Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Cream Vanderbilt Student Communications Board’s Student Members Directly Address Possible WRVU Sale
Posted by D. Patrick Rodgers on Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 11:51 AM
- Photo: Thinkstock
Yesterday, InsideVandy.com posted a letter to the editor penned by the five student members of the VSC board (Courtney Kissack, Justin Tardiff, Kyle Blaine, Laura Dolbow, Phil Carroll and Thomas Shattuck). The letter states the VSC board’s intentions to “create an endowment” that would “support student media operating expenses in the future.” They go on to explain other advancements that could be made possible by this endowment, such as making Vanderbilt Television high-definition, or providing “multiple online streams of WRVU.” An excerpt:
If the 91.1 FM license, which is held and overseen by the VSC board of directors, is sold, revenue from the sale would be used to create an endowment. Interest accrued from the endowment would be used to support student media operating expenses in the future. WRVU would not go away if the FM license were sold; rather, an endowment would provide the station with the resources necessary to thrive in a changing media landscape.
A student media endowment would present significant new possibilities for student media at Vanderbilt. As more and more media consumption takes place in digital form, we as an organization need to remain relevant and provide students with skills and training to cover the campus as well as we possibly can. Whether the future means high-definition technology for VTV, enhanced features for InsideVandy.com or multiple online streams of WRVU, as student demands and interests change, we need to be in a place to support them.
Commenters have already begun to question the relevance of investing in VTV or The Hustler while moving WRVU to online programming. Commenter “but wait…” asks, “if they're in such desperate need for funding, and acfee hasn't decreased ... doesn't that mean that the hustler ad revenue is down? which means that paper media is the one that's becoming irrelevant, not radio?” Another commenter asks, “you ever get the sinking feeling that students who volunteer for leadership positions are only in it for the resume padding and to be parrots for the men in suits?” The VSC board continues to encourage student input via the Vandy Media website.
Comments (7)
Showing 1-7 of 7
Are people supposed to interpret this as the student council already being complicit in the sale or is this an IF situation?
like
dislike
"WRVU would not go away if the FM license were sold"
VSC students: You can't honestly believe this. Use those big brains that got you into Vanderbilt and think for yourself! The powers that be are telling you how great this deal will be for the future of Vandy media but it's a lie. WRVU will be toast within a year. Nobody listens to internet radio.
You guys are smarter than this. THINK about your legacy and the legacy of WRVU. Do you really want your names associated with killing WRVU for the rest of your lives?
Use those critical thinking skills! Do your research! I'd suggest googling "chris carroll shut down radio" for starters...
Someone needs to write a story about Ken Berryhill. I would do it but writing isn't my strong suit. Ken started WRVU in his dorm room 55 some odd years ago and is still going! Has he ever been paid ever?! WRVU is his life long passion and legacy. You want to get national attention, tell the Ken Berryhill vs. the VSC story.
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/News/register/Fe…
i'll ask again; doesn't it seem as though the only thing this endowment would fund, would be the budget shortfall created be new paid positions created by VSC?????
Vote here for best Band of the Week
Slideshows
Top Commenters
