute a deal if 5,000 parties are chiming in with their two cents. I think both the UH and Rice administrations gave into the attitude that “no one wants to see the sausage getting made.” It is unfortunate, but sometimes necessary.
-Bauer Alum
Hi Bauer Alum,
My Clear Channel suggestion was (mostly) tongue-in-cheek.
As for grants, the vast majority of research money comes from the federal government through NIH, NSF, DOE, DOD, NEH, NEA, etc. Grants from Houston-area business and local government – whose leaders might actually listen to KUHF – are a very small fraction of the total grant dollars at UH.
Finally, one of the important things about a public university is that it is held to a very different standard than, say, a private corporation regarding openness and transparency. It may not be pretty to see the sausage being made, but in the case of a public university, the public often has the right to watch. (See, for example, the Texas Open Meetings Act.)
Even if we don't agree, I appreciate your thoughtful responses to my previous comments. If only all internet discussion boards were this civil.
Doesn't Rice, which is a private university, want to sell it because they can't afford it? If you want Rice to keep the station, everyone should be upset with Rice for wanting to sell it. UH is not trying to "take over" anything.
It is an opportunity for UH and they are smart enough to take advantage of it. NOONE is forcing Rice to do anything, especially when they feel they can't afford it.
So how is UH having interest in buying something that has been for sale for over a year a bad thing and how is UH is the bad guy in this?
And if Rice needs a station, then they should keep this one or buy another one. NOONE is stopping them from doing that!
If UH doesn't buy the station, someone else will! So good for UH to take advantage of what they feel is in their best interest, which is the exact same thing Rice is doing.
Would Rice students and alum still be pissed off if KUHC was kept the same format at KTRU, but just owned by UH?
If so, then there are ulterior motives to their protests.
If any UH community member wants Rice to have this station at that point, they are just plain idiots.
Brian, I think you're really missing the point. This isn't about UH versus Rice. It's certainly understandable that Rice students want to protect their student-built organization. But KTRU has also come to have real value beyond Rice. For many of us, this is about protecting something unique on the fm dial – a station that plays independent music, features local artists, and promotes local shows. If UH/KUHF would commit to doing that with the new KUHC, that would be great, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be something they have any interest in.
UH Alum,
Are you going to pay for it? Not sure why you think keeping a station in which a private university can't afford or doesn't want to afford is a worthy thing to be upset about.
Again, NOONE is forcing Rice to sell it. UH is just a buyer. If it wasn't UH, it would be someone else.
If Rice can't afford something, or want to spend the money on more important things, then Rice should be afforded that right.
Again, UH is just an innocent bystander to people upset that Rice doesn't want the station anymore. UH isn't forcing ANYTHING.
Check out the new article that the Texas Watchdog has posted: http://www.texaswatchdog.org/2010/11/university-o…
Very unflattering to UH; very shameful. I expect better, more transparent, ethical behavior. Seems to me, UH needs to do some soul-searching.