The Founding Of Sacramento State's Student-Run, College Radio Station
Revolution Rock
True, we started the commotion. We, the founders of KEDG (now KSSU), led the student-run, college radio revolution at Sacramento State.
We labored tirelessly, with about 50 other students (from 1989 to 1991), to establish KSSU. We worked with former Sacramento State President, Donald Gerth, and former Vice President of University Affairs, Robert Jones, to make the station a reality. Our faculty advisor, Professor Linda Rhodes, was instrumental in our success. Spencer Fruend, Director of University Media Services, was our technical advisor. He, and his staff, literally assembled the nuts, bolts, and wires of the station. Associated Students Inc., UNIQUE Programs, Access Sacramento, and Dean Sorensen, Director of the University Union, were also strong allies for us.
The reality is that KSSU was a startup that should never have come into existence. We experienced innumerable setbacks during the process and were told “no” at almost every turn. We had a near impossible time finding a faculty advisor. KXPR (Capitol Public Radio) secured the second FCC frequency from the university and launched KXJZ. We had timing delays, budgeting difficulties, engineering issues, and more. Tragically, we even lost one of our key founders to a fatal hit-and-run accident.
Most, if not all of us, were full-time students and also held down full-time jobs. Our meetings happened in coffee shops, shopping malls, and whatever rooms we could find on campus. Our communication happened via pay phones, home phones, and handwritten notes left in file folders in the University Union “club mail folders.” This was pre-iPhone, pre-Internet and pre-Nirvana.
However, we persevered through all of these challenges and setbacks. Through the process, we became more organized, more determined, and more mature. These were formative experiences for all of us. The end result was securing $150,000 in station startup funding and a $30,000 annual operating budget. We built the station with the future in mind and started broadcasting out of a tiny room in the university library in 1991.
Student-run, college radio stations, whether terrestrial broadcast or online streaming, continue to play vitally important roles in their local communities. These stations provide students with real-world, hands-on experience in broadcasting, production, marketing, sales, management, operations, and more. In turn, the students provide the community with unique perspectives, independent voices, and new music. KSSU is no exception. It has grown into a nationally recognized, award-winning college radio station.
KSSU has continued to prove itself and power on for 30 years. You can't stop the rock.
We labored tirelessly, with about 50 other students (from 1989 to 1991), to establish KSSU. We worked with former Sacramento State President, Donald Gerth, and former Vice President of University Affairs, Robert Jones, to make the station a reality. Our faculty advisor, Professor Linda Rhodes, was instrumental in our success. Spencer Fruend, Director of University Media Services, was our technical advisor. He, and his staff, literally assembled the nuts, bolts, and wires of the station. Associated Students Inc., UNIQUE Programs, Access Sacramento, and Dean Sorensen, Director of the University Union, were also strong allies for us.
The reality is that KSSU was a startup that should never have come into existence. We experienced innumerable setbacks during the process and were told “no” at almost every turn. We had a near impossible time finding a faculty advisor. KXPR (Capitol Public Radio) secured the second FCC frequency from the university and launched KXJZ. We had timing delays, budgeting difficulties, engineering issues, and more. Tragically, we even lost one of our key founders to a fatal hit-and-run accident.
Most, if not all of us, were full-time students and also held down full-time jobs. Our meetings happened in coffee shops, shopping malls, and whatever rooms we could find on campus. Our communication happened via pay phones, home phones, and handwritten notes left in file folders in the University Union “club mail folders.” This was pre-iPhone, pre-Internet and pre-Nirvana.
However, we persevered through all of these challenges and setbacks. Through the process, we became more organized, more determined, and more mature. These were formative experiences for all of us. The end result was securing $150,000 in station startup funding and a $30,000 annual operating budget. We built the station with the future in mind and started broadcasting out of a tiny room in the university library in 1991.
Student-run, college radio stations, whether terrestrial broadcast or online streaming, continue to play vitally important roles in their local communities. These stations provide students with real-world, hands-on experience in broadcasting, production, marketing, sales, management, operations, and more. In turn, the students provide the community with unique perspectives, independent voices, and new music. KSSU is no exception. It has grown into a nationally recognized, award-winning college radio station.
KSSU has continued to prove itself and power on for 30 years. You can't stop the rock.
CONGRATULATIONS KSSU
Here's to 30 Years of Student-Run, College Radio!
Check Out KSSU by Clicking Above.
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All files and information contained in this Website are copyright by Jim Bolt, and may not be duplicated, copied, modified or adapted, in any way without his written permission. Your use of this Website does not constitute any right or license for you to use the contained content or images, without the prior written permission of Jim Bolt. The Content, as found within our Website, is protected under United States and foreign copyrights. The copying, redistribution, use or publication by you of any such Content, is strictly prohibited. Your use of this Website does not grant you any ownership rights to our Content.