Page 6
Daily Nebraskan
Thursday, September 30, 1982
PuBMemccess station KZUM
Mon.
927
11
WEST
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Wed.
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Il THE FRITZ
Sat.
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fights for better frequency 1eve
By John Koopman
At 10 watts, KZUM radio station barely has enough
power to reach a significant part of Lincoln. But like a
modern day David competing against the multi-kilowatt
Goliath stations of the city, KZUM manages to attract a
great deal of support from area listeners.
KZUM is part of a growing movement in American
broadcasting, called "public-access radio."
Like other public-access stations, it operates on the
educational band of the FM radio dial, from 88.1 to 91.1
megahertz. These stations are non-profit, non-commercial,
generally volunteer programs aimed at community
access and public service.
Much of the exposure that KZUM has received lately
has dealt with it's fight to be allotted more power. So far,
the Federal Communications Commission has refused to
grant an increase because the station is too close to the
audio frequency of WOWT in Omaha. WOWT's audio
frequency ranges from 82-88 megahertz, just below
KZUM's89.5.
According to Ron Kurtenbach, a member of KZUM's
board of directors, the problem lies with television sets.
Their receivers are not discrimnating enough, and they
tend to pick up the KZUM signal if they are too close to
the antennae.
Kurtenbach also said that KZUM has developed a
device called an "FM trap." The trap is installed on a
television set to elimiate radio interference.
WOWT engineering supervisor Bill Freeman said the
interference problem experienced between the two sta
tions happens all over the country. He said many other
channel six television stations have had problems with
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Corrections
In Wednesday's Daily Ne
braskan, Anne Tibbels, a
junior history and English
major, inadvertently was
left off the list of home
coming queen finalists.
In the same article, the
polling places for home
coming royalty elections
were incorrect.. The polls
will be open from & ajm'
to 8 p.m. on Oct. 13.
Also in Wednesday's
paper, a caption about
wallet thefts failed to men
tion that the composite
picture shown was a UNL
police composite drawing.
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radio stations operating in the educational spectrum.
Still trying
Although earlier attempts to increase power have
failed, KZUM is still trying. The FCC is considering a
request for a 2,000-watt transmitter.
KZUM differs from other public broadcasting stations
in that it has a variety of different programs and types
of music.
In response to an earlier article about KZUM in the
Daily Nebraskan, Kurtenbach said it must be emphasized
that KZUM is a progressive radio station, but it also has
a wide variety of programs and tries to cover all politi
cal and moral points of view.
Kurtenbach has been with KZUM since he helped get
it started in 1973. It took approximately three years of
challenges by WOWT before it finally could get on the
air, he said.
Kurtenbach said he thinks other commercial stations
around Lincoln see KZUM as a threat.
"The way they use the Fairness Doctrine, or the right
of candidates to respond, is very indicative of how they
look at access. Most commercial broadcasters look at
access as a threat," he said.
Since the Fairness Doctrine compels radio stations to
give equal time to opposing viewpoints, and since that
time cannot be sold for advertising, other commercial
stations' attitude is to try to keep people off the air while
KZUM tries to air as many viewpoints as possible, he said.
Statements replayed
Kurtenbach suggested that the least the commercial
stations should do is incorporate a concept called "free
speech messages" and invite interested parties to make
point-of-view statements of five minutes or less and then
replay the messages throughout the day.
Expressing his views on commercial radio, Kurtenbach
said, "This is supposed to be a communication medium.
It's not supposed to be a conduit for ads. That's not the
way they're licensed. They're licensed to be a public
service."
He said the FCC has had a miserable record of removing
licenses from stations that don't serve the public. He
cited the case of Starr Broadcasting in Omaha which, he
said, actually had to do something illegal before they ran
into license trouble.
Kurtenbach said he would like the FCC to allow
Stations to compete for frequencies if the ones, thpt
occupy them can't live up to their promises.
"KZUM could .do a much better job than KHAT is
doing with that frequency in 3,000 watt FM," he said.
"I think it's an important issue to discuss. If you have a
competitive system, why shouldn't the FCC invite compe
tition for the existing frequencies and make a judgment
based on who has the best record and who will be of the
greatest service?"
Kurtenbach said the future of stations such as KZUM
could very well depend on whether Ronald Reagan is
defeated in the next election and if a different admini
stration is installed at the controls of the FCC. He also
said cable radio is a possible way to open up. KZUM is
on Lincoln's cable radio at 89. 1 FM.
Former college dean
Alice Loomis is dead
Alice M. Loomis, former dean of the College of Home
Economics at UNL from 1912 to 1919, died last Thurs
day. She was 102.
Born in Berts, Neb., in 1880, Loomis received her
bachelor's degree from Kansas State University in 1904.
She helped develop a home economics program at Peru
State College before coming to work at UNL. After
retiring as a dean at UNL she continued to teach at
other colleges.
In 1980 she was named one of the 12 most notable
Nebraska women in the 20th century.
She is survived by her sister, Georgia Doan of Lincoln,
and nieces and nephews.
So says the VA...
ASK SHAGG
by Peter Guren
Veterans slq oocr
TAEiR IPCAL TelfcPrfcNE
DttEcToW FcTrtE NUMBER
o CALL To REACM A
l ; i All AKi.
