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PAGE 4 THE TECH TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1979 . I -MI . - 1 - I I Editorial 0 a I m Nomdaw rl I 1 41 III 14 ,fk Last week, Governor Ed King proposed a Americans even though it is illegal. If people bill to the Massachusetts legislature which want something, they'll get it; one. more ob- would immediately raise the legal drinking age stacle doesn't make much difference. in this state to 19 and six months later raise the Second, the new bill will encourage students age to 2 1. The bill seeks to address a real to drive into states where the drinking age is 18 problem of drunk driving, but we think it goes in order to obtain alcholic beverages. Students about this in' the wrong way. In fact, King's will then drink in other states and drive back to solution creates more'problems than it solves. Massachusetts. Co-ntrary to its purpose, the bill First, there is no indication the new bill will may thus resuft in an increase in teenage drunk do any good. Nobody has proven that legal, driving. drinking ages will have any effect on drunk We believe the answer to the drunk driving driving. A popular quote in the debate on the problem lies in education and rehabilitation, drinking age is "'You've given me a lot of not in drinking ages. Only by attacking the figures, but you haven't given me any problem directly using frank discussion will statistics." Students drink in junior high school there be any positive results. Prohibitions have even though they are well below the legal drink- not worked in the past; there is no indication ing age. Marijuana has been tried by 42 million they will work in the future. I- thrives on so e stations 419 tesim - AMLANd-ftl. .. usic I la aarmr-kmaimtN '10 To the editor: khz bandwidth for AM as op- studios ranging from -poetry to The "Flip Side" column which posed to 15 khz bandwidth for chamber music to jazz bands. FM) insures that those listeners W BUR showcases classical music ONWshk appeared in your January 31 issue showed a lack a broad perspective who crave local music, are fidelity performed by BU musicians, and mmF1 MtRa I ph of the Boston radio market when conscious, and are not already WHRB is known for its presenta- By Tom Curtis the author stated that very little WCAS devotees never hear the tion of the evolving Cambridge The Institute screw has struck again. While our parents accept seven music performed by local musi- station because the selctor switch folk scene. WMFO at Tufts per cent wage increases under President Carter's guidelines, MIT has cians is available on radio in the on their radio never leaves the broadcasts on campus musical rasied its tuition by eight and one-half per cent. Greater Boston area. It may be FM band. events from large scale concerts to MIT administration officials point out the the tuition increase is true that local music is un- 3) The author temporarily intim-ate coffee house size affairs below the 1978 increase in the Consumer Price Index. But is that really available on commercial radio forgot the composition of The originating from Tuft's equivalent the relevant standard for measuring the increase? Isn't it more impor- stations, but this is not true for Tech's- readership when she of The Muddy Charles. WERS tant that the increase in tuition is more than our families' wage in- Boston area non-commercial bemoaned the fact that WCAS has been playing local New Wave crease'? radio stations. (100 watts) and WTBS (10 watts, music during their rock programs The fact is this tuition increase will be an added burden -on all stu- First, let me define commercial and the only non-commercial sta- since before it was even called dents from the middle income families who cannot et financial' aid. It and non-commercial radio sta- tion mentioned in the column) are Punk. could also-hurt students on financial aid if the equity level is increased tions. Commercial stations in- both "low power" stations. I by more than seven per cent. Certainly, MIT is a less attractive school clude all AM stations operating doubt that many serious readers WTBS is MIT's indigenous because of the tuition increase. from 540 khz to 1610 khz carrier of The Tech -who are also serious radio station. The station has frequency, and all FM stations GreaterI Boston radio listeners been at the cutting edge of broad- IFF No easy solution to revenue problem operating from 92 mhz to 108 live outside Route 128, which0 is casting froih its inception as a car- But,, MIT argues, a tuition increase is the only wayto raise the rnhz carrier -frequency. Non- thei approximate boundary