AIRWAVES A Service of Continuing Education & Ext&nslon Unlvanlty of Minnesota-Duluth August-S.pwmber 1986 Volume 7, Number 4 Bill Shapiro, creator and host of Cyprus Avenue • The Beach Boys • Bob Dylan y Cyprus Avenue comes to KUMD Plus · KUMD: 1973 to 1979 Local Production on Momlng Edition KUMD's 30th Birthday Prevl•wl Guthrf• and SMg.r • U• at Wolf Trap 1 kumd 103.3 fm Station Manager • Paul Schmitz Report to the listener Program Director • John Ziegler Public Affairs Director • Jean Johnson Outreach Coordinator • Bob DeArmond by Paul Schmitz, Station Manager Producer • Kathleen Anderson Engineer • Kirk Kersten What a summer it's been' The put back up. Several sections had to be transmission line and, we hope, shut Secretary • Donna Neveau weather has been pretty good for replaced also. Total cost: about $14,0001 everything down in the event of a Duluth, if you don't mind abrupt, Ouch1! similar emergency. frequent, and dramatic changes. Actually that figure only scratches I debated whether to go on the air Volunteer Staff Actually I did mind one such change. the surface of what we need to do to shortly after the accident with a mini- Bill Agnew, Bob Allen, Craig Anderson, Jon Remember the last two days of May? prevent such an accident from fund-raiser. Having decided against it, I Anderson, Kathleen Anderson, Mark Those were the 90-degree days. At least happening again. We have already do want to encourage you to consider Anderson, Tom Anderson, Bob Andresen, until about 10:35 p.m. on May 31. The received substantial help from the helping KUMD overcome this financial Leo Babeau, Chris Bacigalupo, Sondra temperature dropped about 40 degrees University to cover the most immediate setback. Any contribution will help us Bergeland, Lynette Brauer, John Brazner, in what seemed like ten minutes. The needs, and we are asking for additional get back to where we were on May 31. Jan Cohen, Bruce Eckland, Dann Edholm, fortunes of KUMD took a nosedive too, funds to buy entirely new transmission On the brighter side, KUMD was Carol Edwards, Pat Eller, Phil Enke, Linda for that was the night the transmission proud to be selected as the site of a Estel, Susanna Frenkel, Bob Galras, Doug line. But we have to bear many costs Greenwood, Jim Gruba, Bill Hansen, Steve line burned up! ourselves, both in muscellaneous parts training workshop for news reporters Hansen, Bob Hanson, Paul Hanson, Dean When the station was turned on and especially in time lost to other during the third week of July. Twenty Hauge, Gerry Henkel, John Hensrud, Ruth Saturday morning on June 1, we knew projects we had expected to work on. producers, including our own Kathleen Huschle, Tim Jenkins, Dave Johnson, Tim something was wrong. It is still not This is the story, then, of why KUMD Anderson, participated in four days of Kaiser, Pat Keenan, Bob King, Robert Kreda, entirely clear just why the electrical was off the air for the first week of intensive work with nationally Brenda Latourelle, Mike Martin, Dean burning occurred, but it caused enough June, and why we are still operating at recognized public radio producers. Jean Mattson, Al Merry, Kathy Mosher, Joni damage to require that the entire half-power. The lower power is a safety Johnson deserves special credit for her Nelson, Pam Nelson, Don Ness, Shawn transmission line be taken down from precaution until we install some new hard work as the on-site coordinator. Nowlin, Peter Olsen, Rick Olsen, Tina the tower, thoroughly cleaned, and then equipment that will monitor the Peterson, Mike Peura, Sarah Phoenix, Odie Powell, Helen Prekker, Dan Proctor, Jessica Redman, Lance Rhicard, Will Rhodes, Kathleen Ryan, Don Samuels, Jane Soukup, Jim Stanton, Kathy Sting!, Chris Thygeson, KUMD: 1973 to 1979 by Bob DeArmond - ----- Nancy Tibbetts, Terry Tucker, Tim Veiner, Bryan Vollman, David Williams, John On December 13, 1974, the UMD should go to UMD. So they started the 'new' station, "The feeling around Williams, Tim Winker, Billy Wright, Ted News Service announced that the negotiations with the campus here has always been one of great pride. Wright, Peg Zahorik. Educational Policy and Long Range administration which continued even We really believe that we have one of Planning Committee of the University of after UMD did win the bid and the finest radio experiences available. I Minnesota Board of Regents established KUMD/ WDTH went on the air with its think this is a beautiful radio station. It Program Underwriters negotiations to purchase Duluth radio new power and equipment on March 8, offers more in-depth things to more The following firms have provided funds to stations WDTH -FM for the expansion of 1976. people and more different types of help underwrite acquisition of the indicated KUMD. KUMD was now known as WDTH and experiences than just about any other programs. We appreciate their