f the rier current station in 1947 necessary revenue. Therc is some truth to this. Ever since the Sputnik commercial station's are restricted coverageI area of both WCAS and through the start of FM broad- Ecare ended in the late 60's, the federal government has cut back on to 88 mhz to 92 mhz carrier fre- WTI3S. casting at 88.1 mhz in 1961 to the i research projects, which are an important source of revenue for schools quency, and the FCC (Federal Third, there is an abundance of present efforts (as reported in The like MIT. Senator William Proxmire hasn't helped either. His Golden Communications Commission) locally composed and performed Tech) to increase its power from Fleece Award for research projects which appear to be inane has requires that tire holders of music available on non- 10 watts to 200 watts. The sta- brought demands for even more cuts in government research funding. licenses for noncommercial sta- commercial FM radio in the tion's list of musical first includes Furthermore, fundraisers have beeen hampered in their efforts by the tions be non-profit.organizations Boston area. For example: "siring" progressive radio in the uncertain state of the economy in the 1970's. People are reluctant to (for example. the WGBH founda- WGBH presents the Boston mid-60's with Mr. T, Tom give to the college of their choice when they think they might need the tion in the case of WGBH). Syphony Orchestra, from Boston Gamache, the area's first disco a I money to make ends meet next year. Because the continued existence in the winter and Tanglewood in radio program, The Right Track, An easy solution to this problem would be to increase enrollment of noncommercial stations is not the summer, and almost.weekly baclk in 1974, and a regula.r N! and thereby increase tuition revenues without actually increasing tui- governed by the whimsy of the live performances from their (Please turn to page 5) tion. The experiences of the last several years has shown that this radio advertising marketplace, as doesn't work, however. Increased class size means increased facilities is the case for commercial sta- K. Steven F. Frann '80 Chairman or dilution of quality. Either way, it's no solution. tions- 'noncommercial stations E Thus, MIT does'-face genuine problems in raising revenue. However, Thomas Curtis'80 Editor-in-Chief a tend to broadcast music, in addi- E I doubt MIT has done all it can to raise necessary revenues from tion to other programming, which Kathryn E. Gropp '80 -'Managing Editor elsewhere. For instance, the Leadership Campaign has been fiery suc- is both generated by'and tailored Pandora Berman '80 - Business Manager cessful in raising nioney for nonessential programs, such as the two new to the individuals in the local Bob Wasserman '80 - Exewtive Editor Colleges, but much less successful in raising money for projects which listening area. Volume 99, Number 3 are badly needed. The effort should be redirected towards raising funds Second, the author's discussion Tuesday, February 13, 1979 for those things which are needed now; the other programs can wait a of the value of the programming while. aired by the two stations she PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT studied in depth, WBCN and Find creative ways to cut expenses WCAS, ignored some of the Photo Editors:. Chuck Irwin '80, Steven Solnick '81; Staff: John MIT also claims it cannot clat many more programs without hurting Borland '80, Dale Senechal '81, Marvin Hom '82, Ken Schreibman rea I i-t i e so f t h e " r a d i o '82, Heinz Sohn '82, Richard Soley '82, Rich Tello '821 Photographic educational quality. True, many programs have already been cut as far maiketplace" that broadcasters Consultant: David Tenenbaum '75. 21 as they can be. Already, lab courses are overcrowded and under- have come to accept. rp stocked. But MIT must look for creative ways to cut its expenses 1) A feature of local music on SPORTS DEPARTMENT without cutting quality. Here are two suggestions: the Boston Sundar Revien, on Sports Editors: Gordon R. Haff '79, Bob Host '81; Staff: Gregg 1. Discontinue purchases of modern art. A large segment ofthe MIT WBCN front 8 am to noon (for Stave '79, Dennis Smith '81, Rich Auchus '82. community is offended by this type of art and would be glad to see it one weekend only) is about as ef- go. Those who like modern art already have plenty to see. fective in bringing local music to ARTS DEPARTMENT 2. Cut therniustats a few more degrees. My room at MIT is kept the people as using a squirt gun Arts Editors: Joel West '79, David G. Shaw '81; Associate Arts- warmer than my room in South Carolina.