participation This proposal was supported by was found at 103.3 FM instead of 89.1. media experience that I could conceive in quality public broadcasting for our area. UMD's Associate Provost Dr. Heller but This was because UMD now owned two of." not by the student staff of KUMD. The FM radio licenses - WDTH, a 100,000 But even though there was increased Lake Superior Port Cities Magazine • All staff felt that the increased power watt transmitter that had an effective activity at the station the funding from Things Considered and Listening Points Minnesota Power • All Things Considered (100,000 watts) and listening radius range of about 100 miles and KUMD, a the University was slowly eroding due to News-Tribune & Herald • Morning Edition would cause UMD to take the 512 watt transmitter with an effective the uncertain fate of WDTH. This St. Louis County Federal Savings & Loan management of the radio station out of range of about 20 miles. The KUMD situation was made more visible when Association • Morning Edition the hands of the students. The student license and equipment were retained in 1977 the Student Service Fee Stereo 1 Duluth • Jazz Expansions staff presented a statement to this effect for several years even though the Committee removed WDTH from the UMD Theater Department and to Dr. Heller and the committee. Their station was not on the air. This step was summer session service fee. Tom Minnesota Repertory Theater• NPR statement ended with the following taken because the fate of WDTH was Livingston, the staff and supporters of Playhouse. sentence, "Because we feel that KUMD still not decided by the University and WDTH immediately responded to this would be operated and controlled by there were now state committees decision and in a meeting a week later interests other than the students we meeting to look at the needs for non- the decision to drop the station from Organizational oppose the proposal to purchase WDTH. commercial broadcasting in Minnesota. the summer session service fee was Members How did all these negotiations and Dr. Heller responded to this overturned. This was a very important A& E Supply statement by asking the students to committee hearings affect WDTH, the step for the station because it received, Austin-Jarrow Sports trust him, reminding them of the student radio station at UMD? Basically at that time, $25,000 a year from the Nancy Serini Gallery present laissez faire policy the thP,y affected them on a financial level. Student Service Fee or about $4 per Blue Heron Trading Company administration was then taking towards With its new power and larger student per year. Builders & Laborers Commonwealth KUMD. He asked the staff of KUMD to listenership, WDTH increased All these events made it crystal clear Cloquet Natural Foods prepare a policy statement concerning broadcasting to 17 hours a day, started to Tom Livingston that WDTH needed to Destination Travel the student operation of a 100,000 watt to carry classes for credit, and somehow stabilize its operations. So in The Duluth Clinic broadcast facility. This they did. Their expanded its musical offerings and January of 1978, Livingston started the First Bank Duluth public affairs, both national and local. wheels in motion to try to have WDTH Jeff Frey Photography policy statement called for the creation Global Village of four paid staff positions - a student Tom Livingston, who became station qualify for support from the Grandma's Inc. manager, an engineer, an instructor manager in 1976, had this to say about Corporation for Public Broadcasting Highland Beauty Floors faculty member, and a secretary. and accepted as a member of National Highland Service Center Dr. Heller presented both the Public Radio. One of the main obstacles Hummingbird Productions proposal to buy WDTH -FM and KUMD's in this process was the fact that to be a Kar Kare policy statement at the next meeting of member of NPR a station has to have Krenzen Cadillac-Pontiac-Honda-Datsun the Board of Regents and they were five full -time staff people. This was not Lake Superior Custom Photo Lab both approved. UMD now added its the case at WDTH in 1978. Natchio's And so Livingston started the long Neo Theatrique lnsty-Toot name to those of several groups bidding North Shore Bank of Commerce on WDTH-FM, one of which was process of University paper work and Park State Bank Minnesota Educational Radio Network fund raising necessary to WDTH's Positively 3rd Street Bakery which was hoping to establish a two eventual acceptance by the Corporation Saab Club of North America channel service in northern Minnesota. for Public Broadcasting and NPR. As St. Louis Billiards and Minnesota Educational Radio Network part of this process WDTH held its first The Eating Emporium is now known as Minnesota Public on-air listeners pledge drive in the fall Sawbill Canoe Outfitters Radio.